The Integrated Domestic Violence Court of the State of New York in Onondaga County decided on December 23, 2010 that in response to a Memorandum of Law request dated December 20, 2010, which requested a DNA test be ordered to determine paternity of the child in question, that the test would be ordered. The issue of law in this situation is determining the paternity of the child in question. Because that determination in this situation, would help to determine a course of action for the Integrated Domestic Violence Court to address.
The Integrated Domestic Violence Court is a part of the Supreme Court of the State of New York. It was created with respect to the Chief Judge of the City of New York to handle cases involving domestic violence crimes. Not all crimes qualify as domestic violence, but those that do need to be addressed in many cases in a completely different manner than those which are not. The Chief Judge has the authority to regulate the courts of New York. That means that the Chief Judge has the right to reassign any case that involves any type of domestic violence and reassign it to the Integrated Domestic Violence Court. Further, if there is more than one case pending in the New York court systems; they can all be consolidated into one case before the same judge, in the same hearing. The ability to combine all pending cases in to one case, enables the judge who is hearing a case to get an overall picture of the problems that are currently facing the family in question. The actions ordered by the court can then take in to consideration the totality of the circumstances which are present and enable the court to determine a course of action that is in the best interests of the child an the advancement of the administration of suitable justice.