By Thompson                                           H.C.R. No. 27
       74R3259 PAN-D
                                 CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
    1-1        WHEREAS, Recent studies indicate that domestic violence is a
    1-2  growing problem in Texas; in 1993 alone, reported incidents of
    1-3  family violence exceeded 155,000, and 38 percent of the 161 women
    1-4  who were slain in Texas were killed by their male partners; and
    1-5        WHEREAS, Between 1993 and 1995, 62 shelters for victims of
    1-6  domestic violence will share a state-funded, biennial budget of
    1-7  $18.1 million, further illustrating the enormous costs associated
    1-8  with this devastating human tragedy; and
    1-9        WHEREAS, Though measures designed to address the issues
   1-10  relating to domestic violence continue to be enacted each
   1-11  legislative session, the complexity of the problem requires
   1-12  continual evaluation to ensure that family violence cases are
   1-13  handled in the most effective manner possible; and
   1-14        WHEREAS, The U.S. Attorney General's Task Force on Family
   1-15  Violence recently found that "judges should not underestimate their
   1-16  ability to influence the defendant's behavior and that even a stern
   1-17  admonishment from the judge can help to deter the defendant from
   1-18  future violence"; and
   1-19        WHEREAS, Research conducted by the National Institute of
   1-20  Justice determined that a court's response to family violence can
   1-21  contribute to either the decline or escalation of violence within
   1-22  the family; given these findings, it is imperative that members of
   1-23  the judiciary be well trained in the dynamics of domestic violence
   1-24  and how to address this critical issue fairly and properly; and
    2-1        WHEREAS, The National Judicial Education on Domestic Violence
    2-2  Project has developed a model curriculum to aid in the instruction
    2-3  of judges nationwide to help them gain a greater understanding of
    2-4  the issues relating to family violence; through this program,
    2-5  judges may examine societal beliefs that influence judicial
    2-6  fact-finding and review current statutes and case law governing the
    2-7  handling of domestic violence criminal cases; and
    2-8        WHEREAS, Although judges in Texas are currently required to
    2-9  receive judicial training related to family violence, the adoption
   2-10  of a standardized curriculum for judges involved in handling such
   2-11  cases would eliminate inconsistencies of procedure that may exist
   2-12  in Texas while demonstrating that the state is committed to ending
   2-13  the tremendous suffering and pain associated with this tragic
   2-14  problem; now, therefore, be it
   2-15        RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas
   2-16  hereby request the Texas Center for the Judiciary, Inc., to base
   2-17  its required judicial training on domestic violence on curriculum
   2-18  contained in Domestic Violence:  The Crucial Role of the Judge in
   2-19  Criminal Court Cases (A National Model for Judicial Education), as
   2-20  developed by the National Judicial Education on Domestic Violence
   2-21  Advisory Committee under the auspices of the National Council of
   2-22  Juvenile and Family Court Judges; and, be it further
   2-23        RESOLVED, That judicial training on family violence include
   2-24  discussions with victims of domestic violence, perpetrators of
   2-25  domestic violence, and counselors or victim advocates experienced
   2-26  in the area of domestic violence; and, be it further
   2-27        RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official
    3-1  copy of this resolution to the Texas Center for the Judiciary, Inc.