Washington State: Supreme Court Clarifies Rule for Admission of Statements to Medical Providers
Author: Annie L. Perry.; Julie Saffren.
Source: Volume 25, Number 05, June/July 2020 , pp.92-93(2)
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Abstract:
Our regular review of DV-related court decisions highlights State v. Scanlan, 445 P.3d 960 (Wash. 2019), an important decision that provides a clear analysis of the “primary purpose test” used when out-of-court statements are challenged as testimonial. The identity of the person asking the questions is important when determining the purpose of the questioning. Here, medical care providers were clearly asking questions of the victim for reasons having nothing to do with the abuser’s eventual prosecution.Keywords: State v. Scanlan, 445 P.3d 960 (Wash. 2019); Admissibility of Medical Statements at Trial
Affiliations:
1: Contributing Editor; 2: Associate Editor.