So in what possible parallel universe is a court order NOT to contact an attorney constitutional? Judges do not have unlimited king-like power to make pronouncements from the bench.
Last time I heard of something like this was with respect to special Federal anti-terrorism courts and, of course, our dear liberals (and not a few conservatives too) were apoplectic.
There’s been a number of threads about this.
It is to be hoped that the worm will turn and bite the perps on the keister.
Everywhere apparently, until it reaches the Supreme Court who will strike it down.
The gag order is ostensibly imposed to maintain the secrecy of a criminal investigation. One has the choice of complying with the gag order or going to jail for contempt. The jailing would be analogous to a jailing of a material witness against whom there were no charges. Such actions by the state are indeed Constitutional if due process is followed.
And, of course, the PATRIOT Act gags any recipient of a National Security Letter, including any communication with an attorney.
Of course, in the Wisconsin scandal, due process was used to justify a sham that was intended to punish political opponents. This happens all the time in the third world, which US progressives admire and seem intent on joining. When exceptions to fundamental liberties are tolerated, one should expect that they will continually erode.