NCJ Number
157156
Date Published
1997
Length
0 pages
Annotation
This video explains to prospective child witnesses (10 years old and older) in Federal courts the roles of various court personal, court procedures, and the basics of testifying in court.
Abstract
The introduction by Attorney General Janet Reno emphasizes the importance of supporting and preparing children to be witnesses in Federal courts and previews the material in the remainder of the video, which is designed to orient children to the experience of testifying in court. A young girl and young boy act as narrators and guides for a tour of courtroom procedures and personnel. From inside a Federal courtroom, the video provides closeups of each court actor as the narrators explain their responsibilities in the court's operations. The personnel profiled are the prosecutor, the defense attorney, the judge, the jury, the court clerk, the victim advocate, the witness, and the U.S. deputy marshal. Testimony and the witness stand are also discussed. Guidelines for testifying focus on telling the truth, saying "I don't know" when the witness does not know the answer to a question, and making sure that the question is clear before attempting to answer it. A summary of the video's information is provided at the end of the video.