Violence Against Women & the Supreme Court on Restraining Orders

The Supreme Court today ruled that you cannot file a federal suit against the police or your town for failing to enforce a restraining order. Some legal experts are saying this ruling just puts the responsibility of enforcing such orders back into the hands of the states and local police by keeping it out of the federal system. The specific case heard before the court was Castle Rock v. Gonzales. Jessica Gonzales had filed an order of protection against her husband, whom she was in the midst of divorcing. He kidnapped their children and police failed to respond to her calls and enforce the order of protection, during which time Simon Gonzales killed their three daughters and was later killed during a shoot-out with police.
Will this ruling make the states responsible, or does it merely strip women and victims of violence of any feasible recourse in our legal system? The immediate implications of the decision aren't clear, the real test will be it's application as it's played out in courts throughout the country in the coming months. For further information on the ruling, check out the SCOTUS blog. Mother Jones just put out a great compendium of violence and legal issues currently facing women in our country, well worth the read.
There is always more to be done to stop the violence against women, join Amnesty International's fight here, and don't forget to contact you congressmen and women and urge them to renew and strengthen the Violence Against Women Act which will expire this year.

posted by Sarai @ 3:43 PM