-Editorial_
Allow children the
use of TV testimony
Last vear. tin* Oregon Legislature passed .1 l.m
wliii h .tilt>\\«*(i sexuallv abused < liil<Ir»-n to lt*slif\ in
court via c losed-circuit television. \mv, tin* Ititun* ol
lli.it law is in tin' (lands ol tin* I S Nti|)n*mt* (ourt
()n Tuesdav tin* Su|»ri*mi* Court agreed In ln*ai a
Mai v land 1 a si* in whit h a dav t arc opt-ratoi was 1 on
vii led ol srvi'ial ( ounls ot sexual alnisi* against 1I11I
dicii in tin* 1 nnti'i I In* 1 luldrcn wen* allowed to testilv
against liei In .1 1 losed-c iri lilt trim ision
rlie Marvland i.ourts overturned tin* original ion
vid ion last |ul\ . saving in pai l tin* television test 1 mom
infringed on the defendant's light to lai e her ai 1 users
wlinli is i ontamed in a clause ol the Sixth \111end
ment to the (institution
Marvland and Oregon have similar laws Both al
low victimized children to testify privately in front ol
the defense and prosecuting attorneys The proceed
ings are taped and shown live to defendants and jurors
in the courtroom. In Oregon. 1 hildren under It) are al
lowed to testilv hv 1 losod-circuit television d a judge
determines that testifying in an open < ourt would suh
mit the child to severe emotional or physical harm."
Main states have come out in support of the law.
of them went as far as to co-sign a brief in defense ol
the Marvland statue Unfortunatelv Oregon was not on
the list The exc use is insufficient time to stuck the
line limt'ill
Opponents have argued tin* law's unconstitutional*
it\. saving it violates defendant's rights Supporters
i l.inn the statue only benefits court procedure, as i hil
dren w ill give more act urate testimony in a less stress
ful atmosphere
Whatever wav the Supreme Court goes in the
Marv land i ase will have definite ramifications for Ore
gon and the rest ol the country If the court shoots
dou n the Maryland law Oregon's will cortainh fol
low.
There is no reason to sublet t <i child to the pres
mhos nf .1 court room dnuna Since most sexual abuse
cases untorlunatels end up as media debacles the
pressures on a < hild u it ness are iiu redible There is no
need to subjei t a i luld to th.it sort of stress
I bis controversy can easily dissolve into a uai ol
words with both sides endlessK debating interpreta
tions lines watching a television monitor constitute
"lat mg your accuser 01 does the process violate the
Sixth Amendment/ It v\ ill be up to the Supreme (amrt
to decide.
Put \ourself in a child's place Having to teslih in
a sexual abuse i ase would be traumatii enough but
being subjet ted to high-profile media exposure, and an
open courtroom, would just make it worse
The Supreme Court should take heed of the emo
tional context of the Maryland law. and allow it to
stand Oregon and mam other states can onl\ hope the
nine Instil cs uphold the law It's the onh thing to do
Oregon Daily _ _
Emerald
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The Emerald s private property To.- un .»*fu» r#'mov.»' ■=■ use pat'*'- •• pro
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VOU HAVE THE RIGHT
TO AN ATTORNEV AND
A TWO-MONTH HEAD
START
US
CRIMINAL
jusna
\ Si’hTFM
f
Summer session needs to be reviewed
With iill the other increasing costs in
higher education, you knew it had to come
some time This Tuesday, the Oregon State
System ol Higher Education held .1 public
forum to air views on a proposed inc rease
for summer college sessions
OSSHL officials c laim the increase is
necessary to finance faculty salaries Oppo
nents, such as the Oregon Student Lobby,
aren't buying it Word from the higher ed
administrators is that a decision will he
made toda\ . and d past prec edenl holds
true, ()SS1II! u ill approve* the tuition hike
The proposed inc reuse amounts to
rmighK > percent more than the 1‘lH'l ses
sum It will cost Sal) i to I.ike nine hours of
undeigraduate- work, as opposed to S478 last
yeai I 01 graduate students, mm* hours will
c osl Saj i. -I J perc cut more than in 1'IH'I
Light \ouis ago the- summer session was
separated trom the irsi of the l )SS! IL c urric
ulum It was set up as a self-supporting s\ s
tem. to operate outside* of regular session
budget c one ems
Since then tuition rates have gone- up.
while statewide enrollment in the program
has dec lined In 1J percent Opponents su\
the- latest tuition hike request is just 011c*
more example of how the system is not
working.
