Oregon House of Representatives Passes Peace of Mind Bill, Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence
Oregon House of Representatives Passes Peace of Mind Bill, Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence
From the Office of
SENATOR KIM THATCHER
SALEM, Ore. — This week, The Oregon House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 816 with unanimous support. Known as the Peace of Mind Bill, this bill supports victims of domestic violence and rape by extending the length of a restraining order from a period of one to two years.
2023-5-23 Oregon House of Representatives Passes Peace of Mind Bill
SB 816 Hearing April 24
Chair Representative Kropf
Vice-Chair Andersen
Vice-Chair Wallen
House Judiciary HR D
This is a pre-session filed bill brought to me by a former constituent who is a victim of a man for whom she filed a restraining order.
This man was a master manipulator using the legal system to harass his victim, my constituent, by dragging out the process for the entire duration of the restraining order. My constituent was forced to move to another state. She found out the same man has harassed other victims using the same methods.
Skilled manipulators’ methods may have the appearance of legitimacy by using excuses for not appearing in court. When a respondent appeals a restraining order, the victim is required to show up in court or the restraining order defaults – she loses it. The respondent doesn’t have that requirement to show. The manipulator (respondent) in the case of my constituent would set a court date, knowing the victim had to show up in court, and then not show up. He always had an excuse for not showing up and then would set another court date. This was repeated over and over. Some examples of not showing up were providing the “wrong” mailing address, or claiming a vehicular delay – when he knew a detective would be present at the hearing – impossible to prove innumerable coincidences to delay and force his victim into the courtroom innumerable times until the restraining order expired.
It is a problem that a vindictive respondent is able to waste tax dollars and the court’s time in retaliation by disruptively forcing the petitioner to engage through the woefully repurposed “Justice System.”
Currently, when a petitioner files for a protective order against a respondent, they are given 12 months until that order expires.
This bill extends a restraining order to 2 years, giving the legal system time to reasonably determine the system is being played; that the respondent is involved in using the system to harass his victim by using excuses to intentionally force his victim to possibly face him time after time in the courtroom.