State Ex Rel. Newspapers, Inc. v. Circuit Court for Milwaukee County

HEFFERNAN, Chief Justice.

Petitioners, various media organizations, have requested the issuance of a supervisory writ, pursuant to secs. 809.51 and 809.71, Stats.,1 commanding the circuit court for Milwaukee county, the Honorable Arlene D. Connors presiding, to conduct in public a sec. 968.02(3), proceeding pending before her, entitled In re Petition of K.M., criminal division case no. L-002-C. We hold that such proceedings are to be presumptively open to the public and may be closed only upon a showing of a substantial, compelling reason to do so. The judge in the instant case could not in…