WASHINGTON — Domestic violence is an issue that hits close to home for Maryland Delegate Angela Angel. As a domestic violence聽survivor herself, Angel聽wants to help聽save lives by expanding the definition of abuse.
After getting out of a violent marriage, Del. Angel聽says her estranged husband constantly called, emailed and sent her, her friends and co-workers text messages聽to wreak havoc.聽When Angel聽went to court, the judge聽apologized and said there was nothing he could do despite the mounds of evidence she had against him. The judge couldn’t issue an order because聽the law does not define what her former聽husband did as abuse.
Angel, who represents Prince George’s County,聽is calling聽to expand the law so that serial harassment and malicious destruction of property are聽included in the state’s domestic violence laws.
Seven women聽in Prince George’s County alone, have died聽in domestic incidents聽this year.
Under the current Maryland law, victims of domestic abuse cannot get a protective order. The expansion would therefore allow victims to receive聽a protective order before their abusers become violent or deadly, Angel says.
Angel introduced the bill聽(HB1396) this year, but it, just like last year, died in committee.
In an聽unprecedented move on Friday, Angel聽proposed聽an amendment to Sen. Victor Ramirez’s , which passed the House聽(137-0).聽 It includes the language to expand聽serial harassment and malicious destruction of property into the definition of domestic abuse in the Maryland聽Family Law Code.
Angel says lawmakers have been trying to expand the domestic violence laws in Maryland since 2005.
Although Angel聽is hopeful, she says聽the Ramirez bill may never make it to the Senate. 聽“It’s literally in limbo between the two houses.聽 And that’s just wrong.”
The last day of the Maryland General Assembly regular session ends on Monday, April 11. 聽If the聽Ramirez bill聽languishes Monday, then it will kill the legislation and prevent聽the proposed protections from becoming law, Angel聽explains.
What could also happen is the Senate can bring up the bill on Monday, but at a point in the session where it is too late to vote on it. 聽Angel says she hopes that is not the case.
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Catherine Pugh 聽supports the bill, according to Angel.聽“She knows how important this is.聽 She’s fighting for women of the state and聽for survivors of domestic violence,” Angel says.
Angel says it’s not right for women who have gotten out of an abusive relationship to聽still聽face financial聽and emotional abuse through harassment and聽malicious destruction of property. 聽“It’s another way for the abusers聽to show that they have control over their victim,” she says.
