{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-26a.140","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 26A.140","heading":"Accommodation of special needs of children.","body":"(1) Courts shall implement measures to accommodate the special needs of children\nwhich are not unduly burdensome to the rights of the defendant, including but not\nlimited to:\n(a) 1. Trained guardians ad litem or special advocates, if available, shall be\nappointed for all child victims and shall serve in Circuit and District\nCourts to offer consistency and support to the child and to represent the\nchild's interests where needed.\n2. The guardians ad litem shall be paid a fee fixed by the court, which shall\nbe paid by the Finance and Administration Cabinet;\n(b) During trials involving child victims or child witnesses, the environment of\nthe courtroom shall be modified to accommodate children through the use of\nsmall chairs, frequent breaks, and the use of age appropriate language;\n(c) Children expected to testify shall be prepared for the courtroom experience by\nthe Commonwealth's or county attorney handling the case with the assistance\nof the guardian ad litem or special advocate; and\n(d) In appropriate cases, proc edures shall be used to shield children from visual\ncontact with alleged perpetrator.\n(2) The Supreme Court is encouraged to issue rules for the conduct of criminal and\ncivil trials involving child abuse in which a child victim or child witness may testify\nat the trial.","path":["KRS Chapter 26A"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=55096","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:48:46Z","sha256":"36165dfe36a5e97fd821caf42682c906962a8a992b284d024ce5bea668c76638","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-26a.130","next":"us-ky/krs-26a.150"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}