Maryland v. Craig
United States Supreme Court
497 U.S. 836 (1990)
Relevant factsFree
Craig (defendant) was charged with abusing a child at her day-care center. Under state law, if a judge finds a child witness would suffer serious emotional distress preventing reasonable testimony in the courtroom, the child may testify via one-way closed-circuit television from the judge's chambers — visible to the defendant and jury, with the defense attorney present and able to cross-examine, but the child unable to see the defendant. That procedure was used for the child witness who testified against Craig.
IssueFree
Whether it is permissible under the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment to allow a child witness in a child-abuse case to testify at trial outside the presence of the defendant.