The People v. Roy Martin
Annotate this CaseDefendant was charged with crimes related to the criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal possession of marijuana. After a Sandoval hearing and just prior to the commencement of voir dire, the court directed defendant's father to leave the court room due to unavailable seating. At issue was whether defendant's right to a public trial was violated when the trial judge sua sponte closed the court room, specifically ejecting defendant's father during voir dire without considering any alternative accommodations. The court held that such an action violated defendant's right to a public trial where the ability of the public to observe questioning of this sort was important and warranted reversal of defendant's conviction.
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