Section 9B. The chief justice of the trial court department shall provide training on the issue of domestic violence and sexual violence in the commonwealth, at least once biannually, to all appropriate court personnel of the municipal, district, probate and family, juvenile and superior courts throughout the commonwealth, including but not limited to judges, clerks of court, probation officers, court officers, security officers and guardians ad litem. Such training shall include, but not be limited to, the dissemination of information concerning:
(1) misdemeanor and felony offenses in which domestic violence and sexual violence are often involved;
(2) the civil rights and remedies available to victims of domestic violence and sexual violence;
(3) methods for assessing the degree of risk of homicide involved in situations of domestic violence, including, but not limited to, gathering information from the victim regarding the suspect's past reported and non-reported behavior and dangerousness, such as: (i) whether the suspect has ever used a weapon against the victim or threatened the victim with a weapon, (ii) whether the suspect owns a gun; (iii) whether the suspect's physical violence against the victim has increased in severity or frequency; (iv) whether the suspect has threatened to kill the victim; (v) whether the suspect has ever threatened or attempted suicide; (vi) whether the suspect has used or threatened physical violence against the victim's family, other household members or pets; (vii) whether the suspect uses illegal drugs; (viii) whether the suspect abuses alcohol; and (ix) whether there have been specific instances of strangulation or suffocation of the victim by the suspect;
(4) law enforcement techniques, information sharing and methods of promoting cooperation among the various court departments in combating domestic violence and sexual violence, including the importance of keeping victims informed as to the whereabouts of suspected abusers and other such information helpful for victim safety planning;
(5) the physiological and psychological effects of the pattern of domestic violence and sexual violence on its victims, including children, who witness such abuse;
(6) the increased vulnerability of victims who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, low-income, minority or immigrant, and including training on ways in which the indicators of dangerousness in these communities may be different from those in non-marginalized communities;
(7) the dynamics of coercive controlling behavior that increases dangerousness even when such patterns of behavior are not themselves violent;
(8) the underlying psychological and sociological causes of domestic violence and sexual violence and the availability of batterer's intervention programs;
(9) the availability of community based domestic violence, rape and sexual assault shelter and support services within the commonwealth, including, to the extent practicable, specific shelter and support services available in a court's geographical area; and
(10) techniques for increasing cooperation and immediate data sharing among different areas of law enforcement and the court system in combating domestic violence and sexual violence.
The chief justice of the trial court may appoint such expert, clerical and other staff members as the operation of the training program may require. As appropriate, the training presenters shall include domestic violence and sexual violence experts with expertise in the delivery of direct services to victims of domestic violence and sexual violence, including utilizing community based domestic violence, rape and sexual assault service providers and survivors of domestic violence, rape or sexual assault in the presentation of the training.
Structure Massachusetts General Laws
Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases
Title I - Courts and Judicial Officers
Chapter 211b - Trial Court of the Commonwealth
Section 2 - Number of Trial Court Justices; Appointments
Section 3 - Justices Assigned to Other Departments; Powers and Duties
Section 4 - Salaries; Practice of Law; Expenses; Vacation and Sick Leave; Special Justices
Section 5 - Chief Justices; Appointment; Term; Removal
Section 6 - Chief Justice of the Trial Court; Appointment; Term; Removal
Section 6b - Office of Court Management; Court Administrator
Section 7 - Vacancies in Office
Section 8 - Advisory Committee on Personnel Standards
Section 9 - Chief Justice of the Trial Court; Powers and Duties
Section 9a - Employees of Chief Justice for Administration and Management; Powers and Duties
Section 9b - Domestic and Sexual Violence Training for Court Personnel
Section 10 - Chief Justice and Deputy Court Administrators; Powers and Duties
Section 10a - First Justices; Powers and Duties
Section 10b - Appointment of Assistant Clerks
Section 10c - Limitation of Powers, Duties or Responsibilities of Clerks or Registers of Probate
Section 12 - Office of Court Management; Court Administrator
Section 13 - Estimates of Expenses, Costs and Revenue
Section 14 - Services of Retired Justices
Section 16 - Judicial Institute; Training Judicial and Nonjudicial Personnel
Section 19 - Mandatory Alternative Dispute Resolution Program
Section 20 - Leave of Absence; Restrictions
Section 21 - Publication of Notice in Newspaper; Notice Requirements Deemed Met
Section 22 - Delivery of Criminal Case Disposition Information to Department of State Police