Tennessee Weighs Creating ‘Safe’ Spaces for Crime Victims in Court

In many places in America, witnesses subpoenaed to testify in court hearings or trials are generally subject to what some courthouse regulars call “the rule” — a provision in the law that excludes witnesses from the courtroom while other witnesses are testifying.

But safe and accessible places are hard to find in many rural courthouses.

A new legislative proposal aims to change that in Tennessee.  Under ‘The Safe For Victims” bill,  county governments will have access to $5,000 grants to provide a ” safe and accessible space for victims to meet with attorneys, law enforcement, counselors, and others,” the Times News reports.

Ken Baldwin, the District Attorney in Washington County,  said separating witnesses and victims from the tension of courtroom proceedings was not only important as a way of minimizing stress, but was essential for the needs of justice as well.

“Trials are often highly emotional and bring on vindictiveness and emotions that can affect testimony,” he said.

See Also: Memo to Prosecutors: Crime Victims Are Your Responsibility, Too

Because of this, the hallways don’t provide a safe and accessible space, leading other organizations to try and fill the gaps.  

To mitigate tension in Nashville, the  Office of Family Safety  an metropolitan government agency, offers space for victims, including domestic violence survivors, and their families to wait before their time in court, but courthouses elsewhere in the state are hard-pressed to find other alternatives, according to WKRN. 

LaToya Townsend, the Director of Training, Outreach and Development with the Metro Office of Family Safety  says the current state of Tennessee courthouses makes it difficult for victims to feel safe.

“You have the distribution of assets, you have emotional involvement, you may have children involved,” Townsend said, explaining the heightened energy surrounding family court and criminal court proceedings. 

In Washington County, District Attorney Baldwin says in the meantime, they’ll allow victims and their families to stay in the DA’s office due to its proximity to the courthouse, adding that there’s typically enough time to get them from the office over to the courthouse when they’re needed. 

However, this is a luxury that not every district has.

“None of the courthouses are up to speed to give a victim a safe place to wait for their appearance in court,” DA Baldwin is quoted by the TimesNews as saying.  

“It’s become a big concern around the state and apparently the legislature wants to do something about it. It’s something we need,” Baldwin concluded. “We don’t want people being intimidated.”

The law requires Tennessee’s District Attorney General Conference to submit a report to the legislature’s judiciary and criminal justice committees by March 1 after assessing courthouses across the state.

Additional Reading: Court Expands Victim Protection for Lawsuits on Police Use of Force

This summary was prepared by TCR staff writer Andrea Cipriano.