News In Brief
| Washington
Criminal jury selection held to be open to press
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Wednesday that judges may not bar reporters and the public from jury selection in a criminal trial. But the court left open the possibility that portions of jury selection could be closed and the transcript of those proceedings kept from the public in special instances to protect a potential juror ''from embarrassment'' or disclosure of sensitive information.
Chief Justice Warren Burger, writing for the court, said, ''No right ranks higher than the right of the accused to a fair trial.''
