May 31, 2023
Nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States, the equivalent of more than 10 million women and men annually. State courts receive some of those persons affected by abuse. A previous Trending Topics article highlighted state courts and other entities working together to fight domestic violence during the COVID pandemic, which further impeded the ability of persons experiencing harm to access courts and helpful services. More recently, some state courts began offering more services and improving efficiency for court users.
Online filing and hearings
Puerto Rico allows applicants to fill out an electronic form by email.
In April 2023, West Virginia held public tests to implement a program allowing those affected by domestic violence and sexual assault to file petitions and attend follow-up hearings remotely.
Safe spaces
The Franklin County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas domestic relations division recently announced the new Family Protection Center, which provides a safe space to fill out forms instead of in a courthouse hallway. The center also streamlines the process with all services provided in the same location. The court partnered with the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Center for Family Safety and Healing to assess applicant needs and to connect them with services.
Specialty courts and dockets
Examining courts post-pandemic, Allen County Court, Indiana, created a new problem-solving court, the Family Domestic Violence Court. It focuses on persons and families affected by domestic violence as well as the addressing causes of those who do harm. Participants receive therapeutic support to address domestic violence, substance abuse, and mental health issues.
Kent County, Michigan is using the American Rescue Plan Act funding to create a specialized court for domestic violence cases. Its purpose is to have a single judge oversee a case for an entire family, which ensures all the family’s issues are addressed while holding the person who did harm accountable. Kent County provides other services such as housing, food, and jobs.
Kansas City Municipal Court focuses its domestic violence court on rehabilitation that uses a “holistic approach” to help persons who did harm while holding them accountable. The court offers programs such as a compliance docket, “in which court staff evaluate offenders’ mental health, employment status, substance abuse issues, and other factors as they intensely supervise high-risk offenders. If completed, it can keep them out of jail, though it is a lot of work.”
Court training
NCSC’s new self-paced online course, Protecting the Privacy of Domestic Violence Survivors, available in English and Spanish, “provides best practices to guide courts and providers on improving policies and procedures designed to protect survivors’ privacy and inform survivors of their rights.”
You can find more information on court efforts as well as valuable resources to address domestic violence at NCSC’s VAWA and the Courts. Is your court improving services for domestic violence? Share them with us. For more information, contact Knowledge@ncsc.org or call 800-616-6164. Follow the National Center for State Courts on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.