Womens Legal Resource

Posted By womenslegal on July 3, 2009

Many victims of Domestic Violence and other violent crimes have been turned away from their own state or local coalitions. Survivors In Action has created a petition for Domestic Violence Reform.  Please support those victims who were turned away and who lost their lives because they didn’t get the help they needed and sign the petition:

SIGN THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REFORM PETITION HERE

Don’t let these victims die in vain, let’s take a stand to have the laws changed in the way victims are treated and served.

Category: Child custody, Murder, Rape, Sexual Assault, Stalking, Teen Violence, Thought For The Day, domestic violence, exploited children | No Comments »
Tags: Attorney General Eric Holder, Department of Justice, domestic violence, DV Reform, OVC, Survivors in Action, Womens Legal Resource

Posted By womenslegal on July 1, 2009

The experience of the family law court system is brutal and with having to personally experience this one more time, I want to stress to those women who are in the trenches right now, don’t give up, see it to the end, there is relief.

I sat in the court room last week and watched the judge as he calls the cases and I am intrigued more and more, he doesn’t read any of the documents prior to calling the cases on calendar. What is most disturbing is that you will have to explain what is going on and get him up to speed about the case and often, the judge becomes frustrated when the parties are battling it out, especially if there are attorneys involved.

I watch his demeanor with the lawyers and how he interacts with them, which gives me a heads up on his mood. I observe how his hair is styled, which also tells me a lot about if he was running late that morning. I watch and listen very carefully to the parties representing themselves and how he treats them, which gives me another heads up as to how I will go before him to plead my case; under the assumption, that he has reviewed the documents I just filed with his clerk prior to court being called. The judge looks disheveled.  Great!

I continue to listen as the judge goes through his list, anticipating when he will call my case. For me, my heart pounds so fast, it feels as though it will pop right out of my chest. Going to court no matter who you are, provokes anxiety, I even see anxiety on the faces of some of the seasoned lawyers, which makes me laugh. What is really entertaining are the female attorney’s who dress like little old ladies, their hair is frumpy, their shoes are worn and they are very loud, trying to overcompensate with the amount testosterone in the room. Ahh! Family Law attorneys.

Since I’m the plaintiff, I sit on the left hand side of the court room. I never glance to the right of me where my ex-husband sits with his attorney, I can only hear their loud voices, their hope is to try and intimidate me. I have become very wise to the tricks over the past six years and it reminds me of how childish and foolish they appear, I smile to myself and take a deep breath.

The judge just finished with a case and he became agitated as one of the parties’ didn’t like what he had to say and was running out of the court room before the judge excused him. Great, I mutter to myself, watch him call my case next, I am screwed.

Then all of a sudden, “on the XXXX matter, what is this all about?”  I stood up not knowing if I should approach the bench, then the bailiff motioned me over. I placed my file on the table and I said, “good morning your honor as did my ex’s attorney.” The ex and his attorney are standing strong as if they are about to divide and conquer, the ex has this soft voice almost like peter pan and his attorney thinks he is bad to the bone. Ahh! The Victim role. It’s so phony, it makes me want to puke, but nevertheless, I proceed by serving his attorney with my declaration, just like how the pros do it and he never takes his eye off the judge.

I got him!

He was uncomfortable, because he knew I wasn’t fooling around which meant I knew what I was doing.

Let the games commence.

The legal dance is fascinating, almost comical and for some scary. I already learned my lesson with my ex’s previous attorney and wasn’t going to fall prey to that again. The judge says, “This is a restraining order, is that correct?” I spoke up quickly, “yes, your honor.” The judge continues by directing his question to my ex and his attorney by saying, “there’s a criminal case pending in Los Angeles County, is that correct?” The attorney replies, “Yes there is your honor and we need to continue this case, as Mr. XXXX is set to go to trial next month.” I interject by saying, “I don’t want to continue this hearing your honor, I want to deal with this today and I don’t want to have to return one more time for this restraining order.” The attorney interrupts with, “your honor, he didn’t do it, he is innocent, there is no need for this restraining order, the defendant just wants to see his daughter and if she doesn’t want to come back, drop the criminal charges against my client.”

