Members of the public are not allowed to attend red light camera trials and other proceedings at the Superior Court of California courthouse in the city of Corona. For the past several weeks a policy has been place denying entry to anyone who does not have a direct involvement in a specific case scheduled that day. Court security checks anyone attempting to enter the building.
“Please be advised that this court facility is closed to the general public,” a sign posted at the door states. “The facility conducts criminal trials Monday through Friday and only jurors, witnesses and associated trial personnel are permitted to enter. On Fridays, the facility is also open for litigants reporting for court trial on traffic or minor offense matters.”
Attorney R. Allen Baylis was stopped earlier this week on his way in to a red light camera case. He believes the court had no legal right to deny admittance to the public.
“It just blows my mind that anyone would even think about doing that,” Baylis told TheNewspaper. “They should know better.”
The Sixth Amendment to the Constitution states that the accused shall enjoy the right to a “speedy and public” trial. The 1980 US Supreme Court case of Richmond Newspapers, Inc. v. Virginia confirmed the right of the public to attend trials is fundamental to the legal system. It found the First Amendment would be meaningless if members of the press were prevented from reporting on cases before the judicial branch.
“Criminal trials both here and in England had long been presumptively open,” Chief Justice Warren Burger wrote for the court. “This is no quirk of history; rather, it has long been recognized as an indispensable attribute of an Anglo-American trial. Both Hale in the 17th century and Blackstone in the 18th saw the importance of openness to the proper functioning of a trial; it gave assurance that the proceedings were conducted fairly to all concerned, and it discouraged perjury, the misconduct of participants, and decisions based on secret bias or partiality.”
In general, only trials involving juveniles or terrorists as defendants may be closed after showing that there is a compelling governmental interest in doing so. Members of the public and the media frequently attend photo enforcement trials to discover and spread the word about successful defenses to citations. In 2004, the Los Angeles County court attempted to ban the editor of the highwayrobbery.net website from approaching the courthouse to provide motorists with copies of legal rulings that dismissed red light camera tickets.
Baylis intends to review the available legal options to compel the court to open cases to the public.
[Courtesy:Thenewspaper.com]
California is a left wing dystopia. I witnessed the closed court rooms when I received a ridiculous ticket two years ago. I went to challenge the ticket only to find a traffic court campus resembling a mid sized college, strip malls full of law offices, and that I had to sign a waiver of rights and acceptance that I could face additional charges based on testimony presented in the court before I’d be admitted in a group of ten defendents to face the judge over my ticket. I’d already learned that the officer was liar on the side of the road, so I paid the fine and went home. They’re funding the pig unions age fifty retirements with six figure pensions plus benefits, and the constitution won’t get in their way.
From Wikipedia:
In the state legislature Corona is located in the 37th Senate District, represented by Republican Bill Emmerson, and in the 71st Assembly District, represented by Republican Jeff Miller. Federally, Corona is located in California’s 44th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +6[9] and is represented by Republican Ken Calvert.
I give you your Left Wing Dystopia.
I wasn’t in Corona. I was near Escondido. I’m talking about California government corruption, not some little town. The other day there was a story about a lawsuit filed by LA cops who objected to having to generate $8,000 a shift in revenue. Even California ‘Republicans’ are progressives in the manner of Bloomberg. Just take a look at the Orange County Republicans’ website. In a sane state, they’d be hanged for treason.
With respect M.
You post is crazy if you know anything about California politics at all, and if you understand that being a State senator or Representative does not make you king of your district.