Manfred Mann - My partner, my enemy: an unflinching view of domestic violence and new ways to protect victims

My Partner, My Enemy

Praise for My Partner, My Enemy

My Partner, My Enemy is a very important book. As far as I know, Justice John Michael Leventhal is the first judge to share his experience deciding domestic violence cases, and his insights and eyewitness accounts are gripping and important. Also very significant is the set of recommendations Leventhal makes for change in addressing this so-serious and so-difficult problem. It is heartening to see more and more influential male voices speaking up for gender justice and against violence against women, and feminism should welcome such advocates. Naomi Wolf, PhD, co-founder of The Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership, noted feminist and best-selling author of The Beauty Myth and The End of America

My Partner, My Enemy is an important and thoughtful book. Justice Leventhal is a deeply caring judge who handled many domestic violence cases in a specialized court at the trial level in New York. His commitment to and concern with the complex issues of domestic violence is impressive. This book is an especially useful read for other judges who handle domestic violence cases. Elizabeth M. Schneider , Rose L. Hoffer Professor of Law, Brooklyn Law School; author of Battered Women and Feminist Lawmaking (2000), coauthor of Domestic Violence and the Law: Theory and Practice (2013)

As a co-founder of the New York State Coalition against Domestic Violence and the founding director of the first batterer program in New York State, I love this powerful, truth-telling book. Judge Leventhal exposes case after case of the brutality and torture of intimate partners, perpetrated by domestic violence offenders who have appeared in his court. He does not embellish. He simply writes it as it was, in a manner that is remarkably readable and deeply impactful. The horror of these felony cases clarifies how far we have come and, at the same time, how much further we must go. I see this new book as a must-read for judges and advocates alike, as well as for everyone else who wants an educated vision of what it will take to bring an end to the epidemic of domestic violence. Phyllis B. Frank , codirector, Training Institute, New York Model for Batterer Programs

My Partner, My Enemy

An Unflinching View of Domestic Violence and New Ways to Protect Victims

John Michael Leventhal

Rowman & Littlefield

Lanham Boulder New York London

Published by Rowman & Littlefield

A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

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Copyright 2016 by Rowman & Littlefield

All rights reserved . No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Leventhal, John Michael, author.

Title: My partner, my enemy : an unflinching view of domestic violence and new ways to protect victims / John Michael Leventhal.

Description: Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield, 2016. | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016006184 (print) | LCCN 2016013470 (ebook) | ISBN 9781442265165 (cloth : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781442265172 (Electronic)

Subjects: LCSH: Family violenceUnited States. | Victims of family violenceUnited States. | Abusive menUnited States.

Classification: LCC HV6626.2 .L49 2016 (print) | LCC HV6626.2 (ebook) | DDC 362.82/92dc23

LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016006184

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

This book is for my late father, Harry, my very best friend;

for my late blind mother, Elizabeth, who saw with her heart;

and for the joys of my life, my sons, Adam and Danny.

It is also for the late Honorable Judith S. Kaye,

the mother of problem solving courts and

a mentor and inspiration to us all.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank all those who encouraged me in my work as a judge handling domestic violence cases and in the writing of this book. First, I mention my sisters, Vivien Landau and Barbara Friedman, who are always there with a supporting ear or a loving suggestion, and of course, Sheryl.

Next, I want to thank all those who toil in the quarries of domestic violence, but in particular those persons who have made my work doable and labored right beside meHon. Charles Troia, Hon. Guy Mangano Jr., Jezebel Walter, the late Gail Kohn, Gloria Moloney, John Gallo, Karen Boyd Gillen, Monte Ruschwerger, James Imperatrice, and all of the court officers who served in my part. I wish to mention and express my admiration to the Domestic Violence Bureau of the Kings County District Attorneys Office, formerly headed by Wanda Lucibello; the defense bar; Brooklyn Defender Services, headed by Lisa Schreibersdorf; the Legal Aid Society headed by Dawn Ryan in Brooklyn; the Center for Court Innovation, especially Emily Sack and Liberty Aldrich; victim advocates, especially Safe Horizons, Sanctuary for Families, and My Sisters Place; and all the partners of the Brooklyn Domestic Violence Court for their dedicated service day in and day out in handling these very difficult and challenging cases.

I would also like to give credit to Hon. Guy J. Mangano Jr. for suggesting that I write this book; the Hon. Mark Dillon, the late Hon. Nicholas Clemente, the Hon. Anne Feldman, Ben Darvil, Ted Taub, and the late Betty Taub for reading through the first draft and giving me constructive criticism; Mel Harris, Matt Weiner, and Samantha Perlstein for making suggestions and for editing my final draft; and my friends Howard Blum, the Hon. Barry Kamins, Mark Schulman, and Bruce Taub for their constant encouragement. I want to thank my editor, Kathryn Knigge, who kept my eye on the ball and believed in the importance of this project. I also want to acknowledge Kevin Commins for his constructive suggestions.

I wish to especially recognize my innovative colleague in the Domestic Violence Court, the Hon. Matthew J. DEmic. He has always made himself available to discuss any issues pertinent to the court and has been my good friend who is receptive to new ideas. I also want to recognize the Hon. Daniel Angiolillo, who started the first Integrated Domestic Violence Court, and the Hon. Pat Henry and the Hon. Esther Morgenstern, who preside over the Integrated Domestic Violence parts in Brooklyn. I want to thank all those judges, attorneys, and advocates who deal with these difficult cases on a daily basis.

I want to express my appreciation to the Hon. Michael L. Pesce, my former administrative judge, for having faith in me and for presenting me with an opportunity to preside over the nations first felony domestic violence court. Lastly, I wish to acknowledge former chief judge of the state of New York, the Hon. Judith S. Kaye, for her vision in developing the prototype domestic violence court and express my gratitude for her confidence in me and for her support that enabled me to continue to do this important work for nearly twelve years at a time when I thought that I was emotionally done.

Introduction

My name is John Michael Leventhal. I was a justice of the Supreme Court of the State of New York. I presided over the first felony domestic violence part in the nationmurder and mayhem family style. The title Judge of Abuse was once bestowed upon me by Jennifer Gonnerman in a 1997 Village Voice article about domestic violence and my court: Domestic Violence: A New Court Fights an Old Problem.