By Jennifer Mascia and Katlyn Alo, The Trace, May 29, 2020
Before the pandemic spread, getting a domestic violence restraining order was an onerous process in Wayne County, Michigan, which includes Detroit, Dearborn, and several smaller cities. Obtaining one required going in person to the court building to complete several pieces of paperwork, waiting around to see if a petition was granted, and then finding out when a hearing would take place. The whole process could take all day. “It can be incredibly intimidating to file a personal protection order,” said Jeni Hooper, program coordinator of the community response team at First Step, an advocacy group in Detroit for survivors of domestic violence.
The coronavirus has required court systems to adapt — and at a time when experts warn that social isolation, economic uncertainty, and a historic wave of gun-buying are driving up domestic abuse. Calls to the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence were up 102 percent in March and the first half of April, compared to the same period last year.
In Wayne County, officials accelerated plans to digitize the process for a personal protection order (PPO) as it is called locally. On April 17, three days before its courthouses closed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the Wayne County Circuit Court launched a digital portal through which people can request orders remotely. As part of the process, a petitioner can ask a judge to prohibit the respondent from purchasing or possessing a firearm. The majority of states lack an automatic gun prohibition with an temporary pre-hearing order, even though experts warn that a failure to disarm abusers when an order is served exacerbates the risks for victims.
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