Montana Fatality Review Commission
Facilitated by the Montana Attorney General's office, Montana's Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission is charged with examining the trends and patterns of domestic violence-related fatalities in Montana; educating the public, service providers, and policymakers about domestic violence fatalities and strategies for intervention and prevention; and recommending policies, practices, and services that may encourage collaboration and reduce fatalities due to domestic violence.
The Fatality Review Commission is unique in that it interviews the perpetrator's family as well as the victim's family. The Commission also reviews only those fatalities that are not under investigation and have no possible pending court case. To date, the Commission has completed two reviews.
Although the Commission had already met informally, Montana's 2003 State Legislature approved legislation that codified the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission's existence, gave it the necessary authority to request all information and records that it deems important to review a case, and made the commission's proceedings confidential. That legislation also requires the Commission to issue a biennial report detailing its findings and recommendations to the legislature, the attorney general, the governor, and the chief of the supreme court.