Listening to this, my heart starts to pound harder, oh no I say to myself, and with my reflex, I say, “excuse me your honor; he made criminal threats to kill me, my family and take my daughter away from me. He wants to see his daughter, well he screwed that up himself by disappearing for seven months, then out of the blue, he calls, makes his threats and wants to see his daughter. No! He doesn’t even pay child support, he owes $11,000.00.” “She owes my client, $16,000.00 and refuses to pay it.” The attorney proclaims. “Enough! Commands the judge, I take it your client pleads the fifth today, is that correct?” My ex replies in that peter pan voice, “Yes, I plead the fifth.” Done, the judge states, Ms. XXXX this hearing will be continued until September, the relief you get is that the restraining order will be re-issued and will remain in full force and effect, is that all right with you?” “Yes, your honor.”

What just happened?

The judge did not review the case nor did he review my declaration that I filed with his clerk, if that were the case, the judge would have ruled on the restraining order and it would have been made permanent. The judge clearly did not want to be bothered with it. He was short, unprepared and frustrated. He must have been running late that morning. Instead, the attorney was hoping I would negotiate with him and drop the criminal charges against my ex as he stated above, “If she doesn’t want to come back, have her drop the criminal charges against my client.” It’s a game and if you watch what happens in court with the judge and the attorney’s you become more aware of the legal tactic.

Judges for the most part don’t read the case before them. Judges rely on the attorney’s to make them aware of the status of a case. What happens when the parties are acting in pro se? Then what? It’s the judge’s civil responsibility as an officer of the court to review the case and listen for the facts and then proceed with a ruling. However, that doesn’t happen. I think this is terribly wrong and does not follow judicial protocol.

The judge is to hear both sides, review all documents and based on what was presented before him or her; make a decision based on the facts and the law. I hear about cases that were simply tried inappropriately, mine for one, and I believe those cases should be reviewed and charges of judicial misconduct be brought against those judges who simply refuse to follow the law.

Family Law Reform.

If your case is not handled properly and you feel that you are not being treated fairly, file a complaint. Don’t allow yourself to fall prey to a miscarriage of justice, take a stand and take action.

If you need help, contact Women’s Legal Resource and Survivors In Action, advocates are there to help you.

Category: Child Support, Child custody, Divorce, Family Law, Headline News, domestic violence | 1 Comment »
Tags: Child Support, Custody, domestic violence, Family Law Reform, Judicial Misconduct, Pro Se, restraining orders, Survivors in Action, Ventura Superior Court, Womens Legal Resource

Posted By womenslegal on June 25, 2009

In the past year of trying to reach out and get assistance from state funded DV organizations set up to help victims, I have first been ignored, then referred to someone else, then that person eventually passes the buck and sends me in a vicious circle, unable to assist me, never really addressing my issues.

One clear example I can give in my situation is with the NYS Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence.  This agency is a state run office that assists victims and provides referrals.  In the past 7 months I have been in contact with a representative from the office who has either ignored my questions, passed me off to someone else who could not assist me in my county, or answered questions I did not ask to change the subject and avoid certain conversations. The problem is, I am already used to being passed off as a victim of DV, I am used to being ignored, referred to places I already know cannot assist me, and I am used to someone passing the buck, I am used to this circle of re-victimization. Unfortunately, this is common among DV agencies, the OPDV is not the only organization to blame.

Each and every agency is well stocked with pamphlets, they are armed with every last hotline you can think of, they can list shelters off the tops of their heads for victims to run to, they are well versed in safety plans, and exit plans, and warning signs of abuse, and they have great advice like “fill out a Crimes Victims Board application!”, but to this day, only one small organization has provided me with actual funds so that I could seek medical treatments.  Being a victim of domestic violence, and also an advocate for DV reform at the same time, brings me to a point where I must ask a question.

