9.50 Exclusion of infants from courtroom

If a criminal case will include evidence or testimony about violence or sexual abuse, the judge has the power to clear the courtroom of children under 16. This means kids in that age group can be told to leave and stay out of hearing range while that testimony or evidence is presented.

The judge does not have to remove every child. The rule gives the judge the choice to remove some, all, or none of the children under 16, depending on the situation. This gives the court a way to protect young people from being exposed to disturbing details during a trial.

This rule applies whenever the case involves violent or sexual content, no matter who the parties are or what the charges involve. It is meant to give judges flexibility to keep courtrooms appropriate for anyone present, especially when children might otherwise be exposed to graphic or upsetting information.