Section 65.30. Closed-circuit television; special testimonial procedures


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  • 1.  When the court has entered an order pursuant to section 65.20, the
      testimony of  the  vulnerable  child  witness  shall  be  taken  in  the
      testimonial  room  and  the  image  and  voice  of  the vulnerable child
      witness, as well as the image  of  all  other  persons  other  than  the
      operator  present  in the testimonial room, shall be transmitted live by
      means of closed-circuit television to the courtroom. The courtroom shall
      be  equipped  with  monitors  sufficient  to  permit  the  judge,  jury,
      defendant  and attorneys to observe the demeanor of the vulnerable child
      witness during his or her  testimony.  Unless  the  courtroom  has  been
      closed  pursuant  to  court order, the public shall also be permitted to
      hear the testimony and view the image of the vulnerable child witness.
        2. In all instances, the image of the  jury  shall  be  simultaneously
      transmitted  to the vulnerable child witness in the testimonial room. If
      the court order issued pursuant to  section  65.20  specifies  that  the
      vulnerable  child witness shall testify outside the physical presence of
      the defendant, the image of the defendant and the image and voice of the
      person  examining  the  vulnerable   child   witness   shall   also   be
      simultaneously  transmitted  to  the  vulnerable  child  witness  in the
      testimonial room.
        3. The operator shall place herself or himself and the  closed-circuit
      television  equipment in a position that permits the entire testimony of
      the vulnerable child witness to be  transmitted  to  the  courtroom  but
      limits  the  ability  of the vulnerable child witness to see or hear the
      operator or the equipment.
        4. Notwithstanding any provision of this article, if the  court  in  a
      particular  case  involving  a  vulnerable child witness determines that
      there is no live, two-way closed-circuit television equipment  available
      in  the court or another court in the county or which can be transported
      to the court from another county or that such equipment,  if  available,
      is  technologically  inadequate  to protect the constitutional rights of
      the defendant, it  shall  not  permit  the  use  of  the  closed-circuit
      television procedures authorized by this article.
        5.  If  the  order  of  the  court  entered  pursuant to section 65.20
      requires that the defendant remain in the courtroom,  the  attorney  for
      the  defendant  and  the  district  attorney  shall  also  remain in the
      courtroom unless the court is  satisfied  that  their  presence  in  the
      testimonial  room will not impede full and private communication between
      the defendant and his or her attorney and will not encourage the jury to
      draw an inference adverse to the interest of the defendant.
        6. Upon request of the defendant, the court shall  instruct  the  jury
      that  they  are  to  draw  no  inference  from  the use of live, two-way
      closed-circuit television in the examination  of  the  vulnerable  child
      witness.
        7.  The  vulnerable  child  witness shall testify under oath except as
      specified in subdivision two  of  section  60.20.  The  examination  and
      cross-examination  of  the  vulnerable child witness shall, in all other
      respects, be conducted in the same manner as  if  the  vulnerable  child
      witness had testified in the courtroom.
        8.  When  the testimony of the vulnerable child witness is transmitted
      from the testimonial room into the  courtroom,  the  court  stenographer
      shall record the textimony in the same manner as if the vulnerable child
      witness had testified in the courtroom.
        * NB Repealed September 1, 2011