Doggie bill gets House OK

The use of dogs as companions for witnesses in court sessions — a practice that has met with varying acceptance from Louisiana judges — is on its way to mandatory approval in Louisiana courts.

State Rep. Beryl Amedee R-Houma, introduced HB-292, which allows the use of facility dogs in courtrooms under certain circumstances.

The House passed the bill Friday 91-0. Now it’s on to the Senate.

“In the courtrooms where they have been used they have helped so many victims to have the confidence and courage to speak out about what they have experienced,” Amedee said during a brief address on the House floor.

Also on the House floor were five dogs trained to accompany witnesses into courtrooms for emotional comfort and stability. Among them was Duval, brought by his handler, Tommy Beeson of the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. Recovered from a brief illness that had Beeson concerned, Duval is back in good health. Like his fellow facility dogs, Duval remained still and silent during the House vote. He and another dog accompanied Amedee to a House Judiciary Committee meeting where she testified on behalf of the bill.

“We didn’t even realize it, but the dogs were sitting right under her feet,” noted Rep, Katrina Jackson D-Monroe, while delivering words on the floor in support of the bill.

Duval and the other dogs are used to accompany child witnesses into courtrooms at trials. In Terrebonne Parish courtrooms Beeson has accompanied children into the courtroom prior to the jury coming in and laid down beneath their feet in the witness box.

Amedee’s bill provides that jurors will be told there is a dog but will not see the animal, as is done in Terrebonne.

Amedee wrote the bill because of concerns that judges in some cases might bar the animals from the courtroom, due to concerns that they may unfairly prejudice jurors against defendants.

She was concerned at first that judges might balk at the bill, especially since it contains imperative language — use of the word shall rather than may — which directs them to allow the dogs.

Their state association, however, registered no objections when Amedee presented the bill to them seeking support.

A co-author of the bill, Rep. Julie Stokes R-Kenner, agreed with Amedee that it such a bill’s time had come.

“It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there, and these canines are providing a valuable service as man’s best friend during court proceedings,” Stokes said.

Amedee noted the fine behavior she observed from the canines in committee and during the House vote.

“They stay still during long meetings a lot better than I do,” Amedee said.

Dogs

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