Melissa Hinton

CJUS 2050
4.2 Applied Exercise

1. Common practices
a. Assign a judge and staff to hearing domestic violence cases
i. Increases defendant accountability
ii. Keeps from mixing types of cases (alleviates mixed docketing)
iii. One-family-one-judge concept
1. Single judge may handle criminal, family court, divorce court
for the same defendant
b. Provide early access to advocacy for victims
i. Ex: National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
c. Coordinating with community partners who provide services for victims of
domestic abuse
i. United Way
ii. Salvation Army
iii. Battered womens homes
d. Consolidating related cases
2. I do believe these types of courts are more efficient mainly because the judge is
allowed to integrate the same defendant cases. If a man/woman is trying for sole
custody of a child where there has been a history of domestic violence, the judge will
already have prior knowledge and make a better ruling based on what hes ruled in
his other cases. I believe it provides a successful intervention for domestic violence
victims.