What are these offices providing, what are these organizations providing, besides information I can easily obtain through a simple Internet search?  From being in contact with the Office for the Prevention of DV for 7 months, I have found that most of the work day on their end seems to be an evasion of issues through long email messages back to me. I find this to be true with Coalitions and other DV organizations that “claim” to help innocent victims of DV as well, no one is getting this right.  No one is paying attention to the truth, which is, DV organizations and programs are failing victims.  It’s a powerful statement, but from my experience, which has been like pulling teeth, I find this statement to be true.  And even when I address this exact issue with DV organizations/programs that have failed me, they evade the truth and write around my question, again wasting my time and hoping I go away.

When are DV organizations going to stop ignoring, stop referring, stop passing the buck because it’s easy?  When are DV organizations going to help victims, by using funding for the victims and not to fund these positions that are unnecessary and not helpful?  I don’t need someone listing shelters out of a phone book, giving me hotlines numbers, referring me to agencies that aren’t prepared to help me, I need real people helping me tackle real problems, I need real advocates that have one primary goal, which is to stop passing the buck and assist a victim from start to finish.

We are victims and we need help from those who claim to assist, those who are getting paid to help us from start to finish, those who are in positions to make a difference.  This process must end, referrals must end, and people from DV organizations must step up and follow up.

Regan Martin

Claudia Valenciana

Heather Thompson

Written by Maria Phelps

Category: Headline News, Uncategorized, domestic violence | No Comments »
Tags: Claudia Valenciana, domestic violence, Domestic Violence Reform, Maria Phelps, Regan Martin, Survivors in Action, Womens Legal Resource

Posted By womenslegal on June 22, 2009

Survivors In Action, Inc. the leading national Crime Victims advocacy organization for all victims of crime is asking all victims that have been re-victimized by their local or State Domestic Violence Coalitions to sign their petition for Domestic Violence Reform.

Victims reaching out to these coalitions like the Coalition to end Family Violence in Oxnard, CA are turned away with little or no hope of getting assistance. Claudia Valenciana, a former Ventura County Sheriff’s deputy reached out to the Coalition to end Family Violence and was refused help (see our blog post http://www.womenslegalresource.com/blog/archives/1446 ). Claudia’s Attorney called on her behalf and was turned away as well.  Valenciana, during her career responded to Domestic Violence calls and would often hand out pamphlets from end Family Violence to victims for help. I can’t believe they refused to help me, states Valenciana, what happened to all the women I referred to that organization, what happened to them?

Organizations like the Coalition to end Family Violence are federally funded by the Department of Justice to assist victims of domestic violence, so if they are turning away victims, where is the money going? These questions need to be answered and the only way this will take place if we the people take action and hold them accountable. Reform is the only answer, Domestic Violence Reform is the only solution, get active, get involved, sign the petition and let’s fight together for the solution.

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/petitions/201?m=cbac88bc

Category: domestic violence | No Comments »
Tags: Claudia Valenciana, Coalition to End Family Violence, domestic violence, Domestic Violence Reform, Facebook, Survivors in Action

Posted By womenslegal on June 18, 2009

Cyberstalking is a growing criminal epidemic, and even victim advocates like me are not immune. Luckily today both traditional stalking and cyberstalking crimes are becoming more well known  and prosecuted vigorously in many jurisdictions including Southern California.

If you have a restraining order in place cyberstalking crimes are often classified as a violation of the order of protection and add additional charges to any pending criminal case. In Louisiana for example a deputy sheriff   

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/05/former_st_john_parish_deputy_c.html

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/05/plea_lets_exst_john_the_baptis.html

http://www.wdsu.com/video/19543053/index.html

was even ordered to stay off the net by prosecutors and ordered not to monitor or post comments to any web sites or blogs regarding the victim. Alexis A. Moore a privacy consultant and cyberstalking expert recommends that the public be vigilant in safeguarding themselves from a cyberstalking attack.

