Strengthening Protections for Survivors of Domestic Violence: The Case of Washington, D.C.

Domestic violence constitutes a serious public health crisis affecting millions of Americans. Washington, D.C. experiences particularly acute domestic violence rates, with the Metropolitan Police Department receiving over 29,000 domestic violence calls annually and roughly half of all violent crime calls stemming from domestic abuse. While civil protection orders have successfully decreased domestic violence levels across the United States, implementation gaps persist. Many survivors face barriers in obtaining adequate protection, and abusers frequently violate protective orders with insufficient judicial or law enforcement response. D.C.'s civil domestic violence system, though moderately effective and progressive, reveals systemic failures in survivor protection. Verdi proposes implementing a rights- and performance-based accountability framework to strengthen the D.C. Superior Court's Domestic Violence Unit and enhance enforcement of civil protection orders. The system should improve judicial training, expand survivor engagement opportunities, and increase accountability for officials failing to provide comprehensive protections. This comment examines D.C.'s domestic violence structure and goals, analyzes actual system functioning from survivor and practitioner perspectives, and addresses current reform efforts. Verdi details current judicial and law enforcement responses to violations and advocates for a comprehensive performance-based monitoring system with articulated goals, conduct indicators, benchmarks, and complaint mechanisms to strengthen survivor protections within existing legal doctrine.

Topics: Civil Rights · Criminal Procedure · Family Law

Keywords: domestic violence · protection orders · D.C. Superior Court · survivor protection · accountability · civil remedies · enforcement