LOS ANGELES : ACLU to Appeal Gag Order in Officers’ Trial

The American Civil Liberties Union has authorized its attorneys to appeal a federal court order that prevents one of the defense lawyers in the Rodney G. King civil rights trial from publicly criticizing the motives of the government or prosecutors.

Paul L. Hoffman, legal director of the Southern California ACLU, said Wednesday that the organization had agreed to take the case and will file its appeal this week despite some deep differences of opinion with its new client, Harland W. Braun. The ACLU supports the federal government’s decision to indict the officers, while Braun has blasted that decision as “politically motivated.”

“We completely disagree with Harland,” Hoffman said. “But there’s a really important issue about whether someone in Harland’s position has the right to participate in a national debate on whether the prosecution was politically motivated. . . .”

Braun, who represents Officer Theodore J. Briseno, welcomed the ACLU’s move on his behalf.