Some judges discouraging public from observing Family Courts

Some judges discouraging public from observing Family Courts - NYPOST.com:

It’s as transparent as a closed door.

In December 2011, one of New York’s top judicial officials demanded Family Courts remain open to the public — but in the past month, Manhattan judges have begun posting “Do not enter” signs on their courtroom doors.

At least five judges and referees out of 18 have affixed signs to their doors with a red stop sign reading, “Court Personnel Only.”

Open courtrooms serve as a check on government, and Edwina Richardson-Mendelson, the administrative judge of city Family Courts, was so troubled by a pattern of court officers flouting the open-courts rule that she ordered a review in 2011.

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