It is an interesting debate....in cases where the child is speaking only to the judge in a closed room, not in front of a jury, I can't see any harm even if it is shown to the jury on a close circuited system...it could be done so the dog was not in view of the camera and the only people who would actually see the dog would be in the room with the child while speaking. In front of the jury is an interesting debate...I'm totally for the dog helping with the preparation and after effects of being on the stand for anyone, but I do mean anyone. Assuming the dogs are not specifically designated to be a service animal assigned to that particular person, would we allow a defendant the same opportunity? All things being equal, we probably should. After all, they are innocent until proven guilty and I would suspect being on trail for murder, be you innocent or not, is a stressful affair. It is an interesting debate that I'm sure will be challenged many times over the years to come.
