Domestic violence: protective orders.

The Domestic Violence Prevention Act authorizes a judicial officer to issue a protective order after notice and a hearing for the purpose of preventing a recurrence of domestic violence and sexual abuse and ensuring a period of separation of the persons involved, based on an affidavit showing reasonable proof of past abuse. The act defines domestic violence as abuse perpetrated against specified persons, and further defines abuse within that context. Existing law requires, under certain circumstances, the clerk of the court to submit the proof of service of a protective order directly into the Department of Justice Domestic Violation Restraining Order System. This bill would instead authorize the issuance of a protective order after notice and a hearing for the purpose of preventing acts of domestic violence, abuse, and sexual abuse and ensuring a period of separation of the persons involved. The bill would provide that, in determining whether to grant or deny a protective order, the length of time since the most recent act of abuse is not, by itself, determinative. The bill would also require the trial court, if the court denies a petition to issue a protective order, to provide a brief statement of the reasons for its decision either in writing or on the record. Existing law authorizes the court to issue a mutual order enjoining the parties from specific acts of abuse if both parties personally appear, each party presents written evidence of abuse or domestic violence, and the court makes detailed findings of fact indicating that both parties acted primarily as aggressors and that neither party acted primarily in self-defense. This bill would provide that, for the purposes of these provisions, a court should consider specified provisions relating to dominant aggressors in determining if both parties acted primarily as aggressors.