Weirding Word®

Virginia Protective Orders

An earlier version of this article by Gaea L. Honeycutt was published in Average Girl Magazine

On July 1, 2007 the Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court joined the rest of Virginia by using detailed forms to file protective order affidavits. Until now domestic relations officers typed the affidavits based on interviews with petitioners -- a practice that began when the office first opened. However, the J&DR Court decided that the officers’ practice of typing the affidavits, while conducted ethically, walked the line between duty and advocacy.

This change likely hasn't registered with most Fairfax County citizens, who usually don’t know where to begin with protective orders. There are three types of protective orders in Virginia: 1) Emergency Protective Order or EPO, 2) Preliminary Protective Order or PPO, and 3) Final Order of Protection or PO. EPOs can be obtained 24 hours a day from either a judge or a magistrate. They’re effective for 72 hours, giving petitioners the opportunity to make it to the J&DR Court to file a PPO.

Once filed, the PPO is effective for 15 days, and a hearing is scheduled for the PO, which is effective for 2 years. When filing the PPO, there is a comprehensive list of requests a petitioner can make -- from retaining possession of a shared automobile, to barring the abuser from failing to pay utility bills, to prohibiting the abuser from taking children from school. This information is transferred to the PO.

Other changes impacted the entire state on July 1, 2007. In the past, a magistrate could choose not to issue an EPO if s/he did not believe there was a likelihood of future assault. As of last year, the law presumes that there is a likelihood of future assault unless the victim says otherwise. A magistrate must provide information to the police officer on filing for PPOs and POs. Also, vicitms who filed for PPOs used to have to re-file if the abuser couldn’t be served. Although the Sheriff tries to serve a PPO several times, it’s not uncommon for abusers to hide from the processor. The new regulations give the judge the discretion to extend the PPO for up to six months.

When asked about the most common mistakes petitioners make in filing protective orders, Jerry Rich, Assistant Unit Director of Domestic Relations Services, noted, “Their biggest mistake is coming unprepared. The process is tougher and a lot of cases are he-said-she-said.” Petitioners should be sure to bring pictures, and documents; share information on warrants or pending legal action; and supeona or bring witnesses from after the violent incident, such as police officers, friends or family.

New Virginia residents with protective orders from other states do not need to re-file in the Commonwealth, however they should carry a certified copy of the order with them at all times. “All states recognize protective orders from other states,” explained Mr. Rich. Victims of domestic violence should be sure to file for the protective order in the state where the incident occurred.

For help, resources or counseling, call the Virginia Hotline at 1-800-838-8238, and try these sites in the Commonwealth or across the country:

Family Violence Prevention Fund (www.endabuse.org): Find resources for adults, teens and immigrants.

National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-SAFE, 1-800-787-3224 (TTY), www.ndvh.org): Find information on domestic violence and options for dealing with it, and get your state’s hotline number.

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (www.ncadv.org): Find information in staying safe, policy developments, statistics and other programs in the U.S.

WomensLaw.org (www.womenslaw.org): Find legal information about domestic violence for your state, including your state’s process for filing protective orders.

Gaea Honeycutt
blog@weirdingword.com

Weirding Word®, a division of G.L. Honeycutt Consulting, LLC, is a virtual publication department that provides editing, freelance writing, and publication and web design services.

Copyright 2008 Gaea L. Honeycutt. All rights reserved.

Protective Orders More Accessible for Virginians

Effective July 1, 2007, the Commonwealth of Virginia made it easier for victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault to obtain protective orders. The changes remove some of the most burdensome red tape from the process. Read the article I wrote for Average Girl Magazine in PDF.

Weirding Word (SM), a division of G.L. Honeycutt Consulting, LLC, helps you communicate your ideas and information more effectively through tailored editing, freelance writing, publication and web design services.

Copyright 2007-2008 Gaea L. Honeycutt All rights reserved.

Weirding Word(SM) on Writers: Terren Grimble

Author Terren Grimble has spent a lifetime writing and four years working on Love Lessons, a coming of age story rooted in her own experiences growing up in suburban Maryland and attending college. Released in December 2006, Love Lessons takes readers on a journey through the pivotal period that forms the rest of your life -- college.

