THE SENATE                           S.C.R. NO.            6
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                    SENATE  CONCURRENT
                        RESOLUTION

  ENCOURAGING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COURT.



 1        WHEREAS, domestic violence continues to be the greatest
 2   threat to the safety and welfare of families in our community
 3   and is the leading cause of injury to women; and
 4   
 5        WHEREAS, it is estimated that every nine seconds, a woman
 6   is beaten by her husband or boyfriend, and one out of every
 7   three Americans has witnessed an incident of domestic violence;
 8   and
 9   
10        WHEREAS, the Hawaii Crime Brief, issued by the Attorney
11   General in April 1996, determined that nearly thirty per cent
12   of all homicides in Hawaii, from 1985-1994, were the result of
13   domestic violence, nearly twice the national average of fifteen
14   per cent for 1994; and
15   
16        WHEREAS, between 1989 and 1994, in Hawaii, nearly one
17   hundred women were killed, and most of the killers were
18   partners, boyfriends, husbands, or acquaintances; and
19   
20        WHEREAS, domestic violence has become a major issue in our
21   criminal justice system, and the sensitivity and potential
22   volatility of domestic violence requires a more focused
23   strategy on the part of the court system in the handling of
24   these cases; and
25   
26        WHEREAS, the Domestic Violence Working Group created by
27   House Concurrent Resolution No. 65, H.D. 1 (1999), recognizes
28   that a domestic violence court created to focus specifically on
29   domestic violence cases would provide improved, expeditious
30   judicial handling of these cases and a unified approach to all
31   stages of domestic violence; and
32   
33        WHEREAS, a domestic violence court would improve the
34   quality of life for victims, their children, and the community

 
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 1   by promoting victim safety and support and defendant
 2   accountability; now, therefore,
 3   
 4        BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twentieth Legislature
 5   of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2000, the House of
 6   Representatives concurring, that the Legislature recognizes
 7   that the Judiciary, and the Family Court in particular, has
 8   been very responsive to the problem of domestic violence,
 9   devoting resources and initiating procedures which have
10   resulted in improved court practices; the commitment of the
11   Judiciary in maintaining domestic violence as a priority has
12   been very valuable, and this Concurrent Resolution represents
13   an enhancement in the community's efforts to address domestic
14   violence; and  
15   
16        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of
17   the Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular
18   Session of 2000, that the Judiciary, in consultation with other
19   departments and agencies, as appropriate, is urged to establish
20   by internal administrative action a domestic violence court to
21   promote:
22   
23        (1)  Immediate and consistent response to domestic
24             violence crimes;
25   
26        (2)  Intensive monitoring of defendants' compliance with
27             court orders, so that violations result in a swift
28             response;
29   
30        (3)  Oversight of victim safety through victim advocacy;
31   
32        (4)  Continuous judicial supervision of cases and improved
33             use of technology in gathering information; and
34   
35        (5)  Sharing of resources for interagency collaboration;
36   
37   and
38   
39        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
40   Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chief Justice of
41   the Hawaii Supreme Court, the Attorney General, the Director of
42   Public Safety, the Prosecuting Attorney of each county, the
43   Chief of Police of each county, and the Executive Directors of

 
 
 
 
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 1   the Hawaii State Coalition Against Violence and the Hawaii
 2   State Commission on the Status of Women.
 3 
 4 
 5 
 6                         OFFERED BY:  ____________________________