Contact:
Krysta West
Communications Director
Senate Republican Office
(207) 287-1505
krysta.west@legislature.maine.gov

***MEDIA ADVISORY***
Domestic Abuse Prevention Bill Scheduled for Public Hearing

Who: Committee on Judiciary
What: Public Hearing on LD 80, An Act To Increase the Penalty for Multiple Violations of Protection from Abuse Orders
Where: State House, Room 438
When: Wednesday, April 12 at 09:00 AM

On Wednesday, April 12, the Committee on Judiciary will hold a public hearing on Senator Scott Cyrway’s (R-Kennebec) domestic abuse prevention bill, LD 80.

This bill seeks to amend the laws regarding penalties for violating consent agreements and protective orders in cases of domestic violence.

“It was brought to my attention that an individual could violate protection from abuse orders multiple times without seeing the penalties increase each time. To me, this is not acceptable. With domestic violence, we must be taking a hard line. Victims are depending upon us to help protect them from dangerous offenders,” said Sen. Cyrway.

Currently, a 2nd conviction of violating a protective order or court-approved consent agreement is a Class D crime. LD 80 would require a court to sentence the person to a definite term of imprisonment of not less than 14 days and a definite term of probation of not less than one year, unless the court makes findings on the record of the court’s reasons for not ordering such definite terms.

This proposal makes a 3rd or subsequent conviction of violating a protective order or court-approved consent agreement a Class C crime and further requires a court to sentence the person to a definite term of imprisonment of not less than 60 days and a definite term of probation of not less than 2 years, unless the court makes findings on the record of the court’s reasons for not ordering such definite terms.

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