On April 28, 2003, I walked through the door of the District Attorney’s Office for the first time in my new position as the Domestic Violence Investigator for Sagadahoc County. I had spent the previous 26 years as an officer with the Topsham Police Department and was no stranger to the criminal justice system or domestic violence. However, I admit to not being totally prepared for both the volume of cases and extraordinary emotional trauma and unique dynamics of each case. As I explain to people, with each new case presented to me, no two are ever alike by the mere fact we are dealing with different individuals with very different dynamics in each case. Even when dealing with people who have been previously caught up in domestic cases, there are routinely differences between events.

During my tenure here, I have kept specific records of the cases sent to this office including establishing an in-house numbering system. This was done in great part as a simple memory aid. Frankly, I was not prepared for the volume of cases and establishing a numbering system was not only useful but quite necessary. Also, I have always maintained the philosophy that in order to get a handle on this societal problem, the community at large needed to know the extent and magnitude of the issue. I have on occasion written articles for this newspaper sharing information on domestic violence in hopes that we all will take notice and take a stand against it.

On day two of what has turned into 13 years in this position, my first case of a domestic violence arrest landed on my desk. To my bosses credit he has allowed me to develop my own approach and investigative techniques that suit my strengths and abilities. Flexibility has proven to be a useful tool in this position. To this day I continue to change and adopt new methods in investigating and documenting domestic violence cases for Sagadahoc County.

A significant modification of my duties occurred several years ago when I took on the role as victim advocate for these cases. Honestly it has proven to be both a blessing and a curse over the years but that is for another article.

The purpose of this article is to share a significant event that occurred recently. This past February 17, a new case of domestic violence came into this office as a result of an arrest. What is significant about this case?

Twelve years, 9 months and 20 days after beginning my tenure as the domestic violence investigator, Case No. 1,000 landed on my desk. One thousand cases of someone being charged with a domestic violence offense in Sagadahoc County in a just under 13 years. I hope this number both amazes and disturbs you. A little math reveals that averages 77 cases per year, seven per month or one and a half per week.

To mark this inauspicious occasion, I am doing something quite different from past articles and will dissect this particular case and share how it progresses through our criminal justice system from arrest to adjudication. As it is still a pending case, I cannot reveal the names of the parties involved and will hopefully disguise it sufficiently so that it is not recognizable.

As we all know from our history lessons that all parties are deemed innocent until proven guilty by the courts. With that in mind, I wish now to share with you case number 1,000.

In mid- February, a woman calls 911, screaming and panicky, telling the communications officer that her son’s girlfriend is out of control and attempting to strike the caller’s son and husband. Two officers from the local law enforcement agency responded and began to sift through the chaos to determine if a crime had been committed and if so, who was the predominant aggressor. In cases where there are allegations of mutual physicality, the officers are trained to determine who was most responsible, or the predominant aggressor.

It didn’t take long to realize the young woman, the mother of the shared children with her partner, engaged in a brief verbal exchange before becoming physically aggressive towards her partner and his father. In fact, it is alleged that she picked up and attempted to strike them with an outdoor tool. During this altercation she is also alleged to have struck both with her hand.

It is important to recognize I used the term “alleged” as she has yet to be convicted of this offense and is thereby considered innocent until otherwise proven guilty in court. It is also worth noting that among the 1,000 cases charged in Sagadahoc County, at least 15-20 percent were females. Maine’s domestic violence laws apply equally to both genders and all relationships.

Once taken into custody by police, she was taken straight to Two Bridges Regional Jail. Given she was using or attempted to use a device as a weapon, she was initially charged with a felony domestic assault which made her ineligible for bail by a Bail Commissioner. Under Maine Law she had to be seen by a Judge in Court before bail could be set. In our system, Judges see incarcerated defendants Monday, Wednesday and Friday by video from the jail. Due to the day and hour of her arrest, she had to remain at the jail for two days before her arraignment. At her arraignment, the Judge set the bail amount and conditions as well as beginning the process of assigning her a court appointed attorney. The young woman was able to make bail and departed the jail that same day.

In the next and subsequent articles I will share and describe the judicial process and resolution as this case makes its way through our court system.

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Steven Edmondson is a domestic violence investigator at the Sagadahoc County District Attorney’s Office.