Courthouse Facility Dogs: Considerations for Prosecutors and Defense Attorneys

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dc.contributor.authorJones, H. D., & Miller, M. K.
dc.date.accessioned2021-05-18T18:54:35Z
dc.date.available2021-05-18T18:54:35Z
dc.date.issued2020
dc.description.abstractThe use of courthouse facility dogs to comfort vulnerable witnesses has increased in recent years. Courthouse facility dogs are specially trained to work in legal settings while being as inconspicuous as possible. The Victims of Child Abuse Act and the Uniform Child Witness Testimony by Alternative Methods Act allow judges to accommodate vulnerable child witnesses by allowing them to testify using closed-circuit tv, by videotape, while holding a toy, or while sitting with a supportive adult. Several judges have stated that facility dogs are an extension of these acts and have allowed witnesses to use them in the courtroom. The potential pros and cons of using courthouse facility dogs have been discussed colloquially. The pros include allowing the witness to testify without retraumatizing them, allowing the witnesses to testify face to face with the defendant, and allowing the witness to give clear and coherent testimony. Some cons are that the dogs might cause a distraction, limit the defense attorney’s ability to seek the truth from the witness, and prejudice the jury. These issues have recently been studied scientifically and the data suggests that facility dogs do offer witnesses comfort but do not prejudice the jury. This article will review why courthouse facility dogs are used in courts, offer advice on the use of courthouse facility dogs to both prosecutors and defense attorneys, and discuss the current research on courthouse facility dogs. These are all factors that should be considered by trial attorneys when deciding to ask for or object to the use of courthouse facility dogs.en_US
dc.identifier.citationJones, H. D., & Miller, M. K. Courthouse Facility Dogs: Considerations for Prosecutors and Defense Attorneys.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://www.astcweb.org/resources/Documents/Courthouse%20Facility%20Dogs%20-%20Considerations%20for%20Prosecutors%20and%20Defense%20Attorneys.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11212/5099
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisherTHE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF TRIAL CONSULTANTS, INC.en_US
dc.subjectfacility dogsen_US
dc.subjectcourten_US
dc.subjecttrialen_US
dc.subjectvictimsen_US
dc.subjecttherapy dogsen_US
dc.subjecttestimonyen_US
dc.subjectchild witnessen_US
dc.titleCourthouse Facility Dogs: Considerations for Prosecutors and Defense Attorneysen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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