McIntosh v. United States

TERRY, Senior Judge:

After a non-jury trial, appellant was convicted of misdemeanor sexual abuse of a child 1 and was sentenced to a term of three years’ probation. On appeal he contends that the trial court erred by temporarily closing the courtroom to the public during the testimony of the victim, J.J., a twelve-year-old girl who suffered from severe social disorders and borderline mental retardation and, in addition, exhibited physical discomfort while speaking in a courtroom setting. We conclude that the record does not provide sufficient support for the court’s decision to close the…