Cornell 7 Defendant
Judge Puts Diego Sarabia on Blast
Published
A New York judge is putting one of the Cornell 7 defendants and his lawyers on blast … saying they’re stirring up media drama.
According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, Judge Phaedra Perry-Bond shot down Diego Sarabia‘s attempt to limit what attorneys and others involved in the case can say publicly about the explosive gang rape lawsuit … with the judge saying his legal team didn’t come close to making a convincing argument.
The judge says simply expressing opinions about the case isn’t enough to take away someone’s right to free speech … and Sarabia’s lawyers didn’t give her a good enough reason to step in.
But here’s where things get especially messy … the judge was particularly upset that Sarabia’s lawyers submitted an email from an attorney who isn’t formally involved in the lawsuit … with the email essentially threatening another lawyer over their comments.
The judge says the email offered nothing useful and appeared to have been included just to attract “salacious tabloid reporting” … and the judge is making it clear her courtroom won’t be used to stir up media controversy.
The judge ordered the email removed from the court record and warned the lawyers they could face penalties if the behavior continues.
As TMZ previously reported … Sarabia’s lawyers tried to stop Jane Doe‘s attorney from speaking publicly about the case, claiming he was using the media to sway public opinion and could taint the jury pool.
The civil case involves a former Cornell student who claims she was gang raped by 7 members of the Chi Phi fraternity in 2024. The defendants dispute the allegations, and New York authorities have since brought in a special prosecutor to investigate for possible criminal charges.
For now, the judge has one message for the lawyers … save the drama for somewhere other than her courtroom.