One way victims can record and log cyberstalking evidence is through the use of a web counter. Web counters are free technological tools that monitor the traffic to web sites and provide prosecutors with the evidence that they need to prosecute and convict cyberstalking and violations of protective orders.

Women’s Legal is aware of hundreds of success stories involving domestic violence and stalking victims within the past 6 months nationally who have successfully convicted stalkers and batterers by utilizing web counters on their professional and personal blogs and web sites.

No one should have to live or work in fear, and today thanks to Women’s Legal Resource and my involvement with Survivors In Action “No Victim will be Left Behind”.

To learn more about stalking and cyberstalking visit  the San Diego County District Attorney’s office, they are recognized nationally as the leader in prosecuting stalking cases and the Stalking unit is a valuable resource for information. If you are a victim of stalking or cyberstalking please visit SurvivorsInAction.com to learn more.

Alexis A. Moore

Category: Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tags: Add new tag, alexis a. moore, Cyberstalking, Nick Fratiani, Rachel Solov, Randi Rosen, van nuys criminal court division, Ventura County Superior Court, Womens Legal Resource

Posted By womenslegal on June 16, 2009

Category: Family Law, Headline News, Uncategorized, domestic violence, exploited children | No Comments »
Tags: child abuse, Children victims of crime, Court and Crime, Dogs, domestic violence, Family Law, King County, MENTAL HEALTH, Service Dogs, Survivors in Action, Womens Legal Reosurce

Posted By womenslegal on June 15, 2009

The CEO and chairman of HBO was arrested on May 7, 2009 for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend outside a Las Vegas hotel. Albrecht, 54, was nabbed in the valet parking lot of the MGM Grand hotel at about 3 AM, hours after the conclusion of the boxing match between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr., according to Las Vegas police. Albrecht was in town for the fight, which was broadcast on pay-per-view by HBO. The TV executive was arrested for suspicion of assault, a misdemeanor, and booked into the Clark County Detention Center, where this mug shot was snapped. He was released from jail early that afternoon.

Source: Smoking Gun

Category: Headline News, domestic violence | 1 Comment »
Tags: Celebrity Violence, Clark County, domestic violence, HBO, Las Vegas, Oscar Del La Hoya, Pay Per View, Survivors in Action, Womens Legal Resource

Posted By womenslegal on June 12, 2009

Claudia Valenciana is a domestic violence victim who at the time was a Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputy.  On March 2, 2009, during a violent altercation with Perez, Valenciana, acting in self-defense,  stabbed Perez, which resulted in his death. In search warrant documents, Ventura police Detective Sarah Starr stated that Perez and Valenciana had numerous domestic violence incidents during their 18-month relationship, and “domestic violence may have played a role in Perez’s death.” Starr said she observed bruises on Valenciana’s wrists, forearms, biceps, thigh and shoulder when she interviewed her March 2.  For two years, Valenciana was verbally and physically abuse by her fiance, Robert Perez, Jr.  Valenciana began dating Perez in September 2007, about two months into the relationship, Perez was arrested following a domestic disturbance that involved a women from a prior relationship that led to a standoff with Ventura police.  Sheriff’s officials ordered Valenciana to cut ties with Perez after her own violent encounter with Perez and the police were called to her home in April 2008.

Domestic violence is very common with law enforcement personnel and predominately are male offenders and the victims are the wives or girlfriends of police officers. Valenciana said she was embarrassed about being abused because she was a peace officer, and she feared that even if she left Perez, he would follow her.

Shame is very common with many if not all  domestic violence victims and what is surprising is that the Ventura County Sheriffs Department  had no obvious workplace violence training on what appropriate intervention steps could have been taken to ensure Valenciana’s safety and job security. No one should ever be in jeopardy of being fired from their job because of being a victim of violence. It’s just not ethical or moral and the shame Valenciana worried about was already placed upon her by her own employer.

