Rule 113 - Access to Proceedings(a)Trials in Open Court; In Regular Courtroom. All trials upon the merits must be conducted in open court and so far as convenient in a regular courtroom. All trials or hearings and all judgments and orders issued by such courts are deemed to have been done in open court regardless of the place held.(b)Exclusion from Courtroom. The court may exclude all persons from the courtroom except officers of the court, which may include advocates or other support people, the parties, and attorneys. Witnesses may be excluded by the court at a party's request so they cannot hear other witnesses' testimony, or the court may do so on its own. If the witness is a child, the court may allow parents, a counselor, friend, or other person having a supportive relationship with the child to remain in the courtroom during the child's testimony.(c)Hearing Outside the County. Any hearing, except a trial or evidentiary hearing, may be held outside the county in which the action was filed or transferred for change of venue. By stipulation of the parties, a trial or evidentiary hearing may be held outside the county in which the action was filed or transferred for change of venue.(d)Minute Entry. A minute entry must be made by the clerk of the court under the direction of the court of all court proceedings and filed in the official file of the action.Adopted April 2, 2014, effective for early adopters7/1/2014, effective statewide7/1/2015; amended 29 March, 2021, effective 7/1/2021.