State v. Cox

The opinion of the court was delivered by

BEIER, J.:

This is defendant Ryan Cox’s direct appeal from jury convictions of two counts each of aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated indecent liberties with a child. He was sentenced to concurrent prison terms of 165 months on each sodomy count and 61 months on each indecent liberties count. Because his constitutionally protected right to a public trial was violated when the district court closed the courtroom during display and discussion of photographs of the victims’ genitalia, we must reverse the convictions and remand for a new trial. In…