SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS for SB 198

    Amendment No.    

                            CHAMBER ACTION
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11  Senator Klein moved the following amendment:

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13         Senate Amendment (with title amendment) 

14         Delete everything after the enacting clause

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16  and insert:

17         Section 1.  Section 918.16, Florida Statutes, is

18  amended to read:

19         918.16  Sex offenses; testimony of person under age 16

20  or person with mental retardation; testimony of victim;

21  courtroom cleared; exceptions.--

22         (1)  Except as provided in subsection (2), in the trial

23  of any case, civil or criminal, when any person under the age

24  of 16 or any person with mental retardation as defined in s.

25  393.063(44) s. 393.063(41) is testifying concerning any sex

26  offense, the court shall clear the courtroom of all persons

27  except parties to the cause, victims, and their immediate

28  families or guardians, attorneys and their secretaries,

29  officers of the court, jurors, newspaper reporters or

30  broadcasters, and court reporters, and at the request of the

31  victim, victim or witness advocates designated by the state

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                                                  SENATE AMENDMENT

    Bill No. CS for SB 198

    Amendment No.    





 1  attorney's office.

 2         (2)  When the victim of a sex offense is testifying

 3  concerning that offense in any civil or criminal trial, the

 4  court shall clear the courtroom of all persons upon the

 5  request of the victim, regardless of his or her age or mental

 6  capacity, except that parties to the cause, victims, and their

 7  immediate families or guardians, attorneys and their

 8  secretaries, officers of the court, jurors, newspaper

 9  reporters or broadcasters, court reporters, and, at the

10  request of the victim, any victim or witness advocate

11  designated by the state attorney may remain in the courtroom.

12         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 1999.

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15  ================ T I T L E   A M E N D M E N T ===============

16  And the title is amended as follows:

17         Delete everything before the enacting clause

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19  and insert:

20                      A bill to be entitled

21         An act relating to trial testimony concerning

22         sexual offenses; amending s. 918.16, F.S.;

23         requiring that the court clear the courtroom at

24         the request of a victim during his or her

25         testimony concerning a sexual offense,

26         regardless of the victim's age or mental

27         capacity; providing certain exceptions;

28         providing an effective date.

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