The Blog

California Juvenile Judge Says Courts Should Be Opened

In this clip, Judge Teresa Guerrero-Daley identifies some of the key arguments in the debate on open juvenile dependency courts. On one hand, proponents of openness contend that greater transparency allows the media to report on what is really happening in the courts, informing the public and driving improvements in the child welfare system. For example, in 2008 Karen de Sá wrote a series for the San Jose Mercury News about the system’s failure to facilitate children’s attendance at their own dependency hearings. The series led to legislation designed to increase youth participation in those hearings. In Minnesota, a court … Read more