Opinion ID: 3210008
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Complete Closure

Text: [¶22] Because of the presumption that criminal proceedings are to be open to the public, the decision to fully close a courtroom during criminal proceedings must involve an “overriding interest,” and the court must narrowly tailor the closure, both temporally and specifically. Waller, 467 U.S. at 45 (quotation marks omitted). Thus, before a trial court may fully close a courtroom during a criminal proceeding, the court must assure the following: (1) the party seeking to close the hearing has advanced an overriding interest that is likely to be prejudiced, (2) the closure is no broader than necessary to protect that interest, (3) reasonable alternatives to closing the proceeding have been considered, and (4) adequate findings have been made to support the closure. Id. at 48.