The attorney for the accused murderer of Mollie Tibbetts filed a gag order on Wednesday to prevent his client from being referred to as an illegal alien.
The defendant, 24-year-old Christian Bahena Rivera, has been charged with first degree murder for the slaying of Iowa college student Tibbetts. Rivera led investigators to the Tibbetts’ body in a cornfield after he admitted that he followed her while she was running.
Rivera, a Mexican national, has been residing in the Poweshiek County area for up to seven years, according to officials. He was employed at Yarrabee Farms and was initially reported to have been vetted in the government’s E-Verify system, however, it was later determined that he had not in fact been checked via E-Verify and his employers knew him under a different name, reported the Des Moines Register. (RELATED: Illegal Immigrant Charged With Murder Of Iowa College Student Mollie Tibbetts)
The gag order purports that by referring to Rivera as illegal, he will be denied a fair trial, and consequently, the government must not refer to him as anything other than a “documented resident.”
The order states that Rivera has legal status in the U.S. and further claims that the Iowa Board of Regents has verified Rivera is in the jurisdiction legally.
“Sad and Sorry Trump has weighed in on this matter in national media which will poison the entire possible pool of jury members,” the order reads, taking a shot at the president.
Rivera is being held on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer.
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