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By Guy Page
Vermont must fight domestic homicide by tightening access to firearms, funding victim services for local police, and expanding police use of a ‘lethality assessment tool,’ Attorney General Charity Clark said at a State House press conference yesterday.
According to Jan. 21 Domestic Violence Fatality Revew Commission report cited and endorsed by Clark, seven of Vermont’s 29 homicides in 2023 were related to domestic violence. Five involved firearms. From 1994 to 2023, there were 432 homicides in Vermont, of which 44 percent, or 190, were determined to be related to domestic violence. 56% of the 190 involved firearms, according to report data.
The homicides include 12 categories, including the commonly-understood homicide of one family member killing another, but also ‘love triangles,’ a death caused by a police officer in the line of duty, domestic-related suicides, and domestic-related fatal drug overdoses.
The Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission was created by statute in 2002 to collect data on domestic violence-related fatalities to better understand how the fatalities occurred and what can be done to prevent them. The Commission includes 17 members representing law enforcement, health care providers, state agencies, advocates, and the judiciary.
The Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission recommends:
•Lethality Assessment: The Commission recommends that the state provide resources and funding for the statewide use of a lethality assessment tool (LAP) by law enforcement in every domestic violence incident. They suggest that the Vermont Criminal Justice Council determine the best LAP tool, develop a protocol for its use, and that the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence assist in identifying an effective LAP tool and community advocacy organizations3.
•Changing laws about access to Firearms: The Commission recommends the legislature appoint a study committee to suggest legislative changes to enhance compliance with firearm surrender orders. They also recommend that courts and law enforcement address access to firearms in cases of self-harm and that healthcare providers screen for domestic violence history. Funding should also be provided to raise awareness about the availability of Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) for temporary firearms storage.
•Victim Service Positions for Local Police Departments: The Commission recommends funding for two new regional victim service positions that work with municipal agencies to ensure immediate and ongoing victim support in every domestic violence homicide/near homicide and murder/suicide6. These positions should be based in a statewide entity and housed within a local law enforcement agency, focusing solely on victim needs.
Confidential Advocacy for College Students: The Commission recommends that the Intercollegiate Sexual Harm Prevention Council expand its legislative charge to include enhancing the capacity of Vermont institutions of higher education to address dating violence. The Council should also provide a model policy to all Vermont institutions to provide clear access to confidential, community-based resources for students experiencing physical violence or stalking, and to survey colleges to determine which offer comprehensive training on dating violence, stalking prevention, and healthy relationships.
Accountability Programming in a Final Order: The Commission recommends amending state law to give courts explicit authority to impose a condition that a respondent engage in domestic violence accountability programming when a final Relief From Abuse (RFA) order is granted.
Handling Sensitive Evidence Requests: The Commission recommends that law enforcement agencies follow the state model policy that allows access to materials requested by a survivor in a trauma-informed way, with the assistance of an advocate, as long as it does not adversely impact ongoing legal proceedings.
Legislation recommended by Clark and the Commission, if introduced, would likely go to the House Judiciary or Senate Judiciary committees.
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Categories: Court, Gunrights, Legislation, State Government
As with all firearms laws compliance by those who are apt to commit crimes is at best problematic. The only people that will comply are those who would never commit these crimes anyway. Anybody that wants a firearm for nefarious intent will always find one.
Now, we need full disclosure of the border patrol agent that was shot this week. We do not need any more clown shows coming out of the Vermont state house. These crooks are wasting time and nothing will get done. The A. G. Clark needs to start producing some real results or get out of office.
I think Miss charity Clark might to just do her damn job, and stop trying to take other people’s rights.
Specifically this Miss Clark:
“(a) The Attorney General shall have the general supervision of criminal prosecutions, shall consult with and advise the State’s Attorneys in matters relating to the duties of their office, and shall assist them by attending the grand jury in the examination of any cause or in the preparation of indictments and informations when, in his or her judgment, the interests of the State require it.”
https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/03/007/00153
Highlighting the “advise the state’s attorney and matters relating to the duties of their office”.
Fix the state’s attorney in Chittenden County and most of these problems would have gone away…
Unfortunately for Vermont, Clark is doing her job according to her Masters, Soros and Son. They paid good money for her and she must perform like a good little Soros monkey. I wonder if she had to sign the contract in blood or just pledging her soul to Lucifer sufficed? Either way, Lucifer has captured a good many within the confines of the Capitol district – we know them all by their fruits.
