Domestic Violence (DV) is consistently one of the most charged criminal offenses in Toledo and makes up on average more than 18% of the total criminal caseload in Toledo Municipal Court.

These cases are challenging to prosecute because they involve family or household relationships that, while abusive, may also include financial reliance, childcare assistance, and other social/emotional supports. Those complicated family dynamics, in addition to fear that is inherent to domestic violence, create many barriers to victims feeling safe or comfortable coming to court to testify against their abuser. Prosecutors’ offices nationwide have struggled to find best practices for DV prosecution that adequately balance offender accountability, victim safety, and the legal limitations in moving cases forward without victim testimony. The City of Toledo Prosecutor’s Office has attempted to address these challenges by implementing numerous variations of DV Units since 2013, but staffing the Unit with full-time prosecutors always proved difficult for a high-volume courthouse with many competing interests.

In 2023 that changed. Thanks to the City Law Director and Toledo City Council, funding was designated to make DV prosecution a priority and a new fully staffed unit was formed. Since 2023, Toledo has transformed how it prosecutes some of Toledo Municipal Court’s most complex and sensitive cases. By dedicating three full-time attorneys who are specially trained to prosecute DV cases, this office has brought deeper expertise and greater consistency to prosecutions that often hinge on complex evidence to proceed with or without victim testimony.

The current DV Unit reflects a more evidence-based approach to trying DV cases, which requires a lot of time to collect and review evidence. With three full-time DV prosecutors being assigned only DV cases, the structure of the new DV Unit allows these prosecutors the time they need to review 911 calls, body worn cameras from police, jail calls, and most importantly allows them the time and attention they need to spend with victims who do appear in court. It is essential that DV Prosecutors have time to discuss with victims their options and legal paths forward in a manner that respects their humanity. Having that time during busy, high-volume dockets, has traditionally been an enormous challenge in Toledo Municipal Court.

Strengthening Accountability

The primary purposes of the DV Unit are to hold abusers accountable, deter future violence, and secure outcomes that prioritize victim safety. DV convictions support these purposes and data suggests that this specialized focus is working. Since 2023, the office saw an increase in convictions for domestic violence charges, alongside a corresponding decrease in dismissals.

Additionally, the DV Unit has secured more convictions on “enhanceable” charges, which means abusers who reoffend face increased criminal penalties for further DV behavior. For example, if someone is convicted of the amended charge of Negligent Assault, that person could and should be charged with a felony if they commit Domestic Violence in the future. The goal is to interrupt patterns of abusive behaviors before they escalate further.

According to one DV Prosecutor: “Our hope is always that this is the last time the defendant will commit an act of domestic violence, but all too often that is not the case. By securing an enhanceable conviction, even if it is to something other than the cited domestic violence charge, we are creating scenarios where if and when the defendant commits a future act of domestic violence there can be even higher consequences in felony court. We do not want the behavior to persist, but if it does we want the potential penalties to escalate.”

Improving Efficiency

Domestic Violence cases are among the most difficult to navigate in the criminal justice system. Without focused attention these cases are often hampered by delays, and delays carry real consequences: victims may disengage or become harder to reach, and defendants may reoffend before a case reaches resolution. The DV Unit was designed to change that by creating a more responsive and efficient system for victims, attorneys, and the court. The DV Unit has a full-time secretary dedicated to preparing and providing discovery to defense counsel, which has decreased the amount of time it takes for DV cases to work through the system. The average and median time from filing to disposition has declined, meaning cases are reaching a conclusion more quickly than in previous years.

Addressing Victim Centered Services

The Toledo Prosecutor’s Office cannot do this work alone. The DV Unit is proud to partner with victim advocates from the Family & Child Abuse Prevention Center who provide vital support services to DV victims every day. The Toledo Municipal Court has created a waiting room for victims that helps to prevent contact between victims and defendants in court. The Prosecutor’s Office is very grateful to the Court for designating this area and making it as comfortable as possible for victims to wait for their cases to be called in a safe and relaxed space. These tools are extremely beneficial and effective in supporting the victims who are able to appear in court.

One DV Prosecutor said: “We have more time to speak with victims, make sure they are heard, and are given a voice. While we aren’t always completely aligned on how to proceed with the case, more and more victims are leaving court satisfied that they got to voice their concerns and were listened to.”

Domestic violence cases will never be easy to prosecute, but the data shows that by dedicating focused resources the Toledo City Prosecutor’s Office is building a faster, more effective system – one that holds offenders more accountable, moves cases forward more efficiently, and better serves the victims at the center of each case.