Judicial Toolbox

1. Judicial Toolbox Court Programs Specialty Courts Lethality Assessment Tools Judicial Resources & Links GPS Pretrial Release Courtroom Security Victim’s Rights Education Project

2. efinn@glendaleaz.comSpecial thanks to Yuko Price

3. Early Intervention For Women Living In Domestic Violence Program • The program is hosted by the San Antonio Municipal Court. • Their program aggressively prosecutes domestic violence Class C misdemeanor cases. It includes initial and follow-up services for victims and their families. The program also provides continual training for law enforcement, legal, and judicial members in domestic violence issues.

4. Their mission is to quickly intervene and provide for the victim’s safety, hold the batterer accountable, and prevent the violence from escalating into more dangerous crimes (Official Website of the City of San Antonio Municipal Court). • http://www.sanantonio.gov/court/ domviol.asp

5. Address Confidentiality Program • An example of the program is hosted by the Office of the Indiana Attorney General. • http://www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/legal/victim/address _ confidentiality.html

6. The program assigns confidential addresses to its participants. Mail received at these confidential addresses is sent to the attorney general’s office for processing. Then, first-class mail is forwarded on the to the victim’s actual homes (Office of the Indiana Attorney General).

7. CASA Program • Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) are a program of volunteers who are appointed by judges to speak up for abused and neglected children. • http://www.washingatonstatecasa.org/CASA/whatis.htm

8. The volunteers “investigate a child’s history, facilitate communication between concerned adults, advocate for services and appropriate placement, and ultimately make recommendations – to the judge – in that child’s best interest (Washington State CASA).”

9. Domestic Violence Intake Centers • The centers are hosted by the Superior Court of District of Columbia (DC). • http://www.dccourts.gov/dccourts/ superior/dv/intake.jsp

10. The Domestic Violence Intake Centers hear cases in which parties request protection orders. • A unique aspect is it is located within DC’s Greater Southeast Hospital. • Two-week temporary protection orders are processed via teleconferencing. • Representatives from the Court and support organizations are on site (Superior Court of DC).

11. Domestic Violence Courts • Why? The three most cited reasons for the implementation of specialized court processes for domestic violence cases: • Improved assistance to victims • Enhanced victim safety • Increased batterer accountability (Concluded by Susan Keilitz in 2000, working with the National Center for States Courts (NCSC))

12. Planning a Domestic Violence Court • Robert V. Wolf, Liberty Aldrich and Samantha Moore (2004), Planning a Domestic Violence Court: The New York State Experience, A Center for Court Innovations publication. • http://www.courtinnovation.org/ _uploads/documents/ dvplanningdiary.pdf

13. Integrated Domestic Violence Court Model • One example of the “integrated model” is found in the New York Unified Court System. • http://www.courts.state.ny.us/ip/ domesticviolence/index.shtml

14. New York State Domestic Violence Courts Fact Sheet • “Some New York courts use the criminal model defined there as a ‘Domestic Violence Court’ where a dedicated Judge presides over cases from arraignment through disposition and monitors offenders and their compliance with orders of protection (Shelton 2007).” • http://www.criminaljustice.state.ny.us/ofpa/domviolcrtfactsheet.htm

15. Glendale City Court Treatment Court • Judge based monitoring • No probation services • All DUI and DV defendants assigned to TC • Provider produces progress report • Compliance specialist checks for: • Criminal history record created by fingerprints • Financial Obligations • Jail Complete • Status of Counseling

16. Public defender calls all non compliant defendants prior to TC Court • Provider resets up to day prior to TC • Compliance Specialist prepares files using Matrix • Staffing prior to TC – team all have input for sanctions and rewards TC- graduates first, then defendants who are booked for failure to comply

17. ContactKyle Mickel at kmickel@glendaleaz.com

18. Lethality Assessment Tools: A Critical Analysis • The author, Neil Websdale, available online by the National Online Resource Center on Violence Against Women. • The document is a research review on predicting lethal domestic violence, contents of lethal assessment tools, and the usefulness of the instruments and the research (Websdale 2000). • http://new.vawnet.org/category/Main_Doc.php?docid=387

19. DAIP Risk Assessment Questionnaire • Duluth Domestic Abuse Intervention Project (DAIP) • Questionnaire: Risk Assessment for Victim Safety • http://www.duluth-model.org/documents/23questions.htm

20. Assessing Lethal and Extremely Dangerous Behavior • Assessing Lethal and Extremely Dangerous Behavior is a 30 minute training session “designed to prepare a wide range of professionals, including medical, legal and social services professionals, to assist women in evaluating the risk of lethal violence (Minnesota 2003).” • The training session is free and available online at http://www.stopvaw.org by the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights.