Just what we need. More firearms laws that criminals will ignore but will create confusion for law abiding citizens. One thing the Vermont legislature does well is to waste valuable time creating laws that are not needed.
Yes, AG Charity Clark, has the cart before the horse, this complete article mentions multiple times, that it all revolves around ” Domestic Violence ” What’s the cause for that violence ??
AG Clark should, instead of slapping the perpetrator on the wrist and handing him a notice to “stay away,” like that’s protection for the victim, just lock them up until they are evaluated, multiple events then there is no rehabilitation…… throw away the key
This article only mentions gun issues, what other objects are used in these cases ?? This sounds like another liberal gun grab, I remember in Burlington the state’s new cesspool, one perpetrator used a bat and another used an axe and I assume other objects…………………
I get it. Another effort to bury guns with legal verbiage and labyrinthine regulations. “That the people have a right to bear arms for the defence of themselves and the State—and as standing armies in time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be kept up; and that the military should be kept under strict subordination to and governed by the civil power.” is pretty straightforward. Stop messing with it.
It’s always amazed me how the anti 2A people can take plain English, somehow translate it into some kind of seudo language, or digitize it, and when retranslating it back into English, and come up with something totally different. Amazing !
Stop voting morons into office, she clearly doesn’t have an idea what she is talking about. Show me one gun laws that has prevented a criminal act by a criminal?
But she’s so cute ! (for an air head)
More repugnant than the lack of due process are two recommendations from this committee:
*Lethality Assessment: The Commission recommends that the state provide resources and funding for the statewide use of a lethality assessment tool (LAP) by law enforcement in every domestic violence incident. They suggest that the Vermont Criminal Justice Council determine the best LAP tool, develop a protocol for its use, and that the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence assist in identifying an effective LAP tool and community advocacy organizations3.
*Accountability Programming in a Final Order: The Commission recommends amending state law to give courts explicit authority to impose a condition that a respondent engage in domestic violence accountability programming when a final Relief From Abuse (RFA) order is granted.
Thought police and re-programming. There it is, in black and white. Not one word about using existing law, just “recommendations” to usurp constitutional rights….
on steroids.
I’m sure the criminals will follow your requests
As everyone has alluded to, criminals and guys who commit “domestic violence” and beat their girlfriends and wives don’t care about the law. There are already plenty of very stringent federal laws which determine who can and cannot purchase and/or possess firearms. We don’t need more laws which criminals don’t follow anyway. Once again, law abiding citizens who have Second Amendment rights will be the ones penalized.
Utter stupidity.
Legislative virtue signaling to make them feel like they’re doing something, but utterly devoid of common sense.
How about enforcing the laws we already have on the books in Vermont to get serial and habitual offenders off the streets and stop playing catch and release?
The fact of the matter is that they (the anti 2A people) have by passing a 72 hr. waiting period put possible domestic assault victims in harm’s way. If they don’t already have a firearm to protect themselves, they have to wait 72 hrs. between the time they can purchase one, and the time they can possess one. The dirt bags that walk through restraining orders don’t sweat these details.
Gun control did not stop Felix Bauckholt, an illegal alien, from having a gun and bringing it into our country or his female friend who started the shooting.
They had guns because we are led to believe that gun control works.
All it does is prevent law abiding American citizens from having guns so communist progressives can retain their power over us. Now Charity Clark is trying to tell us more gun restrictions will work. Gun control does not work and will never work.
THE 2nd AMENDMENT DOES NOT GRANT US THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS. THE 2nd AMENDMENT PROHIBITS THE GOVERNMENT FROM INFRINGING ON OUR RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS – PERIOD! THEREFORE, ALL GUN CONTROL UNDER THE CONSTITUTION IS ILLEGAL!
“Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun”. – Mao Zedong.
Gun control laws are the least of the recommendations. Merely a diversion to distract from the most egregious of these conclusions: The “tool” to “assess lethality” is a psychological test, subject to interpretation by a social worker. The proverbial camel’s nose under the tent- then “violence accountability programming”, court ordered. No chance either of these measures would be abused- more frequently than gun confiscation, eh?
Any “lethality evaluation” must acknowledge the statistical biological reality that most men are physically dominant over most women. Any weapon involved can only advantage the female in cases of domestic violence. Any restriction on weaponry like the 72 hour wait sacrifices women’s safety to supposedly prevent a few suicides…in a state which has a statutory allowance for assisted suicide…liberal logic.