New “red flag” law is already working
Maryland’s new “red flag” law allows police, victims and health professionals to petition Maryland courts when an individual, family member or client has a gun and is an imminent threat to themselves or the community. The law, which went into effect in October 2018, is already saving lives across the state. Under the law, guns […]
High Point model is reducing abuser recidivism
The High Point model approach for working with domestic violence offenders and victims has significantly reduced offender recidivism. What’s their secret? Could it work in Maryland? At least one Maryland county is using portions of the model to reduce domestic violence assaults. Tired of high recidivism rates and worrying that anything they did “might make […]
Two inmates charged with murdering pregnant partners commit suicide
Two inmates accused of murdering their pregnant partner have committed suicide in Montgomery County jails in the last three months.T The two inmates were housed at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility in Clarksburg. Both men initially blamed the deaths on intruders. Thierry Kinshala Nkusu hung himself on July 4, 2018, approximately two days after being […]
Police department releases domestic violence crime data
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 report soon on more complete statistics, and compare them to similar data we obtained from the police department in 2014. […]
Partner gun assault highlights key policy problems
A Queen Anne’s County man was arrested this week on charges of attempted murder following an alleged physical assault that included threats to kill the survivor with a shotgun. The woman’s partner fired at or near her, but she was not hit by the shot. The victim suffered repeated physical assault for almost two hours […]
“Write a different ending” portraits used in Annapolis hearing
It was nice to run into Delegate Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Howard) in Annapolis this week. She thanked me profusely for the 6 portraits of domestic violence homicide victims that we had sent her. Each defendant was disqualified from possessing a gun in Maryland, but had one. Del. Atterbeary held up the portraits during a Judiciary Committee hearing […]
Making a difference, focusing on work to be done
Court Watch cheered the announcement that the Human Rights Campaign will use its incredible advocacy skills to help push for tighter controls on guns. Court Watch is also focused on gun violence as part of our mission, and was proud to be cited in Tuesday’s Washington Post for our report that inspired gun legislation in […]
Domestic violence and mass shootings are linked
Domestic violence and mass shootings are far more closely linked than you might at first think. The Washington Post reports that before committing the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, the Orlando shooter was an abusive husband who beat his wife repeatedly while they were married. The May 6 gun murder of two people (injuring […]
Court Watch analyzes 60 Montgomery County domestic violence deaths, 15 of them children, 2000-2015
Court Watch Montgomery analyzed news reports for information on domestic violence deaths in Montgomery County MD from 2000-2015. We found 60 victims of domestic violence. Of the 60 killed 15 were children. Two were bystanders (one was trying to save his sister). Another 11 residents (all men) died during domestic violence incidents, when they killed themselves (10) or […]
Judges fail to discuss gun restrictions with convicted abusers
Court Watch’s new study shows judges told only 1 out of 126 convicted abusers they were banned from possessing or purchasing guns. When a domestic violence abuser has access to a gun the chances of a victim being killed rise 500%. Judges need to be actively applying Maryland law by informing relevant convicted offenders verbally and in […]