SF Weekly, January 10, 2012 by Joe Eskenazi
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2012/01/ross_mirkarimi_family_matter.php
Lemon says. “A century ago we thought it was a private, family matter. We found a lot of people were hurt―or killed.” Rather than treat domestic violence as a domestic problem, Lemon notes, it is now seen as a crime against the state. That’s why prosecutors can move ahead with charges, even if the alleged victim refuses to cooperate, or even actively opposes the process.