Approximately 2,000 domestic violence cases are prosecuted in Toledo Municipal Court every year. Since my appointment as chief prosecutor in 2023, we have built a successful DV prosecution unit that has been studied and tracked by national experts in the field of criminal justice research to show an increase in convictions for cases involving physically abusive relationships. This has been no small task and is not the success of our office alone. True progress in the system of criminal justice requires a great deal of collaboration between law enforcement and court professional partners.
Read more letters to the editor
It was a shock to us all when on July 23 of this year, one of our most valuable partners terminated their program, effective immediately. The Family & Child Abuse Prevention Center announced that their court advocacy program which had been operating in Toledo Municipal Court for over 40 years was being shut down due to lack of funding. Advocates serve an essential function of the court, by providing support to victims through an often confusing and overwhelming court process. The sudden loss of such a vital resource was daunting to say the least…