Judge imposes gag order in case of Dallas man charged with hacking

DALLAS, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- Barrett Brown, a Dallas man facing federal hacking charges, cannot discuss the charges against him with the news media, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Sam Lindsay's gag order also applies to Brown's lawyers and federal prosecutors, The Dallas Morning News reported. The judge also barred the reposting of any statements Brown has already made.

The judge said Brown is "cautioned to consult with counsel prior to making any statements to the media or publishing materials to avoid violating this order." Lindsay said he issued the order to guarantee an impartial jury.

Brown, 31, who has issued statements on behalf of the hackers' group Anonymous, is expected to go on trial in April. He is charged in federal indictments with threatening an FBI agent and downloading credit card numbers from the private security firm Stratfor, among other charges.

Rolling Stone called Brown "one of the new political prisoners" in a recent profile. A recording of a conversation from Brown in a Dallas-area jail to Glenn Greenwald, a reporter for the British newspaper The Guardian, was played during Wednesday's hearing.

Brown, who could be sentenced to more than 100 years in prison if convicted of all charges, has been in custody since last year.