Stewart v. State

This defendant was charged by indictment with the offense of seduction.

On October 31, 1921, the case was called for trial, both sides announced ready, whereupon before proceeding further the court ex mero motu ordered the courtroom cleared, and announced that no one would be allowed in the courtroom, during the trial, except those necessary to the trial of the case, and the public was accordingly excluded from the courtroom during the whole trial.

Section 6, Constitution 1901, provides, among other things, that in all prosecutions by indictment the accused shall have “a speedy, public trial,”…