Louisiana Code of Evidence 412.3 – Statements made by victims of trafficking during investigations
Terms Used In Louisiana Code of Evidence 412.3
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
- Testify: Answer questions in court.
- Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
If a victim of human trafficking or trafficking of children for sexual purposes is also a defendant in any case arising from unlawful acts committed as part of the same trafficking activity, any inculpatory statement made by the victim as a result of questioning by any person then known by the victim to be a law enforcement officer is inadmissible against the victim, except pursuant to Article 801 of this Code or in any prosecution of the victim for perjury, at a trial of the victim for the unlawful acts committed by the victim as part of the same trafficking activity if all of the following conditions exist:
(1) The victim cooperates with the investigation and prosecution, including the giving of a use-immunity statement as directed by the prosecuting attorney.
(2) The victim testifies truthfully at any hearing or trial related to the trafficking activity, or agrees, either in writing or on the record, to testify truthfully at any hearing or trial related to the trafficking activity in any prosecution of any other person charged with an offense arising from the same trafficking activity, regardless of whether the testimony is unnecessary due to entry of a plea by the other person.
(3) The victim has agreed in writing to receive services or participate in a program that provides services to victims of human trafficking or trafficking of children for sexual purposes, if such services are available.
Acts 2014, No. 564, §5.