Amends the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. In a provision concerning the prosecution of a person for an offense of criminal sexual assault, predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, aggravated criminal sexual assault, criminal sexual abuse, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, aggravated battery, or aggravated domestic battery, deletes a provision which states that there is a rebuttable presumption that the testimony of a victim who is a child under 13 years of age shall occur outside the courtroom and the child's testimony shall be shown in the courtroom by means of a closed circuit television. Deletes that this presumption may be overcome if the defendant can prove by clear and convincing evidence that the child victim will not suffer severe emotional distress. Provides that, if the court denies the State's request for the child victim's testimony to be taken outside the courtroom, the court shall toll the speedy trial requirements for 30 days to allow the State to present the motion to the court again before trial requesting the child's testimony to be taken outside the courtroom by means of a closed circuit television.
Senate Committee Amendment No. 1: In the provision that provides that before the court permits the testimony of a victim outside the courtroom that is to be shown in the courtroom by means of a closed circuit television, the court must make a finding that the testimony by means of closed circuit television does not unduly prejudice (rather than prejudice) the defendant. Deletes a provision that states that if the court denies the State's request for the child victim's testimony to be taken outside the courtroom, the court shall toll the speedy trial requirements for 30 days to allow the State to present the motion to the court again before trial requesting the child's testimony to be taken outside the courtroom by means of a closed circuit television.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 725 ILCS 5/106
Engrossed: 725 ILCS 5/106