Texas Judge Closes a Public Courtroom

For the most part, our courtrooms are open to the public - or they should be. I found this article interesting, where a Denton, Texas judge was closing his courtroom in certain proceedings. This may seem like an honorable thing to do - to protect the privacy of the individual litigants - but it creates a slippery slope. Gerry Morris, President of NACDL, was quoted for the article, and correctly points out: "When things happen in secret, there's no way to hold anyone accountable," he said. "And regardless of the level of the court, serious damage can be done to individual rights. And as the old adage goes, the best disinfectant is sunlight."