San Antonio Current By Monica Simmons on Mon, Jun 5, 2017
"Jenny's Law," named after a Harris County crime victim who was held in jail while awaiting her rapist's trial, was signed into effect by Gov. Abbott on June 2. The new law applies to crime witnesses and victims who are detained for their testimony, and ensures that they will be granted access to attorneys during their stay.
The law, written by state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, will also require that a witness be able to request a hearing after 24 hours, and another rehearing after 15 days.
The law came in response to a shocking case that made national headlines in 2016. The woman identified as "Jenny" suffered a mental breakdown while giving testimony during a December 2015 trial against serial rapist Keith Edward Hendricks, the man who assaulted her. She was then admitted into the hospital and treated for mental illness. Prosecutors worried that she would not show up for the rescheduled trial date a month later, so they went ahead and applied for an "attachment order" that allowed the Harris County District Attorney's Office to keep her in jail leading up to the date. Upon release from the hospital, the woman was treated like a criminal — handcuffed and brought to the Harris County Jail.
More:
http://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2017/06/05/gov-abbott-signs-jennys-law-to-keep-prosecutors-from-jailing-crime-victims
