Webinar Archive: When Victims of Battering are Charged with Crimes
1 Background and Overview: Part 1 of 2
Webinar Date: June 20, 2018
Description
When victims of battering get arrested and face criminal charges, the criminal legal system labels them as “perpetrators” or “offenders.” They are often no longer seen as victims by people in the system, and even by some service providers. This webinar explores many of the common reasons that victims of battering get arrested, the unique challenges they face in the criminal legal system, difficulties they face trying to get assistance and services from victim service organizations, and safety risks they face as a result of being charged.
About the Presenters
Cindene Pezzell is the Legal Coordinator at the National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women (NCDBW). In addition to overseeing the Legal Team at NCDBW, she provides direct technical assistance to defense teams, and researches and develops legal materials. Cindene is an experienced trainer who develops and conducts training programs around the country on topics related to advocating for and defending charged and incarcerated victims of battering, including expert testimony on behalf of victims of battering. Prior to joining NCDBW, Cindene worked at the Defender Association of Philadelphia, representing indigent people charged with crimes. During her final year as a public defender, Cindene practiced exclusively in family court, providing criminal defense to people accused of crimes involving the violation of a civil protection order.
Suggested Participants
Anyone interested in learning more about victims of battering charged with crimes will benefit from these webinars. This may include community- and system-based advocates, criminal justice professionals, and other practitioners.
Click here to access recording. The PowerPoint (and any other documents from the webinar) is available by clicking here.
Funding for this project was made available through the US Department of Health and Human Services,
Grant #90EV0440. The viewpoints contained in this document are solely the responsibility of the author(s)
and do not represent the official views or policies of the department and do not in any way constitute an endorsement by the Department of Health and Human Services.