Gender and Justice Commission
March 13, 2009
Washington State Gender and Justice Commission
Friday, March 13, 2009
Meeting Minutes
Members present: Justice Barbara Madsen, Ms. Jeri Costa, Judge Sara Derr, Judge Joan Dubuque Ms. Grace Huang, Judge Cynthia Jordan, Professor Natasha Martin, Judge Craig Matheson, Ms. Leslie Owen, Ms. Yvonne Pettus, Judge James Riehl, Mr. Bernie Ryan, Judge Chris Wickham, and Ms. Myra Downing, Commission Coordinator
Members absent: Ms. Barbara Carr, Judge Vicki Churchill, Ms. Lisa Hayes, Mr. Mike Killian, and Judge John Schultheis
Guests: Chief Justice Gerry Alexander, Ms. Lynne Alfasso, Dr. Tom George, Mr. Jake Fawcett, Mr. Jeff Hall, and Judge David Larson
COMMISSION BUSINESS
January 9, 2009, meeting minutes were approved.
Gender and Justice Commission Budget Report
Expenditures fall within the range budgeted for the year.
2006, 2007, and 2008 STOP Grant Reports
- The 2006 STOP grant concludes March 31, 2009. Any remaining funds in that contract were used to send judicial officers to training.
- The 2007 STOP grants were extended to March 31, 2010.
- The 2008 STOP grant recipients were announced. The decisions were made by the Gender and Justice Grant Review Committee.
- Funding was allocated to King County Courts to complete the Children’s Protection Services and law enforcement responses to confidential domestic violence housing programs guideline document; conduct training on use of the document; and complete revisions to the domestic violence and child maltreatment coordinated response guidelines.
- Money was allocated for statewide planning associated with developing materials for judicial officers to use when they address intimate partner sexual violence.
- Money was allocated for planning to develop protocol and procedures for the surrendering and relinquishing of firearms by offenders convicted of domestic violence crimes.
- Money was set aside for Lakewood Municipal Court to assist in the purchase of an X-ray machine for court security.
Two programs were not selected for funding primarily because they did not fit within the funding criteria. Benton/Franklin Superior Courts had requested funds to establish a guardian monitoring program but did not make the connection to the target areas for this grant. Clark County District Court requested funds for training offenders and probation officers. STOP grant funds cannot be used for offender services. The material provided describing the training for probation officers did not seem complete and was very expensive.
PRESENTATIONS
Judge David Larson
Judge Larson reported on the program that he and his fellow judge created as a result of his attendance at the Domestic Violence Training Program funded by the Gender and Justice Commission.
He and his colleague, Judge Michael Morgan, convened a meeting of all the agencies and departments that work with the courts addressing domestic violence cases in Federal Way. Judge Larson pointed out that the impetus of this work was the Domestic Violence Training he attended in the fall 2008. The course encourages judicial officers to be leaders in developing a coordinated community response to addressing domestic violence.
Mr. Jake Fawcett – Fatality Review Project
Mr. Fawcett reviewed the findings from the latest Fatality Review Report. Some of the findings he covered were:
- A total of 635 people died in domestic violence-related fatalities between January 1997, and June 30, 2008.
- Ninety percent (90%) of homicide victims were killed by a domestic violence abuser.
He also covered some of the recommendations of the Fatality Review team:
- All courts issuing civil Protection Orders should have domestic violence advocates available on site to meet with victims when they first petition for an order.
- The agencies and organizations working on these issues should collaborate as much as possible.
PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS STATUS REPORTS
Annual Report
The Annual Report will be written to tell a story. The plan will be ready in April 2009 for publication.
Committee Updates
Each of the committees has had their first conference call. The Gender Equality Committee will work with the Initiative for Diversity Governing Council on their efforts. The Incarcerated Girls and Women Committee met prior to the Commission meeting. The Immigration Committee will build off of the work of Dr. John Martin. The DV Committee will be meeting directly following the Commission meeting. The Commission considered and continued their desire to have the four subcommittees.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM REPORTS
District and Municipal Court Judges’ Association (DMCJA)
Conference Proposal
Ms. Myra Downing reported that she has been working with some of the commissioners and members of the District and Municipal Court Judges’ Association Education Committee in developing the Domestic Violence session for the spring conference.
It was decided that Dr. Anne Ganley, noted expert on batterer’s intervention programs would be one of the speakers. She would be joined by Mr. Roy Carson, the person at the Department of Social and Health Services who oversees the certification programs. Judge Jasprica would be the judicial representative.
Each person would do a short lecture allowing time for the introduction of scenarios addressing some of the sentencing challenges for judges.
Dissolution Task Force Report Training Update
Ms. Downing reported that the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges were selected to develop the domestic violence curriculum. A team will be brought together that is representative of the groups that will be served by the curriculum to identify the key components and content for each area. The specific areas are: the first point of contact staff, court staff, parent evaluators, and Guardian ad Litems (new and experienced). The group will meet in April 2009. This project must be completed by June 2009.
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS
Ms. Downing reported that research and other materials will be provided at each meeting on topics of interest for the Commission.
Meeting was adjourned at 1:40 p.m. |
