FCA § 344.4

Rules of evidence; admissibility of evidence of victim's sexual conduct in sex offense cases

§ 344.4. Rules of evidence; admissibility of evidence of victim's sexual conduct in sex offense cases. Evidence of a victim's sexual conduct shall not be admissible in a juvenile delinquency proceeding for a crime or an attempt to commit a crime defined in article one hundred thirty of the penal law unless such evidence:

1. proves or tends to prove specific instances of the victim's prior sexual conduct with the accused; or

2. proves or tends to prove that the victim has been convicted of an offense under section 230.00 of the penal law within three years prior to the sex offense which is the subject of the juvenile delinquency proceeding; or

3. rebuts evidence introduced by the presentment agency of the victim's failure to engage in vaginal sexual contact, oral sexual contact, anal sexual contact or sexual contact during a given period of time; or

4. rebuts evidence introduced by the presentment agency which proves or tends to prove that the accused is the cause of pregnancy or disease of the victim, or the source of semen found in the victim; or

5. is determined by the court after an offer of proof by the accused, or such hearing as the court may require, and a statement by the court of its findings of fact essential to its determination, to be relevant and admissible in the interests of justice.

Official sourcehttps://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/FCT/344.4

In plain English

★ Family Court's rape shield: evidence of a victim's sexual conduct is inadmissible in an Article 130 case unless it fits narrow exceptions (prior conduct with the accused; a § 230.00 conviction within 3 years; rebutting agency evidence of contact/pregnancy/disease source; or admitted in the interest of justice after an offer of proof).

Marked in the text: penalties, time limits, sums of money. Editorial emphasis added by this edition; it does not appear in the statute as enacted.

In print

This provision appears in Volume 5 — The JG-22 Family Court Act and in Volume 1 — The JG-22 in Plain English.