Domestic Violence can continue over a long period of time and becomes more frequent and more severe over time. Domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender.
Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels. Domestic violence occurs in both opposite-sex and same-sex relationships and can happen to intimate partners who are married, living together, or dating.
Domestic violence acts are established by the relationship between the offender and the victim. A person protected by the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act is 18 years of age or older, or who is an emancipated minor, and who has been subjected to domestic violence by a spouse, former spouse, or any other person who is a present or former household member.
Both complaints should be filed for your protection since the civil complaint is designed to protect you and the criminal complaint is designed to punish the abuser. A victim of domestic violence has the right to seek a Temporary Restraining Order TRO , along with a criminal complaint. A TRO is an order that is issued by a judge who is satisfied that demanding circumstances exist enough to excuse the failure of the victim to appear personally and that sufficient grounds for granting the temporary restraining order have been shown.
To protect the victim from the defendant, the judge may grant within the temporary restraining order that the:. Within 10 days of the TRO the court will schedule a hearing. Both you and your abuser will have a chance to testify. The judge will consider both testimonies before issuing a Final Restraining Order. The New Jersey State Police does not offer counseling services, however if you are experiencing abuse, please know there is help and that you are not alone.
