FEDERAL WAY, Wash. (AP) - Gov. Jay Inslee has signed a bill that would allow the courts to issue permanent protection orders for victims of sexual assault.
Inslee signed the measure Friday at the Federal Way City Hall Council chambers.
Currently, victims of sexual assault can only be granted a protection order for up to two years, which means they must reappear in court to repetition for a new order. Under the new law, those orders can now be made permanent. In cases where a permanent order isn’t issued, under this new measure the courts will grant a renewal of the order unless perpetrators can prove they are no longer a threat to the victim.
Another bill signed Friday by Inslee creates a specialized no-contact order for trafficking and promoting prostitution offenses. When a person is charged with either, the court may issue a no-contact order prohibiting the defendant from having any contact with the victim.
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