Public Brinkley Divorce Trial

The divorce trial of Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook - set to begin July 2 in New York - will be a very public affair, People reports.

Long Island Judge Mark D. Cohen ruled Friday that the proceedings will be open to the public. His reasoning was that "open courtrooms, in general and in divorce actions, may provide a basis for societal education."

However, these decisions go against Cook's desire to keep matters private. Theresa Mari, law guardian for Cook, argued that if the details of the divorce are made public, it could be very damaging to the couple's two children - ages 12 and 9. Cook's actual lawyer - Norman Sheresky - also pushed for matters to be kept private, and was disappointed in Brinkley's desire to air his client's dirty laundry.

"Obviously, like any father, Peter is disappointed Christie Brinkley has invited their children to attend the divorce trial. Why would anyone be happy about that? It's putting herself in front of her children," Sheresky argued.

However, Brinkley and her lawyer see Cook's sudden concern for his children as the pot calling the kettle black. "The reality is he put himself way in front of his children and his wife when he made the awful decision to destroy the marriage. The trial will get at the truth, which is very important to Christie," defends Brinkley's lawyer, Robert Stephan Cohen.

The reality remains that divorce trials in New York are open to the public unless a decision is made to close them. And it has been ruled by Mark D. Cohen in this case that: "The required high burden of compelling reasons to close the courtroom has not been met."