I received this today via Email.
Good afternoon,
October
is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time for each of us to reflect
on the devastating impact that domestic violence has on our society. You
can scarcely get through a day without hearing a news report about a
violent incident in the community. The national conversation often
revolves around high-profile instances of abuse, illustrating that money
and success are not safeguards.
We
at the Clerk’s Office deal with those in fear every day as they come to
us seeking a judge’s order of protection against someone they believe
wants to hurt them.
I
am proud to say that our recent partnership with Harbor House of
Central Florida has already resulted in getting quick help to more than
25 people who may otherwise have had to wait up to 72 hours for their
cases to be heard. If you are dealing with assault or stalking, three
days is a long time – maybe too long.
In
April, I began deputizing more than two dozen Harbor House employees.
Taking the oath of office has allowed them to continue processing
domestic-violence injunction petitions during the hours that the Clerk’s
Office is closed. That means no one has to wait overnight or through a
holiday or weekend for a Clerk’s Office employee to take their
paperwork.
“Having
this opportunity to swear in our employees to save lives is our primary
goal, since being able to process a domestic violence injunction when
the Clerk’s Office is closed is crucial for a victim in a domestic-abuse
situation,’’ said Carol Wick, president & CEO of Harbor House of
Central Florida. “It also enables us to uphold no-contact orders at any
Harbor House location, which eliminates one more barrier to protecting
survivors and holding abusers accountable.’’
Through
September, more than 4,800 people had visited the Orange County Clerk’s
Office this year seeking court-ordered protection. If that pace
continues, the year-end number will be higher than that of 2013.
The paperwork is several pages long and is available at the Clerk’s Office and its branches. It is also available online at
myorangeclerk.com, which allows the petitioner to fill out the forms privately and thoroughly, away from crowds and bystanders at the courthouse.
I also recently made
Affidavit of Violation paperwork available online. This is the form a survivor fills out if their attacker has violated an injunction order.
To reach Harbor House of Central Florida after hours, please call 1-800-500-1119.
Regards,
