Vermont § 5110 - Conduct of hearings

§ 5110. Conduct of hearings

• (a) Hearings under the juvenile judicial proceedings chapters shall be conducted by the
  court without a jury and shall be confidential. (b) The general public shall be excluded from hearings under the juvenile judicial proceedings
  chapters, and only the parties, their counsel, witnesses, persons accompanying a party
  for the party’s assistance, and such other persons as the court finds to have a proper
  interest in the case or in the work of the court, including a foster parent or a representative
  of a residential program where the child resides, may be admitted by the court. An
  individual without party status seeking inclusion in the hearing in accordance with
  this subsection may petition the court for admittance by filing a request with the
  clerk of the court. (c) There shall be no publicity given by any person to any proceedings under the authority
  of the juvenile judicial proceedings chapters except with the consent of the child,
  the child’s guardian ad litem, and the child’s parent, guardian, or custodian. A person
  who violates this provision may be subject to contempt proceedings pursuant to Rule
  16 of the Vermont Rules for Family Proceedings. This subsection shall not prohibit
  a victim from discussing underlying facts of the alleged offense that resulted in
  death or physical, emotional, or financial injury to the victim, provided that, unless
  otherwise provided by law or court order, a victim shall not disclose what occurs
  during a court proceeding or information learned through a court proceeding that is
  not an underlying fact of the alleged offense that resulted in death or physical,
  emotional, or financial injury to the victim. (d) This section shall not prohibit a victim’s exercise of rights provided by section 5234 of this title and as otherwise provided by law. (Added 2007, No. 185 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; amended 2015, No. 60, § 6; 2021, No. 160 (Adj. Sess.), § 7, eff. June 1, 2022.)