State v. Gomez

¶1 This case involves whether the trial court closed the courtroom during trial in violation of the defendant’s rights under article I, section 22 of the Washington Constitution. The Court of Appeals reversed Benito Gomez’s convictions for second degree murder and six counts of first degree assault on the grounds that the trial judge effected an unconstitutional closure of the courtroom during trial by his pretrial comment that the public would not be permitted to enter the courtroom once the proceedings began. First, we disagree that the trial judge, by mere virtue of making this remark,…