So she wants to re-order the treatment protocol. Drugs and alcohol are involved in a large number of cases, she said, so you've got to get abusers sober first.

"If you are drunk or high or strung out, you really aren't able to do anything about your domestic violence," Miller said.

The abuser has to address his addiction, get a job, come to court — not just do a quick plea deal and pay a $300 to $500 fine.

"We have to use the hooks we have in them," Miller said. Then you can begin to treat the baffling assortment of control and behavior issues associated with these crimes. Miller calls that cognitive restructuring — changing the way a person gets mad, changing the way he behaves.

· · · · ·

If Walters saw Gehlen's grin in court, she didn't acknowledge it. She kept her eyes on the judge while her Legal Aid Society attorney Keri Gardner made a brief case for a protective order to keep her alleged abuser away.

Asked for his response in court, Gehlen rambled on about how he thought the "no contact" order was too severe, that they could work out the relationship on their own. But he conceded to the court, "I'll respect her wishes and not come around."

He then again glared at Walter and smirked.

The bailiff finally tapped him on the shoulder and gestured for him to keep his eyes forward.

Commissioner Arnett issued a protective order and court recessed. During the break, court staff commented on Gehlen's creepy stare. They figured that should he be released from jail, it wouldn't be long before he violated the protective order.

The court staff gets to know people. Gehlen's case was one of 1,231 domestic violence cases filed in Salt Lake City Justice Court in 2006.

So who are these perpetrators?

· · · · ·

"We will be devoting significant resources to holding the offender accountable and following through on the terms of their probation." — Lohra Miller, Salt Lake County attorney

· · · · ·

Abusers are fearful, angry people who feel powerless in their world, domestic violence prevention advocates say. They seek control and respect by threatening and inflicting harm on the only people available as victims: their families.

Offenders are typically 18 to 38 years old, with those in the 25 to 31 age group being the most common abusers.

According to Salt Lake City Justice Court statistics, the typical perpetrator is a white male age 25 to 34 who has no more than a high school degree and earns less than $20,000 a year.