Board Meeting Minutes

South Carolina Victim Assistance Network

October 20, 2005

President: Brett Macgargle

 

PRESENT:

Brett Macgargle

Ritchie Tidwell

Hope Blackley

Larry Bergmann

Pam Gregory

Vicki Bourus

Margaret Frierson

Saylor Fox

Anne Wolf

Kay Holmes

 

Veronica Swain

Nicole Goodwin

Shannon Geary

Doug Gilmore

Laura Hudson

 

ABSENT:

Gwen Herod

Marian Lindsey

Mary Ann Stroup

Don Zelenka

Lillian Garcia

Anne Laver

Lynn Hawkins

Carol Wyatt

Dean Kilpatrick

 

Minutes taken by Nicole Goodwin

Start time: 10:50am

 

Brett Macgargle called meeting to order.

 

Board reviewed minutes from previous Board Meeting. Minutes of July 8, 2005 Board meeting accepted with no changes.

 

No Financial Report was given. 

 

 

 

New Business

Board discussed changing next scheduled meeting date to early December to allow time to review legislative issues.  Laura will have a legislative agenda ready by early December.

 

Next Board meeting: December 8, 2005 10:00 – VOTING ON LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

 

Legislative Committee chairs will be present to discuss legislative agenda.  After the Board agrees on legislative agenda, it will be announced to the General Membership via email. Luncheon will be held after Board meeting as a special thanks to legislative committee members.

 

The Board agreed that the next General Membership meeting will be held during VRW in April.

 

Veronica will contact LEVA organization to discuss the possibility of SCVAN/LEVA combining the Holiday party this year.

 

Legislative Issues

H4144: Jessie’s Law

·           Sex offenders will face sentence of 25 to life

·           Lewd act raised to 0-25 years in prison

·           Laura met with Larry Wedekin to discuss taking the charge CSC 2 (A & B) and separating section B to include CSC 3rd

 

Laura mentioned the possibility of doing a “fly-by” with Jakie Knotts and Mark Lunsford to promote H4144.  The Board agreed since there were some unexplained issues involved with this event, that it may not be a good idea for Laura to participate in the “fly-by.”  Laura will be involved with the press conference.  Discussion was held regarding proposed GPS system tracking system for sex offenders, built into the Bill.  Ankle bracelets are great law enforcement tool to track sex offenders but do not protect victims from predators.  Vicki Bourus mentioned that Judge Mike Brigner (Ohio) has information about GPS tracking system.

 

Sexual Predator Bill:

·       Seeks compliance with Task Force

·       Tighten up reviews of sexual predators by the Department of Corrections

·       Discussion was held regarding treatment of sex offenders.  Psychiatrist in Charleston has developed a series of lie detector tests and has volunteered to teach this technique to the Department of Corrections staff who work specifically with Sex Offenders.  Dean and Larry would like to see the Charleston psychiatrists’ powerpoint regarding treatment of sex offenders.

 

Domestic Violence Task Force

§   Patrick Dennis and JJ Gentry asked Vicki Bourus and Laura Hudson to review the recommendations that Gov. Hodges developed.

§   They will be presenting information to the committee on November 16, and will place the recommendations in order of importance.

§   Vicki discussed some major initiatives the victim service community seeks: legislative policy, publicity, options for women/children, permanent CDV statistics.

§   Statistics: There is no baseline in SC regarding domestic violence crimes.  We do not have accurate statistics about the number of cases that have actually been successfully prosecuted.  After January, the new law provides a system to track what happens with 2nd offense CDV.  The new grant Attorney General McMaster is implementing will also aid in determining an accurate count of CDV crimes.

§   Rick Brundrett, reporter with The State Newspaper, has been doing research on this issue and has estimated that there are 36,000 incidences of CDV per year, and approximately 10% of them are prosecuted.  Only 22 weapons violations were reported.  Statistics show that the chances are 20 times higher for a CDV victim to be killed when the perpetrator has a weapon in the home.

§   SCCADVASA is tracking 2nd offense CDV cases, what defense attorneys are doing, how many trials are held, etc.

§   Task Force will be developed to enforce federal law.  Idea: cross-deputize 2 deputies per county to serve as adjunct ATF agents to confiscate batterers’ guns.

§   Goals of the victim service community: protect victims from eviction when batterers cause problems; provide protection from dating violence

§   Major problem: Law Enforcement CDV training is minimal.  Result: too many dual arrests.  Answer: provide highly trained CDV responders.  Law enforcement prosecutes majority of cases in summary court and victims fall through the cracks.  A process will be developed to review what type of training is given to officers.  Consider legislation to require CDV training for law enforcement.  CDV Study Committee (5 house 5 senate members) will be approached re law enforcement training.  This concept needs SCLEOA and Sheriff’s Association backing.

§   Law enforcement officers like and use the laminated, small “cheat sheet” cards to carry with them to crime scenes listing the CDV checklist (i.e., identify primary aggressor, etc.)  

§   Vicki will meet with Chief Justice Toal to discuss the possibility of requiring judges to have at least 6 hours of Domestic Violence training.  Also would like to develop a comprehensive bench book on Domestic Violence for judges.

 

SCVAN Training

§   Shannon Geary, Nicole Goodwin and Doug Gilmore have scheduled 16 trainings statewide from September through the end of January in each judicial circuit.

§   5 trainings have been conducted.  Each session has been well attended.

§   Registrations have exceeded 200 and that number is steadily growing as the training dates approach.

§   Resource Manuals were developed and disseminated, along with a bag of SCVAN “goodies,” to each participant. The Resource Manual includes detailed information about each grant program along with general information victim service providers can use.

§   The group has been discussing SCVAN history, Legislative Issues, VRW and the grant programs at SCVAN.

§   The development of the new promotional membership has allowed SCVAN to gain 9 new members.

 

PROVISO

Veronica developed a Performance Report form in conjunction with the assistance of SOVA’s contractors, and submitted it to Ethel.  Ethel developed a reporting form similar to a VOCA report, based upon S.C. Code §16-3-1400 rather than the SCVAN/SOVA Performance Agreement.  (Ethel had not seen the Performance Agreement when she developed her reporting form.)  The Board strongly believes the report should be reflective of the Performance Agreement, and in the form of an outcomes-based report.  The Board suggested Mathias and Frazier meet with Ethel to explain the Performance Agreement.  The Board also suggested that Veronica first talk with Ethel to explain the Board’s position.  If Ethel doesn’t agree, a meeting should be held with April Derr.

 

Brett and Larry suggested making a summary page for the performance agreement.  Recruit a few people to go through and highlight the most important issues. Larry volunteered to do that and will send an email to Veronica and Brett.

 

The Board mentioned to Veronica that she need to include the number of people at the statewide trainings, number of new members, number of new listserv participants and new resources identified.

 

CVLN

Gregg Meyers will be training at the Mandatory Magistrate’s training on November 4th.  He will be discussing Victims’ Constitutional Rights

 

CVLN audit was completed and NCVLI gave a great review.  Everything went well.

 

Judge Miller case/Greenville: The Board would like to be informed of the rehearing of this case.

 

NEXT BOARD MEETING WILL BE HELD DECEMBER 8 AT 10:00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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