A prosecution witness in a criminal trial testified about events they claimed to have directly observed. During cross-examination, the defense counsel questioned the witness’s competence to testify, stating that the witness has a developmental disability that impacts their comprehension and memory. How should the court evaluate whether this witness is qualified to testify?
The court should evaluate whether the witness can understand the obligation to tell the truth and can observe, remember, and communicate relevant facts.
The witness should be allowed to testify, and an anti-discrimination framework might prevent questioning their competence in certain contexts.
The witness’s developmental disability impacts their qualification to testify, and their ability to provide accurate testimony should be evaluated.
The jury, not the court, must determine whether the witness is competent to testify.
The correct answer focuses on the basic legal requirements for witness qualification: the witness must understand the obligation to testify truthfully and demonstrate the capacity to observe, remember, and recount relevant facts. Courts are mindful that developmental disabilities do not automatically disqualify a witness, but the judge must ensure that these minimum standards are met. Other options are incorrect because they overstate or misinterpret the law: developmental disabilities do not automatically disqualify a witness (credibility is for the jury to weigh), the court—not the jury—determines qualifications, and anti-discrimination laws safeguard fairness but do not eliminate the threshold evaluation of competence.
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