24 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY DECEMBER 4-10, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com of sight of the jury (this is in order to avoid creating a bias among jurors who may like dogs). In one recent sexual abuse case, a 16-year-old survivor identified as Jane Doe was called to the stand to testify against her grandmother’s boyfriend, who was accused of molesting her starting when she was 4 years old. In a motion to have a court facility dog accompany Jane Doe in the courtroom, Deputy District Attorney Daniel VanDamme wrote, “Jane Doe’s stress levels would be reduced which would allow her to communicate more effectively during the interrogation and create an efficient and effective ascertainment of the truth if either Norma Jeane or Armani is present during her testimony. “Norma Jeane and Armani are highly trained and well-behaved and will sit or lie down calmly as the victim testifies.” Whether someone is preparing to testify or is coming into the DA’s office to tell their story, Armani and Norma Jeane are there to comfort and support them. The dogs can have a lasting effect. “Now we have kids wanting to come back and visit the dogs; it’s not a traumatic experience, but they are there to provide comfort and love through a cold, wet nose,” McGuirk says. Sara Rubin contributed to the reporting for this story. Armani shows support and compassion by resting his head on the lap of a victim before she testifies. After a witness testifies in court, they get to take home a certificate and a little stuffed animal dog.
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