(a) Hearings under the juvenile judicial proceedings chapters shall be conducted by the court without a jury and shall be confidential.

(b) The general public shall be excluded from hearings under the juvenile judicial proceedings chapters, and only the parties, their counsel, witnesses, persons accompanying a party for his or her assistance, and such other persons as the court finds to have a proper interest in the case or in the work of the court, including a foster parent or a representative of a residential program where the child resides, may be admitted by the court. An individual without party status seeking inclusion in the hearing in accordance with this subsection may petition the court for admittance by filing a request with the clerk of the court. This subsection shall not prohibit a victim's exercise of his or her rights under sections 5233 and 5234 of this title, and as otherwise provided by law.

(c) There shall be no publicity given by any person to any proceedings under the authority of the juvenile judicial proceedings chapters except with the consent of the child, the child's guardian ad litem, and the child's parent, guardian, or custodian. A person who violates this provision may be subject to contempt proceedings pursuant to Rule 16 of the Vermont Rules for Family Proceedings. (Added 2007, No. 185 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; amended 2015, No. 60, § 6.)