Courts District judges bar public from proceedingsA sign on District Judge Dwayne Steidley’s courtroom confirms that the public isn’t welcome:
"ONLY DEFENDANTS are allowed in the court room, Family and friends must stay in the hallway.”
David Starkey asks: "Why does he not want people in there?" and has started a website, Rogers County Grand Jury that addresses what he claims - One Reason They Close The Courtroom: Constitutional Violation!
Special Judge Erin Oquin has to approve any party other than attorneys before entering.
Apparently in Oklahoma, closing courts are legal in limited circumstances. Both the Oklahoma Constitution and the 6th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantee defendants the right to an open trial. Oklahoma law requires that a defendant’s plea must take place within open court. But, in a 1986 case, the U.S. Supreme Court said a judge may close a courtroom only under "limited circumstances.”
In Oklahoma, exceptions to that requirement include adoption, juvenile, mental health and guardianship proceedings.
Joey Senat, past president of Freedom of Information Oklahoma and an associate professor of journalism at Oklahoma State University said: "the Rogers County practice is so outrageous as to be impossible to believe.”
Source:
Man fights for right to open courtrooms
See also:
Some state judges forget courts belong to public
The only reason for STAR CHAMBERS proceedings is corruption and treachery!
ReplyDeleteGuardianship law is promulgated in the public interest and the courts must be open.
Criminal defendants have the right to an open proceeding.
When a judge uses his limited discretion to close/seal proceedings, he MUST spread the specific reasons on the open public record.
Crock-a-law!
Closed hearings, like sealed files, indicate wrongdoing.
ReplyDeleteThis judge closes his courtroom to shut out the media, I bet.
And he probably enjoys his power too much.
At any rate, hooray for the website exposing this bad practice!
Constitutional violations is right! And shady deals.
ReplyDeleteThis judge doesn't just need to be forced to open the courtroom, he needs a spotlight shining on him all the time.