Ocean County Leaders Join Statewide Domestic Violence Panel

Two Ocean County leaders with decades of legal experience are joining a statewide panel on preventing and addressing domestic violence.

Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato and Judge Marlene Lynch Ford are members of the 21-person committee, which is set to hear from technical experts in March.  That meeting will focus on the use of technology in enforcement of Lisa's Law - including the use of electronic monitoring for certain offenders.  The group's findings will then be reviewed by State Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner.

Coronato has also offered Ocean County as a testing ground for Lisa's Law.  He says the state needs to make sure its domestic violence policies don't focus solely on offenders and victims.

"I think it's important to understand how domestic violence not only affects the victim, but the victim's family and all the people surrounding them," Coronato said.

Lisa's Law is currently before the Legislature.  It addresses the roles of the courts in domestic violence cases, as well as examines training procedures and victim resources.