This space has stated more than once
how screwed lip the state's education sys
tem is It's time to reiterate it. There is just
too much of a gap between lawmakers and
higher education officials. The legislature
and OSS1 IK have different ideas on how
mm h money should be spent on the state
system.
While it would he unpopular to support
a tuition ini lease for summer school, it
doesn't come as any surprise. Lately, it
seems the state government's idea of higliei
edm ation finance seems to be keeping lac ul
l\ salaries low while increasing student tui
tion
It's time tor OSSML to review the sm
(ess or failure of the summer session
Right now the system doesn't seem to be
working before they dec ide to increase tui
tion officials need to decide whether the
system is worth saving
The (LSI. idea of having the state* support
the summer session as it does the rest of tin
academic terms sounds pretty good. Subsi
dizing the system would possibly increase
student enrollment yy Idle streamlining ( osts
llovvevei yve've all seen how yvell the state
has tin.iik ed higher edm ation in the past
Letters.
Blind responds
\s manager of flu- Had Dad
dies l! Is time to set the tai ls
silaitjli! concerning tin' hand
f irst ot all im- halo changed
owr name from now on Hi
ndi In' placing under .1 difli'i
i'll! 11.11 in - to! isn li slum ivliili'
still keeping llif non! Dad
dll’s
\oii cl s m't this straight
Daddies' dnfs not mean fa
llifis it simpli iiifaii> 'guvs'
thf allfgaltons that our old
nanif advocated im est is aliso
lutell wrong \s a inatttM ot
lai t oiif ot out songs fntitlfd
I fruiik I faddy is a strong
state infill against i luld abuse
in no uiu crtain terms
Our most vocal i ritu s have
never seen us so they don't
know this and have no idea
what iii' are really all ahout
We are ahout music and having
a good time, and not all the
dark motives that have been
projected upon us
One of the hand's major in
fluences is Dixieland jazz. and
hi look, our ii.imr troin .1 1 i 1 ic
in .in ol 11 |,i/.z song whir 11 wi'iil,
I want In hr \ i in r 1 hrrr\
p< >|l|>111 ll.illll\ 111.Ill W III! Il
> 1111)11\ means I want In hr
Mill! love I
Thr positus Ini our show arc
still lining ripped down In
some moral vigilantes who are
1 onv 1111 eil Ih.il Had I laddies
is a retrreni e In incest We are
reads in pul this controvers\
hrhind us and hope our critii s
are willing to do the same I
would nil (Ullage amour win
wants In disi uss tins mailer al
grealei length to write In us al
!’ (I Box ril'U. Kiigenr Or
•r-HI'i
Koh W alilmun
Manager
Had Daddies
Resentful
Hey. Tim Hughes [ODE. |an.
15). you of all people should
understand the right to freedom
of speech, furthermore, as
someone who does not consid
el llu“msclt ignorant I resent
the implii iilimi ol sui It .1 weak
.md obs< lire argument
I simplv feel vmir point
SU( ks
T \ an S< hoi.o k
Student
Unnoticed
Perhaps Martin l.ulher him.
It s birtlulav as an offic nil uni
eminent Itnlidav i> not sin it
had idea Without mail serve e
there non ' he an\ letter
bombs
Hut then again. I seem to re
member a prediction a while
h.u k ahuut the year -Mild It is
going to he the year in which
the :«i5th official government
holiday is declared.
I guess it's just as well. I
imagine if the government quit
running the country, no one
would notice
Audie Huber
Business