“The sheriff has asked all members of the press to stop tweeting immediately. It is hindering officer safety. #Dorner”

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department tweeted this message, and later deleted it. No, it’s not prior restraint, because it is merely asking, not instructing the press to do anything. But I can’t remember if I have ever seen such a brazen, and public request, to shut down the press by the state.

Update: I have previously blogged about the inappropriateness (and perhaps illegality) of the government destroying government records in the forms fo tweets.