What is a no drop policy on domestic violence?

A no-drop policy on domestic violence means that if a victim of domestic violence does not show up to court to testify against the defendant, the case is not dropped. Before no-drop policies were enacted in many areas, the result of a victim no-show meant a dismissal of the case.

This change in prosecution has lead to an increase of guilty pleas, as well as a decrease in the number of dismissals. Using this method, it is not necessary for a victim to be present in the courtroom for a case to be heard. While effective in increasing prosecutions, no-drop policies are expensive, and there is no definitive evidence that they are more effective in protecting those people in abusive relationships.