N.H. Supreme Court Domestic Violence Task Force Releases Report

March 8, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Amanda Grady Sexton (603) 548-9377, [email protected]
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The N.H. Supreme Court Domestic Violence Task Force was convened in December after a woman was shot outside her workplace by an ex-boyfriend, a month after a New Hampshire judge denied her request for a final protective order. The multidisciplinary group was charged with conducting a “systemic review of domestic violence in the New Hampshire court system,” according to an order establishing the Task Force. The Task Force’s report was released today after the group convened several meetings throughout January, including a public hearing. 
 
The charge of this Task Force was to improve outcomes for domestic violence victims seeking relief from the court system and we believe the following recommendations will help accomplish that:  

• The Judicial Performance Committee should review the current judicial performance review process and determine how best to obtain more meaningful data. 
• A stakeholder group of domestic violence experts should review existing New Hampshire statutes including amending RSA 490:32, relative to the Judicial Performance Evaluation system.  
• The Judicial Branch’s Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee should take efforts to explore and address implicit gender bias and bias against survivors in domestic violence cases and include it in their strategic plan. 
• The Judicial Branch should get more funding for training judges and court staff at all court levels on domestic violence issues and trauma-informed practices and ensure that regular training opportunities are made available. 

 
Lyn Schollett, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, said, “In light of a tragic case where a domestic violence victim was shot a month after she courageously sought a final protective order, the court pulled together this multidisciplinary Task Force to review ways to improve the system. We were grateful for the opportunity to work with stakeholders to create a roadmap in this report for improved accountability and transparency in domestic violence cases, and we will continue to work to ensure these recommendations are implemented. It’s imperative that there are measures to identify when the court system exhibits biases against women and victims of crime and a process for responding to those cases, with the end goal of improving outcomes for survivors who interact with the system.” 
 
About the Coalition:
NHCADSV is a statewide network of 12 independent member programs committed to ending sexual violence, domestic violence, and stalking, through direct services to victims, community education, and public policy advocacy. The NHCADSV and its 12 member programs do not discriminate based on gender, age, health status (including HIV-positive), physical, mental, or emotional ability, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, socio-economic status, race, national origin, immigration status, or religious or political affiliation. For more information visit www.nhcadsv.org.
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