Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez opens domestic violence survivor center in Markham Courthouse

The Cook County Courthouse in Markham now has a space for people in domestic violence cases to safely file court documents and meet with advocates.

Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez and advocates held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday to unveil the Domestic Violence Survivor Center on the courthouse’s lower level.

“To know that there is a place that someone can call home, at least during the most trying moments, this is it. This is the space that we’ve been able to identify in the Southland area as a place for everyone that they can actually call home and be here and be in a safe place,” Martinez said.

The 2,260-square-foot center is the first of its kind in Cook County courts system, said clerk’s office spokesman Hugo Balta. Martinez hopes to open similar centers in the other district courts, he said.

The center has a reception area where a clients will be greeted by clerk’s staff, Balta said. They will have access to about a dozen computers to begin filling out orders of protection and to meet either in person or virtually with an advocate for support, he said.

The space also includes a play room for children, Balta said, so their parents can focus on the paperwork while their children have a safe space to play.

“The whole design is to provide privacy and provide a setting that is comfortable,” Balta said.

In Illinois, more than 65,000 acts of domestic violence are reported annually, Martinez said. About 42% of women and 26% of men in Illinois have reported acts of domestic violence, she said.

The data state officials have are only the acts of reported domestic violence, Martinez said. Domestic violence victims do not report the abuse for a multitude of reasons, including religious beliefs, cultural traditions, social economic status and beliefs about gender roles, Martinez said.

“Domestic violence situations are common but they are also often under reported. The incidents of abuse are likely much higher while many victims fear retaliation and do not report the abuse,” she said.

The center will partner with different advocacy groups to support victims of domestic violence, said Carmen Navarro Gercone, executive clerk of court operations and administration.

Anew Building Beyond Violence and Abuse CEO Jennifer Gabrenya said members of the organization, which provide support and resources, were in the courthouse Wednesday helping people file orders of protection.

“We’re excited about the commitment to survivors and the recognition that it’s hard to serve survivors here in the Markham Courthouse,” Gabrenya said. “It’s long overdue to really be thinking about how we need to expand this space and work together to get better everyday at how we serve survivors in this area.”

Cook County Presiding Judge Tommy Brewer called the center “jaw dropping.”

“We are really proud and very pleased. It’s just another gift for the people of the south suburbs,” Brewer said. “Sometimes people miss us being a part of the county, and I thank Clerk Martinez for remembering us out here,” Brewer said.

Palos Park Mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters recalled being an attorney at the Bridgeview Courthouse and the Daley Center and seeing people try to navigate the court system, sometimes for the very first time, to file an order of protection. In some instances, they had to walk by the person they say abused them, who was awaiting a hearing, she said.

The center will be a clearly designated area where people know they will be safe and supported, Milovich-Walters said.

“It’s a great idea and model, and I hope it serves as a template,” Milovich-Walters said.