The House of Representatives in Frankfort, Kentucky, on Feb. 27, 2024. Photo by Arden Barnes. Photo courtesy of Kentucky Lantern.
By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
A bill making its way through the Kentucky legislature aims to create harsher punishments for people who repeatedly violate protection orders.
Representative James Tipton filed House Bill 38 in January, which would change repeated violations from a class A misdemeanor to a class D felony if that violation involves the use or attempted use of physical force or threat of physical harm, or the victim of each offense is the same person within five years.
In Kentucky, a class A misdemeanor is punished by up to 12 months in jail and a fine up to $500. A class D felony is the lowest class of felony in the commonwealth, which subjects a person to one to five years imprisonment.
Those with multiple “lesser” crimes might face a class D felony charge, according to Dan Carmen and Attorneys. Darlene Thomas, executive director at Greenhouse 17, a Northern Kentucky advocacy center, said that is not the case with multiple protective order violations.
On Feb. 18 the house unanimously passed the bill and, as of Feb. 21, it currently resides in the Senate Judiciary committee.
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