PADV in the News Courtroom becomes safe haven for victims New space in Fulton Superior courthouse has expanded domestic violence project's aid
A new refuge in the Fulton County Superior Courthouse has allowed a legal and a social service group that partner with the court to quadruple the number of domestic violence victims that they help. The two groups, which make up the court's Safe Families Office, threw a reception on Wednesday to show off their new space, attended by more than 100 volunteers and survivors. Fulton County Superior Court provided an unused courtroom in February for the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation's domestic violence project and the Partnership Against Domestic Violence. Before, the two groups shared a cramped office with the staff of the court's family division—right next to the clerk's office visited by abusers as well as those seeking protective orders. “Here you really have a chance to bring a survivor in and give her space to breathe,” said Jennifer E. Stolarski, the director of AVLF's domestic violence project. The expanded office space has allowed Stolarski to add a paralegal to her staff and massively increase the number of volunteer paralegals and law students to handle intake. Stolarski said the Safe Families Office has assisted 1,600 domestic violence victims since moving into Courtroom 6G in February, compared to about 400 people in all of 2008. Fulton Superior Court Chief Judge Doris L. Downs and the court's administrator, Judy Kramer, arranged for the Safe Families Office to have the courtroom. The recession has increased intimate partner violence because financial troubles can spark abuse, said Stolarski. Almost all of the program's clients are women abused by their partner, but Kristy L. Seidenberg, the project's staff attorney, said she's seen several cases of elder abuse in the past six months. Seidenberg recently helped an 89-year-old man and a 92-year-old woman get protective orders against children who'd been living with them after they lost their jobs. Courtroom 6G has been transformed into a refuge for women seeking a way out of a relationship that has become violent. In the old, shared office, there was room for only one AVLF attorney and an occasional volunteer. “There were random angry people hanging out in the hallway. It was not an appropriate place for victims to be, especially victims with children,” said Seidenberg. In the new space, there is a children's corner to the right of the judge's bench with stuffed animals, picture books and children's drawings taped on the walls. Stolarski said children used to run up and down the hallway outside the clerk's office while staff interviewed their mothers—often in the hall. “That made it difficult for people to open up and feel safe,” said Stolarski. Now women have quiet and privacy as they tell their stories to the staff members and volunteers who handle intake at the attorney's tables facing the judge's bench. Those waiting for assistance can sit on the benches in the gallery. A small conference room adjoining the courtroom offers privacy for staff to photograph victims' injuries and record threatening voicemail messages to help women prove their cases. Most women come to Courtroom 6G for help filing for a protective order. But a woman is in the most danger when she leaves her abuser, said Solarski. Once there, the Safe Families Office also helps victims form a safety plan, get lodging in a shelter and handle any related legal issues such as child custody and getting out of a lease. “Many of our clients may have to leave their home abruptly,” said Stolarski, adding that she writes a lot of letters to landlords saying her client needs to get out of a lease fast and enclosing a copy of the protective order. Solarski said the bigger space has allowed AVLF to use a lot more volunteers—and add a paralegal, Toni C. Roberts, who joined the staff in May. Roberts had been volunteering for the domestic violence project through DLA Piper. When the firm laid her off last spring, she joined full time. Volunteer paralegals from Kilpatrick Stockton and Sutherland come by the courtroom twice a month to handle intake. Arnall Golden Gregory, Morris, Manning & Martin and DLA Piper have paralegals and lawyers on call for hearings every six weeks. King & Spalding donated all the electronics for the new space, including laptops. AVLF also is gaining two associates who've had their start dates deferred—one from Arnall Golden and one from DLA Piper—to help with intake, represent clients in court and handle divorces. Stolarski said plenty of lawyers and paralegals in the community are individually giving their time as well. To volunteer with AVLF's domestic violence project, contact Roberts at troberts@avlf.org. |