The industry argues that information about fuel efficiency and car design is a trade secret and should not be publicly disclosed.

The Burlington Free Press protested, arguing that the public has a right to know what is happening in a case of such importance.

On Friday, the Judge largely rejected the industry's call to convene in secret, writing, according to press accounts:

Any request to close a courtroom for a portion of a trial challenges one of the most vital principles upon which our judicial system is founded: the presumption of public access.

The judge will review individual pieces of evidence to determine if some should be kept from the public.

This may strike the right balance. A few pieces of information might be particularly sensitive and keeping them secret might not compromise public understanding. The rest should be publicly aired.

If car manufacturers want to invalidate a democratically adopted plan to address a small piece of the global warming puzzle, they should have to do so in the open.