Group wants better tracking of court protection orders

A group of concerned Nevadans says it's time to bring better statewide protection to women in violent relationships.

The Full Faith and Credit Project is alerting the public that protection orders, filed mostly by women against their batterers, are often not enforced when the perpetrators cross jurisdictions - especially onto tribal lands.

By incorporating key players from the court system, law enforcement and tribal communities statewide, the group hopes to come up with a list of ways to make protection orders more accessible.

"We are looking at this as an opportunity to do educational and community projects," said Veronica Frenkel, the state attorney general's domestic violence ombudsmen. "In Nevada we have a unique situation with a lot of crossing of jurisdictions."

The problem is highlighted by the 26 distinct tribal jurisdictions that are part of Nevada and, in some cases, cross over into neighboring states. These areas are subject to federal guidelines; however, they operate autonomously with their own courts and police.

Tribal courts also do not have the authority to prosecute non-natives. When a crime involves a non-native suspect, that person has to be transported to a neighboring jurisdiction. Felonies committed on tribal lands are prosecuted in federal court.

The Full Faith and Credit Project is looking at fixing some of the disconnects created by the multiple jurisdictions.

The group is seeking $31,000 in federal money to hold a conference of tribal judges and leaders as well as their Nevada counterparts.

"We are assuming we will be able to start organizing this in the beginning of November," said Susan Strauss, an administrator with the state supreme court. "We are working toward setting up a major meeting in January."

Ideally, an agreement could be set up between Nevada counties and the tribes where law enforcement and courts would have immediate access to information about protection orders. If that is not available, recommendations for amending Nevada laws could be sent to the legislature for consideration.

The grant could come from a larger sum given to the state attorney general from the federal government. The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 earmarks yearly grants to states for programs for prevention of violence against women.

If the conference is successful, it could create a curriculum for judges, which may then extend to police at Peace Officers Standards and Training academies, Frenkel said. Police currently have some classroom training on protection orders as they relate to domestic violence.

Frenkel said the group would also like to see the state develop a "cooling off" period for violating protection orders. Suspects in domestic batteries are required to be kept in jail for 12 hours after their arrests even if they make bail.

"The key is enforcement," she said. "We want the protection order to be more than a piece of paper. It should be the state saying this is a crime against the community."

Karl Neathammer, a former tribal judge for the Ely-Shoshone Tribe, is using his contacts to get the tribal community interested in the effort.

"We fail our communities when judges don't take an active role and sit back behind closed doors and play God," he said.

Also involved in the project are Teresa Sprouse, a judge in Ely, and Janet Weed, a domestic violence coordinator for the Nevada Inter-Tribal Counsel.

In Nevada 19,404 victims and 19,020 domestic violence offenders were reported in 1999. Females were victims in 80 percent of the cases. Of the offenders, 5,884 were suspected to be under the influence of alcohol.