NCJ Number
144837
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 1 Issue: 2 Dated: (1992) Pages: 61-73
Date Published
1992
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Three recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions concerning court testimony in cases involving sexually abused children are discussed.
Abstract
Two of the decisions, Coy v. Iowa (1988) and Maryland v. Craig (1990), concern courtroom procedures designed to protect child witnesses from potential emotional trauma resulting from testimony in the presence of the alleged abuser. These cases establish criteria for allowing courtroom procedures, such as televised testimony, in which the child witness can testify but not in the presence of the alleged abuser. The third decision, Idaho v. Wright (1990), establishes criteria for the admissibility of incriminating hearsay statements made by very young children during the course of professional evaluation for reported sexual abuse. Implications of these criteria for decisions about courtroom procedures associated with obtaining children's testimony and for interviewing children in cases of alleged sexual abuse are discussed. 24 notes