During the relationship, Valenciana apparently reached out to the Coalition to End Family Violence in Oxnard for help and advice and was told that they were not interested in helping her; apparently thinking that a woman who appeared capable of defending herself from her attacker could not be a victim of domestic violence. Maybe now they will realize that women who appear strong on the surface, women in professions that are traditionally male dominated, like police officers or firefighters can be abused. The Coalition knows this to be a fact. It doesn’t matter what socio-economic status a woman comes from, abuse is abuse. These Coalitions are Federally funded by the Department of Justice and receive grants to help women who are victims of domestic violence, they had no business turning Valenciana away or denying her services because she was a peace officer.  If these Coalitions are getting grants, where is the money going? Who is holding these organizations accountable for their actions?

In a previous article one organization stated “its rare, however,  for a district attorney to not file charges in a case involving a woman suspected of killing her abuser, said Tara Shabazz, executive director of the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence. “I would like to believe it has to do with them really looking at the context of violence, and that’s what we would like prosecutors to do,” Shabazz said.  What about how Valenciana was turned away when she reached out for help?  The CPEDV never made a statement about that. Who is going to go on record and take responsibility for that?  The CPEDV’s reputation is known to advocate for the offenders of violence instead of  the victims of domestic violence and the partnership is also federally funded. I haven’t found an organization in Ventura county that actually helps victims of violence and this seems to be the trend lately, more and more victims are coming forward with their complaints. If these organizations can’t help victims of domestic violence, then close your doors and allow other organizations who are helping dv victims get the funding they need to continue their help.  By turning victims away, you are signing their death sentence.

Category: Headline News, domestic violence | No Comments »
Tags: Claudia Valenciana, Coalition to End Family Violence, CPEDV, domestic violence, Law enforcement, peace officers, Survivors in Action, Ventura County, Ventura County Sheriffs Department, Ventura County Superior Court, Womens Legal Resource

Posted By womenslegal on June 11, 2009

Join Taking Action Radio and host Alexis A. Moore and a panel of experts on the subject of stalking, Thursday, June 11th at 6:30 PM PST 9:30 PM Eastern. This is a show that you should not miss!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Alexis-A-Moore

Call-in Number: (347) 838-8939

Guests include:

Dr. Steve Albrecht, PHR.CPP

Sgt. Mark J. Wojnarek, Montgomery County Sheriffs Office

Rachel Solov, Deputy District Attorney, San Diego, CA

ABOUT DR. STEVE ALBRECHT, PHR, CPP

As a trainer, speaker, author, and consultant, Dr. Steve Albrecht is internationally recognized for his expertise in high-risk HR issues. He provides consulting services, coaching, and training seminars in workplace violence prevention, sexual harassment prevention, drug and alcohol awareness, team building, conflict resolution, customer service, and time and stress management.

He serves as a contract trainer for the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority and the CSAC-Excess Insurance Authority. Steve works frequently with city and county government agencies in California. He specializes in helping taxpayer-contact employees deal with difficult or angry people; team building with fire departments; and safety and security programs for library employees.

In 1994, Dr. Albrecht co-wrote Ticking Bombs: Defusing Violence in the Workplace, one of the first business books on workplace violence. Besides his work as a conference presenter and keynote speaker, he appears in the media and on the Internet, as a source on workplace violence, security, crime, and terrorism. His 15 business and police books include Tough Training Topics; Tactical Perfection for Street Cops; Added Value Negotiating; Service, Service, Service!; Fear and Violence on the Job; Streetwork; and Contact and Cover.

Dr. Albrecht holds a B.A. in English, an M.A. in Security Management, and a doctoral degree in Business Administration (D.B.A.). He has been a trainer for over 22 years and is certified as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and as a Certified Protection Professional (CPP) by the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS). He has received over 48 hours training in Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) and is a certified hypnotherapist.

