New South Carolina Domestic Violence Bill Jumps To House Floor

A new criminal domestic violence bill was put on a fast-track to the South Carolina House floor on April 26. Bypassing subcommittee, the bill went directly to the full House, something that is rarely done. The House adjourned at 5:30pm without a vote on the bill. Other bills were on the House calendar Tuesday that they say had to take precedence, but lawmakers say they expect to vote on the bill Wednesday. Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Harrison of Columbia says the bill is expected to be approved. Harrison says Charleston Representative John Graham Altman is one of the sponsors. Altman received national attention last week for what he said after an earlier domestic violence bill was killed. He told WIS (a television station) he didn't understand why women go back to men who abuse them. Domestic violence advocates say the new bill looks a lot like the bill they introduced to the full committee, the one that was tabled.

The new bill includes training for judges, and at first glance, advocates say one of the penalties is stiffer than what was originally asked for. The original bill required third time offenders to serve a mandatory minimum of 120 days behind bars. In the new version, a third offence would be a felony, punishable by a minimum of a year in jail. The new bill would also set fines of up to $2500 for first-offense criminal domestic violence. The current penalty is 30 days in jail or a $500 fine. The bill's co-sponsor, Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D-Orangeburg) says, "What they have offered and put on the table is making the third offence a felony, which I support. ... I didn't think I could get that much. That's why I didn't include it in my original version. But I'm saying, hey you guys, go for it." One thing Cobb-Hunter and advocates are still sorting through is a section dealing with pretrial intervention. The way the original bill was written, pre-trial intervention is not an option for batterers.

Under the new bill, first offenders would still attend pre-trial intervention, but the program would be 26 weeks instead of around six, and would require offenders to attend batterer intervention programs, previously not required. The bill also makes another big change. In the past, a first-time offender's record would be expunged after three years. In the new bill, that's bumped up to five years all in all.

Advocates say they have never seen so much compliance with what we've been asking for.

Workplace slaying victim's family sets up fund

For the family of slain coffee shop worker Erin Sperrey, every day is another chance to make workplaces safer. It's a mission the family has advanced passionately since early January when Sperrey was killed while working the night shift at a Tim Hortons restaurant in Caribou. Sperrey, who would have been 21 in February, was beaten to death on Jan. 2, allegedly by a co-worker. According to a court document, Christopher Shumway, 19, told police that he beat Sperrey with his hands and feet and strangled her, leaving her to die in one of the store's restrooms while he waited on customers.

In the minutes before her death, Sperrey was unable to push any kind of panic button - a silent alarm that would alert police - because her workplace had no such security equipment.
That has spurred Sperrey's family to launch Erin's Fund.

The fund, operated by Sperrey's mother, Johna Lovely, and her sister, Amanda McKnight, was created to implement security systems and procedures in workplaces where young people are employed, the two women said this week during an interview conducted by e-mail.
"We believe that all businesses should have security devices in place, including panic buttons, and that employees should be trained in the proper use of this equipment," McKnight said.
Their goal is to see all gas stations, convenience stores, restaurants and fast-food businesses in Aroostook County have the devices in place by the end of 2005. A Hampden alarm company has donated free installations and equipment.

Lovely and McKnight are encouraging employee training in workplace violence and keeping safe on the job through videotapes and workshops. They plan to buy videotapes that can be lent to local businesses and want to ensure that the workshops teach people to recognize the signs of harassment and stress the importance of reporting such incidents. While family members move these measures forward, they are using the fund to lobby for legislation that makes security and training mandatory in all businesses that employ young people. Sperrey's family expects a bill to be introduced in the Legislature.

"If our efforts save even one young person and their family from experiencing what we have been through since January 2nd, it is worth every minute of work," Lovely said. While workplace safety serves as its major focus, the fund also oversees the Erin Elizabeth Sperrey Memorial Scholarship, available for students who graduate from Presque Isle High School Alternative Education program. Sperrey, a 2002 graduate of the high school, was a participant in the program. The family will award the first scholarship in June in conjunction with Tim Hortons and the Maine Community Foundation. The family is funding these initiatives through donations to Erin's Fund and the sale of window-clinging memorial ribbons. Lovely and McKnight said the response they've received from the community for Erin's Fund has been mostly positive. Since January, they have raised about $4,000 for the fund and sold about 500 memorial ribbons. They cost $5 apiece.

