Restraining order

Wisconsin has rolled out a new court portal allowing people to complete and submit restraining order petitions online or by phone, rather than only in person. Launched last month, the system walks users through account creation, form selection, and direct submission to their circuit court. It currently covers domestic abuse and harassment petitions; child abuse and individual-at-risk petitions still require paper filing or the standard e-filing process.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Jill Karofsky said the court system's budget request asks the governor and Legislature for funding to extend the portal to child abuse and adult-at-risk petitions. The budget request also seeks $3 million for statewide courthouse security, half of which would fund a grant program for equipment and facility upgrades. Circuit court judges reported 129 security threats in 2025. Karofsky emphasized that everyone entering a courthouse — jurors, witnesses, staff, and the public — deserves to be safe.

The Wisconsin Court System has launched a statewide online Restraining Order Portal, allowing domestic abuse and harassment victims to file temporary restraining order petitions without visiting a courthouse in person. The system went live last month and was highlighted publicly as Domestic Violence Awareness Month began.

The portal guides users through preparing and submitting petitions, including creating an eFiling account, accessing required court forms, and routing them to the correct circuit court. It can be used on a computer, phone, or other mobile device. Eight counties, including Adams, Dane, and Sauk, piloted the system over the summer, with 72 petitions filed during that period. Chief Justice Jill J. Karofsky said the goal is to make seeking court-ordered protection easier during an often urgent and difficult time. The portal currently covers only domestic abuse and harassment petitions, not child abuse or individual-at-risk cases.

Delaware state Rep. Josue Ortega has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor offensive touching charge stemming from an alleged May domestic incident. He was charged in August after Kaywren Phelps, a woman he had been in a relationship with, alleged he punched her in the face and took her phone during an argument near a Wilmington shopping center. Police documented swelling and discoloration on her face when she reported the incident. Ortega entered his plea on September 22, ahead of a scheduled arraignment, and a trial has been set for December.

Phelps' allegations, made public earlier this summer, prompted a Delaware House Ethics Committee investigation whose findings have not been disclosed. Both Ortega and Phelps previously filed competing protection-from-abuse petitions against each other. Ortega, whose district covers parts of Wilmington, lost his reelection bid in a three-way Democratic primary this month. His attorney has declined to comment on the case.

The U.S. Department of Education's Student Privacy Policy Office is investigating the Northborough-Southborough Regional School District over allegations that staff at Algonquin Regional High School helped socially transition a teenage student without her parents' knowledge or consent. The probe will examine potential violations of FERPA and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, which require parental access to education records and written consent before schools conduct sensitive surveys or evaluations involving mental health or related topics.

The case centers on Joseph and Arlene Kutzko, Catholic parents who say the school facilitated their daughter Sophie's transition under the guise of academic counseling. After objecting, the couple was reported to the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, which took custody of Sophie in December 2024; a restraining order currently bars contact between her and her family. The Kutzkos are suing state officials, and a judge has temporarily blocked testosterone treatment pending an October 29 custody hearing. Gov. Maura Healey has said the removal stemmed from criminal charges against the parents, not gender-related care, a claim the family's attorney disputes, noting no abuse findings exist. Several states now require parental notification on gender-identity matters.

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office has launched a Victim Witness Relocation Program, backed by a $250,000 grant, to help crime victims and witnesses facing threats or retaliation for participating in criminal cases. The program provides short-term and permanent relocation assistance, including hotel stays, food, moving expenses and rent, and expands coverage beyond emergency and homicide cases to all violent misdemeanor and felony cases, including domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault and sexual abuse cases.

Funded in part by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority's Violent Crime Witness Protection Program, the initiative aims to remove housing as a barrier for survivors leaving dangerous situations. Officials plan to hire a dedicated relocation specialist to administer the program and connect participants with community resources. To qualify, victims or witnesses in pending cases must show a documented or credible threat tied to their case involvement. State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke said the effort addresses intimidation fears that often deter victims from cooperating with prosecutions. The grant is funded for one year, with possible renewal for up to two more.

The mistrial in the Lindsay Clancy case has spiraled into a political and media controversy after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis offered to provide "asylum" to the lone holdout juror whose vote led to an 11-1 deadlock. Clancy, the Duxbury mother accused of killing her three children, does not dispute the killings but says she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and was not criminally responsible; a mistrial was declared September 4 after nearly 38 hours of deliberations.

NBC10 Boston reported the holdout juror had a 2021 domestic assault charge, later dismissed, and an active restraining order sought by a nephew. DeSantis accused the outlet of trying to smear the juror and pledged Florida's support if he faces harassment. Critics, including a retired judge, called the report an unwise instance of "trial by social media," while a First Amendment advocate said the key question is whether the juror was truthful during jury vetting. Clancy's defense attorney has since filed a motion seeking a not-guilty finding.

South Carolina reports more than 30,000 intimate partner violence cases annually and has ranked among the top 10 states for the rate of women murdered by men in 23 of the past 25 years. Since 2009, at least 37 officers and 99 civilians have been injured or killed responding to domestic violence calls statewide, including Columbia Officer Christopher DeLong, fatally shot in August by a man accused of violating a restraining order.

While overall domestic violence reports fell 5 percent in 2024, intimate partner homicide rates climbed 3.3 percent that year and 23 percent over the past two decades. Greenville County recorded the most officer-involved shootings tied to domestic calls (42 since 2009) and the most intimate partner homicides in 2024. Black women face more than twice the homicide risk of white women in these cases, and nearly half of female homicides between 2017 and 2021 stemmed from intimate partner violence. Advocates note many incidents go unreported due to fear, financial dependence, or shame. Officers now undergo extensive academy training, including scenario-based exercises, to prepare for the unpredictable nature of these calls.

Fort Bend County's commissioners court, divided over the legitimacy of interim County Judge Daniel Wong, voted Thursday to cut associate judge positions from eight to five and restructure elected County Attorney Bridgette Smith-Lawson's office, shifting staff to a new legal office under commissioners' control. Democratic Commissioners Dexter McCoy and Grady Prestige boycotted the meeting in protest, arguing Wong lacks legal authority to serve, leaving Wong and the two Republican commissioners present to pass both measures with little discussion.

District Judge Monica Rawlins said she learned of the budget cuts only when the agenda was posted and warned the reductions would raise caseloads and delay family court matters, including protective orders and custody cases. Smith-Lawson said she received no notice of the changes affecting her office. Both proposals drew heavy public opposition, with several staff members reportedly in tears. Sources say affected judges plan to file suit, deepening a political standoff over who legitimately holds the county judge's gavel.