Aurora theater shooting: City asks judge to consider lifting gag order against it

The City of Aurora has asked the judge in the theater shooting case to revise a gag order that prohibits law enforcement agents from discussing what happened. "The city has refused numerous requests...to give presentations regarding the theater shooting," an attorney for the city wrote in a motion filed Tuesday. Most requests have come from other law enforcement agencies and municipalities "seeking to learn from the city's response here," the motion says.

Given that "extensive factual testimony" was heard at a preliminary hearing last week, the city's attorney argues that Judge William Sylvester should consider whether the gag order "is now moot." The attorney notes that the evidence presented in court included two 911 calls made during and after the July 20 attack that were preserved by the city.

The motion asks that the judge at least allow Aurora police and fire command staff "to speak publicly about the city's response to the theater shootings, and to release the recordings of the two 911 calls played in open court." Those actions, the attorney wrote, "will not potentially jeopardize any investigation or the fairness of the judicial process here, because the evidence has already been revealed to millions of people worldwide."

Read the full motion below.

Motion Regarding Reconsideration of Pre-Trial Publicity Orders

More from our Aurora Theater Shooting archive: "Aurora's Century 16's free reopening weekend to feature Taken 2, Bourne Legacy, Red Dawn."

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