Reno Justice Court opened a new specialty court, primarily for women, called HER Court (Hope, Empowerment, Recovery) on Oct. 13.
Emily Ruff, Reno Justice Court’s specialty court program coordinator, explained that an existing specialty court for youth offenders wasn’t being fully utilized, and that docket’s existing grant funding was reallocated to HER Court.
“It’s tricky for women in the justice system,” said Ruff. “Sometimes they’re arrested, maybe on possession of substances, or even domestic-battery charges, but then you’ll speak with them, and they will end up articulating or divulging a history of trauma, or even being prior victims themselves.”…