State v. Paumier

¶1 Rene R Paumier appeals his conviction for residential burglary and third degree theft. This case requires us to determine if Paumier’s right to a public trial was violated when the trial court individually questioned potential jurors in chambers. We have previously held that a court may close a courtroom to the public only after considering the factors established in State v. Bone-Club, 128 Wn.2d 254, 258-59, 906 P.2d 325 (1995). Moreover, we have held in State v. Wise, 176 Wn.2d 1, 19-20, 288 P.3d 1113 (2012), that individual questioning of potential jurors in chambers without first…