17th Judicial Circuit Receives National Domestic Violence Mentor Court Designation Chief Judge John S. Lowry is pleased to announce that the 17th Judicial Circuit Court of Winnebago County, IL Domestic Violence Coordinated Court has been selected by the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women to serve as a national Domestic Violence Mentor Court. The $150,000.00 award recognizes well-established specialized courts and enables them to guide novice or developing courts and court-based programs that wish to significantly improve their responses to domestic violence cases. These well-established courts serve as national models and share their expertise by hosting site visits, linking courts with peers facing similar challenges, and assisting other domestic violence courts to implement best practices to respond effectively to these difficult cases. The Winnebago County Domestic Violence Coordinated Court was one of five courts in the country given this designation. Judge Joseph P. Bruscato, Presiding Judge of the Domestic Violence Coordinated Court and Family Division commented, “We are grateful to the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women for recognizing the dedication and innovative practices of our Domestic Violence Coordinated Court. We look forward to continuing to share our practices with other courts and contribute to national best practices around offender accountability, survivor safety, and procedural fairness.” For more information about the Domestic Violence Coordinated Court or the Domestic Violence Mentor Court Technical Assistance Award, contact Nicole Ticknor, Deputy Court Administrator. PDF of Press Release
