COEUR d'ALENE - Last week Senior Judge Penny Friedlander was honored with a plaque from the North Idaho Domestic Violence Treatment Provider Alliance for her contributions in developing a specialized domestic violence court in Kootenai County.

Before retiring in September, Friedlander played an instrumental role in launching the court. Judge Clark Peterson, who has taken over the court in her absence, said her efforts were a great testament to her character.

"It's her legacy," Edwin Hutchinson, a domestic violence treatment provider, added during the ceremony for Friedlander.

The alliance, according to information provided by Susan Manley Larsen of Solutions and More, is the main umbrella group for professionals working in the domestic violence field in North Idaho. Members of the alliance work closely with the court, which Friedlander said is "exquisitely different" from other specialized courts in the county.

Friedlander said the court was originated to provide consistency with misdemeanor domestic violence cases. Regardless of the law enforcement agency or the prosecutor tied with the case, it is heard in front of the specialized court.

Participants in the domestic violence court still go through the traditional trial process and are evaluated by a state-approved agency. The court gives the recommendations made in the evaluation weight, Friedlander said, throughout the process.

"The domestic violence court also has built in review hearings as necessary," Friedlander said.

After the participant is convicted, the court engages in conversation with treatment providers and the participants themselves in order to promote rehabilitation.

Defendants in the domestic violence cases, Friedlander said, are also able to give input to the court after the participant has been convicted.

"This gives us the opportunity to hold the defendant accountable and reinforce positive rehabilitation efforts with them as well," Friedlander said.

In an In Person interview with The Press, Friedlander said she feels like the court is making a difference in the community.

"But I can only say that anecdotally, not statistically. The reason I say that is because of the feedback I receive solely in court from the participants themselves," Friedlander said. "I can't begin to say that every case is a success; there are failures in terms of rehabilitation. But I think it's just the feedback the court receives that means a lot."