Without strong judicial leadership, coordinated community responses to domestic violence [CCRs] may struggle to gain buy-in from stakeholders, potentially weakening the effort to holistically address victim safety and offender accountability. Yet a national survey of almost 100 CCRs suggests judges are generally not substantial players. In jurisdictions that do foreground judges, the judges serve as a resource for CCR members and are perceived as sending a message to the community about the importance of domestic violence.
Funded by the Office on Violence Against Women, this study includes three case studies of jurisdictions that draw on strong judicial leadership, highlighting the benefits and challenges of such involvement.