Nebraska High Court Curbs TV Testimony

The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled Thursday that children may not testify over closed-circuit television unless it is shown that their appearance in court would intimidate them or cause them trauma.

The court ordered a new trial for Floyd Warford, who had been convicted of sexually assaulting a 4-year-old child. The judge allowed the child to be questioned by her therapist in private as the courtroom watched on TV.

Judge Leslie Boslaugh wrote for the high court that, although the judicial system must be sympathetic to the emotional state of children, courts must also protect defendants’ rights.