$300K Should Help Smooth Domestic Violence Court Process
A special domestic violence court looks to follow up on violators and streamline the handling of these types of cases.
More than 3,500 people go into Pinellas courtrooms to allege abuse by a spouse, domestic partner or date every year. Sometimes in these cases accused abusers might have to complete mental health or substance abuse evaluations or surrender firearms. To ensure these court orders are met, a Civil Domestic Violence Court starts next month with the help of a nearly $300,000 grant. The special court comes after a year of planning and preparation that started shortly after the Office on Violence Against Women approved the $299,310 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice Court Training and Improvement Fund. The grant helps put some resources in place in a consistent and effective way that have been missing, said Michelle Ardabily, chief deputy …
