COURTS: Provides relative to the use of a facility dog by a witness during certain circumstances
Summary
HB 126 expands Louisiana’s facility-dog statute to require courts to allow a witness in any trial involving a sex offense to be accompanied by a facility dog, if one is available, while testifying. The bill keeps existing law that already applies to witnesses under 18 and witnesses with developmental disabilities, and it preserves the court’s authority to manage how the dog appears in the courtroom.
The measure also clarifies courtroom procedures intended to minimize any effect on the jury. The court may order the dog’s presence to be obscured from the jury, may instruct the jury about the dog’s role, and must ensure the dog enters and exits outside the jury’s presence. The bill also renames the section as “Duvall and Karissa’s Law.”
Impact
HB 126 amends R.S. 15:284, the statute governing facility dogs in court, by adding victims or witnesses in sex-offense trials to the category of witnesses who must be allowed a facility dog if available. It also modifies procedural language regarding jury visibility and instructions, and it reinforces that facility dogs must be trained assistance animals. The bill affects criminal court practice, particularly in prosecutions for sex offenses, by giving courts a clearer mandate to accommodate vulnerable witnesses.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported. It passed the House unanimously, 87-0, and there is no recorded committee opposition or transcripted controversy in the provided materials. The overall sentiment reflected in the bill’s progress is favorable, with the measure framed as a witness-support and trauma-informed courtroom accommodation.
Contention
The main policy issue is how to balance witness support with concerns about jury influence. The bill addresses that by allowing the court to obscure the dog from the jury and by requiring jury instructions and controlled entry and exit. Any contention would likely center on courtroom fairness and whether the presence of a facility dog could affect perceptions of credibility, but the available record shows no active opposition and the final vote was unanimous.