The women said eight security systems have been installed in Aroostook County businesses, although they said they have had "some difficulty" in getting businesses to put in the equipment.
"These past 31/2 months our thoughts have been consumed with thinking about Erin not being with us. We miss her every minute of every day," Lovely said. "The only way we can cope now is to pour our energy into keeping Erin's memory alive and protecting our young people in her name." For more information, visit www.erinsfund.org.

South Carolina State Legislator's Comments Highlight Need for Domestic Violence Education

A state legislator’s recent comments during a television interview highlight the diverse need for domestic violence education in South Carolina, local officials say. State Rep. John Graham-Altman, R-Charleston, drew fire on April 20th after criticizing victims of domestic violence during an interview with WIS-TV. “There ought not to be a second offense,” Altman said. “The woman ought not to be around the man. I mean you women want it one way and not another. Women want to punish the men, and I do not understand why women continue to go back around men who abuse them.”

“There’s still a lot of myths and ignorance in our legislators,” said Martha Busterna, director of Greenwood’s Sexual Trauma & Counseling Center. “It’s outrageous to think we’re that far behind, but we’re one of the leaders in the country for domestic violence numbers.” On April 18, the House Judiciary Committee tabled the Protect Our Women in Every Relationship (POWER) Act, which sought to make Criminal Domestic Violence crimes a felony for the second offense. The decision to table the bill essentially delayed further action on it for the remainder of the year. In a tape of the committee meeting obtained by The (Columbia) State newspaper, Altman asked why POWER specifically protected women. Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Harrison, R-Richland, suggested calling the bill the “Protecting Our People in Every Relationship Act” — or “POPER” — the newspaper reported. A voice on the tape is heard pronouncing it “Pop her.” Then another says “Pop her again” followed by laughter.

“And they wonder why we rank in the bottom on women in office and we lead in women getting killed by men,” state Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg, who sponsored the bill, said later. “It was done in bad taste and the wrong message was conveyed,” State Rep. Gene Pinson, R-Greenwood, said of Altman’s comments. “Although I think there was some substance to his words. It was not what was said, but the way it was verbalized.” Pinson said many people don’t understand why victims of domestic violence return to their abusers. “I’m around different abuse situations enough to know why people go back,” Pinson said. “Some of it’s economic, some of it’s to protect the family unit. Some of it’s in hope that it will be better next time. But we’re here to protect people from being battered and abused, not to encourage it.”

“I think it’s just a matter of people not having an understanding of domestic violence,” said MEG’s House Director Alice Hodges. MEG’s House is a shelter for abused women and services McCormick, Edgefield and Greenwood counties. “We have people that don’t understand the dynamics, they don’t understand why women stay or why women choose to go back,” she said. “This is not a woman’s issue, this is a family issue. It doesn’t just affect the woman, it also affects the children. And, of course, we have men who are victims.”

Busterna said she was “appalled” by Altman’s words, but believed they may have positive repercussions. “It’s opened up some new avenues for domestic violence to be discussed among advocates and legislators in this state,” she said. “It’s really brought attention to our need to improve domestic violence laws. Something good has come from his ignorance.” In South Carolina, criminal domestic violence acts are classified as misdemeanors for the first three offenses. A bill is expected to be introduced in the House next week to make a third CDV offense a felony. (Source: Greenwood Index Journal)

Illinois Attorney General Proposes Legislation To Help DV Victims Establish Safe Living Enviroments

Marking the 25th Annual National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan recently announced she has proposed legislation to help victims of domestic violence secure permanent housing and establish a safe living environment away from their abusers by providing, when needed, for the payment of security deposits and first month’s rent as relocation expenses.

