During June of the past year, Connecticut lawmakers enacted what they refer to as the Jennifer’s Law. The law, sharing the name of two mothers who tried to protect themselves and their children from the impact of domestic violence, is bringing a new focus to the role of coercive control in such cases. Both mothers paid with their lives. While the murder of Jennifer Magnano took place in 2007, it is as recent as 2019, when Jennifer Dulos suffered the same type of demise. Both these women, killed by controlling fathers who acted in a coercive manner to keep these women and their children entrapped. While these women turned to the courts to provide them with the help they needed, their cases suffocated due to the relentless court proceedings and endless reports they had to endure. Now, jurisdictions across the world are taking the matter of coercive control as a crucial part of domestic violence cases into the conversation again.
“Coercive control can take on many different forms. It often entails threats, humiliation, intimidation and a range of forms of abuse to get your victim to act in a certain manner or to do certain things against their will. In domestic violence cases, it is often the case that an abusive spouse utilizes coercive behavior to get their partner to stay,” says Blake Nolan, the media consultant to John Grasso, the leading practice of Rhode Island domestic violence lawyers.
Nolan then further expands on the fact that the Jennifer Laws are now putting the concept in the spotlight as professionals from a range of fields are getting together to discuss what would be the best way to proceed when you are a victim of coercion as well as how the legal field should consider such an act. This list of professionals includes psychotherapists, researchers, and lawyers. Yet, the most important contributors to these conversations are the survivors. Sadly, neither of the two Jennifers whom this law is named after will ever be able to join in on the conversation, but the children of Jennifer Magnano are now old enough to give their side of the story and to provide those in the positions of decision-makers, with the necessary insights to prevent any situation where the deaths of these two women are repeated.
As several states have already passed coercive control laws, it is highly unlikely that this new law won’t soon be part of the legal system in Rhode Island as well, providing the domestic violence lawyers of the city with another tool to put an end to this crime.
About Us
Having to face any kind of criminal charges is a serious matter. It is the kind of situation that you would rather want to avoid. Yet sometimes this can be the stressful situation you find yourself in. At John Grasso, we believe that the best course of action to take in such a case is to partner with a leading legal team without delay. This would be a time in your life when you would want to have the best by your side, and it is exactly what we offer at our leading practice. We have a team of legal experts who are all leaders in a range of niche fields who can provide you with the support, guidance and defense you need in this stressful time of your life. Visit our website at https://www.johngrassolaw.com/ or contact us directly and see how we can assist you.