An act relating to public access to trials

This bill establishes a legal presumption that court trials must be open to the public unless specific conditions are met. It directly affects judges, court staff, and the general public by requiring written justification before any trial proceedings can be closed. Under the new rules, judges must document in writing that closing a trial is necessary to protect a compelling interest and that the closure is narrowly tailored to address that specific concern. The legislation also maintains existing protections for minors in cases involving scandalous or obscene content, while requiring judges to exclude them unless they are parties or witnesses to the case.