“Sorry folks, courtroom’s closed...or is it?”

Posted Monday, January 5, 2015 by Andrew Charles Huff

Does a courtroom sign listing the court’s specific closing time during a criminal trial considered a “closed courtroom” in violation of the right to a public trial? According to the Washington Supreme Court, the answer is no. In the recent case of State v. Andy, the defendant argued that a sign on the courtroom door during his trial listing a 4:00 pm closure time constituted a closed courtroom. The Supreme Court disagreed, ruling that despite the sign, the courtroom was open at all times to the public during the trial despite the signage.