Toledo Municipal Court Unveils Domestic Violence Waiting Room Renovations

The Toledo Municipal Court is hosting an open house for stakeholders and members of the criminal justice community to showcase recently completed renovations to the Domestic Violence Waiting Room. This room, established through a partnership with City of Toledo Prosecutor's Office in 2014, was designed to give prosecutors a space to interview victims and help victims feel safe while waiting for their cases to be called.

The room received new furniture, as well as new carpet, lighting and paint. In addition, the public art collection that was displayed in the room was removed, cleaned, and re-installed. This project was supported by subgrant 2024-WF-V AS-8846 awarded by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, the Office of Criminal Justice Services, the Office on Violence Against Women, and the US Department of Justice's STOP Formula Grant Program.

Victim advocates from the Lucas County Prosecutor's Office are partnering with the Toledo Prosecutor's Office to staff the room. That partnership, along with grant funding approved by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council's Allocation and Review Committee, reflects the kind of stakeholder collaboration that strong justice systems depend on.

Judge Lanzinger noted, "Victims deserve to feel safe and supported from the moment they walk into this building. We're grateful to our justice system partners for helping us make that real."

The open house is scheduled from 12:00 to 1:00 on Friday, August 28.