(Columbia) Jan. 10, 2005 - Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter (D-Orangeburg) is used to trying to help people, working in the field of social services. She's now reaching out to victims of domestic violence, "We've got people out there who think that this only happens to poor women or women of color or only certain communities. Well, that ain't the case ya'll."
 
Cobb-Hunter is co-sponsoring a new criminal domestic violence bill that victims advocates are strongly supporting. Some of the highlights: if a person is convicted of criminal domestic violence two times, they would have to serve at least 30 days in jail, no exceptions, "First and foremost is that batterers in South Carolina will be held accountable. We will no longer have the posture publicly where we just look away or slap on the wrist."
 
Cobb-Hunter says the law currently requires 3rd time offenders to serve a minimum of 90 days, but as WIS discovered, that is often waived to 45 days, "In our laws, we have penalties for certain kinds of animal cruelty that are worse than anything on the books for domestic violence."
 
She says it comes down to education and she says law enforcement receives criminal domestic violence training and if her bill becomes law, then judges would be required to undergo CDV training too, "If you train your law enforcement and then you go to the judiciary and you've got men and women sitting on the bench who don't know about the issue or who don't understand the dynamics of domestic violence, then you are really running the risk to get off with no bond or a small bond whatever."

The bill's first stop will be the House Judiciary Committee, where members are expected to discuss it sometime in the next few weeks.

Posted 7:22pm by BrettWitt