New Court Watch report looks at emergency financial aid for DV survivors

emergency financial aid for domestic violence victims

Court Watch Montgomery has a new report out – and the news isn’t good for domestic violence survivors and their children in Maryland.  The new report, “Critical scaffolding: strengthening Maryland’s transitional financial support for domestic violence survivors and their children,” identifies numerous barriers to survivors getting the emergency financial aid that they need temporarily to […]

Judge denies order to victim with photograph of bruise

needed protection

A female victim recently showed a District Court judge a picture of a bruise on her arm as part of her evidence that she needed protection of the court. The victim had previously had a final protective order against the same respondent. The judge denied the order, as well as a cross-filed petition by the respondent. Court […]

Extremely dangerous precedent in TX protective order court

The Washington Post reports that last week (Feb. 2017) half a dozen Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents showed up in a Texas courtroom where an undocumented woman was seeking a protective order against her boyfriend for punching, kicking, choking and attempting to stab her. The agents arrested her. Both the El Paso County Attorney and […]

Court volunteers discuss domestic violence with judges

This week 18 court volunteers spent over an hour discussing the protective order and domestic violence criminal dockets with District Court Administrative Judge Eugene Wolfe, and Judges Mitchell, Moffett, Williams and Sabett. It was a valuable opportunity to more fully understand the court’s approach to domestic violence cases and to share Court Watch’s concerns about […]

Judge goes the extra mile with victims dropping cases

When a victim files a petition many abusers feel they are losing control. The potential for danger rises dramatically. Some domestic violence victims who drop their protective order cases are doing so in reaction to extreme anger or threats by their abuser. Judge Zuberi Williams went out of his way today to increase the chances that petitioners […]

District Court judges and bailiffs provide safe exits only 56% of the time

Staggering exits at the end of every domestic violence court hearing is a simple procedure. Bailiffs can keep victims safe by holding respondents for at least 10 minutes after the petitioner leaves the courtroom. When bailiffs don’t stagger exits, many survivors are harassed or assaulted by angry abusers on the way to their cars or buses. Staggering […]

Questionable denials of temporary protective orders

temporary protective orders

It is critical that deserving victims of domestic violence get 7 day temporary orders when they need them – but that isn’t always happening in Montgomery County District Courts. A judge in Maryland need only find “reasonable cause” to believe there is bodily harm, stalking or a serious threat to issue a 7 day order. The Maryland legislature […]

See WTOP story on new Court Watch study

protective order extensions

WTOP did a great story this morning on our new report, “Small actions, big impacts“. In it, we take a careful look at steps District Court judges, bailiffs, interpreters and clerks take that help victims and their children stay safe. “One judge doesn’t get to hear what the other judges are doing, so this is a great way […]

Continuing ed needed for domestic violence judges

When District Court judges are unavailable to hear domestic violence protective order cases, retired judges pitch in. Recently two different visiting domestic violence judges didn’t know about a major change in domestic violence law that took effect Oct. 1, 2015.  The new law is important – it allows dating violence victims to file for full year protective orders instead of […]

Why Are Protective Orders Granted At Different Rates Across Maryland?

Where you live can define many things about you. Can it also determine if you are granted a protective order? Court Watch Montgomery ha​s​ organized data showing significant variation across Maryland in the rates at which protective orders are granted, denied, or dismissed. To unpack this, in studio with Maryland Morning host Sheilah Kast is […]