21. Lethality Assessment by OfficersArizona Rules of Criminal Procedure, Form 4(a) 3.    There is an indication of: [ ] Alcohol Abuse  [ ] Other Substance Abuse [ ] Mental Health Issues           [ ] Physical Illness [ ] Developmental Disability 

22. Arizona D.    CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE OFFENSE  1.  [ ] Defendant used firearm or other  weapon, Type: 2.  [ ] Defendant injured someone. Explain: 3.  [ ] Medical attention was necessary        Nature of injuries:   4.  [ ] Defendant threatened someone        Nature of threats: 

23. Arizona E.    CRIME(S) AGAINST PERSONS  1.    Relationship of defendant to victim:  2.    [ ] Victim(s) and defendant reside  together.  3.    Law enforcement learned of the  situation by  [ ] Victim  [ ] Third Party [ ] Officer observation 4. [ ] Previous incidents involving these same parties

24. 5.    Defendant is currently the subject of:       [ ] Order of Protection       [ ] Injunction against Harassment       [ ] Other court order:  6.   [ ] Likelihood of inappropriate contact  with victim(s) Explain:  7.   [ ] Victim(s) expressed an opinion on  defendant's release. Explain: 

25. F.       DOMESTIC VIOLENCE  DEFENDANT ISSUES  [ ]      Access to or use of weapons [ ]      Children/Vulnerable adults  present [ ]      Crime occurred in public [ ]      Control/ownership/jealousy  issues [ ]      Depression [ ]      Frequency/intensity of  Domestic Violence increasing[ ]      Kidnapping 

26. F.       DOMESTIC VIOLENCE  DEFENDANT ISSUES (cont) [ ] Potential for multiple violations of court orders [ ]  Prior history of Domestic Violence[ ]  Prior Protective Order [ ]  Recent separations [ ]  Stalking behavior [ ]  Threats of homicide/suicide/ bodily harm [ ]  Violence against children,  vulnerable adults or animals 

27. Resource Guidelines: Improving Court Practice in Child Abuse & Neglect Cases • The publication by the National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), Resource Guidelines: Improving Court Practice in Child Abuse & Neglect Cases, is a highly-rated bench book on juvenile and family court procedures in child abuse and neglect cases. The manuscript is, “based upon the experiences of demonstration courts which already have been relatively successful in performing their new role (NCJFCJ 1995).” • http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles/resguid.pdf

28. Victims Act Model Courts ProjectNational Council Model Courts Review • The manuscript by NCJFCJ, Victims Act Model Courts Project National Council Model Courts Review, is a 10 year review of the participating Model Courts in the Model Courts Project which implement the practices and procedures in Resource Guidelines: Improving Court Practice in Child Abuse & Neglect Cases bench book. • http://www.ncjfcj.org/images/stories/pdf/mc%20review%20-%202008.pdf

29. Judicial Checklist • The American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence has provided Judges with a “Judicial Checklist” to aid in judicial intervention on domestic violence cases. • http://www.abanet.org/domviol/ publications/187815-ABA_Checklist-FINAL.pdf

30. AZ Supreme Court • The Committee on the Impact of Domestic Violence and the Courts (CIDVC) was formed to improve the administration of justice in issues of domestic violence. • The AZ Supreme Court’s benchbook on Rules of Protection Order Procedure can be downloaded directly from the website. • Order of Protection Virtual Court Tour is a guided tour of the order of protection process for victims of violence. • http://www.supreme.state.az.us/cidvc

32. GPS Pretrial Release • Philadelphia Pretrial Services Tests GPS Tracking for Higher Risk Defendants and Probationers (2005). Article published in the PR Newswire US by the PR Newswire Association LLC. • GPS: Your Supervising Officer is Watching (2007). Article published in the Newsletter of the Federal Courts by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts Office of Public Affairs. • Behavioral Interventions Incorporated (BI)

33. Philadelphia Pretrial Services Tests GPS Tracking for Higher Risk Defendants and Probationers (2005) • In an article published by PR Newswire Association (PR Newswire US) titled, Philadelphia Pretrial Services Tests GPS Tracking for Higher Risk Defendants and Probationers (2005), the Philadelphia Pretrial Service discusses one of the first 24-hour, year-round pretrial service programs. • http://www.bi.com/content.php?section=news&page=news&detail=07192005

34. GPS: Your Supervising Officer is Watching (2007) • A recent article published by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts Office of Public Affairs (Newsletter of the Federal Courts) titled, GPS: Your Supervising Officer is Watching (2007), discusses the increasingly nationwide popularity with GPS monitoring. • The article highlights probation and pretrial services, the differences between electronic monitoring & GPS with quotations from current agencies who utilize the technology. • http://www.uscourts.gov/ttb/2007-04/gps/index.html

