| BRONX, NY - The Bronx Integrated Domestic Violence Court
held its opening ceremony today, making a reality the "One Family/One Judge"
concept advocated by Chief Judge Judith Kaye in the court system's handling
of domestic violence cases. The new court, the first of its kind to open
in the City of New York, will have one judge address the multiple legal
issues - criminal, family and matrimonial - that can arise when domestic violence
occurs, helping to ensure victim safety, continuity and effective case
resolution.
Chief Judge Kaye said, "The recidivism rate for crimes between intimates
is two and a half times that of crimes between strangers - a disturbing statistic
that has demanded innovation in the handling of these cases on the part
of those within the justice system. We took the first step several years
ago by establishing specialized domestic violence courts throughout the
state and from this experience learned that victims of domestic violence
often had other court cases pending involving related issues such as child
custody, support or divorce. To resolve all of these matters, petitions
had to be filed in multiple courts, with a family being required to appear
in as many as three courts - Family, Criminal and Supreme - which needlessly
further burdened these already overstressed families. The Integrated Domestic
Violence Court will end this senseless overlap by dedicating one judge
to resolve all court matters involving domestic violence victims and their
families. It is the next step in the court system's efforts to help these
individuals reclaim a life of normalcy for themselves and their children."
The Integrated Domestic Violence Court will feature a Resource Coordinator
and a Children's Coordinator, who are responsible for service referrals,
court monitoring and obtaining comprehensive information for the judge.
The centralized operations of the new court will serve to:
* simplify the system for litigants
* increase victim safety
* eliminate multiple court appearances
* reduce unnecessary adjournments and case disposition time
* coordinate all information on compliance, social services and resources
* coordinate all agencies involved in the matters
Chief Administrative Judge Jonathan Lippman said, "The many problems
that bring a family to court, such as domestic violence, child custody,
divorce and support, are invariably interrelated, yet in New York one family
could be required to appear in up to three different court venues to resolve
all these matters: Criminal Court or Family Court for domestic violence
charges, Supreme Court for divorce, and Family Court or Supreme Court for
custody and support. This is not only confusing for the litigants, but
it is also inefficient for the courts. The Bronx Integrated Domestic Violence
Court will feature one judge to handle all aspects of a domestic violence
case, including related issues that previously would have had to have been
heard in other court venues. This will result in increased accountability
and consistency, as well as better coordination and information sharing
between the various agencies and the Court. I would like to thank Bronx
District Attorney Robert Johnson, the local bar community and the many
non-profit agencies such as Safe Horizon that have provided invaluable
assistance in the establishment of this new court."
Acting Supreme Court Justice Ruth Levine Sussman will preside over the
Integrated Domestic Violence Court in the Bronx. This initiative also is
being implemented in locations in each of the four judicial departments
of the state, including Rensselaer, Westchester, Monroe, Suffolk and Onondaga
Counties.
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