This article was originally posted on WFSU.org.
A bill allowing young victims to secretly record their attackers to use as evidence in court is now headed to the Governor, after passing the House Friday.
The measure now headed to the Governor differs from a bill the House passed last month that created a broader exemption for all victims of sexual abuse and physical violence.
The measure changed, after the more narrow exemption recently passed the Senate.
The bill was a reaction to a teenager who secretly recorded an incriminating conversation between herself and her stepfather who she says had been sexually abusing her for years. But, after an initial conviction, the stepfather, Richard McDade, now has a new trial because the Supreme Court said the recording is not admissible—given Florida’s two-party consent rule. And, lawmakers say their bill fixes that loophole.
