White Pine, Lincoln and Eureka counties, are currently home to an innovative program addressing domestic and sexual violence in our state. Elko, Nye and Esmeralda counties will soon be added to the program.
A series of federal grants to “Encourage Arrest Policies” funding to expand Nevada’s “Domestic Violence Prosecution Best Practice Guidelines” was received by the Office of the Attorney General in coordination with the Nevada Advisory Council for Prosecuting Attorneys. This enabled a collaborative partnership between the District Attorneys of White Pine, Lincoln and Eureka counties and the Office of the Attorney General.
Under the terms of the grant, the Attorney General provided a Deputy Attorney General stationed in Ely and cross-deputized by each District Attorney. The sole responsibility of this DAG is to prosecute domestic and sexual violence cases under the direct supervision of the District Attorney who has applicable jurisdictional authority.
The prosecutor has encouraged evidence-based investigations for these crimes. This is particularly important because many victims of domestic and sexual violence are unwilling to face their abusers due to fear, financial and/or emotional dependence and shame.
Since the inception of the Tri-County Prosecutor position in December 2009, domestic violence prosecutions in White Pine, Lincoln and Eureka counties have increased dramatically with an over 98% conviction rate.