State-by-state guide:

Tennessee

Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-153 (1999): Juvenile court records are closed to the public, except in cases regarding traffic offenses. Furthermore, petitions and orders regarding juveniles are open to the public if the juvenile is at least 14 years old and charged with a violent offense that would be a felony if committed by an adult, such as first degree murder, second degree murder, rape, aggravated rape, aggravated robbery, kidnapping or aggravated kidnapping.

Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-154 (1999): Law enforcement records are closed unless national security requires their release or the records relate to charges of violent offenses.

Tenn. Code Ann. § 37-1-124(d) (1999): The public may be excluded from juvenile hearings, except if the hearing is to declare a person in contempt of court or if the juvenile is accused of a traffic violation.

Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 30. (1998): In general, cameras are barred from photographing minors and jurors and covering bench conferences. If allowed into a proceeding, media personnel to "conduct themselves in such a way that will not detract from the proceeding. Furthermore, objections by a witness will suspend media coverage as to that person only during the proceeding, whereas objections by the accused in a criminal case or any party to a civil action will prohibit media coverage of the entire proceeding.

Tenn. Juv. Proc. R. 27(a). (1998): In the discretion of the court, the general public may be excluded from any juvenile or paternity proceeding and only those persons having a direct interest in the case may be admitted.

Access granted: In order to decide whether to close a juvenile proceeding, the Supreme Court of Tennessee ordered a juvenile court to balance the parties’ respective interests and apply the following rules: 1). The party seeking to close the hearing shall have the burden of proof; 2). The juvenile court shall not close proceedings to any extent unless it determines that failure to do so would result in particularized prejudice to the party seeking closure that would override the public’s compelling interest in open proceedings; 3). Any order of closure must be no broader than necessary to protect the determined interests of the party seeking closure; 4). The juvenile court must consider reasonable alternatives to closure of proceedings; and 5). The juvenile court must make adequate written findings to support any order of closure. State v. James, 902 S.W.2d 911 (Tenn. 1995).