The Role of Judges in an Elder Abuse Case

The Elder Justice Initiative at the US Department of Justice is hosting a webinar on the role of judges in preventing and addressing elder abuse. The criminalization of elder abuse means that it enters a courtroom both directly in civil and criminal cases, as well as indirectly (e.g., in the context of a guardianship proceeding). The presenter, Judge Howze, will discuss what this means in the context of courtrooms today. Topics covered will include:

•  the dynamics of elder abuse
•  relevant issues such as cognitive capacity
•  expert witnesses which may be required
• reasonable courtroom accommodations 
• the advantages of elder abuse multidisciplinary teams
•  the importance of judicial leadership on the issue of elder abuse