State v. Aponte

In State v. Aponte, 249 Conn. 735, 738 A.2d 117 (1999), the victim, a child, was allowed to testify while holding a Barney doll 5 given to her by the state's attorney. The court held that this was improper because the conduct of giving the doll to the victim might impact her suggestibility. Id., 745. It also is noteworthy that the court commented on the victim's possession of the doll, stating that "had the victim simply brought a favorite object from home, there would have been no basis for objection." Id.