We have Chapter 50B authorizing civil domestic violence protective orders to protect victims of domestic violence and Chapter 50C authorizing civil no-contact orders to protect victims of sexual misconduct and stalking who do not have the personal relationship with the perpetrator required for a 50B DVPO. In 2015, the General Assembly enacted Chapter 50D authorizing permanent, non-expiring civil no-contact orders to provide additional protection to victims of sexual violence. Effective August 1, 2023, Chapter 50D was expanded to authorize permanent protection for victims of human trafficking.
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Tag: Domestic Violence
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Court of Appeals rules that denying domestic violence protection to persons in same-sex dating relationships is unconstitutional
**After this entry was posted, the North Carolina Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeals in M.E. v. T.J. and left the holding of the Court of Appeals regarding same-sex dating relationships undisturbed. M.E. v. T.J., _ N.C. _ (March 11, 2022), affirming as modified, 275 N.C. App. 528 (2020).
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Amendments to Chapter 50B and to the Child Support Guidelines
Today’s post describes two unrelated but important developments in the area of family law. The first section of the post discusses legislative amendments to Chapter 50B regarding Domestic Violence Protection Orders that became effective December 1, 2019. The second section of the post discusses amendments to the Child Support Guidelines adopted by the Conference of Chief District Court Judges effective March 1, 2020 to bring North Carolina into conformity with federal child support regulations.
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Domestic Violence: Recent Changes to Chapter 50B
The North Carolina General Assembly recently made two important changes to Chapter 50B regarding civil domestic violence protective orders. S.L. 2017-92, “Domestic Violence Appeals and Modifications”, was effective October 1, 2017.
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Domestic Violence Criminal Law and Procedure
Written by School of Government faculty member John RubinIn getting ready for the North Carolina magistrates’ fall conference and a session that I’m teaching on issuing process in domestic violence cases, I began thinking about the ways that North Carolina criminal law addresses domestic violence. The North Carolina General Assembly has made numerous changes and additions in this area of criminal law, collected below. If I omitted some part of North Carolina criminal law involving domestic violence cases, please let me know.
Continue ReadingMore on DVPOs: What is a ‘Dating Relationship’?
In my last post, Ex Parte DVPOs, I promised more on ex parte DVPOs. But the Court of Appeals issued an important decision this week on another aspect of Chapter 50B – the definition of ‘dating relationship’ – so I’ll come back to ex parte orders later.
Please Don’t Charge the Victim
By Guest Contributor, John Rubin*
Can the person protected by a DVPO be charged with violating the order?
Here’s a question I get occasionally: What language should I use to charge aiding and abetting a violation of a domestic violence protective order (DVPO)? Here’s a similar one: If someone is arrested for aiding and abetting a violation of a DVPO, is the person subject to the 48-hour pretrial release law for domestic violence offenses?
Minor Parties in 50B Cases
It is not uncommon for persons under 18 to commit acts of domestic violence or need protection from domestic violence. Common questions that arise include:
- Can a minor be a defendant in a 50B proceeding?
- If so, how is the child served and what happens when the child violates the DVPO?
- Can a minor be a plaintiff?
- Does a minor need to be a plaintiff to be protected by a DVPO?
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