9.1.2.050 Hearings

(a) Hearings shall be as follows:

(1) Hearings shall be conducted without a jury and may be conducted in an informal manner. Hearings may be continued or recessed from time to time and, in interim, the Court may take such action and issue such orders as it deems in the best interests of the child. The Court shall exclude the general public from these hearings and shall admit only those persons, who, in the discretion of the Court, have direct interest in the case or in the work of the Court.

(2) The child, parent, guardian or custodian have the right to be represented by lay counsel or by a professional attorney at their own expense.

(3) The Court shall appoint a guardian ad litem to protect the interests of the child when it appears at any stage of the proceedings that such action is necessary and the Court feels that such an appointment is desirable.

(4) Except in delinquent proceedings, the Court may waive the presence of the child in Court at any state of the proceedings when it is in the best interest of the child to do so. In a delinquency proceeding, after the child is found to be delinquent, the Court may excuse the presence of the child from the hearing when it is in the best interest of the child to do so. In any proceeding, the Court may temporarily excuse the presence of the parent or guardian of the child when it is in the best interest of the child to do so. The lay counsel, professional attorney or guardian ad litem, if any, has the right to continue to participate in any proceeding during the absence of the child, parent or guardian.

(5) The child and his parent, guardian, custodian or professional attorney are entitled to be heard, to present evidence material to the case and to confront and cross-examine witnesses appearing at the hearing, and the child shall not be deprived of his right of privilege against self-incrimination.