Judge Silences City Hall

By Thomas Breen, New Haven Independent

NEW HAVEN, CT — A federal judge on Wednesday made clear that not just the mayor — but every other member of his administration — must stay quiet about an ongoing wrongful-conviction trial, after finding that the mayor’s previous statements to the press “placed the integrity of the trial at grave risk.”

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That broader gag order is included in the full text of an order issued by U.S. Judge Sarala V. Nagala on Wednesday night.

Nagala handed down that order after ordering Mayor Justin Elicker to come to her federal courtroom in Hartford Wednesday afternoon to answer questions about his comments to the press about the ongoing Stefon Morant v. City of New Haven trial, including a comment he made to the New Haven Register about how Morant’s settlement request as “well beyond what is reasonable.”

In her Wednesday evening order, Nagala found that Elicker’s statements to the press had “placed the integrity of the trial at grave risk. The Court will instruct the jury on the importance of ignoring any media coverage of the trial and is confident that the jury will follow the Court’s instructions. Further, at the request of the City’s attorney, the Court ordered on the record that neither Mr. Elicker nor any member of his administration shall make any public statements about the trial until the jury reaches a verdict.”

Nagala further wrote that her order, initially handed down in court on Wednesday afternoon, “pertains only to Mr. Elicker and members of his administration, and that the Court neglected to solicit the perspectives of the individual Defendants as to any such order. As announced, the order also goes beyond Plaintiff’s original request that Mr. Elicker not be permitted to comment about settlement discussions in the media.” She stated that she would hear from both sides of the case at a “pre-trial session” Thursday on the matter.

See Nagala’s full order below, and click here to read the three news articles that Nagala attached to the order.

Judge Nagala’s Order

ORDER. On May 13, 2026, Plaintiff’s counsel informed the Court that Justin Elicker, Mayor of the City of New Haven, had made comments to a news media outlet — The New Haven Register — concerning settlement discussions in this action. The Court later learned of additional comments Mr. Elicker made on the same topic to the New Haven Independent. For completeness of the record, the Court attaches the three news articles containing the quotations to this order. The same day, the Court ordered Mr. Elicker to appear in person to answer questions about his comments.

As discussed on the record, there are two issues raised by Mr. Elicker’s comments: (1) whether the statements were truthful; and (2) whether the comments have affected the integrity of the trial. As to issue (1), the Court makes no findings about the truthfulness or lack thereof of the statements. The Court orders Plaintiff and the City to confer about a possible joint statement that could be issued to the media.

As to issue (2), the Court finds that the Mayor’s comments placed the integrity of the trial at grave risk. The Court will instruct the jury on the importance of ignoring any media coverage of the trial and is confident that the jury will follow the Court’s instructions. Further, at the request of the City’s attorney, the Court ordered on the record that neither Mr. Elicker nor any member of his administration shall make any public statements about the trial until the jury reaches a verdict.

The Court recognizes that the order, as announced in open court, pertains only to Mr. Elicker and members of his administration, and that the Court neglected to solicit the perspectives of the individual Defendants as to any such order. As announced, the order also goes beyond Plaintiff’s original request that Mr. Elicker not be permitted to comment about settlement discussions in the media. To the extent that any party wishes to be further heard on the necessity or scope of the order, Court will hear from them at the pre-trial morning session on May 14, 2026. See United States v. Salameh, 992 F.2d 445, 447 (2d Cir. 1993). As to the City, Mr. Elicker, and his administration, the Court finds that imposition of the order is designed to protect the integrity of the judicial system and the rights of all parties to a fair trial. Signed by Judge Sarala V. Nagala on 5/13/2026. (Valle, G)

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