Courthouse Facility Dogs

Prosecutor offices across the country are enlisting the help of trained courthouse facility dogs to provide comfort and support to vulnerable witnesses and victims throughout various stages of the criminal justice process. These dogs undergo at least a two-year training period and are specifically bred to detect a person’s stress level.

Domestic violence is a social, economic, and public health concern that impacts men, women and children and can perpetuate negative effects across generations. To better address this serious issue, this guide provides strategies to prosecutors that increase victim safety and offender accountability and includes information on multi-agency collaborations and co-located service models such as family justice centers. Read

Office of the Licking County Prosecuting Attorney (Newark, OH)

Population: 175,409 | Contact Information 

The Office of the Licking County Prosecuting Attorney (LCPA) is creating a Domestic Violence Unit (DVU) that will focus on vertical prosecution to hold offenders accountable and ensure community safety.

St. Paul City Attorney’s Office (St. Paul, MN)

Population: 305,877 | Contact Information

The St. Paul City Attorney’s Office (SPCAO) created the “Gone on Arrival (GOA) Project” to address threat issues in domestic violence cases when the offender is not at the crime scene when law enforcement arrives.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in Seattle, Washington has provided civil protection to victims of domestic violence for over thirty years through its Protection Order Advocacy Program. They now leverage a tool called Legal Atoms, a software platform in which protection order specialists can work alongside victims remotely to complete the steps necessary to file for a civil protection order. See PowerPoint. The office also created Project Safety, a partnership with civil Legal Aid to provide legal navigators to DV victims to assist them with needed civil services. 

Social isolation isn’t stopping the Nassau DA’s office from connecting to their community. See how they’re virtually reaching out more than ever.

District Attorney General Amy Weirich discusses remote Grand Jury with officers presenting their cases via Zoom. They now have three remote Grand Juries.

DA Hillar Moore discusses various topics including his White Paper on the New Normal, reducing the jail population, using  social media to keep in touch with victims, and remote court proceedings.

As the Jacksonville State Attorney’s Office looks to reopen at 25% capacity, First Assistant Steven Siegel explains how they’re working to maintain safe work environments using strategies such as “Floor Captains” and safety placards.

APA Pat Muscat shares how his division rapidly implemented a paperless system within days of the coronavirus stay at home order, despite having no pre-existing process. Through creative use of technology available to most prosecutor offices, his division gained access to necessary documents and evidence.