from 1990 to the present, tremendous changes have been made, prior to the changes, police had to try to make the violator mad, in the hope he would do something so they could arrest him/her, now the law mandates an arrest be made if there are visible injuries on either of the combatants, if there is probable cause that both sides assualted each other, both of them can be arrested, that's not the only change towards domestic violence, judges were to get involved as soon as a victim asks for a restraining order, different offices were set up using experianced

people , such as doctors both medical and phychiatric , city's hired case workers then trained them, to know how to deal with both victim and the assaulter, they became a very effective team, if a victim couldn't go home out of ferar they were able to get them in domestic violence refuges, and protect them until they feel there the threat was no longer viable, police are trained to deal with the victim and there assailents, now they can call a 24 hr. judge to issue an emergency restraining order, usually over a weekend, victims can make appointments with case workers handling there cases, if theres something the want to talk over what they reccommend for continued protection, restraining orders are only as strong as the paper there written on, if a violent offender wants to get after his victim he'll find a way, in my lengthy career i saw hundreds of victims of domestic violence, the sad thing is they beleive there tormenters, when they cry and promise never to do it again, those victims suffer through long marriages being assaulted on a regular basis, in any event i hope this note helps some victims of domestic abuse, don't ever give up, the law is now firmly in place, and can help any victim of any abuse.

rocco70