Domestic Violence Summit will be held in Dallas on April 10, 2014
Dallas, Texas – The Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) today joined with the Texas District and County Attorneys Association (TDCAA) to launch a groundbreaking collaborative project for TDCAA and the Texas Council on Family Violence called Next to the Jury Box. This project brings together elected prosecutors from all over Texas to discuss, prioritize and forge solutions related to family violence prosecution. The Summit for Urban Prosecutors across the state is being held in Dallas. A summit for rural prosecutors was held in Austin earlier.
Dallas City Councilmember Jennifer Staubach Gates will deliver the opening remarks at 1 p.m. at the Dallas Omni Park West Hotel at 1590 LBJ Freeway. Gates, who heads the Dallas domestic violence task force, and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings have made domestic violence prevention a priority in Dallas.
Elected District Attorneys from across the Metroplex who will attend include:
Rockwall County Criminal District Attorney Kenda Culpepper
Collin County Criminal District Attorney Greg Willis
Tarrant County District Attorney Joe Shannon
Heath Harris & Tammy Kemp- Dallas DA’s office
There are also District Attorneys or their top assistants attending from all over the state including: El Paso, Lubbock, Laredo, Corpus Christi, Houston, Galveston, Waco, Austin, San Antonio, Grayson County, Bell County, Comal County, Ector County, Potter County and every corner of the state.
“Prosecutors across the state are in a unique position to shift the paradigm on the prosecution of family violence,” said Gloria A. Terry, TCFV’s CEO. “A shift in core philosophical underpinnings grounded in a prosecutorial response will result in a more genuine victim-centered, trauma-informed approach to strengthen a survivor’s resolve for a life free from violence.”
In addition, a core group of prosecutors from across Texas have been chosen to help lead the effort across the state. They include prosecutors from El Paso, Comal County, Vernon, Floresville, Brazos County, Travis County, Bell County, Harris County and Nueces County.
The list of prosecutors who have agreed to participate in the Texas Leadership Core include:
Brazos County District Attorney Jarvis Parsons
Comal County District Attorney Jennifer Tharp
34th Judicial District Attorney Jaime Esparza- El Paso
81st District Attorney Rene M. Pena- Floresville
Nueces County District Attorney Mark Skurka
District Attorney at 46th Judicial District Staley Heatly- Vernon
Anne Jackson- Bell County
Patricia Baca- El Paso
Jane Waters- Harris County
Mack Martinez- Travis County
Summit’s are being held across Texas to keep victims safe and holding family violence offenders accountable.
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Texas Council on Family Violence is the statewide organization representing Texas domestic violence programs and serves as the voice of victims at the state level while working with local communities to create strategies to prevent family violence. Visit us online at http://www.tcfv.org/