Archive for News
Community tour for new judges?
Wouldn’t it be great if every new District and Circuit Court judge 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 available that judges can use to forge lasting solutions? Judges could…
See Bethesda Magazine piece on how Court Watch began
If you’re interested in reading about how Court Watch began, check out Steve Robert’s column in the March/April 2018 edition of Bethesda Magazine, On Her Watch. When Court Watch first monitored protective order cases in 2011, judges told only 30% of abusers who received final protective orders that they must…
Samantha Bee takes a hard look at domestic violence & guns – and uses Court Watch’s study to do it
Samantha Bee took a hard look last night at domestic violence and guns – and she used Court Watch’s “Abusers with Guns” study to highlight the critical role judges play. We’re about 3 min, 50 seconds in.
Safe Passage Center is fully open – and it looks great!
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. The Center is open: Tuesday 5:00pm – 8:00pm Wednesday 5:00pm – 8:00pm Friday …
Violence doesn’t stop judge from giving father “tie-breaking vote” about children
Recently we’ve been spending some time interviewing domestic violence survivors who want to talk about their experiences in court. Some came to court to obtain a protective order, others to give testimony in a criminal case. Some participated in a custody or divorce case. Their stories help us understand…
Posted under: Children in violent homes, Circuit Court, Divorce, Judges, News
Judge accuses credible domestic violence petitioner of lying
A District Court judge recently became irritated during a temporary protective order hearing and accused a traumatized petitioner of lying. In her petition, Bridget [name changed] told a credible and all-too-common story: “He was drunk and I had told him I didn’t want to be with him and he said…
Rate at which judges tell respondents to turn in guns varies widely
It’s the law. When a final protective order is issued in Maryland, all respondents must turn in any guns they possess to the Sheriff’s Office for the duration of the order. The rate at which District Court judges are telling respondents to turn in their guns, however, varies dramatically. One…
New domestic violence outreach effort in MoCo!
Court Watch recently contributed to the County’s campaign to place ads on MoCo County buses and in bus shelters reaching out to anyone suffering from domestic violence. The ads ask “Are you afraid of your partner?” Ads are in both English and Spanish and share emergency crisis phone numbers. County…
District Court judge fails to warn respondents to turn in firearms
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department has many important jobs. One of their most important tasks is making sure that respondents who possess a gun or multiple firearms turn them into the Sheriff’s Office for the length of their final protective order. Judges also have an important role to play…
Intimate 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…