2010 New York Code
EXC - Executive
Article 23 - (640 - 649) FAIR TREATMENT STANDARDS FOR CRIME VICTIMS
642-A - Fair treatment of child victims as witnesses.

§ 642-a. Fair  treatment  of child victims as witnesses. To the extent
  permitted  by  law,  criminal  justice  agencies,  crime  victim-related
  agencies,  social services agencies and the courts shall comply with the
  following guidelines in their treatment of child victims:
    1. To minimize the number of times a child victim is  called  upon  to
  recite  the  events  of  the  case  and to foster a feeling of trust and
  confidence in the child  victim,  whenever  practicable  and  where  one
  exists, a multi-disciplinary team as established pursuant to subdivision
  six  of  section  four  hundred  twenty-three of the social services law
  and/or a child advocacy center shall be used for the  investigation  and
  prosecution  of  child  abuse  cases  involving  abuse  of  a  child, as
  described in paragraph (i), (ii) or (iii) of subdivision (e) of  section
  one  thousand twelve of the family court act, sexual abuse of a child or
  the death of a child.
    2. Whenever practicable, the same prosecutor should handle all aspects
  of a case involving an alleged child victim.
    3. To minimize the time during which a child victim  must  endure  the
  stress  of  his  involvement  in  the proceedings, the court should take
  appropriate action to ensure a speedy trial in all proceedings involving
  an alleged child victim. In ruling on any motion or request for a  delay
  or  continuance  of  a proceeding involving an alleged child victim, the
  court should consider and give weight to any  potential  adverse  impact
  the delay or continuance may have on the well-being of the child.
    4.  The  judge  presiding should be sensitive to the psychological and
  emotional stress a child witness may undergo when testifying.
    5. In accordance with the provisions  of  article  sixty-five  of  the
  criminal  procedure law, when appropriate, a child witness as defined in
  subdivision one of section 65.00 of such  law  should  be  permitted  to
  testify via live, two-way closed-circuit television.
    6. In accordance with the provisions of section 190.32 of the criminal
  procedure  law,  a  person supportive of the "child witness" or "special
  witness" as defined in such section should be permitted  to  be  present
  and  accessible  to  a  child witness at all times during his testimony,
  although the person supportive  of  the  child  witness  should  not  be
  permitted to influence the child's testimony.
    7.  A child witness should be permitted in the discretion of the court
  to use anatomically correct dolls and drawings during his testimony.