COURT WON'T CLOSE FOR NOELLE BUSH

The courtroom where Gov. Jeb Bush 's 25-year-old daughter, Noelle, must
make frequent appearances will remain open to the public, a judge decided
Tuesday.

Keeping the courtroom open to the public is critical in showing that the
system is working to reduce recidivism and return individuals to a
productive state, wrote Orlando Circuit Judge Reginald Whitehead.

The lengthy decision rejected Ms. Bush's request to close the courtroom.

Peter Antonacci, Ms. Bush's Tallahassee lawyer, had asked Whitehead to
close the courtroom because of the extensive publicity her case has
received. He cited federal and state laws that make drug treatment
information confidential.

But Whitehead noted that cameras were rarely in his courtroom before he
sent Bush to jail for a few days in June after she was found to be in
possession of a prescription drug at the treatment center.

Ms. Bush entered the drug treatment program earlier this year after she was
arrested and accused of attempting to use a forged prescription for Xanax
at a Tallahassee drug store. Under Florida law she must complete the drug
treatment program successfully to avoid being prosecuted on a felony drug
charge.

Drug courts, like most other Florida courts, traditionally are open to the
public at all times, an important step in helping people understand the
judicial system and what occurs in courts, Whitehead wrote. Defendants
assigned to the courts appear before the judge every two weeks to discuss
their progress.

"Open access is necessary in order to demonstrate that the program is
worthy of public support," Whitehead wrote. "It is vital that the community
realize that drug court works so that its graduates can become productive
members of society, that jobs will be available to them and that other
community support will be forthcoming."

An open court is also necessary so participants in the drug treatment
program can see each other's successes and failures, Whitehead said.

The governor said his daughter's battle with drugs has strained his family
but he accepted the judge's decision.

"The judge had to make that determination. All I can tell you is it's a lot
harder to deal with drug addictions with these big lights, but it's his
court," Bush said at a campaign stop. "The sad fact is, and the good news
is, that frankly cameras and reporters aren't as interested in the other
people in drug court, so they have some degree of privacy to be able to
cope with their addictions.

"And I'm happy about that. I just wish my daughter would be given the same
treatment."

Whitehead has scheduled Ms. Bush's next appearance for Thursday, when he
will determine if she will be punished for what police said was crack
cocaine found in her shoe at the treatment center.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.