N.Y. Judiciary Law § 4: Sittings of courts to be public

§ 4. Sittings of courts to be public. The sittings of every court

within this state shall be public, and every citizen may freely attend

the same, except that in all proceedings and trials in cases for

divorce, seduction, rape, assault with intent to commit rape, bastardy,

filiation, or a crime formerly defined in sections 130.50, 130.45, and

130.40 of the penal law, the court may, in its discretion, exclude

therefrom all persons who are not directly interested therein, excepting

jurors, witnesses, and officers of the court.