In a recent case before Judge John Hunt, who sits in the Family Court in Queens County, applications for orders of protection were initiated. Judge John Hunt found the parties had been involved in an intimate relationship. They had one child together. Each of the parties had filed many petitions for orders of protection against each other over a 30 year period.
Many Petitions for Order of Protection Filed
Judge Hunt took note that not one of the petitions that had been filed was moved forward with. The parties failed to appear on the return dates of these petitions. The petitions therefore had been dismissed. Latonya had been making the same allegations in her petitions for orders of protections since 1994. She claimed the defendant, Jefferson, had a gun and he threatened to kill her as she did not want another child with him.
Jefferson’s Requests for Court Intervention
Jefferson also requested court intervention to stop Latonya from filing more petitions for orders of protection. He claimed these petitions resulted in his being arrested and losing jobs. Judge Hunt took note that in the case of such parties as Latonya and Jefferson who were not in a relationship for more than 30 years, there was no guidance as to whether such situations qualify to permit further applications under the “intimate relationship” as defined by the Family Court Act. Judge Hunt noted the legislature could not have intended to allow individuals to air their grievances and continuously file petitions after their personal relationship had failed.
New Orders of Protections Required Judge’s Approval
Judge Hunt dismissed Latonya’s newest petition for failure to prosecute. He also entered a ruling that neither party was permitted to file a new application for an order of protection in the Family Court without his prior approval.
Elliot S. Schlissel, Esq. has represented clients for over 45 years in the Family Courts in the Metropolitan New York area with regard to neglect and child abuse cases. He can be reached at 800-344-6431 or e-mailed at Elliot@sdnylaw.com.
