Senate Journal: Page 66: Tuesday, January 10, 1995

    OF VIOLENCE, ABUSE AND NEGLECT.  OFTEN TIMES, THESE CHILDREN DEPEND ON
    THE COURTS TO HELP PUT THE PIECES OF THEIR LIVES BACK TOGETHER.

         DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES ARE INCREASING FASTER THAN ALL OTHERS.  THE
    NUMBER OF REPORTED DOMESTIC ABUSE CASES HAS SOARED SINCE THE CREATION OF
    LAWS WHICH MAKE IT EASIER FOR SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TO GET
    PROTECTION FROM THE COURTS.  EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE MADE THESE CASES A
    PRIORITY, WE ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO PROVIDE EACH VICTIM SEEKING EMERGENCY
    PROTECTIVE ORDERS WITH THE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION THEY DESERVE.  MOST OF
    THE RURAL COUNTIES IN IOWA ONLY HAVE A DISTRICT COURT JUDGE AVAILABLE
    ONCE EVERY TWO WEEKS.

         THE BUSIER COURTS HAVE DEDICATED SPECIFIC DAYS OR TIMES FOR
    DOMESTIC ABUSE HEARINGS.  FOR INSTANCE, IN SCOTT COUNTY, THE ASSIGNMENT
    JUDGE SPENDS TWO OR MORE HOURS A DAY REVIEWING INITIAL REQUESTS FOR
    PROTECTIVE ORDERS.  EACH FRIDAY AFTERNOON IS RESERVED FOR HEARINGS FOR
    PERMANENT PROTECTIVE ORDERS.  DURING THAT TIME, MOST OF THE DISTRICT
    COURT JUDGES ARE BUSY HEARING THE CASES OF PEOPLE, USUALLY WOMEN, ABUSED
    BY THEIR COMPANIONS.  WOMEN -- SUCH AS THE MOTHER OF THREE YOUNG
    CHILDREN WHOSE LIVE-IN BOYFRIEND THREATENED TO SHOOT HER AND HER
    CHILDREN.  HER HASTILY SCRIBBLED PETITION INCLUDED THE PLEA, "PLEASE
    JUDGE, HELP ME."  SHE WAS ONE OF THE DOZENS OF VICTIMS WAITING IN LINE
    TO GET A PROTECTIVE ORDER FROM THE COURT THAT DAY.

         ON ONE FRIDAY AFTERNOON LAST MONTH, FIVE OF THE SIX DISTRICT COURT
    JUDGES IN THE SAME COUNTY WERE ASSIGNED TO HEAR THIRTY-TWO CASES.  EACH
    WAS ENORMOUSLY IMPORTANT AND EACH HELD THE POTENTIAL TO CONSUME SEVERAL
    HOURS OF COURT TIME.

         CRIMINAL, JUVENILE, AND DOMESTIC ABUSE CASES RECEIVE PRIORITY
    STATUS.  NOT ALL CASES CAN BE A PRIORITY. CONSEQUENTLY, MANY PEOPLE WITH
    OTHER KINDS OF SERIOUS PROBLEMS MUST WAIT FOR THEIR DAY IN COURT.

         LAST MARCH I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM AN IOWA CITY ATTORNEY WHO WAS
    REPRESENTING A MOTHER OF TWO YOUNG CHILDREN IN AN ACTION FOR DISSOLUTION
    OF MARRIAGE.  THE CASE HAD BEEN PENDING FOR SOME TIME.  THE LAWYER
    WROTE, "FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS, I HAVE HAD THE
    DECIDEDLY UNPLEASANT TASK OF HAVING TO TELL (MY CLIENT) THAT THE TRIAL
    OF HER DISSOLUTION CASE COULD NOT GO FORWARD."  AT THE TIME OF THE
    LETTER, THE CASE HAD JUST BEEN "BUMPED" AGAIN FROM THE TRIAL SCHEDULE
    BECAUSE OF OTHER PRIORITY MATTERS THAT HAD TO BE HEARD BY THE COURT.

Iowa General Assembly

Index: Senate Journal (76th General Assembly: Session 1)

© 1995 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

Comments? sjourn@legis.iowa.gov.

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