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Sat, November 21, 2009

Home > Special Sections > Domestic Violence: A Seven-Part Series

Building a domestic violence database

By Ashley Andyshak
News-Post Staff
aandyshak@fredericknewspost.com

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The News-Post staff evaluated domestic violence trends in Frederick County through protective orders granted in district and circuit courts during 2007. Reporters gathered information from the 214 final protective orders granted last year.

The orders filed in circuit court were readily accessible, and reporters sorted through both granted and denied orders to record the desired information.

Sorting through orders filed in district court was more involved. Reporters looked through electronic court records to find protective orders that had been granted in 2007, weeding out denied requests and other court filings such as peace orders. Staff members then reviewed the files at the courthouse over a period of several weeks.

Reporters recorded several pieces of information from each file, including the gender of both the petitioner and the defendant and their relationship; area of residence; and what the judge ordered the offender to do, such as enter a counseling program or relinquish firearms. Staff then entered the information into an original database.

Analysis shows that more than half, or 125 granted final protective orders, were filed by Frederick City residents. Women filed the vast majority, 181, and 97 were filed against a spouse. In 79 cases, the two parties involved were not married but shared a home or at least one child.

Mental abuse was reported in 177 cases, physical abuse in 152, and sexual abuse in 15.

Judges ordered abusers in 128 cases to surrender their firearms to the Frederick County Sheriff's Office. Eighty-nine of these cases involved children, and 55 involved married couples.

Judges also ordered parties in 39 cases into some type of counseling, either for abusers or families, or drug or alcohol therapy. Twenty-four of these cases involved married couples and in 33 of the cases, the offenders were men.

Since they were filed, 32 of the 214 final protective orders have been rescinded, 15 involving married couples and 26 involving children.

In some cases, the parties reconciled, or one or both parties moved out of state. Orders are rescinded only if the petitioner requests it and the judge approves.

Filter the results with the following options:

Gender of complainant:

Location:

Relationship shared (victim-abuser)*:

Children involved?**:

Reported Abuse: Mental:

Reported Abuse: Physical:

Reported Abuse: Sexual:

Counseling ordered?:

Ordered to relinquish firearms?:

KEY:

* - Relationship terms:

Married = Couple married

Home = Couple lived together

Relation = Couple not married but in relationship

Divorced = Couple divorced

Child = Couple not in relationship but have at least one child together

Relative = Complainant reported abuse by a relative

** - Children involved? = Did children witness the abuse

Viewing results 1 through 100 (of 214)

Sort the following results by clicking on the title you wish to sort

DISTRICT/CIRCUIT COURT	GENDER OF COMPLAINT	LOCATION	RELATIONSHIP SHARED	CHILDREN INVOLVED	ABUSE: MENTAL	ABUSE: PHYSICAL	ABUSE: SEXUAL	COUNSELING ORDERED	ORDERED TO RELINQUISH FIREARMS	ORDER RESCINDED
District Court	Female	Brunswick/Arlington, Va.	Married	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Brunswick/Hagerstown	Relation	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Circuit Court	Female	Cascade	Child	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No
District Court	Female	Eldersburg	Home	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Emmitsburg	Home	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Circuit Court	Male	Emmitsburg	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Emmitsburg/Barclay	Child	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Child	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Circuit Court	Female	Frederick	Child	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Child	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
District Court	Male	Frederick	Child	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Child	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Circuit Court	Female	Frederick	Child	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
Circuit Court	Female	Frederick	Child	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Child	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Child	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Child	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Child	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Child	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Circuit Court	Female	Frederick	Child	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Child	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Male	Frederick	Child	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Divorced	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Circuit Court	Female	Frederick	Divorced	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Home	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Home	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Home	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Home	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Home	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Home	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Home	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Home	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Home	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Home	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Home	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Home	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Home	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Home	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Home	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Circuit Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
District Court	Male	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Circuit Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Male	Frederick	Married	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
Circuit Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Relation	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Relation	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Relation	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Male	Frederick	Relative	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
District Court	Male	Frederick	Relative	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Male	Frederick	Relative	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Male	Frederick	Relative	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Male	Frederick	Relative	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick	Relative	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
District Court	Male	Frederick	Relative	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Circuit Court	Female	Boonsboro/Middletown	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Brunswick	Home	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Brunswick	Home	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Male	Brunswick	Married	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Brunswick	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Male	Brunswick	Relation	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Brunswick	Relation	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick/Gaithersburg	Child	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick/Ijamsville	Divorced	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
District Court	Male	Frederick/Ijamsville	Relative	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
District Court	Female	Frederick/Jefferson	Child	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Male	Frederick/Jefferson	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No
District Court	Male	Frederick/Jefferson	Married	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick/Keedysville	Married	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
District Court	Female	Frederick/Knoxville	Married	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No

Result Pages: 1 2 3

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