Art. 328.1. Admissibility in civil, family, and administrative proceedings; discovery;
confidentiality
A.(1) A court with civil or family jurisdiction or an administrative law judge may
authorize the issuance of a subpoena duces tecum for the production of a videotape of a
protected person made pursuant to this Article for good cause shown. The subpoena duces
tecum shall order that the videotape of the protected person be returnable to the court for
inspection. If the court determines that the videotape is relevant and necessary to the case
under review, the court may order in writing that the videotape be disclosed to the attorneys
of record for each party, subject to a protective order pursuant to Subparagraph (2) of this
Paragraph.
(2) The protective order shall include all of the following information:
(a) Names of the attorneys of record in the case and their regularly employed staff,
paralegal, or expert witnesses, who are the only individuals permitted to view or be in
possession of the videotape.
(b) The videotape is in the exclusive custody of the court and that the videotape shall
not be copied, photographed, duplicated, or otherwise reproduced except as a written
transcript that protects the identity of the protected person by the use of initials.
(c) If the party is not represented by an attorney, the party and the employees or
retained expert witnesses of the party shall not be given a copy of the videotape but shall be
given reasonable access to view the recording by the custodian of the recording.
(d) Attorneys and custodians of the videotape shall file their copy of the videotape
under seal into the record of the proceedings upon termination of representation or upon
disposition of the matter at the trial level.
(e) The unlawful possession, selling, duplicating, distributing, transferring, or
copying of any videotape of protected persons is punishable pursuant to R.S. 14:81.5.
B. Any violation of this Article shall be punished as contempt of court.
C. Nothing in this Article is intended to restrict the ability of the Department of
Children and Family Services or law enforcement from sharing information as authorized
or required by state or federal law.
Acts 2024, No. 654, §2.