Mission and Goals

Based on the one family - one judge concept, the State's IDV Courts exist to handle related cases pertaining to a single family where the underlying issue is domestic violence. The IDV Courts seek to promote justice and protect the rights of all litigants while providing a comprehensive approach to case resolution, increasing offender accountability, promoting victim safety, integrating the delivery of social services, and eliminating inconsistent and conflicting judicial orders.

Goals

• Informed judicial decision-making based on comprehensive and current information on multiple matters involving the family;
  
  
• Consistent handling of multiple matters relating to the same family by a single presiding judge;
  
  
• Efficient use of court resources, with reduced numbers of trips to court and speedier dispositions;
  
  
• Linkage to social services and other resources to address comprehensively the needs of family members;
  
  
• Promotion of victim safety through elimination of conflicting orders and decisions;
  
  
• Increased confidence in the court system by reducing inefficiency for litigants and by eliminating conflicting orders;
  
  
• Coordinated community response and collaboration among criminal justice and child welfare agencies and community-based groups offering social services and assistance to domestic violence victims and their children.