Steve has been a Course Leader for the American Management Association since 1996, teaching HR and supervision seminars. He is an adjunct business professor for the College of Extended Studies at Cal Sate Fullerton and San Diego State. He also teaches at USC, Chapman University, and Grossmont College.

He is the San Diego Chapter president for the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP). He is a founding member of the San Diego District Attorney’s Stalking Case Assessment Team and the San Diego ATAP Chapter in 1998. He retired from the San Diego Police Department, where he had worked from 1984 to 1999, both as a fulltime officer and later as a reserve sergeant.

9528 Miramar Road #270, San Diego, CA 92126 619-445-4735 drsteve@drstevealbrecht.com

# # # #
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office

Criminal Investigations Division

Commander

Special Victims Unit/Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Unit

Crime Scene Unit

Sgt. Mark J. Wojnarek

Professional Biography

Sgt. Mark Wojnarek knew from a very young age, being the son of a police officer, that law enforcement would be his career. The badge he wears is of great importance to Wojnarek as he proudly and very willingly puts his life on the line to protect and serve. He considers putting on his badge as he prepares for duty very symbolic and a daily reminder of the protection he is charged with providing those who need it.

Today, as Commander for the Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit and Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit, he supervises three criminal investigators, a deputy sheriff unit coordinator, two civilian court coordinators, an attorney and three civilian volunteers. Hesitant to consider himself a supervisor, Wojnarek strives to be an ambitious leader who patiently teaches and guides his staff. He is quick to praise and give credit where credit is due and disciplines constructively when necessary. Wojnarek is recognized by his staff as being a supportive leader who wants those around him to succeed. He believes putting together a diverse, intelligent, self-motivated group is critical for a team to be successful.

Wojnarek has been with the Montgomery County Tennessee Sheriff’s Office since 2001. His law enforcement career began in 1997 with the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office; he also worked for the Robertson County Sheriff’s Office where he was in charge of jail training. Wojnarek, now 32, was a sergeant before age 30 - an achievement many law enforcement officers attain much later in their careers.

A successful grant writer, Wojnarek has brought in more than one million dollars in federal and state grants to assist in combating violent crimes in Clarksville, Montgomery County, Tennessee. One of his most important grants was that from the State of Tennessee which created a new position of Domestic Violence Enforcement Officer (DOVE). This grant was followed by a second that funded an additional domestic violence enforcement officer. Next, Wojnarek collaborated on a federal grant writing project that would set in motion the establishment of a centralized Domestic Violence Unit. A grant from the U.S. Department of Justice established the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (DVSA) Unit, and a grant from the Office of Criminal Justice Projects established the Special Victims Unit as a specialized function of the DVSA. Under Wojnarek’s leadership, the impact of this unit is as enormous as it is positive. The unit boasts a rapid response time and a caring atmosphere which promotes empowerment to the clients they serve. The unit handles cases ranging from simple misdemeanors to domestic related homicides.

Wojnarek is a certified field training officer and has graduated from the Davidson County Sheriff’s Training Academy, the Tennessee Corrections Institute, Tennessee Law Enforcement Officers Training Academy and a special session of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC). He is a certified crime scene technician having completed course work at the Sirchie Law Enforcement Training Center. He serves as a member of both the Montgomery County Death Review Team and the Montgomery County Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Team.

Wojnarek firmly believes in civic responsibility having recently graduated from Leadership Clarksville, a year-long program that focuses on virtually each and every aspect of life in Clarksville/Montgomery County. He conducts classes on criminal investigation and crime scene forensics that are open to the public. He has facilitated law enforcement training seminars to judges, attorneys, teachers, military personnel and emergency responders. He created and now directs the Sheriff’s Office internship program for Austin Peay State University and Draughons Junior College students.

His awards and accolades, as well as his numerous training experiences, are on the local, state, regional and national levels. His training credits include: crimes against women, grant writing, anti-terrorism, defensive tactics, hazardous materials, financial management, forensic science, coordination of military and civilian response to domestic violence, stalking, electronic surveillance and jail issues.

