Benjamin

CHARLESTON -- Supreme Court Chief Justice Brent Benjamin, representatives of the West Virginia State Police and the FBI, a domestic violence victim, and Director of Court Services Angie Saunders will speak at the launch of the Domestic Violence Registry and Statewide Database.

The launch will be at 1 p.m. Monday, March 23, in the state Supreme Court Chambers.

The Registry is a tool used to communicate domestic violence protective orders to law enforcement. It will enhance the enforcement of those protective orders by providing officers the most up-to-date information on a court's actions.

An advisory team representing more than two dozen entities participated in developing the registry. Their work, and the technology necessary to make the Registry a reality, was paid for largely with federal grants.

Representatives of those agencies have been invited to the launch.

The development of the Registry, its current reach, and plans for the future will be explained in detail during the event and during a question and answer session for the media that will follow.