- Law enforcement officials say holding abusers accountable presents a very specific set of challenges.
- Police say domestic violence calls are unpredictable, hard to investigate, and can be quite dangerous.
- Jackson County Prosecutor Kelsey Guernsey says legal consequences can vary greatly depending especially on a victim's willingness to participate in legal proceedings.
- WATCH Guernsey and Blackman Township Public Safety Director Darin McIntosh discuss the legal challenges of holding perpetrators of domestic violence accountable.
"'Domestics' are especially difficult because you really are dealing with a totally different set of emotions, and they're completely unpredictable," says McIntosh.
It was eye-opening to hear the kinds of difficulties law enforcement officials face when called to the scene of alleged domestic violence.
"By the time police arrive on scene, you know, especially if your perpetrator has knowledge that 911's been called and police are about to arrive, we often see that stories have changed," says McIntosh.
Prosecutor Kelsey Guernsey presented on how things look from the prosecutor's standpoint...
"I think it's absurd that you can assault your wife three times before it becomes a felony," she said...
...and, what it takes to actually be held accountable in a court of law for instances of domestic violence.
"You know, we work very, very hard to bring that victim in," she said, "and we try a lot of domestic violence cases in Jackson."
We also heard from keynote speaker Tanesha Ash-Shakoor, who is a survivor and says that the legal system can be too easy on those abusers.
County Prosecutor Kelsey Guernsey explained that, on the one hand, the law is there to provide justice, but, at the same time, it's sometimes difficult to get victims to speak if they feel that the legal consequences will be very dramatic, for, say, a partner.
"It's a balancing act," says Guernsey, "and, honestly, it's a lot led by the victim and the facts of each case, you know....so we have maybe a victim not so willing to participate, who maybe one of these lower on the continuum is better to get some services in the home."
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