PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE
PRINTER'S NO. 1948
No. 1651 Session of 1991
INTRODUCED BY SEMMEL, DENT AND D. W. SNYDER, JUNE 12, 1991
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, JUNE 12, 1991
A JOINT RESOLUTION
1 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth
2 of Pennsylvania, providing for certain testimony of children.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby resolves as follows:
5 Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of
6 Pennsylvania is proposed in accordance with Article XI:
7 That section 9 of Article I be amended to read:
8 § 9. Rights of accused in criminal prosecutions.
9 [In] (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), in all
10 criminal prosecutions the accused hath a right to be heard by
11 himself and his counsel, to demand the nature and cause of the
12 accusation against him, to meet the witnesses face to face, to
13 have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor,
14 and, in prosecutions by indictment or information, a speedy
15 public trial by an impartial jury of the vicinage; he cannot be
16 compelled to give evidence against himself, nor can he be
17 deprived of his life, liberty or property, unless by the
1 judgment of his peers or the law of the land. The use of a
2 suppressed voluntary admission or voluntary confession to
3 impeach the credibility of a person may be permitted and shall
4 not be construed as compelling a person to give evidence against
5 himself.
6 (b) The General Assembly may, by law, establish procedures
7 for the testimony of children who are victims of or witnesses to
8 crimes. These procedures may include the use of closed-circuit
9 television or videotape. These procedures shall be deemed to
10 satisfy the face to face meeting requirement of subsection (a).
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