"She ignored the public trial right entirely. Scott Berry, Spearman's federal public defender, declined to comment, as did a Justice Department spokesperson. Five former federal judges -- four appointed by Democrats and one by a Republican -- said in interviews that Cannon’s errors likely reflect relative inexperience on the bench. A public trial also has been found to implicate First Amendment rights of freedom of assembly, speech and press. One of the pivotal Supreme Court cases on the right to a public trial is Waller v. Georgia.