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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY TO RESPOND TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Judge Leonard EdwardsTEMPE, ARIZONA

SEPTEMBER 10, 2011

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

Judge Leonard Edwards (ret.) Judge-in-Residence Center for Families, Children & the Courts California Administrative Office of the

Courts 455 Golden Gate Avenue, 6th floor San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 865-8820 Leonard.edwards@jud.ca.gov

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

Some biographical information.

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

Your materials.

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

Introduce yourself to someone at your table whom you do not know well.

Tell him/her what you do and what interests you about reducing violence in your community.

In the alternative – go around your table so each person talks to everyone else answering the same questions.

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

VISION – FOR EACH TABLE

What goals you are thinking about for your community?

Each table come up with 3 goals.

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

What strengths does your community have now that you might build upon?

How are you going to go about identifying additional strengths in your community?

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

IMPLEMENTATION:

WHAT WILL BE YOUR FIRST STEPS TOWARDS YOUR GOALS?

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

WHAT KEY PERSONS DO YOU NEED TO HAVE AT THE TABLE IN ORDER TO REACH YOUR GOALS?

WHAT KEY ORGANIZATIONS DO YOU NEED TO HAVE AT THE TABLE TO REACH YOUR GOALS?

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

You may want to create an on-going commission/task force/council or other group that is dedicated to ending domestic violence in your community.This group would meet regularly over a long period of time (indefinitely?)

What possibilities have you thought of?

How will you help to create this?

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

Will you work under an official organization?

The Courts? The County Government? A Stand-Alone Organization?

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

How will you engage these people/organizations?

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

AS A JUDGE CAN YOU TAKE A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THE FORMATION OF YOUR ORGANIZATION?

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

How will you react to the “I am too busy” response?

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

How might efforts in other counties help you accomplish your goals?

What about a regional or statewide conference?

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

How might judges and court administrators make changes in court structure and practice that would further the goals you have established?

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

What ethical issues do judges encounter when taking a leadership role?

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

What interest would law enforcement have in your local domestic violence project?’

What goals might you suggest to them?

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

What interest would health care providers have in your project?

What goals might be suggested to their representatives?

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

What interest would social workers have in your project?

What goals might you suggest to social work leaders?

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

What interest might probation officers have in your project?

What goals might be suggested to probation leaders?

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

What interest would the district attorney (prosecutor) have in your project?

What goals might be suggested to the district attorney?

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

What interest might the criminal defense bar have in your project?

What goals might you suggest to their representatives?

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

What interest might corporate and business leaders have in your project?

What goals might you suggest to their representatives?

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

POSSIBLE PROJECTS

I. Improving practice in dependency court.

II. Providing advocates in every court where d.v. cases occur.

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

III. Developing special procedures for cases involving immigrants.

IV. Avoiding conflicting court orders.

V. Creating effective classes for domestic violence offenders.

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

VI. Creating support groups for victims of domestic violence.

VII. Developing therapy resources for children who have been exposed to domestic violence.

VIII. Creating a Death Review Committee.

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

IX. Developing special interventions for women who perpetrate violence.

X. Develop procedures for dealing with stalking.

XI. Provide training in the dynamics of domestic violence for all professionals in your community.

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ORGANIZING YOUR COMMUNITY

XII. Open a docket in juvenile court for juvenile’s who are violent to their partners.

XIII. Identify and increase the numbers of beds in the community where victims of violence can live safely with their children.

XIV. Increasing the number of beds for victims of domestic violence and their children.

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CONCLUSION

FIRST STEPS:

WHAT WILL THEY BE?

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CONCLUSION

WHO WILL OVERSEE THE PROCESS?

WHAT WILL YOU DO WHEN THAT PERSON MOVES ON/RETIRES/MOVES AWAY?

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CONCLUSION

CONSIDER A RETREAT – ½ DAY MINIMUM

POSSIBLE GOALS AT THE RETREAT:Create a Mission StatementWrite down your ValuesIdentify Your Goals

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CONCLUSION

Set up committees that will do the work on specific topics.

POSSIBLE COMMITTEES: 1. Court Systems 2. Police-Victim 3. Health Care Providers 4. Corporate/Business 5. Children’s Issues 6. Immigrant Issues

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CONCLUSION

7. Executive Committee 8. Greenbook Committee 9. Death Review 10. Batterer Accountability 11. Community Education

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CONCLUSION

Call on outsiders for technical assistance.

You have the best here at ASU, but there are others around the country who will help.

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CONCLUSION

Judge Leonard Edwards (ret.) Judge-in-Residence Center for Families, Children & the Courts California Administrative Office of the

Courts 455 Golden Gate Avenue, 6th floor San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 865-8820 Leonard.edwards@jud.ca.gov