DV Tip of the Week

5 MIN READ

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“It’s not by job.”

It’s not your job. I know. Do it anyway.

Ever hear that? Ever think that? I love that job descriptions add the phrase “additional duties as needed.”

Harry Bosch, Michael Connelly’s fictional detective hero has a sign in his cubicle.

”Get off your ass and go knock on some doors.”—

The patrol officer should have checked for video footage.

The detective should have checked for video footage.

Instead, here was a prosecutor out in a neighborhood checking homes along the greenbelt to see if there was anyone who might have captured the incident or a part of the incident with their doorbell camera.

This wasn’t on a street. It was on a greenbelt where the victim bailed from a vehicle and the defendant chased after her.

To preserve the chain of custody she had an investigator with her (though in a pinch, another colleague would suffice).

Jackpot.

A camera captured the victim fleeing the defendant’s car and the defendant chasing after her.

Maybe that didn’t seem necessary to patrol, but in domestic violence cases where victim recantation or failure to appear at trial is common, what is “necessary” can quickly change.

When the victim or her minor child could not be served for trial, that video because a key part of the case.

The takeaway

When you work domestic violence cases, the distinction between roles blur. If it needs to be done, do it.

Want to learn more about this?

Email me: gfineman@dvtrainandconsult.com with any questions.

The legal stuff

The DV Tip of the Week does not constitute legal advice and is designed to inspire thought around best practices in addressing intimate partner violence. No lawyer client relationship exists through use of DV Training Tips and the user is responsible for verifying the current nature of any point of law.

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