Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/boundvolumes/558bv.pdf
Page Number: 377.0

216 

PRESLEY  v.  GEORGIA 

Thomas, J., dissenting 

Co. v.  Superior Court of Cal., County of Riverside, 478 U. S. 
1,  15  (1986)  (“The  First  Amendment  right  of  access  cannot 
be overcome by the conclusory assertion that publicity might 
deprive the defendant of [the right to a fair trial]”). 

We  need  not  rule  on  this  second  claim  of  error,  because 
even assuming, arguendo, that the trial court had an overrid­
ing  interest  in  closing  voir  dire,  it  was  still  incumbent  upon 
it  to  consider  all  reasonable  alternatives  to  closure.  It  did 
not, and that is all this Court needs to decide. 

The Supreme Court of Georgia’s judgment is reversed, and 
the case is remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent 
with this opinion. 

It is so ordered. 

Justice  Thomas,  with whom Justice  Scalia  joins, 

dissenting. 

Today  the  Court  summarily  disposes  of  two  important 
questions it left unanswered 25 years ago in Waller v.  Geor­
gia, 467 U. S. 39 (1984), and Press-Enterprise Co. v.  Superior 
Court  of  Cal.,  Riverside  Cty.,  464  U. S.  501  (1984)  (Press-
Enterprise I).  I respectfully dissent from the Court’s sum­
mary disposition of these important questions. 

First,  the  Court  addresses  “whether  it  is  so  well  settled 
that [a defendant’s] Sixth Amendment right” to a public trial 
“extends  to  jury  voir  dire  that  this  Court  may  proceed  by 
summary  disposition.”  Ante,  at  213.  The  Court’s  afﬁrma­
tive answer to this question relies exclusively on Waller and 
Press-Enterprise  I;  but  those  cases  cannot  bear  the  weight 
of this answer. 

The Court correctly notes that Waller answers whether a 
“defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to a public trial applies 
to  a  suppression  hearing”  (not  to  jury  voir  dire),  467  U. S., 
at  43,  and  that  Press-Enterprise  I  interprets  the  public’s 
First Amendment right to attend jury voir dire, 464 U. S., at 
509, n. 8, so neither Waller nor Press-Enterprise I expressly 
answers  the  question  here,  see  ante,  at  212–213.  That  ac­