Pennsylvania Statutes Title 42 Pa.C.S.A. Judiciary and Judicial Procedure § 6336. Conduct of hearings

(a) General rule.--Hearings under this chapter shall be conducted by the court without a jury, in an informal but orderly manner, and separate from other proceedings not included in section 6303 (relating to scope of chapter).

(b) Functions of district attorney.--The district attorney, upon request of the court, shall present the evidence in support of the petition and otherwise conduct the proceedings on behalf of the Commonwealth.

(c) Record.--If requested by the party or ordered by the court the proceedings shall be recorded by appropriate means. If not so recorded, full minutes of the proceedings shall be kept by the court.

(d) Proceeding in camera.--Except in hearings to declare a person in contempt of court and in hearings as specified in subsection (e), the general public shall be excluded from hearings under this chapter. Only the parties, their counsel, witnesses, the victim and counsel for the victim, other persons accompanying a party or a victim for his or her assistance, and any other person as the court finds have a proper interest in the proceeding or in the work of the court shall be admitted by the court. The court may temporarily exclude the child from the hearing except while allegations of his delinquency are being heard.

(e) Open proceedings.--The general public shall not be excluded from any hearings under this chapter:

Notwithstanding anything in this subsection, the proceedings shall be closed upon and to the extent of any agreement between the child and the attorney for the Commonwealth.

(f) Discretion of court.--The court at any disposition proceeding under subsection (e) shall have discretion to maintain the confidentiality of mental health, medical or juvenile institutional documents or juvenile probation reports.

(g) Summary offenses.--The provisions of subsection (d), insofar as subsection (d) relates to the exclusion of the general public from the proceedings, shall apply to proceedings involving a child charged with a summary offense when the proceedings are before a judge of the minor judiciary, the Philadelphia Municipal Court or a court of common pleas.

(h) Adjudication alternative.--The magisterial district judge may refer a child charged with a summary offense to an adjudication alternative program under section 1520 (relating to adjudication alternative program) and the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure.