§ 4. Sittings of courts to be public. The sittings of every court
within this state shall be public, and every citizen may freely attend
the same, except that in all proceedings and trials in cases for
divorce, seduction, rape, assault with intent to commit rape, bastardy,
filiation, or a crime formerly defined in sections 130.50, 130.45, and
130.40 of the penal law, the court may, in its discretion, exclude
therefrom all persons who are not directly interested therein, excepting
jurors, witnesses, and officers of the court.