State v. Hood

OPINION

HANISEE, Judge.

{1} At Robert Hood’s (Defendant) trial on charges of trafficking cocaine, the district court excluded, over Defendant’s objection, all members of the public from the courtroom during the testimony of an undercover officer. On appeal, Defendant contends that this courtroom closure violated his Sixth Amendment right to a public trial. Applying our Supreme Court’s recent decision in State v. Turrietta, 2013-NMSC-036, 308 P.3d 964, we conclude that the closure was unconstitutional because although the disclosure of an undercover identity may constitute an overriding interest…