Madigan said Senate Bill 416 is a critical improvement to the Illinois Crime Victims’ Compensation Act, which her office administers and which helps victims of violent crime with grants for services ranging from funerals to counseling to relocation expenses.
Madigan said the Crime Victim Compensation Act does not specifically identify security deposits or first month’s rent as potentially reimbursable relocation expenses. As a result, the Court of Claims – which approves expenses – has repeatedly rejected the Office of the Attorney General’s recommendation for those expenses. However, under SB 416, those costs specifically would be identified as relocation expenses and therefore would be eligible for reimbursement.

Self-Help Protective Order Kit Now Available for Domestic Violence Victims In Texas

On April 12, The Supreme Court of Texas, in collaboration with the Texas Access to Justice Commission, unveiled a self-help Protective Order Kit which will enable victims of domestic violence to file their own applications for protective order. The kit, created by a Texas Supreme Court Task Force, will make it possible for victims to have access to court-ordered protection for themselves and their children, including compelling the abuser to leave the home if necessary.
The Protective Order Kit was unveiled at a press conference to commemorate National Crime Victims' Rights Awareness Week, which is observed April 10-16, 2005. Texas First Lady Anita Perry, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and Supreme Court Justice Harriet O'Neill spoke at the press conference in support of the Protective Order Kit. Additionally, Thomasina Olaniyi-Oke, a survivor of domestic violence, spoke about how legal aid helped her escape a violent marriage.

The free, step-by-step Protective Order Kit comes with detailed instructions for filling out the paperwork, having a temporary order signed by a judge and requesting a hearing date to grant the protective order. The temporary order and the protective order are enforceable once they are signed by a judge. The kit also provides helpful information for victims on how to prepare for the hearing. There is no cost to the victims to participate in these proceedings.

The Protective Order Kit is available at www.TexasLawHelp.org. The kit will be translated into Spanish and Vietnamese within six months. Individuals needing assistance with filling out the paperwork, information about their legal rights or assistance with safety planning should call the Women's Advocacy Project's Family Violence Legal Line at 800-374-4673.

Pierce County Settles With Crystal Brame's Family

PIERCE COUNTY - Almost two years after then-Tacoma police Chief David Brame killed his wife and committed suicide, Pierce County has settled with the family. Lane and Patty Judson, Crystal Brame's parents, say this tragedy should never have happened. They say David Brame was unfit to be a police officer, let alone a chief. And they say earlier 911 calls from Crystal Brame failed to get an appropriate response. Crystal Brame's family sued Tacoma, Pierce County and the City of Gig Harbor where the shooting occurred. But on April 6, the Judsons agreed to dismiss Pierce County from the lawsuit. In exchange, Pierce County will do the following to help address domestic violence issues in the community:
1. The Pierce County Sheriff's Department will devote three domestic violence investigators and a sergeant to staff the Family Justice Center -- a new one-stop community service facility for victims of domestic violence and their children.
2. The county will conduct a series of domestic violence training seminars for sheriff's deputies and law enforcement personnel from other municipalities in the county, as well as make such training available to other entities.
3. The county will dedicate a plaque to the memory of Crystal Judson at the new Family Justice Center.
Neither the family nor their attorneys will receive any monetary benefit from the agreement.
There is apparently no settlement with the City of Tacoma, and that lawsuit will continue.

Domestic Violence Costs Tennessee Businesses

The economy of Tennessee loses millions of dollars per year due to domestic violence, which directly affects businesses in the form of absenteeism, reduced productivity, health care, lost wages, sick leave, and security costs, says the Tennessee Economic Council on Women. The council's executive director, Lauren Howard, says that the council is trying to get state lawmakers to support domestic violence-prevention programs. The economic impact of domestic violence cannot be underestimated, says Margaret Jane Powers, the council's chairwoman. "It's unreal how much it costs," Powers states. Sometimes the perpetrators of domestic violence seek out their victims in the workplace, she notes. Nationwide, employers lose $36 billion per year due to domestic violence, according to a report from the Palm Springs, Calif.-based Workplace Violence Research Institute. Domestic violence costs the Tennessee healthcare system $32.9 million a year, according to BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.

