Professional Background

By Joyce Allegro

Joyce Allegro has the experience to handle complex and difficult court cases.

In 1983, domestic violence was not well understood. Joyce became an expert on domestic violence issues when she issued and tried one of the most serious domestic violence cases in Santa Clara County history. The defendant was as manipulative with the criminal justice system as he had been with his wife and girlfriend. Consequently, it took almost four years for the case to get to trial. During those years, Joyce learned a lot about domestic violence, especially that it was not the fault of the victim. She began to understand the psychological dynamics that are often found in abusive relationships, the vicious cycle of violence that occurs, the great fear felt by the victims and the emotional damage done to children who grow up in violent homes, who often become abusers themselves.

Unfortunately, few people in the criminal justice system and the community at large understood or cared about domestic violence - Joyce was determined to change those attitudes. She urged the D.A.'s office to form a special team to handle these difficult cases. She refused to plea bargain the case she had issued, even though some judges and police officers thought that she should. When the case finally got to trial, her efforts and resolve were rewarded when the jury convicted the defendant of 23 of 24 counts. He was sentenced to 53 years in state prison.

Joyce has continued to be active in the area of domestic violence by: •Serving on many committees of the Domestic Violence Council • Supervising the first Domestic Violence Team in the D.A.'s office • Recently completed her second term as Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Support Network for Battered Women