“[R]eporting through live blogging is simply text descriptions, just as newspapers have been reporting on the courts for ages,” Sylvester wrote. “When I use Twitter to cover trials, there’s really very little difference in what I do with social media than what I write for the next day’s newspaper.”

Montgomery agreed in her ruling Monday, ordering witnesses to refrain from reading about the testimony of other witnesses. “The court believes that is a more appropriate way to proceed than shutting off the reporting at the front end,” the Longmont Times-Call reported.

Bloggers covered the trial of Molly Midyette, Alex Midyette’s wife, who was convicted a year ago of failing to stop or report the abuse that led to the death of her 11-week-old son, Jason. The judge already moved her husband’s trial from Boulder to Denver because of pre-trial publicity and banned television cameras from the courtroom.

Alex Midyette’s trial on charges of child abuse resulting in death is scheduled to start Jan. 12. The judge also ruled Monday that the jury won’t be sequestered. “I am persuaded that the standard admonishment to the jury about avoiding media reports about the case will suffice,” she said.