Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, But Words Will Always Hurt Me: Why California Should Expand the Admissibility of Prior Acts of Child Abuse

Authors

Lindsay Gochnour

First Page

417

Last Page

460

Document Type

Comment

Abstract

This Comment seeks to explore the effect that the admissibility of prior bad acts evidence would have on child maltreatment cases and the benefits that would be afforded to child abuse victims if they were provided the same legal protections as victims of other crimes. This Comment argues that expanding the California Evidence Code to allow the admission of prior acts of psychological and emotional child maltreatment would make great progress for the protection of child abuse victims and the prosecution of their (often losing) cases.

Recommended Citation

Lindsay Gochnour Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, But Words Will Always Hurt Me: Why California Should Expand the Admissibility of Prior Acts of Child Abuse, 43 Pepp. L. Rev. 417 (2016)
Available at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/plr/vol43/iss2/4