NCJ Number
109832
Date Published
1986
Length
65 pages
Annotation
This booklet presents sample statutes and accompanying commentaries for legislative reforms pertaining to child victims and witnesses.
Abstract
The reforms pertain to a special hearsay exception for a child victim's out-of-court statement of abuse, videotaped depositions of a child victim's testimony, closed-circuit televising of a child victim's trial testimony, and revision of the testimonial competency standard for children. These reforms all have the common objective of facilitating or allowing the admission into evidence at trial of a child victim's account of abuse. The reforms selected are among many that have been adopted by State legislatures and local jurisdictions throughout the Nation since the early 1980's. Accompanying each sample statute are a commentary, sources, and a summary of related legislation. The sample statutes are not intended to serve as model laws or uniform legislation but are offered as approaches States may want to consider in pursuing legislative reform. A summary of other legislative reforms focuses on videotaped interview statutes, courtroom closure statutes, and other statutes with special protections for child victims or witnesses. Also included are the American Bar Association's Guidelines for the Fair Treatment of Child Witnesses in Cases Where Child Abuse Is Alleged and recommendations for improving legal intervention in intrafamily child sexual abuse cases. 8-item publications list.