domestic violence not prosecuted?

[Lonecowboy]

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Biography · ↑ top

Chad Taylor grew up on his family's farm as the youngest of three boys. Chad attended Topeka Public Schools through 5th grade and graduated from Silver Lake High School. Chad was active in sports and debate competition while at Silver Lake.

Chad graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelors in Accounting and Business Administration. He then attended Chicago-Kent College of Law where he received his law degree.

After graduating from law school, Chad worked in the Public Power Industry. In December of 2001, Chad opened his private practice in Topeka, Kansas. The Law Offices of Chadwick J. Taylor argued a broad range of cases in both federal and state courts.

Chad has served the City of Topeka as a Municipal Court Judge ProTem, and as an administrative hearing officer. Additionally, he serves the State of Kansas as an Administrative Hearing officers for State Worker's Compensation Fraud and Abuse Unit. Chad has served as Chairman of the Shawnee County Civil Service Board and as a member of the Shawnee County Planning Commission.

Chad is a member of the Active 20/30 club, volunteering time for the betterment of children in Shawnee County. He is a member of the 25th Anniversary Class of Leadership Topeka.

His spare time and hobbies consist of riding motorcycles and working on the family farm.

Chad and his wife Karily share their Topeka home with two dogs, Farley and Reagan.

TOPEKA, Kan. - Over the past month, one by one, people suspected in domestic battery cases in northeast Kansas have been set free with no charges against them. Prosecutors say they're overwhelmed with felonies and, faced with budget cuts, can't afford to pursue the cases.Busted budgets have forced tough decisions by governments and law enforcement officials nationwide, but the Shawnee County district attorney's move to stop investigating domestic abuse and other misdemeanor cases has angered victims' advocates who say austerity has gone too far.


The advocates are also outraged by the response from the capital city of Topeka, where the City Council and mayor repealed the city's domestic abuse law Tuesday night — a move designed to ensure the city wouldn't be stuck with the bill for prosecuting such cases.


"I absolutely do not understand it," Rita Smith, executive director of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said after the vote. "It's really outrageous that they're playing with family safety to see who blinks first. People could die while they're waiting to straighten this out."


City and county officials are still hoping to strike a deal to end the budget dispute. Interim City Manager Dan Stanley said repealing the local ordinance "removes the ambiguity" and puts Topeka, the county's largest city, in a better position to negotiate.


Most council members put the blame for their situation on the county and emphasized that they want to resolve the impasse, not deny abuse victims protection.


But City Councilwoman Denise Everhart, who voted against the repeal, said: "I just ask everybody to consider the message we're sending."


Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor has said he knew his decision would upset people but contends his hand was forced by the 10 percent cut in his budget for 2012, which he said will force him to lay off staff. He considered employee furloughs and "every angle" before making his announcement in early September.

 

[hypocritexposer]

what happened to the stimulus funds?

The Planned Parenthood money is among $2.9 million that the state receives in so-called federal Title 10 funds, which go toward family-planning activities.

Read more: http://www.kansas.com/2011/04/25/1821509/o-defund-planned-parenthood.html#ixzz1acYdDmrq

 

[Lonecowboy]

A monthlong dispute in Topeka, Kansas over who is financially responsible for handling domestic violence cases, which resulted in 18 suspects being released from jail, was resolved Wednesday when the local district attorney's office announced that it would resume prosecuting the cases.

Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor announced on September 8 that since his budget had been cut by 10 percent, his office no longer had the means to prosecute any misdemeanors, including domestic violence cases. He began shuffling those cases over to the city of Topeka, which also claimed that it couldn't afford to handle the cases. The City Council responded by voting to repeal the local law that makes domestic violence a crime.

Following significant pressure from local domestic violence workers and the media, the Shawnee County District Attorney reluctantly announced that he has decided to resume prosecuting the cases as a result of the city's "unfortunate" decision to decriminalize the offense.
"My office now retains sole authority to prosecute domestic battery misdemeanors and will take on this responsibility so as to better protect and serve our community," Taylor said in a statement. "We will do so with less staff, less resources, and severe constraints on our ability to effectively seek justice."

