Opinion ID: 3210008
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Defendant’s Right to a Public Trial

Text: [¶15] “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial . . . .” U.S. Const. amend. VI (emphasis added). The guarantee of a public trial in criminal proceedings is “for the benefit of the accused; that the public may see he is fairly dealt with and not unjustly condemned, and that the presence of interested spectators may keep his triers keenly alive to a sense of their responsibility and to the importance of their functions.” Roberts v. State, 2014 ME 125, ¶ 19, 103 A.3d 1031 (quotation marks 9 omitted); see U.S. Const. amends. VI, XIV. The defendant’s right to the public’s presence during trial may be demonstrated through a significant number of observers, or it may include only a few spectators, but the right exists regardless of the extent of public interest in a trial.