§21.2 Access to Washington Court Proceedings

• Jurisdiction: Washington

§21.2 ACCESS TO WASHINGTON COURT PROCEEDINGS

Trials and other court proceedings are public events. Article I, § 10 of the Washington Constitution directs: "Justice in all cases shall be administered openly, and without unnecessary delay." A criminal defendant also has a right to a public trial under Article I, § 22 of the Washington Constitution and the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Washington Supreme Court has held that the state's safeguards under Article I, § 22 are at least as stringent as federal protections. State v. Bone-Club, 128 Wn.2d 254, 260, 906 P.2d 325 (1995) ("The Washington Constitution provides at a minimum the same protection of a defendant's fair trial rights as the Sixth Amendment.").

In rare circumstances, court proceedings may be closed. In Seattle Times Co. v. Ishikawa, 97 Wn.2d 30,640 P.2d 716...