Circuit Court Judge Joan Ryon recently delivered a shocking decision in a Montgomery County custody case that appears to ignore credible evidence of physical and sexual child abuse and domestic violence. This case is receiving
Are domestic violence victims in Maryland able to get protective order extensions when they can show a court that they have "good cause?" Under Maryland law, if a petitioner has "good cause" for their request
The Montgomery County Police Department has released initial domestic violence crime data for the first four months of 2018. Court Watch has requested data on all 911 domestic violence calls for 2017 and hopes to
It's not easy to make the transition from domestic violence victim to survivor. A disappearing final protective order doesn't help. In fact, it can be incredibly dangerous. After a final protective order has been granted
Where domestic violence victims in Maryland file for protective orders greatly affects their access to full justice. We have work to do! County and state policymakers have appropriately put substantial thought and funds into court-based
Are judges using basic, fundamental practices in domestic violence courtrooms? Simple practices that improve case outcomes for victims? Only 53% of the time, finds our new study. Many simple, no-cost practices, that are very important
Who is filing protective orders in Montgomery County Maryland? How many residents actually get lasting protection? Court Watch's new report, "A closer look at protective orders in Montgomery County," shows that only about 37% of
Wouldn't it be great if new judges in Montgomery County took a tour of our county to better understand the scope of local social problems that will spill into their courtrooms and the services
Court Watch Montgomery's Executive Director and Co-Founder is featured in a Bethesda Magazine column this month. If you're interested in reading about how Court Watch began, check out Steve Robert's column in the March/April
The Safe Passage Center is now open for both monitored child exchanges and supervised visits for families experiencing domestic violence. The Center can reduce stress for the entire family by providing a healing environment.