PORTLAND, Maine - A Maine attorney persuaded a judge to order media not to report what he or any witnesses said during his appearance in criminal court.
The Portland Press Herald reports Anthony Sineni III of Standish was convicted of misdemeanor charges of assault and disorderly conduct Monday as part of a plea agreement. Judge Jeffrey Moskowitz told reporters at the beginning of Monday's hearing what they could and couldn't report. A reporter for the Press Herald protested and asked for time to contact legal counsel, but Moskowitz denied the request.
An attorney for the newspaper, Sigmund Schutz, said the judge's order to the media was a clear violation of the public's First Amendment constitutional right of free speech.