Recently a local woman had a man whom she had an order of protection against show up at her new place of employment.
Later that evening when she drove through a secluded area on her way home the man following her used his car to bump hers several times in order to get her stopped. It didn't work and on her arrival home other family members notified the appropriate Law Enforcement Agency.
Mutual acquaintance's of both the man and the woman relate that the man has made statements that he wanted to kidnap her so that she can have his baby.
More recently this man again showed up at the womans place of employment. Fearing for her safety the Lincoln Police Department was notified and responded, removing him from inside her place of employment.
Initially the man was secured in a police vehicle while the Officer verified that the order of protection was valid.
It is in fact valid and will remain so until the middle of 2007.
The responding Lincoln Police Officer released the man at the scene.
Yes that is right freed him, let him go, gave him a get out of jail free card.
The reason?
It was her place of employment
The woman has a restraining order the general provisions of which prevent him from contacting her or being within a certain distance of her AND additionally forbids him from being at her place of employment (it specifically names the business at which she used to work).
In the pervue of the Lincoln Police Department since the order of protection does not specifically by name cite her current place of employment they did not arrest him for violating the order of protection.
There you have it, another fine job by Lincolns finest.
This is not a legal technicality and it ain't rocket science folks.
So what the order of protection does not name the current place of employment by name, the general no contact provisions of the order are enforceable at any location.
Just because the place of employment is not mentioned by name DOES NOT make it an "all ye all ye in free zone" for him to stalk and terrify the woman.
It goes beyond the Cop on the street
It is not entirely the responding officers fault. The officer spent considerable time on the cell phone while the man was in the backseat of the patrol car without being handcuffed.
It is likely that the officer was acting on advice and direction from a supervisor, city attorney and/or on call judge.
Ultimately should anything happen to the woman or members of her family before they can go back to court and modify the order of protection, whom ever it was that made the decision to allow this thug to walk will have the victims blood on their hands.
It is doubtful that this menace had the legal presence of mind to know he could not be arrested due to her change in employment, if anything happens to her they will bear some responsibility.
The consensus seems to be that during the nearly hour long presence of the Police Department at the scene our Public Officials went out of their way to concoct a reason however trivial to let the man walk rather than jailing him on an obvious charge of violating an order of protection.
If this doesn't open your eyes about orders of protection and the lack of seriousness given by Law Enforcement then nothing will.
The bottom line is that you can make all the phone calls you want to, when the subject of the order decides to violate it, you are on your own until or if help arrives.
Get this through your head
If you want to survive an encounter with your stalker you must be prepared to protect yourselves. The Police may/will not arrive in time to save you and if they do the chances are that the perpetrator will not be taken into custody anyway.
I am a man and as a woman I don't give two hoots in the forest whether you believe me or not. That is your choice.
If you won't believe me how about one of your own?
Can the Courts Protect You?
Another Restraining Order Fails
This is not the first time I have referred my readers to Zendo Deb the authoress of the Blog TFS Magnum.
Zendo Deb has in her entries compiled stories like this one from all over the United States. If you are not reading her Blog you should be.
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