F R O M T H E C L E R K O F C O U R T & C O M P T R O L L E R C i n d y S t u a r t – C l e r k o f C o u r t & C o m p t r o l l e r , T h i r t e e n t h J u d i c i a l C i r c u i t
improving protective injunction process through technology
soon , anyone seeking a restraining order will be able to do so remotely .
When I was sworn in on Jan . 5 ,
I committed myself to spending specific days working side by side the Clerk of Court office employees . I am committed to working in every division across our organization . I will be calling those days ClerkWork . My first official ClerkWork experience was in the Domestic Violence division .
Nearly 7,000 people rely on the Clerk ’ s Office each year seeking protective injunctions . Most injunctions requested are related to domestic violence . The demand is high and our office is open and available to help every single day .
Knowing that the many domestic violence incidences lead to fatalities , it is important to remember that the majority of domestic violence homicides are first preceded by physical and emotional abuse . Protective injunctions and restraining orders clearly reduce , and often prevent , further violence .
Our judges , courtroom staff and legal teams work diligently to ensure proper procedures and safeguards of protection are paramount . It is important for me to stress that one of my goals is to continue the work in this area by adding improvements to the victim ’ s experience wherever possible .
Making use of technology , so that community members no longer have to personally come to our offices in order to do business with us , is a priority of mine . This will greatly benefit so many residents but will especially benefit victims of domestic abuse . Soon , anyone seeking a restraining order will be able to do so remotely . Using technology in this fashion has been a long time coming but it is important to point out that it required changes to state law and an addition of a federal grant to cover the cost for needed additional technology .
I am happy to announce that it is expected that once a judge issues a restraining order , the applicant no longer has to come to the courthouse to get a certified copy . Last year , many opportunities became available online . Just recently , we created a new expansion of services in which an applicant , who was granted a restraining order , can now receive a certified copy sent to them through a text message .
Finally , it is note worthy to mention that the number of applications for restraining orders was expected to increase in 2020 , due to the pandemic . On the contrary , the number of restraining order applications for domestic violence , sexual violence , dating violence , repeat violence and stalking actually decreased by nearly 10 percent . It is my prayer that our community is safe , and I want to be absolutely certain that victims have every way possible to safely reach out for help . My office will continue to work to find ways to make things easier on all who need our assistance . n
joIn tHe ConStRuCtIon lAw SeCtIon At HIllSBAR . CoM .
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