Senator Velmanette Montgomery's bill requiring the video recording of interrogations of juveniles passes Senate

Senator Velmanette Montogmery's bill S.6533/A.7970 which would require all interrogations of minors in the state of New York to be recorded, has passed the Senate.

The bill amends the Family Court Act to provide for the video-recording of any juvenile subject to interrogation when taken into custody by a police officer, without a warrant. Where a child is subject to interrogation at a facility designated by the Chief Administrator of the courts as a suitable place for questioning of juveniles, the entire interrogation is to be video recorded in a manner that is consistent with standards established by the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).

Such video recording is to include the giving of any required notice to the child, as to his or her rights and the child's waiver of any rights. The interrogation is to be recorded in a manner so that the persons in the recording are identifiable and the speech is intelligible. A copy of the recording will be subject to discovery.