Newspaper loses appeal in jail case gag order

DETROIT (AP) - The Michigan appeals court has turned down an appeal from a Detroit newspaper in a challenge to a judge's gag order. Wayne County Judge Vonda Evans is overseeing a criminal case tied to a failed jail project. She's barred all parties from talking to reporters. The appeals court says the gag order puts no "direct restraint" on the Detroit Free Press. In a brief order last Thursday, the court says the newspaper hasn't identified a speaker who feels retrained by the judge's order. Ex-county officials Carla Sledge and Steven Collins are charged with giving false or misleading information about the cost of a new jail. Construction stopped months ago because the project near Ford Field was wildly over budget. A contractor has been charged with a misdemeanor. Published: Mon, Dec 08, 2014