Source: http://www.childrenslegalrightsjournal.com/childrenslegalrightsjournal/volume_36_issue_1?pg=15
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 18:44:05+00:00

Document:
The remaining fourteen states statutes provide lists of factors for the court to consider when making decisions about the admissibility of hearsay statements. For example, Montana lists a wide range of factors for the court to consider, including the child’s age, ability to communicate verbally, comprehension level, ability to distinguish between a truth and a lie, and factors such as motive and spontaneity.99 State statutes also vary on the age specifics for child witnesses with regard to the admissibility of hearsay statements. The Arkansas statute applies only to children under the age of ten;100 Indiana, under age fourteen or developmentally disabled;101 Kansas, under age thirteen;102 Maryland, under age thirteen;103 Massachusetts, under age ten;104 Missouri, under age fourteen;105 Montana, under age fifteen;106 Ohio, under age twelve;107 and there is no age specified for Oregon,108 Rhode Island,109 South Carolina,110 Tennessee,111 Virginia,112 or Wisconsin.113 Two states (South Carolina114 and Tennessee115) require that hearsay statements be accompanied by videotaped deposition if the child is not testifying at trial.
97725 ILL. COMP. STAT. §115-10 (West 2015). (Certain hearsay exceptions apply to this rule).
98HALL & SALES, supra note 15, at 50.
99MONT. CODE ANN. §46-16-220 (West 2015). (Child hearsay exceptions apply to criminal proceedings, including: when the child is a victim of a sexual or violent offense, the child is unavailable to testify during trial, or that the hearsay statement is trustworthy based on the context of when it was made).
100ARK. R. EVID. 804 (West 2015).
101IND. CODE ANN. § 35-37- 4-6 (West 2015).
102KAN. STAT. ANN. § 38-2249 (West 2015).
103MD. CODE ANN., CRIM. PROC. § 11-304 (West 2015).
104MASS. GEN. LAWS ANN. ch. 233,§ 81 (West 2015).
105MO. ANN.STAT. § 491.075 (West 2015).
106 MONT. CODE ANN. §46-16-220 (West 2015).
108OR. R. EVID. 803 ( 18(d)).
109R.I. GEN. LAWS ANN.§ 40-11-7.2 (West 2015) (Pertaining only to admissibility of videotaped interview of children). 110S.C. CODE ANN. § 17-23-175 (West 2015).
111TENN. CODE ANN. § 24-7-123 (West 2015).
112VA. CODE ANN. § 19.2-268.2 (West 2015).
113WIS. STAT. ANN. § 908.08 (West 2015).
114S.C. CODE ANN. § 17-23-175 (West 2015).
115TENN. CODE ANN. § 24-7-123 (West 2015).
116HALL & SALES, supra note 15, at 6.

References: §115
 §46
 § 35
 § 38
 § 11
 § 491
 §46
 § 17
 § 24
 § 19
 § 908
 § 17
 § 24