Colorado Supreme Court Determines Scope of Victim-Advocate Privilege

In this criminal domestic violence case, the Colorado Supreme Court was asked, for the first time, to determine the scope of the victim-advocate privilege, embodied in section 13-90-107(k)(I), C.R.S. (2004). The defendant, Robert Turner, Jr., was charged with domestic violence against a particular individual, M.P. Turner issued a subpoena duces tecum to the Alliance Against Domestic Violence, a private domestic violence organization, demanding production of records of M.P.'s contact with the organization. The Alliance moved to quash the subpoena. Following a hearing on the defendant's Motion to Compel production, the trial court ordered the organization to produce a broad outline of the type of assistance provided to M.P. The Alliance petitioned the Supreme Court pursuant to C.A.R. 21 for review of that order. The court issued a Rule to Show Cause, which it now makes absolute - reversing the trial court order. The court now holds that the records of assistance provided to M.P. by the domestic violence agency are within the scope of the statutory privilege, and are, therefore, protected.

The court first looked to the statutory language protecting "any communications" made by the victim to the advocate, and concluded that such language would include the initial contact made by the victim with the agency, as well as communications generated from that contact. The court next took direction from legislative history indicating that the legislature intended a broad sweep of confidentiality in an effort to encourage domestic violence victims to seek assistance. Accordingly, the court concluded that the privilege would protect the records sought, absent a showing of express or implied waiver of the privilege by the victim, which was not present in this case. Also, the court held that the defendant's due process rights were not violated by denying him access to the records. Likewise, the court rejected the defendant's contention that his right to compulsory process requires that the Alliance comply with his subpoena. It reasoned, among other things, that the statute sufficiently protects the defendant's right to compulsory process by excluding records held by law enforcement victim advocates. The full opinion can be found at http://www.courts.state.co.us/supct/caseannouncements/2005/03-28-05.htm.

Body Shop Survey Finds Over Half US Adults Know Someone Who Has Suffered At The Hands Of A Violent Partner

A study by The Body Shop Americas Region reveals that an estimated 157 million Americans -- about 56% of us -- say they know someone who has suffered at the hands of a violent partner. When questioned about how they'd react if physically assaulted for the first time by a current or future partner, more than a third (39%) female adults say they'd leave immediately.

Yet the reality is that a woman suffering domestic violence will attempt to leave her abuser an average of 5 to 7 times before actually doing so.

And more than one third (34%) of women across America told researchers for The Body Shop they would be too embarrassed to tell their family and friends if they were being abused by their partner. The Body Shop 'Donate a Phone, Save a Life' campaign urges people across the United States to donate old or unwanted cellular phones at any of 300 plus The Body Shop U.S. retail locations from today through August 31, 2005.

Donated phones will be sold, refurbished or recycled, with proceeds benefiting the NCADV and the Wireless Foundation. Additionally, a number of phones will be distributed to approximately 200 women's shelters for dissemination to at-risk women who need access to a personal safety system when domestic violence strikes.

"I know from personal experience that this is a great cause that highlights an important and too often ignored issue," said Missy Elliott. "On behalf of The Body Shop, the NCADV and the Wireless Foundation, I urge everyone to dig up their unused wireless phones and bring them to your closest The Body Shop retail store. It is the easiest way to make a huge difference, and you might even save a life."

"Millions of unused cell phones can be the difference between life and death for countless domestic violence victims," says Joanne Calabrese, President of The Body Shop Americas Region. "As Americans begin to spring clean this season, we urge everyone to dig up those old or unwanted cell phones collecting dust in the back of a drawer or closet and bring them to your nearest The Body Shop. There has never been a simpler way to personally get involved in a public awareness campaign that ultimately can save lives."

Collecting cell phones can be an individual or collective effort. In fact, Amnesty International has agreed to partner with The Body Shop to lend a hand to this cause. With the goal of collecting 100,000 cell phones between now and the end of summer, the added support of reputable organizations like Amnesty International is invaluable.

