State v. Bowers

Defendant appeals his conviction for rape in the first degree. ORS 163.375. The alleged victim was defendant’s 11-year-old daughter. Before any witnesses were called, the prosecutor moved to exclude the public from the courtroom during the victim’s testimony, saying: “We are dealing with an 11-year-old girl talking about this matter, and the fewer people she has to confront with this, the better.” Defendant objected, but the motion was allowed. The victim was the first witness.

The state acknowledges “the strong position in favor of a defendant’s personal right to a public trial,” see In Re…