Opinion
No. 92-183
Opinion delivered June 22, 1992
1. ADOPTION — RECORD ON APPEAL CLOSED. — The Arkansas Supreme Court granted appellant's motion to close the records in this adoption case as it has in past cases to follow the spirit of Ark. Code Ann. 9-9-217 (1987), which requires closure of court proceedings with respect to all hearings held in proceedings under the Arkansas version of the Revised Uniform Adoption Act, though the statute does not govern appeals. 2. APPEAL ERROR — ADOPTION — ORAL ARGUMENTS NOT CLOSED. — Appellant's motion to close oral arguments was denied; counsel are responsible for referring to parties as "appellant" and "appellee," and mentioning others by initials or in other manner so as not to reveal their identities.
Motion to Close Records and Oral Argument; granted in part; denied in part.
Todd Williams and Lisa Jogler, for appellant.
Kaye Hartenstein and Rob Shafer, for appellee.
The appellant in this adoption case asks that we close all records and not allow inspection of them by any person other than Justices of this Court, officers of the Court, and the parties and their counsel. It is also requested that if oral argument is held it be closed to all persons other than those mentioned above.
In support of the motion Ark. Code Ann. 9-9-217 (1987) is cited. That Statute requires closure of court proceedings with respect to "[a]ll hearings held in proceedings under this subchapter." The subchapter is the Arkansas version of the Revised Uniform Adoption Act, Ark. Code Ann. 9-9-201 through 9-9-224 (1987 and Supp. 1991), which does not govern appeals of adoption cases.
This Court has no rule governing closure of records; however, we have previously closed records in adoption cases following the spirit of the Statute. We grant the motion to close the records in this case.
The portion of the motion seeking closure of oral argument, if any, is denied. It will be the responsibility of counsel to see to it that any mention of the parties is done in terms of "appellant" and "appellees" and that others are mentioned by initials or in another manner so as not to reveal their identities.