The criminal justice system of the US has a plethora of provisions which are specifically designed to safeguard the legal rights of a person who is accused of a criminal act.
These provisions are contained in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution.
The Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution extends this protection to every citizen in each state.
Presuming the accused as innocent till he or she is proven guilty, the prosecution has the onus to prove that the person is indeed guilty of the crime.
The Sixth Amendment of the Constitution was made to forestall secrecy and put an end to usage of written statements from a witness who cannot be physically present in a criminal case.
However, under certain circumstances, a witness has the right to be absent from the legal proceedings.
These circumstances are listed in the Federal Rules of Evidence.
The Sixth Amendment stresses on legal assistance being made available to the defendant.
Also, the Confrontational Clause in the amendment ensures that the accused gets a chance to cross examine the witness in person to find loopholes in the evidence.
The only exception is in the case of the plaintiff is a minor and the case pertains to child sexual assault.
In such cases, it is quite possible that the child maybe too scared to give his or her testimony in court, and therefore, the child would be allowed a closed-circuit camera hearing which the defendant can see, while the defense attorney cross examines the child.
If you or anyone you know is charged with criminal prosecution, it would be prudent to hire the services of a criminal law attorney, who would navigate the legal labyrinth skillfully and ensure that your legal rights are protected and you receive a swift and public trial presided over by neutral jury members as it is stipulated in the Sixth Amendment.