Bill seeks crime designation for domestic abuse Legislature to review measure

AUGUSTA – A work session is scheduled for next Tuesday on a bill, co-sponsored by nearly 90 legislators, that would create a crime of domestic violence in Maine.

Passage of the measure will send a powerful message to victims and abusers that domestic violence “will not be tolerated here in Maine. In any form. In any context. In any circumstance,” said Senate President Beth Edmonds, chief sponsor of the bill.

The bill’s prospects appear good, given its co-sponsorship by nearly half of the Legislature and presiding officers of the House and Senate.

Edmonds, D-Freeport, explained the bill during a hearing Wednesday before the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee.

The bill would create a Class D crime of domestic violence when there’s an assault, criminal threatening, reckless conduct, terrorizing or stalking, and the victim is a member of the same family or household.

Edmonds acknowledged that those individual offenses are already crimes, regardless of whom they’re committed against. But she said “the really important aspect” of the new crime is that it identifies domestic violence “as a course of conduct, not a single event.”

The crime of domestic violence would become an even more serious Class C offense in certain instances, such as if the abuser had a prior conviction of violence against a household member or had been convicted of violating an abuse order.

House Speaker Glenn Cummings, a co-sponsor, told the committee that something must be done to chip away at “startling” statistics about domestic violence.

The Portland Democrat said domestic assault is reported to police every 104 minutes in Maine. But Cummings said it’s estimated that only around half of the aggravated and simple assaults are reported to law enforcement officials.

Edmonds’ bill has support of advocacy groups, domestic violence victims and prosecutors. Another supporter, Commissioner Anne Jordan of the Maine Public Safety Department, said the bill will help police to keep better track of the violators and assist processing of weapons requests and restrictions.

At least two other domestic violence bills are being considered this session.

One seeks to prevent the arrest of victims in domestic abuse cases by requiring police to evaluate who is the predominant physical aggressor.

Another seeks $4.6 million in each of the next two fiscal years for the state to contract with agencies for sexual assault and domestic violence prevention education in schools and communities.