NCJ Number
156616
Date Published
1990
Length
376 pages
Annotation
This manual was prepared to provide prosecutors in Iowa with a starting point from which to address many of the special issues associated with domestic abuse cases.
Abstract
A county attorney may use these materials to develop an office policy for use by all staff who prosecute domestic abuse assaults, to orient staff who are new to the prosecution of domestic abuse, and to serve as a reference in specific cases. The first chapter presents background information on the nature and dynamics of domestic violence and the police response to it, with attention to Iowa's mandatory arrest policy. The prosecutor's role and the role of the victim advocate are discussed. The second chapter reviews Iowa law that is pertinent to domestic abuse and assault. Guidelines for prosecutors in the areas of approach and policy are presented in the third chapter. Each stage in the domestic abuse prosecution process is discussed, from charging to disposition. Other chapters focus on the police investigation, victim issues, character and conduct evidence, other evidentiary matters, the use of expert testimony, and the trial of the domestic abuse assault case. Extensive appended supplementary materials and a 74-item annotated bibliography