Leigh Goodmark (’95), Director of the Gender Violence Clinic and Professor at the University of Maryland School of Law, contributed an opinion to the Times Union supporting New York state’s Promoting Pre-Trial (PromPT) Stability Act (A4558A/S2832A), which would require judges to hold a hearing to determine whether an order of protection should be entered (“Commentary: Orders of Protection Need Reform,” Sep. 18). “[S]ome victims of violence don’t want to be separated from their partners while their cases are pending. Victims’ decisions about separation are informed by a number of factors, including economic and housing stability, issues with children, concerns about the safety and well-being of their partners, and love. . . . [C]ourts still have an obligation to explore the underlying facts to determine whether the defendant is likely to be dangerous and whether such orders will do more harm than good for the victim.”
