March 28, 2020
For Immediate Release
ADA COUNTY COURTHOUSE CLOSES TO PUBLIC
WCA Doors Open to Assist with Civil Protection Order Assistance and Filing
Boise, ID – In response to community spread of the COVID-19 pandemic officials made the decision on Friday, March 27, 2020 that the Ada County Courthouse will no longer be available to the public come Monday morning. Th
is means that many day-to-day courthouse functions will be put on hold or moved to online facilitation only. One such vitally critical function is filing of domestic violence and stalking civil protection orders.
The Women’s and Children’s Alliance (WCA) has had a long-standing relationship with the Ada County Court system and can help. Our crisis center located at 720 W. Washington Street in downtown Boise will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and our Court Advocacy team will be available for walk-in and telephonic civil protection order assistance and video/telephonic order filing. The team can also provide individual safety planning. FACES of Hope Victim Center, located at 417 S 6th Street, is also able to help file these protection orders online.
Domestic abuse is about one person exerting power and control over another person. This can be through controlling of finances, withholding affection, threatening children and pets, isolation from friends and family, physical, emotional, and verbal abuse, just not name a few. And, research tells us that rates of domestic violence rise during natural disasters. Home is not always a safe place for everyone. Experts near and far are sounding the warning bells for what is to come when we have individuals being placed in quarantine, isolation and lock-down situations with an abuser for extended periods of time.
“We know there are many people in our community in situations that are much like living in a pressure cooker. The pressure is building right now and they know something is about to happen,” says Bea Black, WCA Executive Director. “We want people to know that our doors are open and that we are here to help.”
In addition to court advocacy services, the WCA offers two 24hour hotlines (domestic abuse hotline208-343-7045/sexual assault hotline 208-345-7273) safe shelter, case management, counseling, court advocacy, education and a variety of other integrated services and programs to women, men and children victimized by abuse.
About the WCA
The Women’s & Children’s Alliance provides safety, healing and freedom from domestic abuse and sexual assault. The WCA operates secure shelters and provides professional counseling, legal advocacy, crisis services and case management to survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. For more information, visit www.wcaboise.org.
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