yeah Punishment's
anti-Pragmatic

sadly, these are the ranks from which
mass murder can come. Anything we
can do to Decrease the Violence in
America's a Damn Good Thing.

Keep it UP, Judges!
and GOOD LUCK!

Last year, the Stranger endorsed a candidate for City Attorney who had promised not to prosecute domestic violence cases. This would have effectively terminated the diversionary program described in this article, leaving domestic abusers (and their victims) with no mandated treatment program at all.

It’s darkly humorous to watch the Stranger critique the effectiveness of a program which it had already advocated eliminating.

@3 not to mention the author of this piece was the spokesperson for said politician. Pretty difficult to take any of this seriously when you know the writer is extremely biased toward the topic.

Thank you for the article and the reminder to contribute to Judge Eisenberg‘s campaign. Done!

As a survivor, barely, of domestic abuse, I definitely want something done. And a mandatory treatment program may offer hope, at least more hope than throwing the abuser in the slammer and watching the family sink into poverty. But my abuser stubbornly denies that his verbal abuse is damaging, let alone his responsibility. I did not bring a case against him, both because of the poverty problem, and because the gaslighting he perpetrated is not even recognized as serious abuse. I learned a lot from a wonderful program in Seattle that offers help to sufferers of abuse. I learned that many of my fellow sufferers were afraid to do anything, and that women who fight back end up arrested themselves, and/or dead. The male dominated "justice system" and legal system do not handle this situation at all well. The laws have mostly, if not all, been written by men, and since precedent is important in our system of laws, things are pretty bad. The numbers show it. More than 500 women a year are killed even if they have tried to get help. And women who resort to killing their abuser because the police do not/can not protect them often spend significant time in prison. So far the "Stand your Ground" laws are not useful for women. No, women get prosecuted if they stand their ground. Will a male dominated system ever provide safety and justice for female victims? Still, I think Vaddadi is my choice, and I will scrape together some money for her campaign.

Wise Granny (& everyone else!) I agree that a mandatory treatment program may offer hope; it makes sense that it would actually create a change in the abuser, dealing with the root causes: “the program connects people with a team of treatment providers, probation counselors, and victim advocates to unpack the root causes of their abusive behavior and to teach them healthy ways to resolve conflict in their intimate relationships.” The justice system has been male-dominated, but that’s been shifting for some time. It’s easy to view all men as part of the problem, but I know Judge Eisenberg, & I can say unequivocally that he treats all people with respect, decency, & understanding. He is one of the most brilliant people I know, yet humble; his years of being on the court has given him wisdom as well as a realistic ground from which to cultivate restorative justice programs such as DVIP.
This article didn’t mention his role as co-director and mentor in the Teen Traffic Court. A teen with a traffic violation is tried by their peers, who take on all the roles of a court. They will be given a sentence, and when their service is completed, their violation is erased from their driving record, & they’re better drivers. It’s a fantastic program and shows his commitment to young people! I encourage everyone to check out more on Judge Eisenberg; he’s a truly good person who is absolutely dedicated to his work on the court.

“More than 500 women a year are killed even if they have tried to get help. And women who resort to killing their abuser because the police do not/can not protect them often spend significant time in prison.”

Prosecuting misdemeanor domestic violence can help. It can prevent escalation to felony domestic violence (either by treatment, or incarceration, of the abuser) or, if escalation does occur, by producing a legal record to support the victim’s self-defense claim if the victim ultimately must kill the abuser. Offering a diversion and treatment program, as Seattle currently does, might encourage more victims to report their abusers.

powerful
endorsement
westlandia & to
think our formerly-
Supreme Court got
Kavanaughtius Maximus
and promises of Retribution

and Lies
about 'settled law'