People v. Mickens

The evidence at the Hinton hearing established an overriding interest that warranted the limited closure of the courtroom (see Waller v Georgia, 467 US 39 [1984]). Therefore, the closure order did not violate defendant’s right to a public trial. The officer testified, among other things, that he continued his undercover work in the vicinity of the charged crimes, that he had open investigations, that he had cases pending in the courthouse, that he had been threatened in other undercover investigations, and that he took precautions to protect his identity. This demonstrated that his safety and…