By Amy Larson
Brooklyn’s number one prosecutor, Charles J. Hynes, has gone after a lot of bad guys.
As Kings County District Attorney he is in charge of locking up people ranging from Nixzmary Brown’s murderous stepfather, corrupt former head of Brooklyn’s Democratic Party Clarence Norman, and the parking meter-stealing guy.
But the fiends he most revels in catching are wife-beaters.
Three years ago, Hynes created the New York City Family Justice Center to go after batterers and get help to victims mentally and physically terrorized by their intimate partners. The center houses one of the first specialized domestic violence bureaus in the country, and has become a national model for district attorneys in handling these difficult cases.
Hynes first saw his father hitting his mother when he was five.
“It was the dark secret of the family, and I was humiliated by it,” Hynes said, while sitting in his 19th-floor office with soaring Manhattan skyscrapers behind him.
Hynes said his father was a drunk who beat his mother during his childhood in Flatbush and Marine Park.
When Hynes was elected as District Attorney in 1990, he went after wife abusers with a vengeance.
“I was getting even,” Hynes said. “My philosophy was real simple: lock them up.”
Hynes’ answer to domestic violence became more refined and effective after consulting with scholars in the field. The justice center and prosecuting bureau that resulted helps victims navigate through a complex and intimidating court system.
Every day, about 1,000 people in New York City call the police to report domestic violence, according to the center.
Brooklyn has the most family related murders in the city. Of the 48 domestic homicides committed in 2007, 16 victims were killed in Brooklyn, compared to four in Manhattan and eight in the Bronx, according to the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence.
The justice center, at 350 Jay Street, has a fleet of 44 assistant district attorneys dedicated solely to prosecuting domestic violence cases.
Down the hall from the prosecutors are two laid-back police officers dressed in plain clothes. Victims can report crimes to these officers in a quiet setting that is less intimidating than bustling station houses.
In addition, there are 20 social workers on staff who act as a bridge between the victims and the prosecutors. They give victims suits to wear in court and cell phones to use if they are in danger at home.
While mothers get help, their children are kept busy in a toy-packed playroom, Margaret’s Place, with art projects, stuffed animals and games.
The number of domestic violence cases in recent years has risen, said the DA. In south Brooklyn, Canarsie and Flatlands had the most domestic violence arrests, with 695 in 2007. Bensonhurst had the least, at 383 arrests.
However, Hynes said that this is actually a positive trend. More women feel empowered enough to report their abuser to the police instead of feeling ashamed and covering for their batterers.
For people terrorized by domestic violence, washing your dirty laundry in public is the right thing to do, Hynes said.
Since the justice center’s opening in July 2005, nearly 12,200 adults, mainly women, have walked into the center seeking help.
“It’s amazing how resilient people are in overcoming these traumas,” said Sarah McGrath, Senior Clinical Supervisor for the Victim Services Unit.
Domestic violence cases are even more serious than they appear on the surface, said Hynes, because of the long-term emotional and behavioral damage it has.
On the justice center’s front entrance hangs a photograph of Hynes and his mother. The District Attorney said his mother’s steadfast support throughout his childhood got him to where he is today. He did not have such kind words for his father.
“I never talked to my father for the last 19 years of his life,” Hynes said. “He lost a son, I lost a father.”
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