CLEVELAND, Ohio — An attorney for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer argued Friday that a juvenile court judge should open hearings to the public in the high-profile case of two young children accused of attacking and sexually assaulting a 5-year-old autistic girl.
Dan Kavouras, the news outlet’s attorney, wrote that Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court Judge Kristin Sweeney should reject assertions from the children’s attorneys that hearings in the case should be closed.
Juvenile court proceedings are presumed open, and Kavouras wrote that the media and public need access to the case to ensure public confidence in the judicial system and deter abuse of power by judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys. The case also has great public interest and could have legal and public-policy ramifications…