SAN ANTONIO – A judge has issued a gag order on Tuesday for Brad Simpson’s case, according to court documents.
Brad Simpson is accused of the murder of his wife, Suzanne Simpson, who has been missing since Oct. 6.
Bexar County District Court Judge Joel Perez issued the court order to ensure a fair trial and not to taint the potential jury pool when the trial begins.
The ruling comes a day after Simpson’s first court appearance on Monday.
The document states that the court made its decision after Simpson’s case had the following findings for the case:
- The highly emotional nature of the case.
- The excessive amount of local and national media coverage.
- Public disclosure of sensitive information from discovery materials, which were subsequently reported by the media.
The court decided the following people involved in the case are not allowed to discuss Simpson’s case with the media:
- All attorneys and their staff
- Law enforcement
- Witnesses who have provided statements in Simpson’s case to law enforcement, representative of the District Attorney’s Office or who have testified in investigative or adjudicative proceedings.
The gag order does not restrict attorneys from communicating with their clients or preparing for the trial. It also does not prevent third parties from attending court proceedings or reporting on publicly available information.
According to the court document, the court is open to changing the gag order if necessary.
Simpson is expected to be back in court on Dec. 19 for a bond modification hearing. His next custody hearing is scheduled for April 8, 2025.
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