4 - Sittings of courts to be public.

§  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, abortion, rape, assault with intent to commit  rape,  criminal  sexual  act,  bastardy  or  filiation,  the  court may, in its  discretion,  exclude  therefrom  all  persons  who  are   not   directly  interested  therein,  excepting  jurors,  witnesses, and officers of the  court.