Lehigh County law enforcement and human services professionals gathered in the Lehigh County courthouse recently to recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Lehigh County.

“As a public-school teacher for 40 years, anyone who thinks domestic violence is not a problem has got their eyes closed,” said Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong.

“It makes me proud,” said Armstrong, “that our court system, and our District Attorney, and our two local hospitals are working together to bring it to an end. While we may not be able to end it, we can put a dent in it.”

As he made the proclamation, he said he appreciated a grant from the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence that will help with this program.

They announced a joint initiative to increase free representation of PFA petitioners at final PFA hearings.

North Penn Legal Services will be offering additional Continuing Legal Education credit for every five hours of preparation and representation of approved PFA petitioners in court proceedings.

Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong, Lehigh County President Judge Edward D. Reibman and Lehigh County District Attorney James B. Martin attended the brief ceremony that recognized domestic violence as a major issue in Lehigh County.

According to information released at the event, one in four women and one in seven men have experienced severe physical violence from an intimate partner. Last year alone domestic violence claimed the lives of 122 Pennsylvanians.

Armstrong, Reibman and Martin described the impact of domestic violence on the community and the on the court system. Since 2015 through 2018, Lehigh County issued nearly 1,400 new Protection from Abuse (PFA) orders filed each year.

By the end of September, there were already over 1,100 new PFA cases filed. Officials expect to see a new record of filings.

“Roughly 60 percent of new PFA cases never result in final PFA orders because the victims do not appear, or insufficient evidence is presented,” said Judge Douglas G. Reichley, the Administrative Judge for the Family Court division of Lehigh County.

In June Lehigh County was invited to attend the Family Court Enhancement Project sponsored by the U. S. Department of Justice, the Office on Violence Against Women and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges to address increased awareness and advancements in court systems to address domestic violence and its victims.