$250
$100
$1000
$30
What is the minimum fine for abuse of an animal or woman in Schuylkill County?
6 months
Up to 18 months
100 months
30 days after a PFA is filed
Valerie West, a manager/attorney with Mid-Penn Legal Services feels a custody order should be allowed to stand for the full term of the PFA which is what?
She finds fault with the local requirement that a custody order must be established within 30 days after a PFA is filed
The penalties given for indirect criminal contempt are much stiffer than those in Schuylkill County
To find legal representation and face their abuser
To reach an agreement
Sarah T. Casey, executive director of Schuylkill Women in Crisis, finds it disturbing that in most of the surrounding counties the criminal contempt charge is what?
PFA
Schuylkill
Schuylkill County
Valerie West
Pottsville
In what county were the statistics of "48% guilty" and "27% dismissed or not guilty" established?
It is an indirect criminal contempt
A Mid-Penn Legal Service
Custody order must be established within 30 days after a PFA is filed
The penalties given for indirect criminal contempt are much stiffer than those in Schuylkill County
Protection From Abuse case and the penalties in surrounding counties are much stiffer
What is a PFA case and what's different about the penalties from surrounding counties?
Court costs, plus a $100 fine
A thank you note.
A letter of invitation to court
More than a $250 fine
That it's OK to abuse women in Schuylkill County, because you'll only get a slap on the wrist
What kind of message is being sent to those who repeatedly violate Protection From Abuse orders?
Sarah T. Casey
Judge
The plaintiff
Valerie West
What executive director of the Women in Crises center believes changes to the legal system would benefit victims of domestic abuse?
OK to abuse women in Schuylkill County, because you'll only get a slap on the wrist
That a custody order should be allowed to stand for the full term of the PFA instead of 30 days which places an undue burden on the plaintiff
The minimum fine for contempt of a PFA is $100; the maximum fine is $1,000 and up to six months in jail
Surrounding the Schuylkill County
West said she feels a custody order should be allowed to stand for the full term of the PFA - up to 18 months - as it does in many other counties in the state
What solution is West offering and how is it different for a plaintiff from what is already being practiced?
Judges
Attorney with Mid-Penn Legal Services
Manager
Sarah T. Casey, executive director of Schuylkill Women in Crisis and Valerie West, a manager/attorney with Mid-Penn Legal Services
Sarah T. Casey and Valerie West, a manager
Who believes that 'some changes are in order', what other lawyer regularly handles these kinds of cases (PFA's) and what are their job titles?
$1,000
$250
$100
$48
If you beat a dog and woman in Schuylkill County how much of a fine will you need to pay?
$100 fine
Minimum fine
100 dollars
$250 fine
No fine
What kind of fine do you get for repeatedly beating a woman?
Court costs, plus a $100 fine
$250
$50
$10
$48
In 2001, county judges heard 98 Protection From Abuse cases, what was the max amount that they would have to pay?
No costs
$100
Less than $250 fine for violating the court order
Court costs
Of those found guilty in 2001 what did they have to pay for in addition to a $100 fine?
Sarah T. Casey
Women
Schuylkill
Valerie West
Who finds fault with the local requirement that a custody order must be established within 30 days after a PFA is filed?
No
Depends, within the county in 2001, only 98 cases on the matter were heard by a judge and only 48 percent of those were found guilty
Yes
Will everyone have to pay a fine for beating a woman or a dog in Schuylkill County?
All of them, and immediately
All of them, and 30 days
0 and 30 days
None, and immediately
That it's OK to abuse women in Schuylkill County, because you'll only get a slap on the wrist
How many defendants were ordered to pay the maximum fine of $1000, and how long after a PFA is filed does the plaintiff have to establish a custody order?
6 months
18 days
18 years
30 days
Up to 18 months
How long does Valerie West suggest the custody order should last, and for whom does she work?
If you beat a dog in Schuylkill County, you'll probably get a $100 fine. If you repeatedly beat a woman, you'll probably get the same fine. In 2001, county judges heard 98 Protection From Abuse cases, finding the defendant guilty in 48 percent of those cases, either after a hearing or through a technical violation or plea. Of those found guilty, the majority were ordered to pay court costs, plus a $100 fine. No defendants were ordered to pay more than a $250 fine for violating the court order. In 27 percent of the cases, the charges were dismissed or the defendant was found not guilty. In the rest of the cases, charges were withdrawn or the matter is not yet resolved. Sarah T. Casey, executive director of Schuylkill Women in Crisis, finds it disturbing that in most cases, the fine for violating a PFA is little more than the fine someone would get for cruelty and abuse toward an animal. "In most of the counties surrounding Schuylkill County, the penalties given for indirect criminal contempt are much stiffer than those in Schuylkill County," Casey said. "What kind of message are we sending those who repeatedly violate Protection From Abuse orders? That it's OK to abuse women in Schuylkill County, because you'll only get a slap on the wrist?" Under state law, the minimum fine for contempt of a PFA is $100; the maximum fine is $1,000 and up to six months in jail. Like others who are familiar with how the county's legal system does and doesn't work for victims of domestic violence, Casey believes some changes are in order. Valerie West, a manager/attorney with Mid-Penn Legal Services, with offices in Pottsville and Reading, regularly handles domestic violence cases. She finds fault with the local requirement that a custody order must be established within 30 days after a PFA is filed. West said she feels a custody order should be allowed to stand for the full term of the PFA - up to 18 months - as it does in many other counties in the state. "It places an undue burden on the plaintiff, in terms of cost, finding legal representation and facing their abuser - not to mention a further burden on the system to provide those services," West said. "It may be difficult for the parties to reach an agreement so soon after violence has occurred. 