Delaware task force on court access seeks public input

A task force studying the feasibility of opening Family Court civil proceedings to the public is seeking input from Delaware residents.

Delaware’s constitution says all courts shall be open, but many Family Court proceedings are nevertheless closed to the public because of laws passed by the General Assembly.

Those closed proceedings include hearings involving adoption, termination of parental rights, custody rights and visitation, guardianship, paternity and divorce.

The task force is discussing which of those case types should continue to be “presumed closed” and which should be changed to “presumed open.”

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The task force, which next meets on Thursday, is seeking input from people who have been involved in Family Court proceedings on what they think about allowing public access to such proceedings.

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