NEWS
By C. Fraser Smith and John W. Frece and C. Fraser Smith and John W. Frece,Annapolis Bureau | May 6, 1992
ANNAPOLIS -- Gov. William Donald Schaefer signed legislation yesterday that will add new protections for battered women in Maryland -- and could save lives.The new domestic violence law, which goes into effect Oct. 1, allows many more women to obtain protective orders against abusive husbands and lovers.And the orders may be imposed for up to 200 days. The limit of such orders under current law is 30 days -- far less than in most states.Judy A. Wolfer, legal clinic director at the House of Ruth, a refuge for battered women, called the new domestic violence law "a great step in the right direction" -- but she said many states are still far ahead of Maryland.
NEWS
By Mike Farabaugh and Mike Farabaugh,SUN STAFF | October 2, 1997
Changes in Maryland's domestic violence laws, which took effect yesterday, give judges added leverage to use protective orders to bar abusers from assaulting or harassing their victims.The modifications in the Family Law Article permit judges to issue a protective order for up to 12 months -- an increase from the previous maximum of 200 days -- and give authority for a protective order to be extended for an additional six months.In Carroll County, where three people were killed in Hampstead during two unrelated domestic violence incidents in May and June, State's Attorney Jerry F. Barnes applauded the changes.
NEWS
BY A SUN STAFF WRITER | October 30, 1999
About 30 percent of protective orders issued by Maryland judges are not entered into a statewide computer database used to prevent people accused of domestic abuse from buying handguns, a sampling by federal prosecutors has found.The omissions could indicate a failure of what is meant to be an extensive system designed to protect victims of violence from angry spouses or loved ones.Problems were discovered by Lynne A. Battaglia, the U.S. attorney for Maryland, whose office studied a sampling of protective orders issued by judges in each of the state's jurisdictions from April through July.
NEWS
By Dennis O'Brien and Dennis O'Brien,SUN STAFF | April 18, 1996
In a victory for battered women, Maryland's highest court ruled yesterday that a judge must consider an alleged abuser's track record when weighing a request for a protective order.Experts say the Court of Appeals ruling adds teeth to Maryland's domestic violence statute by spelling out for the first time factors that judges must consider when they rule on the estimated 14,000 requests for protective orders filed each year.The 16-year-old law allows spouses, blood relatives and anyone who lives with an abusive partner to file a petition for a protective order in any District Court or Circuit Court.
NEWS
By Jennifer McMenamin, Josh Mitchell and Julie Scharper and Jennifer McMenamin, Josh Mitchell and Julie Scharper,Sun reporters | September 18, 2007
Jeffrey Jacobsen buckled his young sons into his sport utility vehicle and was about to drive away from the Timonium home he once shared with his estranged wife when he paused, the man's father recalled. Jacobsen asked his father, who was sitting beside him, to tell his wife to come outside. He said he had a question for her. As Jessica Jacobsen approached the vehicle, her husband quickly got out, shot his wife in the chest with a handgun and ran into the house, his father, Reginald Jacobsen, recalled yesterday.
NEWS
By Del Quentin Wilber and Del Quentin Wilber,SUN STAFF | February 5, 2001
The number of people trying to buy handguns illegally by lying on application forms has decreased significantly in recent months, state officials say. Even as those numbers drop, the Maryland State Police and attorney general's office have teamed to prosecute those lying on applications about restraining orders, which are usually issued to shield women from abusive or threatening spouses. "If someone makes a blatant misrepresentation, we're going to find out about it," Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. said.