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COMMUNITY RESOURCE GUIDE

by David valone

The Rights and Wrongs

of Orders of Protection

Orders of Protection can help protect the vulnerable—but current law also

allows them to be abused by one party in a divorce to harm the other.

A
peremptory action in order of protection sometimes provides boyfriends have legitimate concerns for

many less-than-amicable both a social and tactical advantage to their personal safety and welfare, as well
divorces is that one spouse— the person requesting it in a divorce as the welfare of other family members.

usually the wife—will file for an proceeding. unfortunately, this advan- They have been abused or threatened
order of protection against the tage can be the entire point of seeking and hope that the order will give the

other. Because of the inherent respect the order. As such, this most important person victimizing them pause and, in
for the law most people have and con- statute is the most abused statute as it turn, peace to them. If a woman is being

sequently a belief that if a judge issues
relates to the law of domestic relations.
stalked, then an order of protection may
a legal order against a person he or she To be sure, many women who desire be sufficient to deter the casual stalker.

must have done something wrong, an
legal protection from their spouses or
Even so, sometimes such an order cre-

136 cityviewmag.com january february 2014