Texas Family Code 54.08 – Public Access to Court Hearings
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(a) Except as provided by this section, the court shall open hearings under this title to the public unless the court, for good cause shown, determines that the public should be excluded.
(b) The court may not prohibit a person who is a victim of the conduct of a child, or the person’s family, from personally attending a hearing under this title relating to the conduct by the child unless the victim or member of the victim’s family is to testify in the hearing or any subsequent hearing relating to the conduct and the court determines that the victim’s or family member’s testimony would be materially affected if the victim or member of the victim’s family hears other testimony at trial.
Terms Used In Texas Family Code 54.08
- Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Testify: Answer questions in court.
- Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
(c) If a child is under the age of 14 at the time of the hearing, the court shall close the hearing to the public unless the court finds that the interests of the child or the interests of the public would be better served by opening the hearing to the public.
(d) In this section, “family” has the meaning assigned by § 71.003.