35. Behavioral Interventions (BI) • BI Incorporated is one of several active and passive GPS monitoring providers. • They claim several major agency contracts nationwide. • Downloadable brochures are available at www.bi.com • How it Works? http://www.bi.com/gps/GPSworks. html

36. Tips For Enhancing Courtroom Security • Judges should: • carry cell-phones with pre-programmed emergency contacts; • have parking spaces which do not identify the name or title of the judge (instead, use the label “restricted/reserved” and number the space);

37. Courtroom precautions should include: • courtrooms locked when not in session; • the removal or securing of all “weapons of opportunity” such as: fire extinguishers, water glasses, scissors, heavy nameplates, spikes on flagpoles, and chairs can be cabled together if necessary. • placing weapons used as court exhibits under the guard of the bailiff when not in use by counsel;

38. the bailiff securing weapons with gun locks; • moving furniture into defensive positions (place the defendant away from the jury and courtroom staff but next to a security officer); • the placement of a plain-clothes police officer among the spectators during high- risk trials.

39. Tips cont. • Staff should be trained and rehearsed: • all aspects of a comprehensive security program; • security & safety plans; who checks for staff • emergency & crisis situations: • who has phone numbers • an emergency notification system.

40. “Buddy” court for emergencies • Prisoners: • Restrained whenever the jury is not present; • Separate circulation pattern from staff and public • Publicize contact number for victims to be escorted to and from court • Victim safety rooms • Special processes for protective orders

41. A single courthouse entrance • staffed security screened by walk-through metal detectors (all entrances should be screened). • X-ray screening of all items (including mail) brought into the courthouse. • Judge’s chambers secured from public access. • Panic buttons that signal an alarm system to activate – does not have to bring law enforcement.

42. Employees outfitted with picture ID badges. • Monitored closed circuit television cameras within and outside the courthouse. • Exits should be alarmed. • Develop a court security committee who regularly reviews the security program and improves on the issues.

43. Glendale City Court’sVirtual Tour of the Protective Order Process • This tour is made available on the City of Glendale’s website. • The tour: informs the public of the court’s safety precautions, promotes victim’s awareness of security features, and aids victims in the protective order process. • http://www.glendaleaz.com/court/ Tour. cfm

44. Click here for a list of things you should know about Protective Orders. Read the "Breaking the Cycle" brochure.For English, click here For Spanish, click here

45. Court Websites with Information in Multiple Languages http://www.glendaleaz.com/court

46. Victim’s Rights Education Project • The Victim’s Rights Education Project is sponsored by the National Victims Constitutional Amendment Network (NVCAN). • They have created a Victims’ Rights Education Toolkit which contains a wide range of current resources about victim’s rights. • http://www.nvcan.org/vrep/vrep.htm

47. The Tools include: • An Introduction and Overview • The Creating a Victims’ Rights Public Education Strategy Guidebook • A Crime Victims’ Rights Miranda Card • The Victims’ Rights Handbook • A Victims’ Rights Brochure Kit • A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Kit • A Talking Points Kit • Promising Practices in the Compliance and Enforcement of Victims’ Rights Kit

48. Battered Women’s Justice Project http://www.bwjp.org/menu.htm The Battered Women’s Justice Project (BWJP) is a collaboration of three nationally-recognized organizations: the Criminal Justice Office (coordinated by the Minnesota Program Development, Inc.), the Civil Justice Office (coordinated by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence), and the Defense Office (coordinated by the National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women).

49. Domestic Violence Institute Questionnaires • Lethality Scale • http://www.dviworld.org/lethality%20scale.html • Battered Women’s Survey • http://www.dviworld.org/battered%20women.html • Physical Abuse Checklist • http://www.dviworld.org/physical%20abuse.html • Physical Injury Checklist • http://www.dviworld.org/physical%20injury.html • Psychological Abuse • http://www.dviworld.org/psychological.html • Sexual Abuse • http://www.dviworld.org/sexual%20abuse.html • Stalking • http://www.dviworld.org/stalking.html

50. Links to Resource Materials on Violence American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence http://www.abanet.org/domviol/ Facts about the commission. Domestic violence resources & information about legal research, analysis, and teaching domestic violence law. ASISTA http://www.asistaonline.org/Judges.asp ASISTA provides technical assistance in battered immigrant cases. This is a direct link to the Judge’s page and the Immigration Bench Book for Juvenile and Family Court Judge, 2005.