§2.05 Who Can Attend Hearings

The following persons may attend dependency hearings [WIC §349; CRC 5.530(b), (d)]:

• The child;
• Any known sibling and his or her caregiver and attorney if the sibling is a juvenile dependent or the subject of a dependency proceeding;
• Parents, de facto parents [see Part 2, §5.05], Indian custodians, or guardians, or if none can be found or none reside within the state, any adult relatives residing within the county, or if none, any adult relatives residing nearest to the court;
• Counsel for the child, parent, de facto parent, guardian, adult relative, Indian custodian, or Indian tribe;
• Any CASA volunteer and CAPTA guardian ad litem;
• The social worker, although you do not have the authority to assign a particular social worker to a case [In re Ashley M. (2003) 114 CA4th 1, 10];
• County counsel or, the district attorney if the district attorney has been appointed to represent the petitioner;
• The court clerk;
• The court reporter;
• A bailiff, at the court’s discretion;
• A representative of the Indian child’s tribe [see CRC 5.480];
• An interpreter as required; and
• Any other person entitled to notice under WIC §§290.1 and 290.2.

Parents who are registered domestic partners have the same right to attend and participate as other parents. [See FC §297.5(a), (d), (j).]

The public is usually excluded unless a parent or guardian requests that other persons be present, with the consent of the child. You may also admit other persons that you deem to have a direct and legitimate interest in the case. [See WIC §§345, 346; CRC 5.530(a), (e)(1), 5.534(e)(1), (f).]