Public Access to Utah Juvenile Court

Public access to Utah juvenile court was expanded in 2004 in the hopes that public participation in child welfare proceedings would increase. The change didn’t affect adoption cases. However, there are other rules pertaining to juvenile delinquency cases.

• When a minor charged with a crime is 14 years or older, any person shall be admitted unless the court has closed the proceedings for good cause because of the crime’s charge.

• Any person attending a hearing concerning a juvenile will be required to identify themselves.

• The judge makes any decision to close a courtroom. The reasons for closing a hearing are:

• If it’s in the best interest of the child
• If having others in the courtroom will impact the fact-finding process
• If it is otherwise contrary to the interest of justice

• The only people that can request a closed court are those directly involved, including the judge.

• If a proceeding is open, the media can request an audio recording from the court clerk.

• If you want to obtain a copy of a legal file from Utah Juvenile Court, you must submit a motion that includes just cause. Social files, which include such things as psychological evaluations, are protected and cannot be opened.

• The current policy of Utah Juvenile Court is that identifying information of a juvenile and his family is not released to the public. The media have been asked to comply with this policy.

A Utah juvenile defense attorney can answer any additional questions you may have concerning Utah Juvenile Court and how it works. If you have a child in trouble with the law, contact an experienced attorney today.