United States Ninth Circuit

The district court's denial of a habeas corpus motion challenging the alleged closure of the courtroom during voir dire of petitioner's criminal trial is affirmed, where: 2) the trial judge's request that family members and spectators leave the courtroom during voir dire until seats became available was at most a trivial courtroom closure that did not implicate petitioner’s Sixth Amendment rights; and 2) counsel did not provide ineffective assistance by failing to object to the request or challenge the alleged closure on appeal because it would not have disturbed the conviction.

Appellate Information

• Decided 01/03/2014
• Published 01/03/2014

Judges

• WALLACE

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel