Judge Issues Temporary Gag Order in Vance Boelter State Case

Overview

• A Hennepin County judge on Wednesday issued a temporary gag order that bars extrajudicial statements by the defendant, attorneys, potential witnesses, court employees and victims while the court considers competing motions.
• Boelter’s public defenders sought restrictions after the Hoffman family spoke to reporters following a pretrial hearing, and prosecutors agreed to a gag only if it also covers Boelter because of posts tied to a Substack account.
• Less than a month after demanding a speedy trial, Boelter’s attorneys filed to delay the Nov. 2 start date, saying the volume of discovery is too large for an adequate defense, a request the Hoffman family publicly criticized.
• Court filings show Boelter plans to assert defenses such as double jeopardy and justifiable taking of life, and prosecutors have asked the judge to bar some of those theories before trial.
• The state prosecution continues despite Boelter’s federal guilty plea and life sentences because Minnesota can pursue its own penalties and victims seek a state trial; the court will resolve the gag and scheduling disputes at the Oct. 5 hearing.