BANGOR, Maine — A pilot project at the Penobscot Judicial Center will allow children in civil and family matters to testify by closed circuit television rather than in a courtroom in front of a parent, other relative or, in some instances, an abuser.
It would not be used in criminal cases, according to Mary Ann Lynch, spokeswoman for the court system, who issued a press release about the program on Monday.
It is expected to be used most often in child protective cases where a child might be uncomfortable testifying with a parent in the room or in protection-from-abuse cases, she said Monday.
The equipment that allows children to testify via closed circuit TV from a different room in the same courthouse in which the hearing is taking place was purchased with a $20,000 grant from the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
Elizabeth Ward Saxl, executive director of the coalition, said Wednesday that the effort, funded with federal money, is “part of Maine’s larger initiative to improve its response to child abuse.”
She also said the coalition is hopeful the equipment would be used in sexual assault cases so that children could testify remotely against their alleged abusers.
Two years ago, the coalition got a bill passed that would have allowed child victims of sexual assault to testify via closed circuit TV in criminal proceedings. The bill died for lack of funding for the equipment the court system now has.
Ward Saxl said the coalition has not submitted a similar bill this session but is working with the court system to amend the rules to allow remote testimony of children in sexaul assault cases as most other states do.
Lynch said the question has been referred to the committee that suggests changes to the rules followed in criminal proceedings to make sure it does not run afoul of the constitutional guarantee that a defendant be able to confront a witness.
Penny Reckards, court clerk at the Penobscot Judicial Center, said Wednesday that the equipment has not yet been used in a case but that the judges are aware it is available.
If the pilot project is successful in Bangor it will be expanded to other courts in Maine.