COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Columbus officials are exploring ideas to make the court process easier for victims of domestic violence by creating a domestic violence-only court.
Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein said this is still in the very early phases, but it is gaining interest.
“That is a win for public safety in our community that not only helps victims turn their lives around and be protected and be the moms and dads they want to be, but it also promotes accountability for the abusers, getting them off the street, making sure they’re away from their families so they don’t victimize again,” Klein said.
He has seen firsthand the obstacles domestic violence victims face during the court process.
“Perhaps you want a criminal protection order with that case?” Klein said. “Well, it depends on which court you’re charging, and perhaps you want a civil protection order. You have to go to a completely different court.”
Klein said the domestic violence-only court would be victim-focused and it would be a one-stop shop.
“The idea is how do we create a one-stop shop that is victim-focused and helps victims and their families from start to finish in this traumatic, awful process get the help they need as they navigate a very complex system, and what better way to do that and to have one single court with one single judge and have victim advocates and prosecutors that focus solely on domestic violence,” Klein said.
Dr. Maria Houston-Beck is the executive director of Lutheran Social Services CHOICES, which operates the only domestic violence shelter in Franklin County. She said the court process can be tough for anyone, let alone someone with the experiences these victims have.
“The fear that they have experienced and maybe even possibly being retraumatized because they have to now tell their story to people within the court, and so just navigating and understanding who you can trust is really hard,” Houston-Beck said.
She said the idea of a domestic violence-only court is something CHOICES has been pushing for.
“We’re just excited just for the possibility and kind of putting survivors, you know, first,” Houston-Beck said.
She said she has been impressed to see the work the city is doing to help slow domestic violence, saying it is the most collaboration she has seen in a long time.
Klein said before this idea could come to fruition, the city would have to get every level of government on board all the way up to the Supreme Court.
“This is very early in the journey,” he said. “We can have a lot of road bumps along the way, but I think we’re off to a good start.”
Klein said conversations with stakeholders have started to get the ball rolling.