Opinion ID: 1959344
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Competency of Hausikima Hubbard to Testify

Text: Hausikima Hubbard, eight years old at the time of trial, was the State's only witness to testify that defendant physically harmed Carolyn Hubbard. Defendant asserts that the trial court conducted an inadequate voir dire and thus failed to ascertain the child's competency to testify. Evidence Rule 17 governs the competency of a witness to testify. (A person is disqualified to be a witness if the judge finds that ... the proposed witness is incapable of understanding the duty of a witness to tell the truth.) The determination of whether a person is competent to be a witness lies within the sound discretion of the trial judge. State v. R.W., 104 N.J. 14, 19, 514 A. 2d 1287 (1986). State In Interest of R.R., 79 N.J. 97, 398 A. 2d 76 (1979). Our review of the record satisfies us that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in allowing Hausikima Hubbard to testify.