Many, both the victims and the defendants, resent having to come at all. Welcome to Hernando County's domestic violence court, an experiment in the making. It is the end of the road for some relationships and the middle of a cycle for others. Each Thursday, for two hours, folks from all walks of life come to sit in these courtroom benches to answer for their crimes, or to testify to the crimes of others. There are no boundaries of race or economics here.
Men arrive in muddy boots and sneakers and shiny, tasseled loafers.
Some are alone, some have wives or girlfriends on their arm. Women also wait in this chilly, air-conditioned chamber, some with employee name tags pinned to their shirts, others with large diamond rings flashing from their fingers, another with an octopus tattoo on her forearm. Most are victims, though some are the accused. They are all players in a societal problem, local officials say, that has not been appropriately addressed by the judicial system. At least, that's the hope.