RES 360 Draft 01 2008-2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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A. THE PROBLEM PART II. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT The Hawaii County Prosecutor's Office has identified physical violence against adult women as a serious and increasing problem in Hawaii County. In East Hawaii, the extent of this problem is reflected in the surge of restraining orders that are filed with the Family Court. In the first quarter of 2009 -10, there were 219 restraining orders filed as compared to 187 that were filed in the first quarter of 2008 -09. In the second quarter of 2009 -10, the number of restraining orders jumped to 260 as compared to 173 that were filed in the second quarter of 2008 -09. The most tragic example of the domestic violence problem affecting this community is the recent murder of a young mother of two children. In January 2010, just nine days after obtaining a restraining order this young woman was shot to death by her estranged boyfriend. This recent murder highlights the ultimate consequence that acts of domestic violence have upon women in this community. The problem of domestic violence within Hawaii County needs to be addressed to avoid further loss of life and tragic outcomes for those left behind. Currently, a specialized unit within the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney is responsible for the prosecution of all misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence. The domestic violence unit is comprised of a single deputy prosecuting attorney, a victim assistance counselor, and two secretaries. Every misdemeanor crime of domestic violence is reviewed by the attorney and handled all the way to the disposition of the case. During 2009, the attorney in the specialized East Hawai`i unit was assigned 581 domestic violence related cases. This specialized unit has demonstrated that this model of vertical prosecution can produce a successful outcome. The domestic violence unit has also demonstrated that the expeditious prosecution can secure a conviction in the case. During 2009, the average length of time to prosecute a case was 104 days. The expeditious prosecution of these cases resulted in a conviction rate of 76 %. Previous STOP VAWA funds for a deputy handling DV cases in Circuit Court will end on March 31, 2010. County funding will be directed to sustain that Circuit Court deputy in order to handle DV committals as well as other violent crime felony cases of which we have seen an increase. Unfortunately, in the current economic climate, the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney will not be able to also fund the specialized unit deputy. The loss of the attorney position will create a void in the prosecution of domestic violence cases in East Hawaii. Assigning these cases to multiple attorneys will "dilute" the effective and expeditious prosecution of crimes of domestic violence. Instead of being a primary focus, crimes of domestic violence committed against 1