1. (a) The court shall hear child protective proceedings without a jury at a hearing separate from those for adults.
2. (b) The general public shall be excluded from child protective proceedings. Only parties found by the court to have a direct interest in the case shall be admitted to the hearing.
3. (c) The court has discretion to exclude the child from the hearing at any time.
4. (d) If a party is without counsel or a guardian ad litem, the court shall inform the party of the right to be represented by counsel and the right to appeal.

[L 2010, c 135, pt of §1]