Legislative panel OKs domestic violence bill

AUGUSTA — The Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary endorsed legislation Friday that should expand protection for victims of domestic violence.

The committee members unanimously gave a favorable recommendation to the proposed legislation, which “bodes very well for this important bill,” said Rep. Mary Cathcart, D-Orono, sponsor of the bill.

The legislation now must be considered by the Legislature.

The committee’s legislation combines two bills, Cathcart’s bill and another one presented by Sen. Muriel Holloway, R-North Edgecomb. Under the legislation, the definition of abuse is broadened to include harassment, forced conduct, restrictive movement, and threats. It also removes the requirement that danger be imminent for a judge to issue a protection order.

The proposed bill also imposed deadlines on courts to inform law-enforcement officers about protection orders and on those officers for serving the orders. It requires courts to offer standardized forms for the filing of affadavits and no longer requires mediation between parties in domestic-abuse complaints. It also eliminates a requirement for court-ordered counseling.

The legislation allows victims who are denied a protection order to be heard in person by a judge. If an emergency order were denied, a full hearing would be conducted as soon as possible.

In addition, law enforcement departments are required to adopt written policies on the enforcment and handling of domestic-abuse cases by December 1990. The Maine Attorney General’s Office also is required to develop a written model policy for the prosecution of domestic-abuse cases, as are district attorneys’ offices.