Sen. Joe Rafferty introduces bill to protect victims of domestic abuse
AUGUSTA — On Monday, March 3, Sen. Joe Rafferty, D-Kennebunk, introduced LD 586, “An Act to Provide a Court Authority to Issue Proximity Restrictions in Protection from Abuse Orders,” to the Joint Standing Committee on the Judiciary.
“Maine’s Protection from Abuse statute is an important tool to keep survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking safe,” said Sen. Rafferty. “Protection from Abuse Orders offer a variety of relief, including stay away orders, in which alleged abusers can be prohibited from being at or near a victim’s home, school, business or place of employment. Although the current provisions of the statute are all meaningful, Maine can and should strengthen our ability to protect victims of domestic abuse by closing the loopholes exploited by alleged abusers.”
LD 586 would strengthen enforcement of protection orders by removing loopholes perpetrators take advantage of to continuously harass victims. It would also create an option for judges to provide specific locations that perpetrators cannot go to. This could include the victim’s place of employment or an address the victim frequents, such as their family members’ homes. This fix to the existing protection statute would reassure victims that places they frequent will be safe from further harassment by alleged domestic abusers. Judges have discretion in determining specific distances and locations based on the facts of the case at hand. This would benefit rural victims who may be unable to avoid certain locations, such as a grocery store in a sparsely populated area.
Similar legislation was introduced as LD 2103 in the 131st Legislature. The bill received unanimous approval in the House and Senate, but was pocket vetoed by Governor Mills at the conclusion of the Second Regular Session.
LD 586 faces further action in committee.
