Topeka Decriminalizes Domestic Violence

[jimmy olsen]

Monstrous! 

http://www.fox4kc.com/news/wdaf-advocates-furious-after-topeka-county-da-refuse-to-prosecute-domestic-violence-cases-20110929,0,335903.story

TOPEKA, Kan.—
Domestic abuse advocates in Topeka are outraged after the Shawnee County District Attorney's Office said that they will no longer be prosecuting domestic violence cases, and now the city of Topeka is talking about repealing its anti-domestic violence law.

Shawnee County prosecutors, dealing with a 10 percent budget cut, told city officials that they will no longer prosecute misdemeanor cases, including domestic violence. The move has left domestic violence victim's advocate Claudine Dombrowski furious, saying that the move leaves victim caught in the middle.

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"It's appalling, it's disgusting," said Dombrowski. "A week after this started there were over 30 cases that had been dismissed because the county dropped it on the city, and the city says we can't do it."

Dombrowski says that she was the victim in a "misdemeanor" domestic abuse case 16 years ago - a crowbar strike to the head left her with 24 stitches and two broken wrists. Now, she worries that nothing is being done to protect victims.

"They need to invest in headstones, because these women are going to end up in cemeteries," said Dombrowski.

In an apparent attempt to force the county to prosecute the misdemeanor cases, the city wants to repeal its domestic violence ordinance. The city council will vote on the issue next Tuesday.

"The city of Topeka just said domestic violence is legal and you can beat your wife," said Dombrowski.

Neither the Topeka interim city manager nor the Shawnee County district attorney would talk to FOX 4 about the conflict. The interim city manager had agreed to talk, but then backed out after learning that FOX 4 was talking to Dombrowski.

"No matter how political you want to be, or you want to play hardball with peoples lives, how can you in good conscious say it's okay to repeal domestic battery as a crime in the city of Topeka just so you can get out of prosecuting them," said Dombrowski. "I'm terrified for these women."

[11B4V]

They will change their minds quickly and in short order Tim. No worries.

[Ideologue]

"The city of Topeka just said domestic violence is legal and you can beat your wife," said Dombrowski.

No they didn't.  Unless they've lifted assault and battery laws as well, which means Topeka ho!

[Neil]

"The city of Topeka just said domestic violence is legal and you can beat your wife," said Dombrowski.

No they didn't.  Unless they've lifted assault and battery laws as well, which means Topeka ho!

To be fair, she's a women's rights type.  She's sort of an idiot.

[garbon]

"The city of Topeka just said domestic violence is legal and you can beat your wife," said Dombrowski.

No they didn't.  Unless they've lifted assault and battery laws as well, which means Topeka ho!

Weren't such laws enacted though because of the tendency of police not to make arrests in such cases?

http://www.policefoundation.org/pdf/minneapolisdve.pdf

[Ideologue]

"The city of Topeka just said domestic violence is legal and you can beat your wife," said Dombrowski.

No they didn't.  Unless they've lifted assault and battery laws as well, which means Topeka ho!

Weren't such laws enacted though because of the tendency of police not to make arrests in such cases?

http://www.policefoundation.org/pdf/minneapolisdve.pdf

Yeah, in part.  Although the prosecution of CDVs strikes me as more of a societal sea change the mechanical application of black letter law.  And in any event, it's a far cry from decriminalizing it, unless, again, they also attached an amendment to their A + B statute.

You know what else is weird?  I can't speak for Kansas, but I know in SC, the CDV laws were enacted at a state level, not as local laws.  Oh, wait, I looked it up!  Kansas, shock of shocks, did too.  So unless the Kansas state legislature repealed Sec. 21-3412a (I don't know how to cite Kansas code), CDV is still pretty illegal.

[Razgovory]

That's nothing.  Missouri made rape legal for a while, till someone noticed the screw up.

[Neil]

The prosecutor isn't saying what's legal or what isn't.  He doesn't have the authority to make that determination.  He's a mere lawyer, and as such is pure evil.

What he's saying is that he isn't going to prosecute certain things, which is probably misconduct of some sort.

[Martinus]

Is Kansas the most shithole state of the US or are there worse?

[Brazen]

Is Kansas the most shithole state of the US or are there worse?

They have anti-abortion Bible quotes lined up in fields along the road. Just sayin'

[Neil]

Is Kansas the most shithole state of the US or are there worse?

It's still better than Warsaw.  You're not even a person.

But yes, there are shittier.  Ohio.  Alabama.  Massachusetts.  New Hampshire.  Illionois.  Michigan is roughly equal in shittiness.

[Neil]

Is Kansas the most shithole state of the US or are there worse?

They have anti-abortion Bible quotes lined up in fields along the road. Just sayin'

Crazy Christian lunatics still make better neighbours than most Americans though.  Just imagine what it would be like to live near some criminal blacks or Mexicans.   Imagine if Siegebreaker were stalking your streets, looking for young girls to abuse.  Imagine if CdM was your neighbour, and he was always throwing unpunched wargames and punched prostitutes in your backyard.  Think about how you would feel to wake up every morning to the dulcet tones of Berkut screaming into a megaphone that you're a liar.

[DGuller]

Is Kansas the most shithole state of the US or are there worse?

They have anti-abortion Bible quotes lined up in fields along the road. Just sayin'

Crazy Christian lunatics still make better neighbours than most Americans though.  Just imagine what it would be like to live near some criminal blacks or Mexicans.   Imagine if Siegebreaker were stalking your streets, looking for young girls to abuse.  Imagine if CdM was your neighbour, and he was always throwing unpunched wargames and punched prostitutes in your backyard.  Think about how you would feel to wake up every morning to the dulcet tones of Berkut screaming into a megaphone that you're a liar.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Seeds is already packed and on his way.

[Ideologue]

I want a megaphone too.