True justice demands openness

Over the years we’ve seen a number of successful attempts to allow the public to learn about things that many times were decided behind closed doors. So-called Freedom of Information laws have been extremely helpful to journalists in our pursuit of the facts.

Things are a bit murkier when it comes to juveniles who have been charged with a crime. Generally, the younger the defendant and the less serious the alleged offense, the more likely the juvenile’s name will not be seen in print.

However, that changes substantially with serious offenses, as evidenced by the horrific crimes of Daniel Marsh, whose name was not kept from the public, even though he was far short of being an adult.

“Teen suspect’s lawyer seeks to close courtroom,” said The Enterprise headline a few weeks ago over a story by Lauren Keene.

“The attorney for a Woodland teen accused of causing a fiery collision that killed two people and wounded eight others wants his juvenile court proceedings closed to members of the public,” said the opening paragraph of Keene’s story out of Woodland.

“Yolo County prosecutors have charged the 13-year-old with two counts each of murder and gross vehicular manslaughter in connection with the April 8 collision that fatally injured Woodland resident Tina Vital, 43, and her 4-year-old granddaughter Adalina Perez. Authorities say the boy stole the family car that he drove at high speeds through town, striking two other vehicles traveling through the intersection of Court and College streets. The wreckage caught fire after impact, engulfing Vital’s car.”

Horrific stuff, to be sure, and one wonders what was going on in this 13-year-old’s head. What he may or may not be found guilty of remains to be seen, but the evidence is overwhelming that he was driving the car that caused the deaths of two people.

Yes, innocent until proven guilty, but facts are facts, no matter what outcome the legal system eventually comes up with down the road.

Fortunately, Keene’s story included comments from two people I respect greatly, Davis Enterprise editor Sebastian Oñate and Yolo County Chief Deputy District

Attorney Jonathan Raven. Both came down solidly on the side of the public’s right to know, especially in serious cases.

Oñate said the court should uphold our right to know “on a case that has had an enormous impact on the Woodland and Yolo County communities.”

Furthermore, Oñate noted that “California’s Welfare and Institutions Code provides the public with the same right to attend hearings for certain serious crimes allegedly committed by juveniles, including both murder and manslaughter, as they would if the defendant were an adult.”

Amen.

And trust me, in a community the size of Woodland, anyone who wanted to know the identity of this 13-yearold already knew his name long ago. News travels fast in a small town. Added Raven, “We firmly believe in transparency which promotes information for citizens about what their government is doing. Courtrooms should not be closed to the public absent some unusual and extenuating circumstances.”

Fast forward to this week and Keene has now reported that “Juvenile court proceedings for a Woodland teen accused of causing a fatal three-car collision will remain open to the public and the media, a Yolo Superior Court judge (Janene Beronio) ruled Wednesday.”

Good news all around.

This sad and tragic case will not go away by closing the courtroom doors so the public never knows the details of the case or the outcome of the proceedings.

Oñate, speaking for The Davis Enterprise and everyone who cares about the public’s right to know, noted, “The law was clear on the matter; the public is best served by openness in serious crimes of this nature. Beyond the tragic loss of life, and the direct and indirect impact on so many people, this case touches on wider public-safety issues that will be important for the community to hear. Transparency in our court process is an important part of sustaining a functioning democracy. It was good news for all Yolo County residents that this important principle was upheld.”

I have no doubt that this juvenile will receive a fair trial. Keeping the courtroom doors open will not compromise his case in any way.

There are no winners in this tragic case, but the public’s right to know is a value always worth fighting for.

— Reach Bob Dunning at bdunning@davisenterprise.net.