Uso de televisión de circuito cerrado para testigos menores o con discapacidad

Explicación Simple

Si un niño o una persona con discapacidad tiene que testificar en un juicio, a veces no pueden hacerlo en frente del acusado porque les puede causar miedo o estrés. En esos casos, el juez puede permitir que su testimonio sea transmitido por televisión desde otra habitación.

Es como cuando un niño se siente tan asustado de hablar en público que decide usar un micrófono y hablar desde una habitación separada, donde se siente más seguro.

Ejemplo Práctico

Imagina que Ana, una niña de 10 años, es testigo de un accidente. En el juicio, el juez decide que Ana se sentirá menos asustada si testifica en una sala diferente y su testimonio se transmite en vivo a la sala del tribunal. Así, puede hablar sin ver al acusado directamente.

Texto Original del Estatuto (Inglés)

C.R.S. 16-10-402 – Use of closed-circuit television (1) Intentionally left blank —Ed. (a) When a witness at the time of a trial is a child less than twelve years of age, or is a person who has an intellectual and developmental disability as defined in section 25.5-10-202 , C.R.S., the court may, upon motion of a party or upon its own motion, order that the witness’s testimony be taken in a room other than the courtroom and be televised by closed-circuit television in the courtroom if: (I) The testimony is taken during the proceeding; (II) The judge determines that testimony by the witness in the courtroom and in the presence of the defendant would result in the witness suffering serious emotional distress or trauma such that the witness would not be able to reasonably communicate; and (III) Closed-circuit television equipment is available for such use. (b) To obtain an order authorizing the use of closed-circuit television for testimony by a child or developmentally disabled witness, the party shall file a written motion with the court no less than fourteen days prior to the trial. (c) Only the prosecuting attorney, the attorney for the defendant, the guardian ad litem, if any, and the judge may question the witness when he or she testifies by closed-circuit television. (d) The operators of the closed-circuit television equipment shall make every effort to be unobtrusive while the witness is testifying. (2) Intentionally left blank —Ed.