Domestic Violence Law Center

Prosecutors in New York City that prosecute domestic violence cases are simply not doing enough to protect those who truly need help. Domestic violence prosecutions are a politically powerful tool used by prosecutors and politicians in order to get elected. Prosecutors will force anyone accused of domestic violence into programs and pleading guilty to lesser charges in order to increase their statistics which are compiled at the end of the year and are used to obtain more funding for their offices. More funding means more political power because you can dole out more money.

While this political game is being played, real victims of domestic violence receive little help because the resources of prosecutors are scattered to obtain as many convictions as possible. The truly innocent and truly guilty are treated the same. No real investigation is done into any case and only when a case makes the news does any actual work on the case begin. My office has handled many cases where the accused is simply innocent of the crime but prosecutors refuse to listen. It is politically easier to just keep prosecuting everyone that comes through the door than it is to do real domestic violence investigation in cases of false charges.

The way to resolve this problem is to stop using domestic violence cases as political tools to get re-elected. As a domestic violence defense attorney I have seen many cases where prosecutors are looking to get the defendant plead guilty to anything so long as they make their numbers. Meantime, real victims are hurting.

Originally published here.

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