Judge reverses order on media in alleged surgeon rape case

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – A California judge has reversed an order barring the media from reporting on search warrant documents in the case of a surgeon charged with sexual assault.

Duffy Carolan, an attorney representing The Associated Press and an Orange County Register reporter, said Tuesday that Orange County Superior Court Judge Gregory Jones made the ruling after the outlets argued that his earlier decision violated press freedoms.

Last week, Jones took journalists’ copies of the documents saying they were sealed and barred them from reporting the contents.

The reporters had received the copies from Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer at a press conference criticizing the district attorney’s handling of the case against Dr. Grant Robicheaux.

Robicheaux and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley have pleaded not guilty to charges of rape, kidnapping and other crimes.