Opinion ID: 3060658
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Two-Way Closed Circuit Television

Text: The Child Victims’ and Child Witnesses’ Rights Statute provides procedures for a child-victim to testify in federal court via a two-way, closed-circuit television. 18 U.S.C. § 3509. If the government desires to submit such testimony, it must seek an order from the district court. Id. § 3509(b)(1)(A). The district court may order that the child’s testimony be taken in this manner if: (1) “[t]he child is unable to testify because of fear”; (2) “[t]here is a substantial likelihood, established by expert testimony, that the child would suffer emotional trauma from testifying”; (3) the child suffers from some kind of mental or other “infirmity”; or (4) conduct by the defendant or his counsel causes the child’s inability to testify. Id. § 3509(b)(1)(B). 2 The district court must support its ruling with specific findings on the record and may, in its discretion, question the child in a location other than the courtroom. Id. § 3509(b)(1)(C). The child’s closed-circuit testimony must be viewable in court by the jury and the defendant, and the defendant must be able to communicate privately and contemporaneously with his counsel during the child’s testimony. Id. § 3509(b)(1)(D).