WW: Tell me about Love Lessons.
TG: I tend to think of it as a coming of age type of love story because I always look at college as a time when you’re becoming an adult. The main characters are Ronnie and Stacy. She’s pretty and smart, and she has this crush on him and he’s the big man on campus. When they start dating, he doesn’t know that she’s in this abusive relationship. That’s the challenge they go through their senior year in college. The book takes you through the phases and seasons.

WW: How did you come to write it?
TG: Actually, I’ve been writing short stories since middle school. My friends and I were in love with New Edition and we wrote stories about how we were going to meet them. Love Lessons came from something I wrote in middle school. As I grew older, the story matured and I developed the characters. If you look at the book, you can tell who my favorite New Edition character is.

WW: How did you get published?
TG: I self-published. My sister is a Delta and one of her sorors, Nancey Flowers, is an author. She encouraged me to self-publish, explained the whole process, and I took her advice.

WW: Did you create your own publishing company?
TG: Yes, Madada Publishing. I’m not yet publishing for other people, but with this first book, I’m learning how to publish. I don’t want to take on other people’s work until I really know what I’m doing.

WW: How did you decide to fold in issues of domestic abuse?
TG: Domestic violence has always been an issue, and in DC it sometimes leads to getting killed. And looking back on college, I remember things that I now know were domestic violence. And it’s happening with kids at younger and younger ages. So, by putting it in the book, I can address something that isn’t discussed a lot.

WW: What is it about the story that resonates with readers?
TG: I think it’s the positive characters. Even though one of the characters is abusive, you see some redemption at the end. Ronnie and Stacy have strong family ties and you see positive, loving families and sibling love. And, love with their friends. Ronnie is kind of over the top because he’s so perfect. I’ve taken positive qualities from every man I know. I wanted to show a different side of African American life.

WW: How did writing and becoming published transform your life?
TG: That’s a good question. I really don’t know that writing has changed my life because its something I’ve always done. The publishing gave me a sense of accomplishment because I know it’s something that not everyone can do. The writing has always been a part of me.

WW: What’s changed the most about your writing since middle school?
TG: As I’ve gotten older and I’ve gotten into the craft of writing, I’ve learned that I need to keep learning. I’ve bought books on writing and character development. I write better stories and make the stories more in-depth than they were before.

WW: At Weirding Word (SM), we believe that “language creates reality.” How does language create reality in your life? In your writing?
TG: I wanted everything to be positive. Sometimes art imitates life or life imitates art. I wanted people to see another side of life. Even though the characters go through trials and tribulations, you can still see something positive at the end. Stacy knew she wasn’t being treated right and Ronnie showed her how she should be treated. In our society, we’re so quick to give up that I wanted to show that you could go through trials and tribulations and come out on the other side.

WW: Did you go to Howard University?
TG: I always like reading books when I’m familiar with the setting. I went to Florida A&M. When I moved back here, I knew I wanted it set at a HBCU and I chose Howard.

WW: What would you say is the idea you want people to take away?
TG: I want people to see that as you grow, you’re always learning, and that all of these relationships form who you are. We as African Americans can have positive relationships despite what the media shows.

WW: Who’s your writing inspiration?
TG: I grew up in the suburbs and my father raised me, so I saw a lot of positive role models. We know couples that own their own businesses. I lived that positive experience. We have more stories to tell than the drug dealers and baby mama drama. We have more stories to tell than that.

WW: How do you balance a day job with producing and promoting your book?
TG: It’s hard, believe me. And that’s why the writing tends to come second. Any free moment I have, I just try to learn more about promotion. It’s like having two full-time jobs basically.

WW: What’s next for you?
TG: Right now I’m working on the sequel. In Love Lessons, it’s an insulated situation. So in the sequel, I wanted to move them into the real world and see how outside forces affect your relationships and how you deal with them. With Ronnie, he’s a musician and we want to see how the music affects that relationship.

To learn more about Terren Grimble and Love Lessons, or to read an excerpt, go to her website at http://www.terrengrimble.net/.

Weirding Word (SM), a division of G.L. Honeycutt Consulting, LLC, helps you communicate your ideas and information more effectively through tailored editing, freelance writing, publication and web design services.

Copyright 2007-2008 Gaea L. Honeycutt All rights reserved.