Ingham County prosecutor crack downs on domestic abuse 

New assistant prosecutor position created with state grant funding 

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WEDNESDAY, March 4 — A new assistant prosecutor will soon be hired specifically to focus on domestic violence cases in Ingham County after officials there received an $80,000 grant from the state of Michigan. 

County Prosecutor Carol Siemon said the funding, which came from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services  last week, will allow her office to create position to focus solely on intimate partner violence in a “victim-centered, offender-focused manner with a trauma-informed approach.” 

“I worked to secure this grant because I believe that we need greater individualized attention to each case of intimate partner violence,” Siemon said in a recent press release. “We know that providing greater service and support early in a case promotes victim safety, strong offender accountability and a consistent response.” 

The $79,961 STOP Violence Against Women grant  will build on a lengthy and successful collaboration with the Lansing Police Department and will work closely with the new Domestic Violence Court in Lansing’s 54-A District Court presided over by Judge Cynthia Warda press release said. 

A new “focused-deterrence” model for intimate partner violence will allow police, prosecutors and victim advocates to ensure a more consistent, victim-centered approach, including safety planning, advocacy, courtroom support and assistance with protection orders, shelter, and counseling for victims of partner violence. 

Additionally, Siemon’s office will use the funding to provide a more consistent and reliable response to authorizing charges and prosecuting offenders. The yet-to-be hired prosecutor will also expand existing services by working more closely with police to specifically and appropriately target violent, repeat domestic offenders. 

“We also know how crucial lethality assessment is, and this grant project will provide additional funding for staff to do lethality assessments on each domestic violence case,” Siemon added, noting “high-risk” offenders will now be more easily identified. “We believe that providing lethality assessments can make a critical difference.”  

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