Legal Jiu-Jitsu for Prosecutors in Intimate Partner Violence Cases: Forfeiture by Wrongdoing

Jiu-jitsu is a Japanese martial art that does not depend on the use of size or strength to defeat an opponent. Instead, it employs a variety of tactical moves to prevail by turning the force of an attack against the attacker. Prosecutors in domestic violence cases have a similar art at their disposal to counter confrontation challenges in the common scenario where the offender has intimidated, tricked, manipulated, paid off, killed, or otherwise arranged for the victim to be absent from the trial, leaving the prosecution with only the victim’s out-of-court statements to prove the case.

Strangulation

This resource includes a statutory compilation of strangulation crimes in the 50 states, District of Columbia, U.S. Territories, Military, and federal jurisdictions. Relevant case law is also included, where applicable, for each jurisdiction. AEquitas has also developed an additional document discussing the legislative response to strangulation.

Spousal Immunity and Marital Privilege

This compilation focuses on criminal statutes on spousal immunity and privilege across the 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Territories, Military and federal jurisdictions. This resource also looks at those statutes that recognize an exception to spousal immunity and privilege in crimes of intimate partner and domestic violence.

Domestic Violence Reporting

This document provides a summary of state laws relevant to the mandatory reporting of domestic violence or abuse by medical professionals to law enforcement when the victim is a competent adult. The resource is organized into four categories: laws that specifically require injuries caused by domestic violence or abuse to be reported; laws that require injuries caused by non-accidental or intentional conduct to be reported; laws that require injuries caused by criminal conduct to be reported; reporting requirements relating to other crimes or injuries that may impact victims of domestic violence or abuse.