North Dakota v. Rogers

Mark Rogers appealed his conviction for gross sexual imposition ("GSI"). Rogers argued the district court: (1) violated his Sixth Amendment right to a public trial by closing his competency hearing on March 28, 2017; and (2) acted arbitrarily when it assigned extradition costs as restitution to this case. Because the district court did not make individualized findings supporting closure of the competency hearing, the North Dakota Supreme Court concluded Rogers’ Sixth Amendment public trial guarantee was violated. The restitution award was proper however, and was affirmed. The Court reversed the district court's closure of the competency hearing and remanded for further proceedings. View "North Dakota v. Rogers" on Justia Law