Maryland’s Protective Order Laws: Progress Made, Goals for the Future
Maryland’s Protective Order Laws: Progress Made, Goals for the Future
Room 350: 9:45 AM to 11:00 AM
Significant strides have been made in protecting survivors of intimate partner violence through legislative changes in Maryland protective order law. Notable changes include taking guns away from abusers, lowering the burden of proof to obtain a protective order, allowing victims of sexual violence to file for protective orders, and recognizing the role electronic communication and cyberstalking play in domestic violence. We will discuss the practical implementation of these laws, and how the most vulnerable survivors, including communities historically underserved by the legal community and those with limited English proficiency, have been affected.
Moreover, we will focus on how to continue Maryland’s positive changes to protect domestic violence survivors. These changes might include such measures as lengthening the time period between the temporary and final hearing, allowing survivors to obtain restitution for property damage, and recognizing the crippling effects of coercive control. We will address the benefit of these types of changes from a point of view of the legal rights of petitioners and of the effect on their mental and social health. Join us as we analyze the dynamic landscape of domestic violence law, evaluating how it currently functions and envisioning a future shaped by more forward-looking policies.
Panelists:
- Katherine Bradley, Montgomery County Volunteer Lawyers Project
- Thomas Manion, Family Justice Center
- Laure Ruth, Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence
Moderator: Amy Palumbo, DVS Legal Services