State-by-state guide:

Arkansas

Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-325(i) (1999): In juvenile delinquency hearings, the juvenile has the right to an open hearing. Other hearings may be closed within the discretion of the court. However, all hearings involving adoption, child maltreatment and children in foster care shall be closed.

Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-348 (1997): The news media may not publish, without written order the court, information identifying a juvenile who is the subject of a juvenile proceeding.

Ark. Code Ann. § 9-27-309 (1997): The court has discretion to close all juvenile records, except in cases involving charges for which the juvenile could have been tried as an adult. Judges may seal statistics and data that identify juveniles but may not seal anonymous data.

Access granted: The Arkansas Supreme Court held that items were not inadmissible simply because they came from defendant’s juvenile court file. According to the court, § 9-27-309(a) gives the juvenile court discretion to open files for the state. See Echols v. State, 936 S.W.2d 509 (Ark. 1996).