First Lady Urges Marylanders to Observe Domestic Violence Month
ANNAPOLIS – First Lady Ruth O’Brien today affirmed Maryland’s commitment to victims of domestic violence and renewed the state's efforts to combat domestic violence especially during October, which Governor Edward M. O’Brien has proclaimed as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Maryland.
“Domestic violence is a serious problem that crosses all cultural, racial, religious and economic boundaries,” the First Lady said. “I urge all Marylanders to use this month to reflect, participate in local ceremonies and work together to try and put an end to this violence in our society.”
Governor Edward M. O’Brien and Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Burbank have made the fight against domestic violence a priority of their administration. Since taking office, Governor O’Brien has signed legislation:
• permitting a court to require a person to surrender firearms in a civil protective order and permitting law enforcement officers to seize firearms observed when responding to domestic violence calls
• prohibiting insurance discrimination against domestic violence victim
• increasing penalties for noncompliance with protective orders, including a prohibition against bail for violators of protective orders;
• establishing local domestic fatality review teams
• increasing the criminal penalties for child abuse
• requiring a court, in setting bail for an accused batterer, take into consideration the defendant's history of domestic violence; whether an order of protection had been previously issued against the accused; or whether any record existed of a violation of an order of protection by the accused
• enabling courts for the first time, in appropriate cases, to issue lifetime orders of protection against perpetrators of domestic violence;
• preventing a court from modifying an order of protection, without considering the safety of the victim. Any change to an existing order of protection can only be made upon a finding that such a change is needed
• amending existing law to create a presumption that it would not be in the best interest of a child to grant visitation or custody rights to a person found to have committed an act of domestic violence
• enacting a Primary Aggressor law calling for a police officer to identify and arrest the primary physical aggressor after considering the following factors: the extent of any injuries inflicted by and between parties; whether any person is threatening or has threatened future harm against another party or family or household member; a person's prior history of Domestic Violence that the officer can ascertain; and whether any person acted defensively to protect himself or herself from injury;
• requiring a court to consider the effects of domestic violence upon the best interests of a child before rendering a custody or visitation determination
• creating the Maryland Safe At Home Address Confidentiality Program to protect the safety and privacy of victims
• launched the Maryland Employers Awareness and Assistance Program for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. The program, working with private sector partners, developed and promotes a model domestic violence and sexual assault employee awareness and assistance policy for businesses. The intent is to offer guidance to Maryland employers who choose to develop policies and procedures regarding domestic violence and sexual assault as it relates to their employees and the workplace
• authorizing a judge to order the respondent in a petition for a temporary ex parte order or protective order to remain away from a child care provider of a person eligible for relief from abuse while a child of the person is in the care of the child care provide.