The Body Shop is committed to campaigning to Stop Violence in The Home because it wants to make a real difference and impact in the fight against domestic violence. To further demonstrate this commitment, The Body Shop sponsored activities earlier this month in collaboration with Lifetime Television's 4th Annual "Stop Violence Against Women Week" in Washington DC. The U.S. campaign is also part of a company-wide effort to combat domestic violence - similar cell phone collections are taking place throughout Europe and Asia.


KRC Research conducted this nationally representative telephone survey of 1,021 adults aged 18 and over for The Body Shop. The margin of error is +/- 3.1% at the 95% confidence level. The Body Shop is an international, values-driven retailer of top-quality products for skin, hair and body care as well as a full line of make-up. The company has more than 300 stores in the U.S. and more than 2,000 locations in 50 countries spanning 30 languages and 12 time zones. The Body Shop Stop Violence in The Home campaign aims to break the silence around this issue and bring support, awareness and education to The Body Shop customers and employees. Visit http://www.thebodyshop.com/ for more information.

Biggest Health Risk For Australian Women Ages 15 To 44 Is Domestic Violence

According to a recently released study, the biggest single health risk factor for Australian women aged 15 to 44 is domestic violence.

The study, by Access Economics and submitted to a conference in Brisbane, says domestic violence is costing Australia more than $8 billion a year. The study says domestic violence is causing high rates of injury, depression, eating disorders, drug abuse, and early death. Access Economics has looked at the incidence of domestic violence between intimate partners in Australia and the flow-on costs of that violence. The study does not include violence against children.

Access Economics' Lynne Pezzullo says researchers were surprised by the health impacts of domestic violence. "If you measured the impacts of domestic violence as a risk factor for other conditions like suicide, femicide, depression, anxiety disorders, cervical cancer as well as other smoking-related illnesses because there is an increased propensity to smoke, you'd actually find that domestic violence is the largest risk factor for health for women aged 15 to 44," she said. Ms Pezzullo says much of the cost of domestic violence is borne by the victims."In fact people who suffer from domestic violence bear about half of the cost of domestic violence," she said. "You look at the costs of prevention activities and preventing domestic violence from happening and intervening early to stop it from continuing, and there's some good arguments for cost effective interventions in those areas."

Harvard University Group Calls South Carolina Pro Bono Program Innovative

A Harvard University group says a South Carolina project that trains criminal and civil lawyers to be volunteer prosecutors in domestic violence cases is one of the country's most innovative government programs. The Pro Bono Domestic Violence Prosecution Program is run by the attorney general's office. It's in the running for one of six $100,000 grants from Harvard and The Council For Excellence In Government. The Attorney General's program trains and supervises volunteer attorneys to prosecute criminal domestic violence cases in local court jurisdictions that lack a government prosecutor. Pro Bono attorneys also prosecute cases in Columbia's CDV court.

New North Carolina Laws on Domestic Violence Bring Little Immediate Change

Two new North Carolina laws meant to protect workers from domestic violence and its repercussions on the job have had little impact in the months since they were enacted. Advocates for victims say they are still being fired for losing work time to cope with their situation, and few employers appear to be taking advantage of their new right to order abusers to stay away from the workplace. "Employers can't let you go for taking time off to get a restraining order," said Johnny Lee, head of the anti-violence advocacy group Peace at Work. "But they can fire you for being a domestic violence victim."

One new law, which went into effect in October, is meant to protect workers from being fired, demoted or disciplined if they take reasonable time off to seek a protective order against an abuser. Another, effective in December, allows employers to file restraining orders on behalf of workers who may be victimized by abusers at work. Of 144 wrongful termination cases filed this year with the state Department of Labor, one in January involves a Charlotte woman who claims she was fired while securing a restraining order - the first complaint filed under that provision of the new law, state officials say. Lee, based in Raleigh, noted that the law does not define "reasonable," adding that securing a restraining order, which includes court appearances, can take as many as three days. Of 380 restraining orders filed in Mecklenburg County so far this year, only one came from an employer. Sheriff's records show the Westin Charlotte hotel filed a restraining order last week on behalf of a concierge. Hotel officials declined to discuss details, but the company told The Charlotte Observer in a statement that it applauds the state for passing a law that "enables businesses to proactively protect our employees.

