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If you think that
domestic violence is a problem which should not be
addressed by the Criminal Justice System, think
again. A national study has shown that the most
common characteristic among juveniles locked up in
juvenile detention centers is that they have
witnessed domestic violence in their homes. Domestic
violence is a crime. If committed in the presence of
children, it is another form of child abuse. Each
year, police departments across our county ask my
office to consider filing over 1,300 cases of
domestic violence.
Since the mid 1990’s, we have initiated and
developed a specialized unit to address domestic
violence. My office has acquired grants to partially
fund a prosecutor and investigator for this
division. Additionally, Commissioner’s Court has
supported this initiative by funding positions for
three more prosecutors and two secretaries. The
secretaries of this unit specialize in assisting
victims of domestic violence in securing District
Judges’ protective orders against their abusers.
Jail time, penitentiary sentences, and conditions of
probated sentences that include batterers’
intervention counseling are tools sought by my
office and enforced by our local courts as we battle
this intolerable crime which eats away at the fabric
of healthy families. |
Taking on
domestic violence
has been a priority |
