After years of abuse, many domestic violence victims take a brave step: they come to local courts to seek legal protection. Too often, however, they experience inadequate safety measures, inappropriate demeanor by court staff, and insufficiently trained judges — and these impede their efforts to stop the violence. Court Watch is determined to change that. Its cadre of volunteers collects data about what is actually happening in civil domestic violence courtrooms in Montgomery County, uses the data to advocate for systemic change in local courts, and shares promising new court practices. And it works. Today, because of CW’s efforts, more survivors are protected from contact with their abusers in court; more children have safe, court-supervised visits with their non-custodial parent; and fewer abusers have access to guns. An investment here means justice — and safety — for thousands.
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