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Domestic abuse ruling hits home |
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Saturday, March 25, 2006 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a domestic abuse case in Georgia this week that police must have the consent of both homeowners before they can enter the house.
Many people are worried about what kind of effect that will
have on domestic abuse cases. At the Clothesline Project of Tampa Bay
Saturday, thousands of domestic violence victims were remembered. The
controversial ruling was also on the minds of lawmakers and victims in
attendance.
"When a deputy sheriff goes to investigate a crime,
it has no bearing on entry into the home or how we conduct the
investigation," James Butterfield of the Pinellas County Domestic
Violence Unit said. "But it may limit us as to what happens once we're
inside the house and how we collect evidence."
Domestic violence victim Dale Shade said she doesn't agree with the ruling.
"Especially
because so many times the man may have a gun in the house, or hiding
something, and if the police are not allowed to go in and search that
house based on what the woman has told them, how are they going to do
anything about it?" Shade said.
Pinellas County police said they get at least 2,300 domestic abuse calls each year. |
