PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Circuit Court of Cook County to hold family violence symposium for western suburbs on October 12, 2004

Released On 10/07/2004

Circuit Court of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans and Fourth Municipal District Presiding Judge Edmund Ponce de Leon announced the court will convene a day-long symposium on family violence on Tuesday, October 12, 2004, at the Hillside Holiday Inn and Conference Center, 4400 Frontage Road, Hillside, Illinois. Titled "The Many Faces of Domestic Violence," the symposium will feature national and local experts who will speak about domestic violence and its related issues, teen dating violence, child abuse and elder abuse.

The symposium will serve as the kick-off of the reactivation of the Fourth Municipal District’s Family Violence Coordinating Council which seeks to raise public awareness of the effect domestic violence has on the community, and to improve cooperation and coordination among the professions providing services to victims of domestic violence in Cook County’s western suburbs.

The symposium’s keynote speaker will be Ms. Lydia Walker, a national speaker, trainer, and author, who is well known for her work in the battered women’s movement since 1981. She will address the critical issues of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse based on her many years of experience. A former steering committee member of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (1983-1987), Ms. Walker served on the coalition’s Executive Committee for two years, and co-chaired both its child advocate and rural task forces. She is the author of Reaching Rural Battered Women and contributing author to Then We Went to a Safe Place, and Naming the Violence. Ms. Walker has compiled writings such as "Signs of a Battering Personality" and "Interviewing for Sexual Assault and Child Abuse," which are extensively used by professionals across the United States. An outstanding speaker, she is known for her humor and down-to-earth training style.

The second speaker will be Ms. Debbie Thompson. Ms. Thompson, a survivor of domestic violence, has spoken locally and nationally on behalf of the Wireless Foundation, the Motorola Corporation and for The Body Shop, Inc. Ms. Thompson was named 2001 "Outstanding Victim Advocate" for the State of Illinois. In addition to her work with victims and their children and significant others, she also works with a local batterers’ education group, offering insight on victimization to the batterers themselves. Ms. Thompson is a dedicated advocate and passionate spokesperson against family violence.

The final speaker of the day will be Ms. Vicki Crompton-Tetter. Ms. Crompton-Tetter is well known for her appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show, where she told the heartfelt story of her daughter, a victim of teen dating violence. She has written and contributed to articles on teen dating violence that have appeared in Redbook, Teen Magazine, and Sugar Magazine. Ms. Crompton-Tetter has also contributed pieces to several books, including Dating Violence, Young Women in Danger: What Parents Need to know About Dating Violence; In Our Own Words: Readings on the Psychology of Gender and Women: Crime and the Canadian Criminal Justice System. In 2002, Ms. Crompton-Tetter received the Kay Egan Memorial Award from the Iowa Organzation for Victim Assistance, and in 1989, she won Iowa’s Outstanding Victim Assistance Volunteer Award. Most recently, she has written a highly recommended book, Saving Beauty from the Beast.

Judges, attorneys, public defenders, state's attorneys, law enforcement officers, mediators, victim advocates, educators, medical personnel, psychologists, substance abuse counselors, probation officers, public aid staff, public health staff, social service workers, human resources administrators, and children and family services staff are invited to the symposium.

The Circuit Court of Cook County Family Violence Coordinating Councils are:

First Municipal District of Cook County (Chicago)

Second Municipal District of Cook County (Evanston, New Trier, Niles, Northfield Townships)

Third Municipal District of Cook County (Barrington, Elk Grove, Hanover, Maine, Palatine, Schaumburg Townships)

Fourth Municipal District of Cook County (Cicero, Berwyn, Leyden, Oak Park, Proviso, River Forest, Riverside Townships)

Fifth Municipal District of Cook County (Lyons, Palos, Stickney, Worth, Lemont, Orland Townships)

Sixth Municipal District of Cook County (Bloom, Bremen, Calumet, Rich, Thornton Townships)