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Courthouse facility dogs are professionally trained facility dogs that are graduates from an accredited assistance dog organization that is a member of Assistance Dogs International. They assist crime victims, witnesses and others during the investigation and prosecution of crimes as well as other legal proceedings. Courthouse facility dogs also provide assistance to Drug Court and Mental Health Court participants during their recovery from drugs, alcohol, mental illness and post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition to the courthouse, these dogs work in child advocacy centers, district attorney offices, and law enforcement settings. The handlers of these dogs are professionals working in the legal system such as district attorneys, law enforcement officers, forensic interviewers, psychologists, social workers and victim advocates. Nonprofessional handlers are not utilized with courthouse facility dogs due to the confidential nature of some proceedings, and because the presence of lay people during the investigation of a crime and in the courtroom may create legal issues. ==Typical work done by a courthouse facility dog== * Greeting children and parents who have come into a child advocacy center to initiate investigation of child sexual abuse * Accompanying a child (age 4 – 17) during a forensic interview, where the child explains to a trained interviewer the details of an incident of sexual abuse or a crime of violence * Accompanying a child during the various phases of the investigation and prosecution of crime, including a defense interview, a competency hearing, and a courtroom trial * Greeting members of the public throughout the courthouse * Attending drug court, mental health court, and other restorative justice proceedings to provide an element of calm to people with disabilities and individuals in drug withdrawal. * Accompanying vulnerable adult crime victims, including rape victims, developmentally delayed adults, and the elderly during court proceedings * Providing emotional comfort to family members of homicide victims during the trial and sentencing of the offender. * Providing a sense of normalcy during juvenile and family court proceedings. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Courthouse facility dog」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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