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Survivor urges felony penalty for violating lifetime protection orders; committee advances bill to finance
Summary
A survivor testified that current misdemeanor penalties for violating lifetime orders of protection are inadequate; the House Judiciary committee voted to send HB 17-65 — which would elevate certain violations to a Class E felony — to the Finance, Ways and Means Committee.
Chairlady Littleton told the committee that HB 17-65, as amended, would increase the penalty for knowingly violating a lifetime order of protection from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony when the underlying conviction involved use of force against a victim. The sponsor said the change aims to prevent incarcerated offenders from continuing to harass victims upon release.
Penny Waldrop, who identified herself as a survivor, described a 2006 attack in which her attacker murdered a friend, shot and slashed her, and repeatedly targeted her and her family. “A violation of lifetime order of protection should be treated as the serious threat that it is and charged as a Class E felony,” Waldrop said, adding that victims “should not be forced to live in constant fear that the system designed to protect us will fail us again.” Several members voiced support for the bill and for stronger penalties to protect victims. The committee voted to send HB 17-65 as amended to the Finance, Ways and Means Committee (21 yeas, 0 nos).
