Donna Kelly: Sen. Todd Weiler’s SB 87 and SJR 6 will allow deposition of victims by defense attorneys, a change that will further traumatize those victims.
. In brief, the proposed changes contained in these two measures allow deposition of victims by defense attorneys, a change that will further traumatize victims.
This change comes without adequate protections for victims, such as the guaranteed presence of a court-appointed victim’s attorney or a judge during these depositions. Thus, victims may be ill-equipped to object to traumatizing, inappropriate and often illegal questioning, going against current efforts to ensure that trauma-informed protocols are used when interviewing victims.
These changes also assume that Utah withholds relevant and available evidence from defendants. In reality, prosecutors explicitly must disclose evidence as soon as practical after charges are filed without waiting for the preliminary hearing. Unlike civil cases where both sides must share evidence equally, current Rules of Criminal Proceeding only require the defense to provide a piece of evidence to the prosecution if there is good cause to do so and then only under a court order.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Utah lawmakers denounce comments claiming they're trying to 'destroy public education'Multiple state lawmakers disavowed comments in a recording that circulated online, reportedly by a prominent backer of the school choice bill saying she wanted to 'destroy public education.'
Read more »
Utah enacts emergency feeding measures for deer in parts of northeast UtahDeep snow depths are posing new challenges for the state's struggling deer population, especially in northern Utah.
Read more »
Tribune and Utah Public Radio hire northern Utah reporterReporter Jacob_Scholl will cover northern Utah in a first-of-its-kind partnership between The Salt Lake Tribune and UtahPublicRadio. Scholl will focus on housing, water, land issues and local government in Logan and the surrounding areas.
Read more »
Lawmakers seek to bar insurrectionists from holding officeProposed legislation in some states would prohibit anyone convicted of participating in an insurrection from holding public office or a position of public trust, like becoming a police officer.
Read more »
Should retired first responders' spouses get free mental health resources?Utah lawmaker proposes to extend benefits to spouses of police officers, emergency service workers.
Read more »
Conservative lawmakers push for review of school board group’s guidance on transgender studentsTexas Freedom Caucus asked Attorney General Ken Paxton to weigh in on school board association's guidance for navigating complex issues related to transgender youth.
Read more »