For Immediate Release  September 13, 2007   

                                         
Contact: Corey Welford/Meredith Lerner  617-679-6522
                                                                    

Leone Announces Creation Of Domestic Violence Unit

WINCHESTER – Citing the importance of a cohesive approach to preventing, investigating and prosecuting cases of domestic violence while also better serving victims, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone announced the creation of his office’s Domestic Violence Unit at a speech given to the members of a local domestic violence roundtable yesterday evening.

Leone announced the formation of the DV Unit during a speech to the Domestic Violence Roundtable in Winchester. The DV Unit will consist of a lead Assistant District Attorney, other designated prosecutors, and victim witness advocates. Cases of alleged domestic violence will be referred to the DV Unit for assessment and direction, with a vast majority of those cases then either handled within the unit or overseen by its supervisors.

“Instances of domestic violence have distinct and unique challenges both in the prosecution of those cases as well as in properly addressing the needs of victims,” District Attorney Leone said. “The DV Unit will assure that there is a consistency in how these cases are investigated and prosecuted, that victims receive the necessary services, and that we engage local police and community partners in effective training programs and strong prevention and intervention efforts.”

In his speech, Leone outlined the importance of the unit to the audience, highlighting three specific benefits. First, it will help provide consistency in the investigation and prosecution of domestic violence cases. Everything from charging decisions to the treatment of witnesses to performance at trials will be overseen by a highly-trained, specifically dedicated team of attorneys and advocates.

Second, the unit will help assure that the unique needs of domestic violence victims are being met. The DV unit will be the consistent point of contact for outside agencies and groups who work with victims, including domestic violence roundtables and victim service organizations.

Finally, the DV Unit will work with local police, community partners, and victim service organizations to engage in strong prevention and intervention efforts. The office will also offer comprehensive trainings to local police on the identification of instances of domestic violence, the investigation and prosecution of those cases, and the proper treatment of victims and witnesses of those crimes.

Leone named Assistant District Attorney Suzanne Kontz as the Chief of the Unit. Kontz is one of the senior prosecutors in the office and has prosecuted hundreds of cases of domestic violence. The lead victim witness advocate will be Shawn MacMaster, a highly-trained advocate with a long history of working with members of the domestic violence community. Both Kontz and MacMaster were in the audience and recognized by Leone in his speech.

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