Washington Courts: Press Release Detail

Commission releases bench guide for adjudicating domestic violence cases

The Washington Supreme Court Gender and Justice Commission has released an extensively updated Domestic Violence Manual for use by Washington judicial officers presiding over domestic violence cases.

More than two dozen state and tribal court judicial officers, attorneys, professors of law, experts, and student researchers contributed to the update, which was funded through a federal grant program. The last edition of the bench guide was in 2006.

The 2015 Domestic Violence Manual (with some 2016 additions) provides updated information on laws, policies, procedures, and social science research involving pre-trial issues, civil and criminal cases, evidentiary issues, protection orders, parenting plans, child abuse and neglect, tribal courts, DV assessments, mandated treatment and more.

A bench guide is a reference for judicial officers and court officials that compiles information on law changes, court rules, court processes and other information on legal and non-legal considerations in specific types of cases. In addition to serving as a bench guide, the Domestic Violence Manual will also serve as an education textbook for judicial officers new to domestic violence cases.

“Domestic violence is an issue that impacts legal matters before all levels of court and in all jurisdictions, and affects our families and communities in many ways. Interacting with the public and our colleagues, and adjudicating cases effectively with the best information at hand is of critical importance,” said Grace Huang, Policy Director at the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender Based Violence, who served as editor of the updated DV Manual for Judges.  “The Gender and Justice Commission would like to thank all those who contributed so much effort to creating a thorough, helpful tool for judges and courts.”

The 2015 Domestic Violence Manual can be found at http://www.courts.wa.gov/index.cfm?fa=home.contentDisplay&location=manuals/domViol/index 

The Washington State Gender and Justice Commission was established by the state Supreme Court in 1994 to initiate measures to prevent gender bias in the courts. Through its diverse and multi-disciplinary membership, the Commission works to promote gender equality in the legal and judicial community, and strives to eliminate gender bias in the justice system.  

CONTACT:  Cynthia Delostrinos, Manager, Supreme Court Commissions (360) 705-5327, cynthia.delostrinos@courts.wa.gov