US · rules
S.D. Ill. SDIL-LR 83.6
Fair Trial, Free Press
(See Fed. R. Crim. P. 6, 12.1, 16, 32, 53; 18 U.S.C. § 3322;
28 U.S.C. §§ 566, 751, 753, 755, 956)
(a) Duties of Lawyers
It is the duty of the lawyer not to release or authorize the release of
information or opinion for dissemination by any means of public
communication, in connection with pending or imminent criminal
litigation with which he/she/they are associated, if there is a reasonable
likelihood that such dissemination will interfere with a fair trial or
otherwise prejudice the due administration of justice. With respect to a
grand jury or other pending investigation of any criminal matter, a lawyer
participating in the investigation shall refrain from making any
extrajudicial statement for dissemination by any means of public
communication that goes beyond the public record or that is not necessary
to inform the public that the investigation is underway, to describe the
general scope of the investigation, to obtain assistance in the apprehension
of a suspect, to warn the public of any dangers, or otherwise to aid in the
investigation.
From the time of arrest, issuance of an arrest warrant, or the filing of a
complaint, information, or indictment in any criminal matter until the
commencement of trial or disposition without trial, a lawyer associated
with the prosecution or defense shall not release or authorize the release of
any extrajudicial statement for dissemination by any means of public
communication relating to that matter and concerning:
(1) the prior criminal record (including arrests, indictments, or other
charges of crime) or the character or reputation of the accused, except
that the lawyer may make a factual statement of the accused’s name,
age, residence, occupation, and family status, and if the accused has
not been apprehended, a lawyer associated with the prosecution
may release any information necessary to aid in his/her/their
apprehension or to warn the public of any dangers he/she/they may
present;
Page 52 of 65
(2) the existence or contents of any confession, admission, or statement
given by the accused, or the refusal or failure of the accused to make
any statement;
(3) the performance of any examinations or tests or the accused’s refusal
or failure to submit to an examination or test;
(4) the identity, testimony, or credibility of prospective witnesses,
except that the lawyer may announce the identity of the victim if the
announcement is not otherwise prohibited by law;
(5) the possibility of a plea of guilty or innocence or as to the merits of
the case or the evidence in the case; or
(6) any opinion as to the accused’s guilt or innocence or as to the merits
of the case or the evidence in the case.
(b) Duties of Court Personnel
No personnel connected in any way with this Court or its operation,
including, among others, marshals, deputy marshals, deputy clerks, court
security officers, bailiffs, jury administrators, court reporters, and interns,
shall disclose to any person, without specific authorization by the presiding
judge, any information relating to a pending criminal or civil case that is
not a part of the public record. This prohibition applies to, among other
things, the divulgence of information concerning arguments, hearings, and
discussions held in chambers or otherwise outside the presence of the
public.
(c) Special Order in Certain Cases
In a widely publicized or sensational case, the Court, on motion of either
party or on its own motion, may issue a special order governing such
matters as extrajudicial statements by parties and witnesses that might
interfere with the rights of the accused to a fair trial by an impartial jury,
the seating and conduct in the courtroom of spectators and news media
representatives, the management and sequestration of jurors and witnesses,
and any other matters that the Court may deem appropriate for inclusion
in such an order, such as:
(1) directives regarding the clearing of entrances to and hallways in a
courthouse and respecting the management of the jury and
witnesses during the course of the trial to avoid their mingling with
Page 53 of 65
or being in the proximity of reporters, photographers, parties,
lawyers, and others, both in entering and leaving the courtroom and
courthouse, and during recesses in the trial;
(2) a specific directive that the jurors refrain from reading, listening to,
or watching news reports concerning the case, and that they
similarly refrain from discussing the case with anyone during the
trial and from communicating with others in any manner during
their deliberations;
(3) sequestration of the jury on motion of any party or the Court,
without disclosure of the identity of the movant;
(4) a directive that the names and addresses of the jurors or prospective
jurors are not publicly released, except as required by statute, and
that no photographs be taken or sketch made of any juror within the
environs of the Court;
(5) insulation of witnesses from news interviews during the trial period;
and
(6) specific provisions regarding the seating of spectators and news
media representatives.
Provenance
- Source
- www.ilsd.uscourts.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-18
- Edition
- fed-district-2026-09-19
- Content hash
4dd0ab11723d1a85ad2f98b10a578300f4782695e0c93f3047542338897cf6cb
The link goes to the issuing authority’s own document — the one we read to produce this record. Where a source publishes whole titles rather than sections, your browser may need a moment to jump to the provision.
Unofficial copy of government-published law, reproduced from official sources with full provenance. Not an official publication; verify against official sources before relying on it in a filing. Records in the 'guidance' corpus, and only that corpus, are sub-regulatory (interpretive guidelines, survey procedures) and are not binding law. Validity bounds follow each jurisdiction's declared temporalBasis.