Rule Text
A. With the exceptions of delinquency proceedings pursuant to Article 879, child support proceedings, traffic violations pursuant to Chapter 2 of Title IX in East Baton Rouge Parish, and misdemeanor trials of adults pursuant to Chapter 4 of Title XV, proceedings before the juvenile court shall not be public.
B. The child, his parents, counsel, the district attorney, authorized officers of the court, and witnesses called by the parties may be present at an adjudication hearing. The court may admit any other person who has a proper interest in the proceedings or the work of the court.
Amendment history: Acts 1991, No. 235, §4, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 1992, No. 705, §1, eff. July 6, 1992; Acts 1993, No. 769, §1; Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 120, §1, eff. July 7, 1994; Acts 1995, No. 1261, §1; Acts 2011, 1 st Ex. Sess., No. 28, §1; Acts 2011, No. 251, §2.
Plain-English Summary (for reference only — not a substitute for the rule text above)
This summary is not the rule. The rule text controls.
Juvenile court hearings are private, not open to the general public. This is different from adult criminal court, where anyone can usually walk in and watch. There are a few exceptions where hearings stay open: certain delinquency sentencing hearings, child support cases, traffic tickets in East Baton Rouge Parish, and misdemeanor trials of adults.
For the hearing where the court decides if a child committed the alleged offense, only certain people can be in the room. This includes the child, the child's parents, their lawyer, the prosecutor (district attorney), court staff, and witnesses who are testifying. The judge also has the power to let other people attend if they have a genuine reason to be there, such as someone connected to the case or the court's work.
The main point of this rule is to protect the child's privacy. Juvenile cases often deal with sensitive family and personal issues, so the law keeps these hearings closed to outsiders and limits who can be present, unlike a typical open court case.