20 Year Old Woman Shot & Killed Outside Her Workplace

A 20-year-old woman died on March 4, 2005, after police believe her boyfriend shot her at work. Around one o'clock, Lubbock police say Erica Perez was returning from lunch to the Cingular Call Center, when her boyfriend blocked her car and jumped inside. Witnesses told police they heard loud arguing and then two gunshots. Erica was taken to University Medical Center after she went into cardiac arrest.

Just after 1:30 p.m., 22-year-old Raymon Montelongo Junior came to LPD with information regarding the shooting. His black Monte Carlo matched the vehicle description of the car on scene. Police have processed the car and found a .380 semi-automatic pistol and have just told NewsChannel 11 they arrested Montelongo on murder charges.

Police say the couple did live together for a year, and they do believe domestic violence could have been a factor in the young girl's death.

Security Tool To Help Domestic Abuse Victims

The national program called "AWARE," or abused women's active response emergency, uses a small device, but it could mean the difference between life and death for someone threatened by domestic violence. ADT Security is the company the created and promotes the program.

Domestic abuse survivor Elissa Spivey says the sheer nature of the pendant makes it valuable in the face of danger, "The ability to be near it and the time and quickness that it operates. I had several experiences where i could get to a phone but the perpetrator hung up the phone."

ADT Security security will install the system free of charge and provide pendants for as long as victims need it. For more information visit http://www.adt.com/adt/about_adt/adt_in_our_communities/aware/

Domestic Violence Risk Measurement Tool Now Online

Each year, more than three million women in the U.S. are abused by their intimate partners–and more than 1,200 are killed by their abusers. These victims of homicide or attempted homicide are often unaware that their lives are in danger prior to the attack. The newly revised Danger Assessment instrument, developed by Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing Associate Dean Dr. Jacquelyn Campbell, is available now online to help women at risk learn their level of danger and to train domestic violence advocates, law enforcement, and health care professionals in measuring and warning danger levels.

“According to informants who knew the victims,” says Campbell, “only 47 percent of femicide victims accurately predicted their risk before the lethal event and only 53 percent of attempted femicide victims accurately predicted their risk before the attempted murder.”

Twenty-five years ago, Campbell created the first Danger Assessment (DA) to help victims of abuse and the professionals who work with them to better understand the threats to their safety and well-being. This year, Campbell revised and updated the assessment to incorporate the findings of recent domestic violence research and to deliver the mechanism to a wider audience through a new website, http://www.dangerassessment.org. Women who feel they are in danger may visit the website and download the DA for free. The results are best interpreted, however, by a person certified to use the DA scoring system. Criminal justice, health care and advocacy practitioners who wish to administer the assessment and interpret the scoring system also may use the website to obtain training and certification.

The assessment begins by giving a woman a calendar. She is asked to mark the days when physically abusive incidents occurred, ranking each incident’s severity on a scale between one and five. This exercise can heighten the woman’s awareness of her situation and reduce denial and minimization of the abuse. When the DA was originally developed, Campbell found that 38 percent of women who initially reported no increase in severity and frequency changed their response to “yes” after filling out the calendar.

The second part of the assessment asks the woman 20 questions designed to identify danger within the relationship. Each question addresses a specific behavior that is a significant predictor to intimate partner homicide. The list includes questions such as “Does he own a gun?” “Is he an alcoholic or problem drinker?” and “Does he threaten to harm your children?”

According to Campbell, “Women using the DA can gain a better understanding of their risk and decrease their chances of becoming femicide victims.” She added, “Now that the assessment is easily accessible to battered women, advocates, and other practitioners, perhaps some of those 1,200 murders may be prevented.”

Dangerassessment.org is presented through the Institute for Johns Hopkins Nursing, the joint JHU School of Nursing and the JHH Department of Nursing initiative formed to promote and support nursing excellence and to foster communication and collaboration between nursing education and nursing practice.

