S-0941.1                   _______________________________________________

                                           SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 8210

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State of Washington                              53rd Legislature                             1993 Regular Session

By Senators Wojahn, Sellar, Fraser, Newhouse, A. Smith, L. Smith, Bauer, Franklin, Hochstatter, McDonald, Cantu, Barr, Sutherland, West, Roach, Bluechel, Prentice, Deccio, Pelz, Snyder, M. Rasmussen, Moyer, von Reichbauer and Erwin

Read first time 02/01/93.  Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.

Concerning the testimony of children in sex crime prosecutions.

          BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION ASSEMBLED:

          THAT, At the next general election to be held in this state there shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the state for their approval and ratification, or rejection, an amendment to Article I, section 22 of the Constitution of the state of Washington to read as follows:

          Article I, section 22.  In criminal prosecutions the accused shall have the right to appear and defend in person, or by counsel, to demand the nature and cause of the accusation against him, to have a copy thereof, to testify in his own behalf, to meet the witnesses against him face to face, to have compulsory process to compel the attendance of witnesses in his own behalf, to have a speedy public trial by an impartial jury of the county in which the offense is charged to have been committed and the right to appeal in all cases((:  Provided,)).  In criminal prosecutions involving sexual contact with a child ten years of age or younger the court may order the testimony of the victim to be taken outside the courtroom and televised live into the courtroom.  The route traversed by any railway coach, train or public conveyance, and the water traversed by any boat shall be criminal districts; and the jurisdiction of all public offenses committed on any such railway car, coach, train, boat or other public conveyance, or at any station or depot upon such route, shall be in any county through which the said car, coach, train, boat or other public conveyance may pass during the trip or voyage, or in which the trip or voyage may begin or terminate.  In no instance shall any accused person before final judgment be compelled to advance money or fees to secure the rights herein guaranteed.

          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause notice of the foregoing constitutional amendment to be published at least four times during the four weeks next preceding the election in every legal newspaper in the state.

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