Domestic Violence Unit

Since February of 1995 when the District Attorney's Office received an OCJP grant to start a domestic violence vertical prosecution unit in the South County, the program has been expanded to North County. The concept and goals remain the same. The unit is a vertical prosecution program whose purpose is to enhance prosecution of spousal and domestic violence cases and minimize the emotional trauma to victims during the legal proceedings. The vertical handling ensures continuity as the case progresses through the system. The unit's staff is trained on the dynamics of domestic violence and function as a team as they follow each case from the filing review stage through its completion.

Domestic Violence is a crime. It is a crime against society; not a private matter. This philosophy is reflected in all aspects of the Unit's operations and decisions. The Unit's workloads have been heavy. In the last three years, South County referrals have exceeded 425 annually; North County nearly 650. About three-quarters of the cases referred are actually filed. Most result in dispositions with probationary terms, including anger management courses, but a noticeable trend has been the increasing number of felony convictions and even a few state prison commitments.

The Domestic Violence Unit is a multidisciplinary team of attorneys, advocates, investigators and support staff who prosecute only domestic violence cases. Domestic violence crimes are unique. The defendant and victim know each other and often have children together. Victims are often reluctant to follow through because of fear, both physical and economic, a misplaced sense of loyalty to the perpetrator, guilt, concern for the children or other reasons. The abuse unless broken becomes cyclic.

For these reasons, the Domestic Violence Unit is comprised, not only of prosecutors, but also advocates and support staff. They provide assistance to victims by giving them information about counseling, medical treatment and court assistance. The advocate is someone who keeps them informed of the court proceedings, results and other pertinent information. They assist the victim through the court process, accompany them to court, refer them to needed community resources and assist them in getting reimbursement for their injuries or counseling for the victim and their children.

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The Domestic Violence Unit also handles stalking cases. These are very difficult cases because victims often believe that reporting a stalker will lead to him/her increasing their harassment. We walk victims through the process, support them and hold stalkers accountable for their illegal conduct.

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