Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence


			FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 4, 2001 POLICE, CITY PROSECUTOR AND COLUMBUS COALITION AGAINST FAMILY VIOLENCE STEP UP EFFORTS TO CURB DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN CENTRAL OHIO (Columbus) - In an effort to make domestic violence criminals more accountable for their crimes, Deputy Chief John Rockwell, Columbus Police; City Attorney Janet Jackson; and Abigail Wexner from the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence are announcing a new initiative to improve prosecution of offenders called “Confronting the Crime.” Police, prosecutors and a local non-profit have joined forces to participate in education on strategies for improving family violence investigation and prosecution. “We’re prosecuting about 6,000 domestic violence cases a year in Municipal Court,” said City Attorney Janet Jackson who also chairs the legal system task force for the Coalition. “Some days we arraign as many as 50 defendants. We need to do everything in our power to be successful when we prosecute these horrible cases.” “Many of the defendants in these arrests have a past criminal record for violent crime. And we’ve seen specific cases where they are not just violent in their homes with their spouses or partners but with their kids, parents, co-workers and others that they think are in the way,” said Deputy Chief John Rockwell, Columbus Police, a member of the Columbus Coalition legal system task force. “These crimes are particularly destructive because we know that children from violent homes often become violent abusers themselves. In fact, 80% of violent juvenile offenders and adult prisoners come from homes in which domestic violence occurred,” said Abigail Wexner, founder of the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence. Sponsored by the Columbus Coalition, “Confronting the Crime” will examine evidence collection, crime reports, prosecution without a witness, video arraignments and other strategies used across the nation to improve conviction of domestic violence offenders. Two national experts, Mark Wynn formerly of the Nashville Metropolitan Police Department and Sarah Buel, a clinical professor at the University of Texas School of Law will lead the training. Both Wynn and Buel are victims of family violence. The number of domestic violence charges filed in this jurisdiction has increased by 180% since 1994. “Confronting the Crime” is designed to increase the resources available to our criminal justice system to address family violence crimes. The Coalition’s legal task force spent nearly a year researching best practices, and from this came the idea of this joint educational session for police and prosecutors. Founded in 1998 by Abigail Wexner, The Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence is comprised of leaders from businesses and community organizations in Central Ohio committed to reforming our systems, improving our response to family violence and stopping the cycle of violence in our community. The Coalition’s mission is to promote a community culture that supports victims and does not tolerate family violence – a pervasive crime that hurts everyone. The Coalition is organized around five task forces each focused on strategies designed to create systemic change. These task forces are: Business/Public Education, Faith Community, Health Care, Legal Justice System and Victim Services. The Coalition is located at 700 Children’s Drive, Columbus, Ohio, 43205, (614) 722-5985. Current Press Releases 2000 Press Releases 1999 Press Releases