Judge Shuts Down NewWest.Net Twitter Feed from Yellowstone Club Trial

By Courtney Lowery, 4-30-09

Federal Bankruptcy Judge Ralph B. Kirscher shut down the use of Twitter in a Missoula courtroom today during a trial that has pit the members of the ritzy Yellowstone Club against former owner Tim Blixseth and lender Credit Suisse.

NewWest.Net’s Jonathan Weber had been live blogging the trial via the publication’s Twitter stream (www.twitter.com/NewWest) since yesterday morning, keeping readers abreast of the play-by-play in the courtroom, including during Blixseth’s testimony. (Read Jonathan’s story here.)

About an hour after proceedings began, the Judge requested a side conversation with lawyers about the “communication of proceedings outside courtroom.”

Jonathan wrote on Twitter: “Issue: later witnesses are not allowed to hear earlier witnesses. Judge calls recess to allow lawyers to tell witnesses: stay off Twitter!”

A short while later, Jonathan wrote: “The last #YCtrial tweet: Judge has ruled no Twittering of the trial. I am disappointed but that is the ruling.”

Meanwhile, upstairs in the courthouse, a University of Montana Journalism class covering the W.R. Grace trial has been Twittering the case since it began in several months ago, as has Tristan Scott, the lead courts reporter for the Missoulian newspaper.

The latest from the Twitter feed is below:

More of NewWest.Net’s coverage of the Yellowstone Club bankruptcy here:

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