N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law § 720.15: Youthful offender procedure; sealing of accusatory instrument; privacy of proceedings; preliminary instructions to jury

§ 720.15 Youthful offender procedure; sealing of accusatory instrument;

privacy of proceedings; preliminary instructions to jury.

1. When an accusatory instrument against an apparently eligible youth

is filed with a court, it shall be filed as a sealed instrument, though

only with respect to the public.

2. When a youth is initially arraigned upon an accusatory instrument,

such arraignment and all proceedings in the action thereafter may, in

the discretion of the court and with the defendant's consent, be

conducted in private.

3. The provisions of subdivisions one and two of this section

requiring or authorizing the accusatory instrument filed against a youth

to be sealed, and the arraignment and all proceedings in the action to

be conducted in private shall not apply in connection with a pending

charge of committing any felony offense as defined in the penal law. The

provisions of subdivision one requiring the accusatory instrument filed

against a youth to be sealed shall not apply where such youth has

previously been adjudicated a youthful offender or convicted of a crime.

4. Notwithstanding any provision in this article, a person charged

with prostitution as defined in section 230.00 of the penal law

regardless of whether such person (i) had prior to commencement of trial

or entry of a plea of guilty been convicted of a crime or found a

youthful offender, or (ii) subsequent to such conviction for

prostitution is convicted of a crime or found a youthful offender, the

provisions of subdivisions one and two of this section requiring or

authorizing the accusatory instrument filed against a youth to be

sealed, and the arraignment and all proceedings in the action to be

conducted in private shall apply.