Standards for using dogs to comfort testifying witnesses in Pennsylvania’s trial courts are being decided by the commonwealth’s highest court, following oral arguments this week by attorneys who litigated the underlying criminal case, Commonwealth v. Purnell.

Appearing in a livestream before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on Wednesday were a Chester County deputy district attorney and a public defender from the same jurisdiction to offer arguments for the following question: Do Pennsylvania trial courts have the discretion to permit a comfort dog to accompany a vulnerable testifying witness to aid the witness in providing the court with truthful testimony?

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