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On
Feb. 16, State Senator Sally Turner’s (R-Beason) legislation
designed to provide additional privacy protections for victims
of child sex crimes passed unanimously out of the Illinois
Senate.
“This legislation will empower judges to grant additional
privacy to victims of child sex crimes who chose to testify by
allowing the judge to use their discretion to remove
non-interested parties from the courtroom,” said Sen. Turner.
“This will help ensure that these vulnerable victims are not
forced to speak about one of the worst moments of their life in
front of countless strangers.”
Senate Bill 2942 clarifies that a judge can use his or her
discretion to clear disinterested parties, excluding media, from
the courtroom during the victim’s testimony even if the victim
is over 18 years of age as long as the crimes were committed
while the victim was still a minor. To safeguard the
constitutional rights of defendants, the judge must find that
particular parties do not have a direct interest in the case and
must put their basis for that finding into the record.
“I am pleased to see the Senate unanimously recognize the
importance of providing as much privacy protection as reasonably
possible to every victim testifying about their abuse as a
child,” continued Sen. Turner. “I look forward to continuing to
advocate for the victims of these horrendous crimes as this
legislation moves through the process.”
While Senate Bill 2942 was in committee, Champaign County
State's Attorney Julia Rietz and McLean County State’s Attorney
Don Knapp testified in support of the legislation and addressed
its importance. The legislation now heads to the House for
further consideration.
Marcus J. Durrett
Illinois Senate Republican Staff
Communications and Public Affairs]
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