Overview

Judge Kluger

New York State’s Domestic Violence Courts adjudicate criminal offenses involving intimate partners. Essential features of DV Courts include: a dedicated judge; specially trained staff; resource coordination; on-site victim advocacy; and collaboration with technical assistance teams.

New York’s Domestic Violence ("DV") Courts have been developed as part of the justice system’s coordinated response to domestic violence. Dedicated to enhancing victim safety and holding offenders accountable, DV Courts facilitate access to needed services, ensure intensive judicial monitoring and promote increased coordination between the court, community stakeholders and victim services providers.

Building on the first specialized court exclusively dedicated to handling domestic violence crimes, established in 1996 in Brooklyn, DV Courts have been instituted in both the local criminal courts and superior courts throughout New York State and are administered by Hon. Judy Harris Kluger, Chief of Policy and Planning for New York State Courts.

As of January 6, 2009 the 37 operational DV Courts in New York have handled over 130,256 cases. Three additional courts are in various stages of the planning process.

Hon. Judy Harris Kluger
Chief of Policy and Planning
New York State Courts