Art. 879. Presence at adjudication hearing; exclusion of witnesses

A. The child, his parents, counsel, the district attorney, authorized officials of the court, and witnesses called by the parties may be present at the adjudication hearing.

B.(1) All proceedings in a juvenile delinquency case involving a crime of violence as defined in R.S. 14:2(B) or a delinquent act which is a second or subsequent felony-grade adjudication shall be open to the public.

(2) Except as otherwise provided by law, in all juvenile delinquency proceedings involving the violation of first degree murder (R.S. 14:30), second degree murder (R.S. 14:30.1), aggravated or first degree rape (R.S. 14:42), aggravated kidnapping (R.S. 14:44), armed robbery (R.S. 14:64), negligent homicide (R.S. 14:32), or vehicular homicide (R.S. 14:32.1), the court shall allow the victim, the victim's spouse, children, siblings, parents, grandparents, guardians, and legal custodians to be present at the adjudication hearing.

C. On its own motion the court may, and on the request of a party the court shall, order that the witnesses, other than parties, be excluded from the courtroom or from a place where they can see or hear the proceedings, and refrain from discussing the facts of the case with anyone other than counsel in the case. In the interest of justice, the court may exempt any witness from its order.

Acts 1991, No. 235, §8, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 1993, No. 769, §1; Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 120, §1, eff. July 7, 1994; Acts 1995, No. 1313 §1, eff. June 29, 1995; Acts 2011, No. 251, §2; Acts 2015, No. 184, §8.