Verizon Wireless Marks 10 Year Anniversary of Hopeline (SM) Program

To mark the 10-year anniversary of Verizon Wireless' HopeLine(SM) program, the company today (February 16, 2005) announced a $250,000 gift to The University of Kentucky Center for Research on Violence Against Women. The gift is the largest amount pledged by Verizon Wireless to a single organization to support domestic violence prevention and awareness. It will be used by the University's Center to establish and endow a professorship of studies on violence against women.

"Over the past decade, the HopeLine program has grown significantly and along the way has helped so many victims -- keeping them safe and helping them rebuild their lives," said Denny Strigl, president and CEO of Verizon Wireless. "We're thankful to our customers and the countless other consumers, organizations and businesses that have participated in the program and helped make possible gifts like that pledged to the University of Kentucky Center for
Research on Violence Against Women."

The professorship established by the Verizon Wireless endowment will be focused on innovative research on violence against women and women's health and will be based in the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. The gift will be matched dollar for dollar by the state of Kentucky through its Research Challenge Trust Fund, which was established in 1997 to promote research and allow the state's universities to attract and retain renowned faculty and researchers in critical areas of science and economic development.

"From donating phones and airtime to funding direct service programs for survivors, Verizon Wireless has a proven track record of supporting domestic violence awareness and prevention," said Carol E. Jordan, director of the University of Kentucky Center for Research on Violence Against Women. "Through this gift, Verizon Wireless builds on its vital work of protecting women in the present day by investing in the future of women. The professorship established by the Verizon Wireless endowment significantly advances our efforts to better understand and one day end acts of violence committed against women."

HopeLine Highlights from 2004

In 2004, consumers donated three-quarters of a million phones to HopeLine, up more than 35 percent from the previous year, and bringing the total to nearly two million phones since the national phone collection and recycling efforts began in 2001.

Additional milestones for the HopeLine program in 2004 include:

* More than $800,000 donated to shelters and organizations to support
domestic violence prevention programs and victims' services;
* More than 11,000 phones, along with airtime and other features,
provided to shelters to distribute for use by victims;
* More than 140,000 phones recycled in an environmentally safe way.

Addressing an Issue that Affects Everyone

Domestic violence in the United States knows no social or economic boundaries and can affect people in any community -- including friends, family and co-workers. Across the country, Verizon Wireless has put its HopeLine program to work and seen the program grow.

Verizon Wireless created its long-running HopeLine program to put wireless products and services to work to combat domestic violence and raise awareness of the issue. When it began, the HopeLine program donated voicemail boxes to victims living in shelters. Today, the multi-faceted program also includes a successful phone recycling and re-use effort, financial support for regional and national non-profit domestic violence organizations, community and corporate awareness programs, and partnerships with law enforcement agencies, professional sports teams, educational institutions and corporations nationwide. Since 2001, the key element of the program has been a national recycling initiative -- taking no-longer used wireless phones and accessories and turning them into help and support for victims of domestic violence and the agencies and shelters committed to helping.

How to Donate

Wireless phones and equipment can be donated to the HopeLine program at more than 1,200 Verizon Wireless Communications Store across the country. Wireless phones and equipment donations can also be sent to:

Verizon Wireless HopeLine
c/o ReCellular Inc
2555 Bishop Circle W.
Dexter, MI 48130

Liz Claiborne Hang Tags Feature Domestic Violence Information

Liz Claiborne Inc. garment hang tags feature more than just size and style information --they could save a life! The hang tags include information about their commitment to the prevention of domestic violence, provide the address for their www.loveisnotabuse.com web site, as well as the National Domestic Violence Hotline number (1-800-799-SAFE). Individuals who may never pick up a domestic violence booklet may buy a Liz Claiborne garment, read the hang tag, and gain valuable information that could change their lives, or the lives of those they love. Look for them the next time you go shopping!

$2.25 Million Verdict in Maryland DV/Workplace Tort Case

On February 10, 2005, a jury came back with a verdict in the amount of $2,250,000, in Gantt v. Security, USA, a domestic violence/workplace violence case.

