America's court system is a balancing act, seeking justice for victims and maintaining the rights of the accused. But certain cases can threaten even time-honored mechanisms of equilibrium, pulling at heartstrings. Perhaps none more so than sex crimes against children.
Currently, the Catholic Church scandal is prompting a nation-wide visit to the decades-long debate over Statutes of Limitations. In a number of states, legislators and victims want to either amend, or eliminate altogether, time limits for prosecuting abusers. But defenders of legal tradition say there has to be a limit, that if the clock goes on ticking past a certain point, it'll be impossible for the accused to prove their innocence.
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Wendy Murphy - Former Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Prosecutor for Massachusetts
Annabelle Whiting Hall - Criminal defense specialist in child sexual assault cases
Jeanine Pirro, District Attorney of Westchester County.
