Publication ban lifted in Sagmoen case

It’s a win for the media.

The judge in the Curtis Sagmoen trial has lifted a publication ban on voir dire testimony, opening the doors to public access to exhibits and some of the trial details.

But a ban still remains on the names of any witnesses Sagmoen allegedly interacted with to prevent witness tainting.

The judge also ordered video and audio recordings to be distorted to prevent them from influencing potential witnesses.

A lawyer for CBC and Global argued against the publication ban, but the reasons for that argument were covered by another ban issued by Justice Alison Beames.

Sagmoen is facing five charges related to an alleged incident involving a sex trade worker near Falkland in 2017.