Ohio House passes teen violence bill

A bill allowing juvenile court judges to issue protection order in cases of teen violence was unanimously approved Wednesday by the Ohio House (Source: “Bill to reduce teen violence gets OK,” Toledo Blade, June 25, 2009).

Current state law allows only judges in adult court to issue orders of protection.

"Research shows that over 50 percent of teens report knowing someone involved in a violent relationship, and more and more evidence points to adult domestic-violence victims having a history of violent relationships starting when they were teens," the bill's sponsor, Rep. Edna Brown (D., Toledo), said.

The bill permits someone to seek a protection order in juvenile court against a person under the age of 18 who has committed assault, menacing, stalking, aggravated trespass, and a sexually oriented offense.

The measure now goes to the Senate, where it didn't advance last year despite getting similar overwhelming support in the House. Brown said a few changes have been made to satisfy critics in the Senate, including the addition of language making it easier to have the records of a protection order expunged when the subject reaches the age of 18.