Baron Mind-Meld has been accused of murdering three people, armed robbery and spitting on the sidewalk. After weeks of pretrial publicity, the judge begins to publicly express doubts about whether the Mind-Meld can ever get a fair trial, given all the media attention the case has gotten. Judge Abe E. S. Corpus decides to issue a gag order on the press, prohibiting publication of any details surrounding the trial. Fearing his order would never stand constitutional muster, Corpus also closes the courtroom to the public, so the press can't claim a right to print what is already public. Since the judge has a substantial interest in ensuring a fair trial, and because both the prosecution and defense favor closure, the courtroom will be closed and media prevented from covering the trial.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The judge has not taken all the possible actions to protect a fair trial, such as changing venue or sequestering jurors. What's more there's no assurance that closing the trial would do any good. While closing a trial is theoretically possible given Supreme Court dicta, it's highly implausible.

Baron Mind-Meld Has Been Accused of Murdering Three People, Armed