Domestic Violence Court: Evaluation Report for the San Diego County Domestic Violence Courts

• NCJ Number: 187846
• Author(s): Wayne L. Peterson; Stephen Thunberg
• Date Published: September 2000
• Length: 55 pages
• Grant Number(s): SJI-98-N-271
• Sponsoring Agency: State Justice Institute
• Corporate Author: San Diego Superior Court
• Sale Source: State Justice Institute; San Diego Superior Court
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This is an overview and assessment of the Domestic Violence Courts in San Diego County, CA.

Abstract

In September 1997 a Domestic Violence (DV) court was implemented in San Diego County; by December 1998 there were four DV courts. This report describes the courts and attempts to assess their impact on efficiency and their role in increasing compliance with domestic violence recovery programs (DVRPs), reducing failures to appear, increasing defendants' accountability, and, most significant, reducing recidivism. One of the key methods for increasing accountability was to switch from a master calendar to a direct calendar so the same judge would see a defendant throughout a case and would develop expertise in domestic violence. The report claims that recidivism is most likely to occur just after conviction and gradually tapers off, possibly as a result of the education and new skills learned in DVRP coupled with the increased attention by the court. The report suggests that is the time when victim advocates may be most needed. It also suggests the possibility of some degree of counseling while the defendant is in custody, in order to expedite a change in behavior. Tables, figures