JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Florida bill enhancing the punishment for repeat domestic violence offenders officially goes into effect.
“It’s to mitigate future occurrences of spousal abuse,” said State Representative Danny Nix Jr. (R ) Port Charlotte, who is one of the bill’s sponsors.
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Under House Bill 277:
- It enhances penalties for repeat offenders
- Creates electronic monitoring pilot programs
- Allows courts to consider military protective orders, threats against pets
- Increases relocation assistance for victims
“When we have a repeat offender, our hope is when they start seeing that this charge is going to be a lot more than what they’ve dealt with in the past, it makes them think about it,” said State Rep. Nix.
The law took effect one day after a Jacksonville man was arrested for shooting his two children and their mother. His four-year-old daughter died as a result.
Investigators note that the woman and the suspect have a history of domestic disputes.
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“Domestic violence can happen at any time and any place to any person,” said Outreach Services Director for Hubbard House, Karen Williams. “We have services for adults as well as children.”
Hubbard House is a domestic violence shelter. The Jacksonville location serves Duval and Baker counties. Williams says she, too, is hopeful about the impact the new law will have on preventing escalating domestic violence situations from becoming deadly.
“We hope it’ll be a deterrent. That’s another tool in the toolbox, which is great when we can have laws to support that,” Williams said.
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The Hubbard House has a 24/7 free confidential hotline for domestic violence survivors to call. That number is 904-354-3114.
For more information on Hubbard House, click here: Domestic Violence Services, Shelter, and Safety - Hubbard House
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