Eighteen domestic violence suspects were released from a Topeka prison as a result of the month-long game of chicken that played out between city officials and Taylor's office. Suspects who were arrested and brought into jail for battery were released without being charged. The Topeka police department confirmed that one suspect was brought into jail for domestic abuse, released without consequence, and then immediately picked up again for committing the same crime.
"We have an entire county and city who could care less about domestic violence and are more interested in blame or games," Kari Ann Rinker, the state coordinator for Kansas NOW, told HuffPost. "Now we have dangerous multiple offenders that are failing to receive any adequate punishment or repercussion for their actions, and in fact, being picked up for the crime is angering them more, so they're showing up at the doorstep of people they have harmed to do it again."
Advocates against domestic violence said the spat was less about budget concerns and more about misplaced priorities. There is currently an item in the Shawnee County budget, for example, that doles out $200,000 for golf course irrigation, which is close to the entire amount that the district attorney is requesting to be able to continue to prosecute misdemeanors.

"Any time budgets get cut, you have to look around and say, what are our priorities here?" said Joyce Grover, executive director of the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence. "The fact that someone decided that domestic violence prosecution is not a priority is really concerning."

 

[Lonecowboy]

oldtimer is this how it works between LEO's, prosecutors judges etc.


Do you think this DA's decision correct? :shock:

 

[Anonymous]

oldtimer is this how it works between LEO's, prosecutors judges etc.


Do you think this DA's decision correct? :shock:

When budgets get slim and there is not enough funding- some services have to get cut..Usually it is the crimes against property first...

In the 90's when budgets were bad- many Depts up here cut investigation/prosecution of many crimes against property (bad checks, small thefts, etc.)....
During that time we had barely $600 per month in gas budget to cover a county almost the size of Delaware- so for sometime we had to cut out most patrol work- and only answer calls....Our Dept and many in the state also cut out extraditing wanted folks picked up on warrants for misdemeanors unless it was from a close (usually neighboring) county....

One of the problems with domestic battery cases (Partner Family Abuse) is that often the next day you have a complainant/witness/victim that changes their minds- does not want to prosecute- just wants to kiss and make up and have hubby/boyfriend (now sobered up) back home...So often the charges get dismissed or reduced....

 

[Lonecowboy]

oldtimer is this how it works between LEO's, prosecutors judges etc.


Do you think this DA's decision correct? :shock:

When budgets get slim and there is not enough funding- some services have to get cut..Usually it is the crimes against property first...

In the 90's when budgets were bad- many Depts up here cut investigation/prosecution of many crimes against property (bad checks, small thefts, etc.)....
During that time we had barely $600 per month in gas budget to cover a county almost the size of Delaware- so for sometime we had to cut out most patrol work- and only answer calls....Our Dept and many in the state also cut out extraditing wanted folks picked up on warrants for misdemeanors unless it was from a close (usually neighboring) county....

One of the problems with domestic battery cases (Partner Family Abuse) is that often the next day you have a complainant/witness/victim that changes their minds- does not want to prosecute- just wants to kiss and make up and have hubby/boyfriend (now sobered up) back home...So often the charges get dismissed or reduced....

I'll post this line again:

less about budget concerns and more about misplaced priorities. There is currently an item in the Shawnee County budget, for example, that doles out $200,000 for golf course irrigation, which is close to the entire amount that the district attorney is requesting to be able to continue to prosecute misdemeanors.

So are they just playing politics with this? knowing there will be outrage over this but hardly a stir if they cut golf course irrigation. :?

 

[Mike]

The liberal politicians way of swaying the public is to cut back on things like fire protection, misdemeanor police protection, prison guards, etc, to scare the public into the willingness and the want to pay more in taxes.

We are, Taxed Enough Already.

 

[Steve]

to scare the public into the willingness and the want to pay more in taxes.

they did that here this summer with our police and fire dept..there were small cuts, but nothing like the scare tactic the departments made them out to be..


now we actually have two more firemen and four additional police officers..

and nothing really changed.. (except higher taxes)