AUGUSTA, Maine — The Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee unanimously approved a bill on Thursday that aims to better protect victims of domestic violence.
LD 1867, an initiative introduced by Gov. Paul LePage and sponsored by House Minority Leader Emily Cain, D-Orono, would amend Maine’s bail code to require that bail be determined by a judge, not a bail commissioner, for certain felony offenses.
The bill also would allow a defendant to be put on probation for a conviction of violations of certain conditions of release when the underlying crime is a crime of domestic violence.
“The passage of domestic violence legislation will have a profound impact for victims. I commend our legislators for making this issue a priority,” LePage said in a statement. “Our laws should protect victims by deterring abusers and send a message that this violent behavior will not be tolerated.”
Another bill proposed by LePage, LD 1841, would ensure that money for the Victims’ Compensation Fund is collected. That bill was reported out of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee last week in an 8-5 vote.
Rep. Kenneth Fredette, R-Newport, LD 1841’s sponsor, said a recent review of the bill by the Office of Program and Fiscal Review suggested that nearly $29,000 a year would be collected for victims of domestic violence.
The Victims’ Compensation Fund, a program administered by the Maine attorney general, provides financial reimbursement for losses suffered by victims and their families. When an offender is sentenced, the court requires the offender to pay either a $25 or $10 fee, but many times that fee is waived by a judge.
LD 1841 would prohibit judges from waiving those fees.
“I thank both Representatives Cain and Fredette for their continued support and work on these bills,” LePage said. “It is through a collaborative effort in Augusta that we will be able to make a significant difference in the lives of Mainers who are affected by this horrific form of violence.”
Both bills now go to the House and Senate.
Any bills to protect wrongly accused?
I hear what you are saying. My brother had a hard time dealing with the fact he was a victim of abuse from his Girlfriend. She chased him down. Hit him with a a broken lamp. He wrestled the lamp out of her hands(He was still Bleeding). She fell and called the police on him. He was arrested. He kept going back to her because he felt he had no place to go or that anyone would believe him. She made sure that she got rid of his family and friends. Finally after 10 sum years he was able to get free. Someone was there waiting to help him out. Woman ,children and pets
are generally the the victims but men are as well. Protect all that are victims and punish those who use the cops to control their partners.
It’s called court and due process.
I guess you have never been wrongly accused .It dose happen. In domestic violence cases the DA. will not drop charges even when the witness admits to lying about abuse. The Witness will not be charged when sometimes the only real crime that took place was them lying. And they have prof of that. It is such a joke.
No bills needed, processes in place
Why? Why pander to special interest groups trying to destroy mens lives.. enough is enough..
Special interest groups? You mean women who are sick of being assulted by men?
Although I am in favor of this bill sometimes the male and female victims just decide to stay in the situation. Sad results usually follow .
So true there. Human nature, and it appears to me when you have 3-4 generations of some sort of abuse going on it’s like being breed into the DNA. People don’t like change it frightens them, even a good change, because it’s walking in the unknown.
They are not trying to destroy men’s lives, they are just doing that inadvertently. They are trying to prevent the destruction of any one’s life by another family member. The trouble is, they are still moving in the wrong direction after more than forty years of the same mistakes. No-fault divorce generally having a repeating outcome in most every case affects both genders. When people hear it is their turn and depending on their gender, two things are immediately determined to be the final outcome. Most people think about their future after divorce based on what they’ve learned in their past experiences, usually of a close friend’s resulting mess of a life afterward, or that of seamless transition into a new lifestyle almost exactly the same except for one missing family member. When that is the norm in society rather than the rarity, some people will just not accept those facts to be fair and just. Some it will bother to the point that they will make their own change to the situation and have it their way. Others take it to court.
The real problem is the possessiveness and “ownership” assumed by too many spouses and ex-spouses, especially men.
Yeah, if you say so.
Wow. How do you really feel about that?
As a victim of domestic violence, that left me with a broken jaw and countless emotional scars I could not help but read this article. I must say there is a whole lot wrong here! Time and time again I have seen in the court news that people charged with domestic violence assault are imposed jail time and it is alway’s all suspended. They get a slap on the hand and then are released to society to wreak havoc once again. This was the case for me also. If it had not been for the fact that my boyfriend violated his bail conditions he would not have sat in jail one day but the scars I carry will be for a life time. These abuser’s often go and violate their order which is now a class C felony in our state and yet again no jail time, eventually causing them to snap and kill their victims as well as their own children and to make matter’s worse yet again killing themselves leaving no justice for anybody. The victims relief fund to me is a joke. I was in that little deal too”. It does not pay for your personal items such as glasses and other thing’s to be replaced,by the time you get done the red tape you don’t need it anyway. And then you got the other people who treat domestic violence as a joke and every time somebody makes their signifigant other mad or upset they have them charged with domestic violence! And then even though they are not allowed by law to have contact with their signifigant other they are back together again like the fight never happened. Great job and legislation we have here !
YAY : )