What is an Order of Protection?

By: Casandra L. Ringlespaugh, Attorney

The Indiana Civil Protection Order Act, or ICPOA, is a set of laws passed Indiana in 2002 in regards to domestic and family violence. Under the ICPOA, Courts can issue Orders to protect people from domestic or family violence, stalking, or a sex offense. These Court Orders are called “Protection Orders” or “Orders for Protection,” and the terms are used interchangeably. A protective order may be issued when a Judge finds, by a majority of the evidence, that the respondent (other person) represents a credible threat to the safety of petitioner…

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

By: Casandra L. Ringlespaugh, Attorney

Every 9 seconds in the US, a woman is assaulted or beaten, according to a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice. Although intimate partner physical violence affects both men and women, women are much more likely be severely physically abused, with statistically 1 in 3 women as compared to 1 in 7 men who have been reported to be victims of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Moreover, battery is the single major cause of injury to women, exceeding rapes, muggings, and auto accidents combined. In the United States, intimate partner violence accounts for approximately 15% of all violent crime according to a U.S. Department of Justice special report on nonfatal domestic violence. In a staggering statistic, 2 out of every 3 female homicides in the U.S. were at the hand of an intimate partner between 1980 and 2008.