Domestic violence is one of the pressing issues facing Ohio's families today.
In the past several years, the state legislature has begun to recognize the importance of curbing the cycle of violence in our families. This has prompted radical changes in Ohio's domestic violence laws, the most important of which was the 1994 implementation of Ohio's preferred arrest policy in domestic violence offenses. In 1996, newly-elected Judge Michael Hoague began to seek ways to insure justice in the ever increasing load of domestic violence cases. Judge Hoague recognized that something must be done to bring swift and sure closure to these cases while still dispensing required justice. In 1997, in response to these concerns, Judge Hoague implemented the Delaware Municipal Court's Domestic Violence Accelerated Docket.