Court Opinion

ID: 9624907
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 07:21:16.206981+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:05:56.408022
License: Public Domain

BIRD, C. J.
I concur with my colleague, Justice Newman, when he expresses concern over the Los Angeles juvenile court rules which restrict admission to the sessions of the juvenile court to representatives of the “recognized news media.” To grant admission to some news organizations while excluding others is to encourage the drawing of constitutionally impermissible distinctions, based on unavoidably vague and subjective standards as to what renders one organization more worthy of recognition than another.
In addition, two fundamental constitutional issues may be present in this case;
(1) Is the First Amendment violated when restraints are placed on the publication of information secured by the news media as a result of being admitted to juvenile court proceedings?
(2) Is the equal protection clause violated when a 17-year-old juvenile, who may face a jury trial in adult court, is first required to *628undergo a public fitness hearing, a procedure he would not have to submit to were he an adult?
This case does not, however, adequately present these constitutional issues for resolution since neither was directly raised or argued by the parties. Consequently, I express no opinion as to the proper disposition of these issues, and I concur in the result reached by the majority.
Petitioner’s application for a rehearing was denied March 23, 1978.