State ex rel. Dispatch Printing Co. v. Solove

This case presents a question of first impression for us: what standard should be applied by a juvenile court judge in ruling on motions to restrict public access to custody and dependency proceedings? The restrictions in the instant case take two forms: a “closure order” which bars the public from attending the trial, and a so-called “gag order” which prohibits the adult parties from discussing the case, and thus indirectly restricts public access by depriving the media of a source of news.

For the reasons which follow, we find that the orders issued by appellant Judge Solove were, with some…