Washington Courts: Judicial News Report Detail

HEADS UP: Judges, Community Leaders To Preview Domestic Violence Video

Washington Supreme Court Justice Richard P. Guy will join local judges and other community officials tomorrow (Thursday, Oct. 23) at a premier screening of a new, locally produced video designed to help victims of domestic violence.

Contracted by the city of Olympia through a partnership of community organizations, "About Domestic Violence," will be shown tomorrow at 11 a.m., in the Lacey studios of Department of Information Services' Washington Interactive Technologies (WIT). WIT is located near the Fred Meyer shopping center at 710 Sleater Kinney Rd., S.E., Suite Q.

The partnership created the WIT-produced video to show DV victims how to deal with legal and other problems they may face. It describes the dynamics of domestic violence, gives an explanation of the legal process victims must go through to get redress, and lists treatment resources available to them in the Olympia area.

Guy chairs the state high court's Gender and Justice Commission, a sponsor of several DV-related studies and events. One of those efforts, development of a special DV-related case for use by students in this year's state high school mock trial competition, was sponsored by the Commission. The case was written by Thurston County deputy prosecutor Jon Tunheim. Led by Chief Justice Barbara Durham, court-sponsored DV "summits" have been held at state and local levels over the past two years to increase knowledge and efficiency in the handling of domestic violence cases.

The 14-minute video was funded by a federal STOP grant (Services Training Officers, Prosecutors). It will be available for viewing at local courts and domestic violence shelters throughout Thurston County.

CONTACTS: J. Reiko Callner (360) 402-0810, or Krristine Marree, DIS Communications Office, (360) 902-3553.