# # # #

RACHEL SOLOV

DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY IV

SAN DIEGO DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

(619) 531-4207

Rachel.Solov@sdcda.org

Rachel Solov has been a deputy district attorney since 1999. She currently is assigned to the Sex Crimes and Stalking Division, where she is the sole prosecutor assigned to prosecute all female-victim domestic violence stalking cases that occur in the county of San Diego. This position is partially funded by a VAWA Vertical Prosecution Grant. Ms. Solov has been prosecuting felony cases since 2000. Highlights include guilty verdicts on a special circumstance murder case (People v. Gabriel Bradway) and a multiple count one strike sexual assault case that was featured on NBC’s Crime and Punishment. (People v. Joseph Villarino) Gabriel Bradway was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Joseph Villarino was sentenced in excess of 200 years to life. Both of these cases featured stalking behavior prior to the commission of the crimes.

Additionally, Ms. Solov prosecuted James Joseph Cain for the stalking and murder of his ex-girlfriend, Judith Phillips. This was a death penalty case which received national attention. The defendant pled guilty prior to trial and was sentenced to life without parole plus an additional 30 years.

In 2003, Ms. Solov authored “Closing Argument in DUI Cases” for the California District Attorneys Association’s 2003 version of its Driving Under the Influence Prosecution manual. Ms. Solov served as president of the San Diego Chapter of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals from February 2005 to February 2009, and she is the coordinator of San Diego’s Stalking Case Assessment Team. This is a multi-disciplinary approach to assessing and managing threat and stalking cases.

Ms. Solov routinely provides training to law enforcement in the area of stalking and threat assessment. For the past five years, Ms. Solov has taught The Law of Threats for the California District Attorney’s Association’s (CDAA) Domestic Violence and Stalking Symposium. For the past four years, Ms. Solov has been an instructor for CDAA’s Trial Advocacy course. She has taught Prosecuting Stalking Cases, and has presented for the Arizona Chapter and the Northern California Chapter of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals, as well as for the Association’s Annual Threat Management Conference.

Most recently, she and San Diego’s Stalking Unit were featured in a BBC special on stalking entitled Murder in Slow Motion. This aired March 12, 2007, in the United Kingdom. She has also provided commentary for CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360.

Ms. Solov graduated from the University of San Diego School of Law in May 1998, where she was the Executive Editor of the Law Review. While attending law school, Ms. Solov interned at both the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and the California Attorney General’s San Diego Office.

In 1995, Ms. Solov graduated Cum Laude with a major in Political Science from San Diego State University. While attending San Diego State University, she volunteered with the San Diego District Attorney’s Office Victims of Crime Unit, specifically working with victims of domestic abuse. Additionally, Ms. Solov served as Vice President of the Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society, and served on the San Diego State University Honors Council.

Category: Headline News | 1 Comment »
Tags: alexis a. moore, cybercrimes, Cyberstalking, district attorney, domestic violence, Stalking, Survivors in Action, Womens Legal Resource

Posted By womenslegal on June 9, 2009

Andrew Diorio, 41, was ordered by a DuPage County judge Tuesday to wear a GPS ankle bracelet for at least the next year and to stay away from the woman. He also got 30 months of probation.

Diorio pleaded guilty to stalking the woman at her home and her Lombard business and on the streets of both communities. He was indicted last year on 36 counts of stalking stemming from six instances from January through April 2008. Diorio was hiding in the woman’s bushes near her residence, following the woman in his car, to hidding around her place of business. If Dorio gets within 1,000 feet of the woman, she will be notified as well as the police.

This is very important for Stalkers to know, the GPS tracker never lies and knows where you are and it will be hard to claim, “I thought it was my girlfriends car.”

Source: Chicago Tribune

Category: Headline News, domestic violence | No Comments »
Tags: domestic violence, GPS, stalkers, stalking crimes