PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1445 PRINTER'S NO. 1540
No. 94 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY BRIGHTBILL, JUBELIRER, COSTA, HELFRICK, ULIANA,
O'PAKE, GERLACH, LAVALLE, SLOCUM, GREENLEAF, ROBBINS, MURPHY,
TOMLINSON, HOLL, TARTAGLIONE, SCHWARTZ AND LEMMOND,
OCTOBER 28, 1997
AMENDED, DECEMBER 9, 1997
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Urging the Supreme Court to establish training programs relating
2 to domestic violence.
3 WHEREAS, In 1996, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THERE WERE over <--
4 800,000 INCIDENTS IN WHICH Pennsylvanians were victims of <--
5 domestic violence, including approximately 3,400 victims of the
6 most serious violent offenses: murder, aggravated assault and
7 forcible rape; and
8 WHEREAS, Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury
9 among women and one of the leading causes of injury among
10 children; and
11 WHEREAS, Prosecution of domestic violence offenders is
12 oftentimes made more difficult by the existing familial
13 relationship between the victim and the offender; and
14 WHEREAS, It is the firm belief of the members of the General
15 Assembly that victims of domestic violence should be paid
16 particular deference by the criminal justice system because
17 domestic violence erodes the very foundation of our most basic
1 and cherished social unit, the Pennsylvania family; and
2 WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania State Police, the municipal police
3 officers of the various political subdivisions and the deputy
4 sheriffs of the various counties have established a formalized
5 training program on domestic violence issues; and
6 WHEREAS, The training received by the various law enforcement
7 officers of this Commonwealth serves as an invaluable tool in
8 assisting an officer in identification of the symptoms OF and <--
9 formulation of an appropriate response to, a domestic violence <--
10 incident; and
11 WHEREAS, Section 10(c) of Article V of the Constitution of
12 Pennsylvania provides that "[t]he Supreme Court shall have the
13 power to prescribe general rules governing practice, procedure
14 and the conduct of all courts, justices of the peace and all
15 officers serving process or enforcing orders, judgments or
16 decrees of any court or justice of the peace...and the
17 administration of all courts and supervision of all officers of
18 the Judicial Branch..."; and
19 WHEREAS, The Supreme Court currently does not require
20 justices, judges and district justices to undergo any formalized
21 training on domestic violence issues; therefore be it
22 RESOLVED (the House of Representatives concurring), That the
23 General Assembly strongly encourage the Supreme Court to
24 establish a formalized training requirement for justices,
25 judges, district justices and all relevant administrative
26 officers of the court COURTS on domestic violence issues. <--
J24L82MRD/19970S0094R1540 - 2 -