Opinion ID: 2621432
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 10

Heading: Closed Courtroom

Text: ś 84 Gregory argues that when the trial court required his aunt, Tonetta Johnson, to leave the courtroom for the duration of his grandmother's testimony, the court closed the courtroom in violation of his right to a public trial under the Sixth Amendment and article I, section 22 of the Washington Constitution. State v. Brightman, 155 Wash.2d 506, 514, 122 P.3d 150 (2005); In re Pers. Restraint of Orange, 152 Wash.2d 795, 804, 100 P.3d 291 (2004). At trial, the State called Mae Hudson, Gregory's grandmother, to testify. The trial judge abruptly interrupted, excused the jury, and asked Hudson to step out of the courtroom. Then, the trial judge explained: Counsel, I have been observing that the woman seated behind [defense counsel] on the last question was shaking her head no to the witness before the witness was answering. MRP at 5051-52. The judge ordered Johnson to step outside of the courtroom for the duration of Hudson's testimony. The court further explained: I earlier had seen [Johnson] smiling and laughing at the witness, but it wasn't until this last question about the facial hair that I saw her shaking her head no to Ms. Hudson. So I wanted the state and defense counsel to be apprised of that and why I need to exclude her from the courtroom. Is there any objection to that from the defense? MRP at 5052. Defense counsel had no objection. The court ordered: She needs to definitely stay outside for the rest of the testimony. This could be as simple as prompting the witness, or it also could be tampering with the witness in this case. I am especially concerned because this witness may be having some memory problems in this regard. She will need to remain outside the rest of the time. MRP at 5053. After Hudson's testimony Johnson returned to the courtroom and apologized. ś 85 In Brightman, Orange, and State v. Bone-Club, 128 Wash.2d 254, 906 P.2d 325 (1995), the trial court ordered that all spectators be excluded from the courtroom during some part of the trial. See Brightman, 155 Wash.2d at 511, 122 P.3d 150; Orange, 152 Wash.2d at 802, 100 P.3d 291; Bone-Club, 128 Wash.2d at 256-57, 906 P.2d 325. The Orange and Bone-Club courts emphasized that the closures in those cases were full closures. Orange, 152 Wash.2d at 808, 100 P.3d 291; Bone-Club, 128 Wash.2d at 256-57, 906 P.2d 325. Here, the trial court never fully closed the courtroom. Further, neither Orange, Brightman, nor Bone-Club explicitly limited or undermined the trial court's inherent authority to regulate the conduct of a trial by excluding one person from the courtroom for a limited period of time. See, e.g., State v. Pacheco, 107 Wash.2d 59, 67-68, 726 P.2d 981 (1986). The trial judge here explained the reason for excluding Johnson, she offered the defendant a chance to object, which he chose not to do, and she limited the exclusion to the duration of Hudson's testimony. [27] Under these circumstances, it cannot be said that the trial court abused its broad discretion to regulate the conduct of a trial. We conclude that Gregory's right to a public trial was not violated.