Newspaper banned from reporting testimony in lawsuit by delivery workers

Photo by Associated Press
© April 02, 2002

By Matt Gelb

Legal scholars called a California Superior Court judge's decision to bar The Orange County Register from reporting about testimony on a class-action lawsuit by newspaper delivery workers "clearly and blatantly unconstitutional."

Superior Court Judge David C. Velasquez ordered the paper not to publish any articles on testimony from the $100 million lawsuit brought forward by 600 former carriers in Gonzalez v. Freedom Communications Inc. The delivery workers held that Freedom, the parent company of The Register, did not grant them full benefits as employees.

Velasquez ordered both parties from discussing witness testimony outside of court, a "highly unusual" sanction, according to the article. Lawyers for the newspaper contend this is prior restraint, which is unconstitutional in this case.

The Register's council plans to challenge Velasquez's order in the 4th District Court of Appeal in Santa Ana.