Because the 4th Circuit opinion allowed only recovery for the 1 hour that Ms. Gantt spent on Post 9, before Gary Sheppard abducted her, raped her and held her captive for six hours, threatening to kill her with his shotgun,and due to evidentiary rulings by the trial court, the trial was cut back from its originally scheduled two week period to 2 days.

The jury awarded $2,000,000 in compensatory damages and $250,000 in punitives. The case is Gantt v.Security, USA, 356 F.3d 547 (4th Cir. 2004). It has received press coverage and discussion on numerous EEO and employment websites, as well as mention in the Maryland Code Annotated and other legal commentaries.

The case has sparked controversy about an employer's obligation to honor and enforce protective orders in the workplace, even though, in this highly unusual case, Dominique's supervisor actually intentionally assisted the batterer in violating the protective order in the worplace, which is why her lawyers are suing for intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Kaiser Permanente Display Addresses Domestic Violence

Kaiser Permanente recently opened a Silent Witness exhibit at its Terra Linda, CA medical center on February 4. The display is a collection of tall panels that feature the stories of victims of physical, verbal and psychological violence. A striking central panel shows photographs of three Kaiser employees who were killed by their abusers. The exhibit is part of the Kaiser's family violence prevention program, designed to create awareness among its workers and the public about the epidemic that its victims and perpetrators so often hide.

In a short speech before the unveiling of the panels, newly appointed Marin District Attorney Ed Berberian said the goal of his office is to work with other agencies to stop domestic violence. "Domestic violence is not hidden - it's not a secret anymore," Berberian said. "It's something we've got to stop and will stop."

The traveling exhibit, displayed at Kaiser facilities throughout the state, tells the stories of Kaiser staff who have dealt with domestic violence. The personal stories come from physicians, administrators, medical technicians and other employees who believe family violence can be prevented by bringing it out into the open. Kaiser labor consultant Cindy Thomas of Petaluma spoke of a four-year ordeal during which she was abused by her former husband. She said it is important for people to tell their stories because it helps others who have not confronted the violence in their lives. It took a potentially fatal attack that resulted in an ambulance trip to the hospital to make Thomas realize she had to leave the abusive relationship. A social worker who visited her in the hospital was the first person she was able to talk to about what was happening. "The vicious cycle is you don't want to talk about it with anyone because you don't want to set him off again," Thomas said.

Once released from the hospital, Thomas continued to meet with the social worker and followed her advice to pack a suitcase at home. "You get ready for a 30-second escape," Thomas said. Thomas finally made her getaway and took refuge in the home of a family member. There, for the first time, she talked to the shocked relative about what had been happening. "(The social worker) helped me prepare for how I was going to talk about it," Thomas said. "It's a lot of work, but it's worth every minute of work."

According to Kaiser statistics, of its 3.5 million Northern California members, 45,000 females are experiencing some kind of domestic violence. The exhibit is on display in the dermatology laboratory at the medical center at 99 Montecillo Road until Feb. 15. (Source: Marin Independent Journal )

Massachusetts Considers DV Workplace Legislation

State Representative Joseph R. Driscoll (D-Braintree), has announced his full support of a legislative package introduced by Rep. Peter Koutoujian (D-Waltham), Sen. Pamela Resor (D-Acton) and Sen. Cynthia Creem (D-Newton) that would strengthen state laws against criminal stalking and make it easier for victims to relocate and take time off from work. Specifically, the measure would extend the ability to file a restraining order to people whose relationship with the stalker does not meet certain level. Currently, only petitioners with a "prior and substantive" relationship are eligible for the restriction. Additional provisions of the legislative package would protect stalking victims from housing discrimination by requiring landlords to release victims from rental agreements and prohibit landlords from evicting tenants on the grounds that they were the victims of the crimes.

The package would also protect employees, working for companies that employ more than fifty individuals, who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking from being penalized in the workplace for taking time off to address issues related to being a victim of such crimes.

According to the National Center for Victims of Crime, one million women and 371,000 men are stalked in the United States each year, and most victims know their stalkers. In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, arraignments on stalking-related offenses rose 10 percent between 1999 and 2003, from 277 to 304 according to Jane Doe, Inc., a women's rights group. (Source: Braintree Forum)