Bill > S1035

This bill seeks to increase transparency in juvenile court proceedings by fundamentally changing existing laws regarding public access to these hearings. Currently, juvenile court proceedings are closed to the general public, but this bill would make them open to the public, including news media, with some important exceptions. Judges would have the discretion to exclude people from courtrooms only if they can provide clear and convincing evidence of a compelling reason, such as potential disruption of proceedings, privacy concerns, or the need to protect litigants, particularly children. The bill specifies that while public access is now the default, judges can still restrict access to clinical and investigative reports and must consider factors like the safety of court participants and the orderly administration of justice. Audio-visual coverage of proceedings will be governed by rules from the supreme judicial court, and while the names of children involved in care and protection, delinquency, or youthful offender cases cannot be published, the public can now observe these proceedings. The legislation aims to balance the principles of judicial transparency with the protection of minors' privacy and safety, giving judges clear guidelines for managing courtroom access while opening up juvenile court proceedings to greater public scrutiny.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S1035