610.070 Hearings

610.070 Hearings.

(1) All cases involving children brought before the court whose cases are under the

jurisdiction of the court shall be granted a speedy hearing and shall be dealt with by

the court without a jury.

(2) The hearings shall be conducted in a formal manner, unless specified to the contrary

by other provisions of KRS Chapters 600 to 645.

(3) The general public shall be excluded and only the immediate families or guardians

of the parties before the court, witnesses necessary for the prosecution and defense

of the case, the probation worker with direct interest in the case, a representative

from the Department of Juvenile Justice, the victim, his or her parent or legal

guardian, or if emancipated, his or her spouse, or a legal representative of either,

such persons admitted as the judge shall find have a direct interest in the case or in

the work of the court, and such other persons as agreed to by the child and his or

her attorney may be admitted to the hearing. A parent, legal guardian, or spouse if a

witness shall be admitted to the hearing only during and after his or her testimony at

the hearing, and witnesses shall be admitted to the hearing only for the duration of

their testimony. The court may order the exclusion of a parent, legal guardian, or

spouse, if it is shown to the satisfaction of the court that the parent, legal guardian,

or spouse may physically disrupt the proceedings or may do violence to any

participant therein. The mere presence of a parent, legal guardian, or spouse shall

not be deemed to be a disruption of the proceedings merely because their presence

may make the defendant uncomfortable; the court shall find a potential for actual

physical disruption of the proceedings before an exclusion may be granted for this

reason.

(4) The court shall order at least one (1) parent, guardian, or person exercising

custodial control over the child to be present at any hearing or other proceeding

involving the child. The court shall make accommodations necessary to allow the

person to attend, including but not limited to allowing remote attendance or holding

hearings outside the court's normal operating hours.