In re the Personal Restraint of Speight

¶1 Petitioner Ronald Speight filed a timely personal restraint petition, claiming for the first time on collateral review that his right to a public trial under article I, section 22 of the Washington State Constitution, was violated when the trial court decided motions in limine and individually questioned potential jurors in chambers.1 While Speight’s public trial right claim has merit, his petition must be denied. Consistent with our holding in In re Personal Restraint of Coggin, 182 Wn.2d 115, 340 P.3d 810 (2014) (plurality opinion), a petitioner claiming a public trial right violation…