A petition has been filed with the Washington State Court of Appeals seeking to publish a portion of a recent ruling that voided a gag order in a Thurston County domestic violence proceeding.
The filing, submitted to Division II of the appellate court, requests that a section of the March 31, 2026, decision in Couto v. Asbach be designated as binding precedent.
The request concerns an unpublished opinion in which the appellate panel concluded that an order issued by a trial court infringed upon the First Amendment.
The petitioner argues that elevating the decision to published status is necessary to safeguard independent journalism, a free press, and the constitutional rights of Washington residents.