State Senator Mark Messmer authored a bill to protect child victims that passed the Senate Committee of Judiciary by a 7-1 vote.
Messmer wrote Senate Enrolled Act 206 in 2020 and it was placed to require the presence of a prosecuting attorney during the deposition of a child sex abuse victim. Defense attorneys have been sidestepping the law since its implementation by saying they are not deposing the child victim, rather, are merely interviewing them.
Senate Bill 331 would close that loophole to allow child victims the legally intended protections of SEA206. SB331 will now move to the Senate for further consideration. Senator Messmer praised the committee for its vote to further consider the bill and expressed confidence that SB331 would ensure the law’s original intent of protecting children from undue harm.
