Judge places gag order on DeSoto DA
Circuit Court Judge Gerald Chatham issued a gag order against DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton (at microphone). (Courtesy DeSoto County District Attorney’s office file)
A judge recently ordered DeSoto County District Attorney Matthew Barton to stop talking about an escaped inmate and the circumstances before and after the escape.
Last week, multiple sources told The Daily Memphian that Circuit Court Judge Gerald Chatham issued a gag order against the DA, preventing him from speaking publicly about Joshua Zimmerman, an inmate who escaped from the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office nearly 40 days ago.
The state’s 23rd District Circuit Court confirmed records related to the case had been sealed, and Barton later confirmed that the gag order is in place.
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DeSoto County desoto county sheriffs office DeSoto County district attorney's office Joshua Zimmerman Matthew Barton Gerald Chatham Subscriber OnlyThank you for supporting local journalism.
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Rob Moore
Rob Moore covers North Mississippi for The Daily Memphian. He holds a B.A. and an M.A. in English from The University of Memphis.
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