Two bills introduced during the current sesssion of the Ohio General Assembly seek to close loopholes in the law and provide better protection to domestic violence victims. One, House Bill 1, would extend legal protections to victims of dating violence. The other, Senate Bill 9, would if passed strenghthen the existing law so that offenders who avoid being served with a protection order can be prosecuted if they knowingly violate the terms. An earlier Supreme Court ruling held that even if they know about the protection order, they can't be punished for violating it if it wasn't properly served.
Ohio Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Akron), District 34
Linda Johanek, CEO, Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center
Hon. Judge Gayle Williams-Byers, Presiding Judge, South Euclid Municipal Court