Mr. McGoughran was honored to attend the signing of Senate Bill 1517. This bill marks a significant step forward as it allows for the issuance of protective orders in cases where domestic violence statutes do not apply due to the absence of familial or dating relationships between the victim and the offending actor. Specifically, the bill offers greater protection to individuals who have been victimized through abusive behavior, regardless of any prior or current relationship status with the alleged actor. Moreover, as part of its provisions, this bill amends the “Sexual Assault Survivor Protection Act of 2015” (SASPA) to the “Victim’s Assistance and Survivor Protection Act,” which protects all victims of abusive behavior and expands the list of prohibited acts that qualify a victim to receive a protective order from an abuser to include stalking and cyber-harassment.
Once again, New Jersey strengthens its legislation against domestic or other violence. The #NJSBA supported this bill and helped the sponsors with the tailoring of the bill with testimony by Derek Freed, immediate past chair of the NJSBA Family Law Section.