Prosecuting Cases of Elder Abuse - Panel Discussion at the 2010 NIJ Conference

• NCJ Number: 234757
• Author(s): Andy Mao; Shelly Jackson; Lori Stiegel; Page Ulrey
• Date Published: June 2010
• Length: 14 pages
• Agencies: NIJ
• Publication Type: Technical Assistance; Presentation (Multimedia); Instructional Material (Programmed); Conference Material

Annotation

This audio and its transcript cover three presentations from a panel on the prosecution of elder abuse cases, which was part of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) 2010 Conference.

Abstract

Shelly Jackson - an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia - focuses on a NIJ-funded study of the factors in a prosecutor's decision about whether to prosecute an elder abuse case. Results are reported from interviews with a convenience sample of prosecutors in Virginia, California, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. The Interview questions focused on various factors that could determine whether or not a prosecutor would decide to prosecute a case of elder abuse brought to him/her by law enforcement or adult protective services agencies. Lori Stiegel - the senior attorney of the American Bar Association's Commission on Law and Aging - focuses on some innovative court models that have been tailored to process elder abuse cases. She reports on a project that assessed five court-focused elder abuse initiatives. One is a court in essential aspects, and the other four are closely connected to or involved with courts. Four of the projects improved access to justice for elder abuse victims, who received emotional support, assistance in getting to court, guidance while in court, and referrals to other services as needed. Page Ulrey - a senior prosecuting attorney with the King County Prosecutor's Office in Seattle, WA - discusses her work as chair of the county's Elder Abuse Council and as the elder abuse prosecutor in the Economic Crime Unit. She notes that in most prosecutors' offices, there are no prosecutors specialized in the prosecution of elder abuse cases.