DES MOINES, IOWA (December 12, 2024) — Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird hosted a press conference to announce a proposed constitutional amendment that will protect kids and Iowans with intellectual disabilities in court. The announcement was made in the historic Iowa Supreme Court Chamber at the Iowa State Capitol. Speakers at the press conference also included:
- Susan Krisko, Deputy Attorney General of Criminal Justice
- Brittany Sowder, human trafficking survivor
- Kate Haberman, child therapist
- Keith Davis, Wayne County Sheriff
- Matt Schultz, Dallas County Attorney
- Nick Maybanks, Linn County Attorney
A recent Iowa Supreme Court ruling reversed decades of protections for Iowa kids through closed-circuit testimony, which allowed kids to safely testify in a separate room from their abuser. The proposed constitutional amendment will restore those protections so that child victims are not forced to testify in court while being stared down by the ones who hurt them. Iowa is currently the only state in the nation that does not allow for closed-circuit testimony.
“As a mom and prosecutor, I will never stop fighting to protect kids,” said AG Bird. “I know how hard it is for kids to be arm’s length in court from the criminal defendants who brutally beat or sexually molested them. Our constitutional amendment will restore closed-circuit testimony to protect kids in court and bring criminals to justice.”
The constitutional amendment will be proposed to the Iowa state legislature during session, which begins January 13.
