Judge grants temporary gag order in state case against Vance Boelter
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A judge issued a sweeping but temporary gag order Wednesday, barring all parties involved in the state’s murder case against Vance Boelter from publicly discussing the proceedings.
The order prohibits Boelter, his defense attorneys, prosecutors, potential witnesses and court employees from making extrajudicial statements. A hearing to discuss the gag order is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 5.
Boelter is facing state charges after already pleading guilty in federal court to murdering former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark and killing their dog, Gilbert, on June 14, 2025.
Boelter also pleaded guilty to shooting and injuring state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, as part of a larger plot against DFL lawmakers. John Hoffman was shot nine times and Yvette eight after Boelter showed up at their home in the dark disguised as a police officer.
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The temporary order issued by the judge on Wednesday comes after Boelter’s public defenders requested a gag order against the Hoffman family and other potential witnesses. The Hoffmans spoke to the media after a court hearing Sept. 25 and lambasted Boelter’s decision to claim self-defense in state court.
Prosecutors didn’t object to the defense’s request, but added that any gag order should include Boelter himself. Boelter — apparently with the assistance of an intermediary — has published ongoing commentary on his case and his ideology on Substack.
In a court filing, Boelter’s attorneys strenuously objected to including their client within a gag order. They argued Boelter has a right to respond to his charges, and that his posts don’t hold power because they haven’t been extensively covered by the media.
Boelter’s state trial is currently scheduled to begin on Nov. 2. However, Boelter’s counsel has requested the trial be pushed back by several months because of the large amount of discovery in the case. Judge Juan Hoyos has yet to rule on the request.
The move to delay the trial drew criticism from the Hoffmans, in a statement issued before the judge issued a temporary gag order. They said they are ready for a trial and “have waited long enough.”
“The defendant demanded a speedy trial,” the Hoffmans wrote. “Now his own publicly-funded defense attorneys are telling the court they need more time.”
“Our family did not choose any of this, yet somehow, more than fifteen months later, it feels as though the system continues to revolve around the rights, requests and timetable of the defendant while victims are told to be patient, and now potentially to be quiet.”
