The Development of a Specialized Domestic Violence Court in Vancouver, Washington Utilizing Innovative Judicial Paradigms

Source: (2000) University of Missouri at Kansas City Law Review. 69:139.

Clark County is a moderate-sized urban-rural area in southwestern Washington state. As the population grew rapidly in the latter 1900s, the rate of domestic violence cases also grew. Whereas previously the criminal justice system tended to ignore the problem of domestic violence, Clark County, in response to heightened attention to the problem due to the feminist movement and resultant legislative changes in the state, eventually began to deal with domestic violence through increasing arrests and stronger sanctions against perpetrators. Yet, according to the authors of this paper, this approach did not reduce the incidence of domestic violence or its destructive impact. Hence, they argue for a qualitative change in the nature of the judicial response to domestic violence. They discuss specialized court responses to domestic violence characterized by focus on the victim, therapeutic jurisprudence, preventive law, and restorative justice.