The Child Witness

The Future of Evidence: How Science & Technology Will Change the Practice of Law (American Bar Association) 2011

24 Pages Posted: 17 May 2015

See all articles by Jules Epstein

Jules Epstein

Temple University - James E. Beasley School of Law

Date Written: 2011

Abstract

The treatment of children as witnesses has evolved, particularly in the last quarter century. Competence standards have been relaxed or eliminated to assure the child's voice is heard; special accommodations may be allowed to make the courtroom less strange and forbidding; hearsay rules have been adjusted or newly created ones have been adopted to allow out-of-court statements, particularly in sexual assault and abuse cases; and psychological research continues into child witness accuracy and suggestibility and better interviewing techniques. This chapter addresses all of these changes, both retrospectively and as they unfold.

Keywords: children, witnesses, evidence

JEL Classification: K40

Suggested Citation

Epstein, Jules, The Child Witness (2011). The Future of Evidence: How Science & Technology Will Change the Practice of Law (American Bar Association) 2011, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2600652

Jules Epstein (Contact Author)

Temple University - James E. Beasley School of Law ( email )

1719 N. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
United States

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