Courts set guidelines for elder abuse, domestic violence cases

Sep. 10--The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts recently developed new judicial bench cards and bench books to help Pennsylvania judges better navigate elder abuse, dependency and domestic violence cases.

The courses cover a number of judicial topics, but recent focuses include protection-from-abuse orders, family law and trauma victims in the courtroom.

In September, the Advisory Council on Elder Justice in the Courts will publish the first edition of Pennsylvania's Elder Abuse Bench Book. It will serve as the primary resource for Pennsylvania's common pleas judges facing issues involving elder abuse.

The Pennsylvania Dependency Bench Book's third edition, released in July, offers best practices to engage and resolve difficulties facing dependent youth. The book serves as a reference guide designed to assist family court judges and child dependency practitioners in the process of helping abused and neglected children and their families.

The book is routinely updated to reflect further advancements in the understanding of critical issues involved in dependency proceedings, including father engagement, incarcerated parents and substance-abuse recovery.

Also, three new bench cards have been developed to focus on the mandatory, court-ordered relinquishment of firearms in domestic violence cases. These reflect recent amendments to the protection-from-abuse law and the crimes code and will guide trial courts in protecting victims of domestic violence and those who are granted PFA orders.

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