The General Assembly finds that it is necessary to provide every victim and witness with a cognitive disability, particularly those whose disability renders them the emotional or mental equivalent of a child, with additional consideration and different treatment than that usually required for adult victims and witnesses who are not cognitively disabled. It is therefore the intent of the General Assembly to provide each victim and witness with a cognitive disability who is involved in a criminal proceeding with certain fundamental rights and protections.

74 Del. Laws, c. 44, § ?1;

criminal case

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Terms Used In Delaware Code Title 11 Sec. 9421

  • Child: means a person who has not reached the age of 18 years. See Delaware Code Title 1 Sec. 302
  • Cognitive disability: means a developmental disability that substantially impairs an individual's cognitive abilities including, but not limited to, delirium, dementia and other organic brain disorders for which there is an identifiable pathologic condition, as well as nonorganic brain disorders commonly called functional disorders. See Delaware Code Title 11 Sec. 9422
  • Victim: includes a parent, guardian or custodian of a victim who is unable to meaningfully understand or participate in the legal process due to physical, psychological or mental impairment. See Delaware Code Title 11 Sec. 9401
  • Witness: means any person other than a law-enforcement officer or probation officer who has knowledge of the existence or nonexistence of any fact related to any crime, or any person who has reported any crime to any law-enforcement officer or probation officer, or any person other than a law-enforcement officer or probation officer who has been designated for service with a subpoena issued by any court or by the Attorney General, or any person other than a law-enforcement officer or probation officer who would be believed by any reasonable person to be an individual described by this paragraph. See Delaware Code Title 11 Sec. 9401
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