§ 53-8-7 — Personal safety hearing; forms of relief

(a) Final personal safety order hearing. --

Proceeding; issuance of order. –- If the respondent appears for the final personal safety order hearing, has been served with a temporary personal safety order or the respondent waives personal service, the magistrate:

(1) May proceed with the final personal safety order hearing; and

(2) May issue a final personal safety order to protect the petitioner if the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that:

(A) (I) The respondent has committed an act specified in subsection (a), section four of this article against the petitioner; and

(ii) The petitioner has a reasonable apprehension of continued unwanted or unwelcome contacts by the respondent; or

(B) The respondent consents to the entry of a personal safety order.

(b) A final personal safety order may be issued only to an individual who has filed a petition or on whose behalf a petition was filed under section three of this article.

(c) In cases where both parties file a petition under section four of this article, the court may issue mutual personal safety orders if the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that:

(1) Each party has committed an act specified in subsection (a), section four of this article against the other party; and

(2) Each party has a reasonable apprehension of continued unwanted or unwelcome contacts by the other party.

(d) Personal safety order - Forms of relief. --

(1) The final personal safety order may include any or all of the following relief:

(A) Order the respondent to refrain from committing or threatening to commit an act specified in subsection (a), section four of this article against the petitioner;

(B) Order the respondent to refrain from contacting, attempting to contact or harassing the petitioner directly, indirectly, or through third parties regardless of whether those third parties know of the order;

(C) Order the respondent to refrain from entering the residence of the petitioner;

(D) Order the respondent to remain away from the place of employment, school or residence of the petitioner;

(E) Order the respondent not to visit, assault, molest or otherwise interfere with the petitioner and, if the petitioner is a child, the petitioner's siblings and minors residing in the household of the petitioner;

(F) The court, in its discretion, may prohibit a respondent from possessing a firearm as defined in section seven, article seven, chapter sixty-one of this code if:

(I) A weapon was used or threatened to be used in the commission of the offense predicating the petitioning for the personal safety order;

(ii) The respondent has violated any prior order as specified under this article; or

(iii)The respondent has been convicted of an offense involving the use of a firearm; and

(G) Order either party to pay filing fees and costs of a proceeding pursuant to section thirteen of this article.

(2) If the magistrate issues an order under this section, the order shall contain only the relief necessary to protect the petitioner.

(e) Personal safety order - Service. --

(1) A copy of the final personal safety order shall be served on the petitioner, the respondent, the appropriate law-enforcement agency and any other person the court determines is appropriate, including a county board of education, in open court or, if the person is not present at the final personal safety order hearing, by first-class mail to the person's last known address or by other means in the discretion of the court.

(2) (A) A copy of the final personal safety order served on the respondent in accordance with subdivision (1) of this subsection or the hearing of the announcement of the court's ruling in court, constitutes actual notice to the respondent of the contents of the final personal safety order.

(B) Service is complete upon mailing.

(f) Length of effectiveness. -- All relief granted in a final personal safety order shall be effective for the period stated in the order, not to exceed two years.

Legislative History

2012 Reg. Sess., SB191