Moody pushes bill aimed at protecting human trafficking victims in court proceedings

By Eric Daugherty

Published Mar. 1, 2023, 4:20 p.m. ET | Updated Mar. 1, 2023

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody tossed her support behind new legislation filed in the state legislature aimed at enacting “protections in judicial proceedings for minors or victims of certain crimes, including human trafficking.”

“As Attorney General, I work every day to stop human trafficking in our state, and this session I am advocating for legislation that will further protect victims, as well as help our law enforcement partners bring traffickers to justice,” Moody said.

“This legislation will shield victims from unnecessarily reliving traumatic experiences, making it easier for them to come forward and help prosecutors secure convictions for their perpetrators,” she said.

SB 1208 was introduced by Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, and HB 1037 by Rep. Taylor Yarkosky, R-Montverde.

The proposal would require that depositions of victims under the age of 18, anyone with intellectual disabilities, or anyone who is a “victim or witness” would not be allowed without “a showing of good cause.”

“Trafficking victims have already gone through so much and they shouldn’t have to needlessly relive those events during court proceedings,” Burgess said. “I’m proud to work with Attorney General Moody to protect survivors and I will continue to support her efforts to end human trafficking.”

“Attorney General Moody leads the fight against human trafficking in Florida, and I’m excited to work with her to pass this vital legislation this session,” Yarkosky said. “I’m proud to introduce this measure in the Florida House, that protects victims of this heinous crime in court proceedings, where they wouldn’t have to provide traumatic testimony without good cause.”

“The court would have to consider several factors when deciding whether to grant the deposition, including whether the victim or witness would suffer moderate psychological harm, and make specific written findings of fact for the basis of its ruling,” a press release said.