In all prosecutions for rape and assault with intent to ravish, the court may, in its discretion, exclude from the courtroom all persons, except such as may be necessary in the conduct of the trial; and, in all other cases where the evidence is vulgar, obscene or relates to the improper acts of the sexes and tends to debauch the morals of the young, the presiding judge shall have the right, by and with the consent and agreement of the defendant, in his discretion and on his own motion, or on the motion of the plaintiffs or defendants or their attorneys, to hear and try the said case after clearing the courtroom of all or any portion of the audience whose presence is not necessary.
Ala. Code § 12-21-202
Exclusion of Audience Where Evidence Vulgar, Etc.
Applied in 3 court decisions — leading case Globe Newspaper Company v. Superior Court for County of Norfolk (1982)
Most recently applied in Globe Newspaper Company v. Superior Court for County of Norfolk (June 1982)
(Code 1907, §4019; Code 1923, §7733; Code 1940, T. 15, §320.)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
Official source: Alabama Legislature (ALISON). Reproduced from public-domain Alabama statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.