From state Senators Craig Wilcox and Don DeWitte:
| In response to the dramatic rise in domestic violence-related deaths in Illinois, I am championing a legislative package to help protect victims by strengthening enforcement of protective orders and providing more options for detainment to allow victims to get the help and services they need. The proposal comes after the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence reported 137 domestic violence–related deaths in 2024, a 14 percent increase from the prior year and a 140 percent increase since 2022. The package offers solutions through the following bills: Senate Bill 3139: Helps establish a cooling-off period in serious domestic violence cases by requiring suspects to prove they do not pose a real and present danger before being released pretrial. The bill applies to violations of orders of protection, civil no contact orders, stalking no contact orders, and cases involving domestic battery or aggravated domestic battery. Senate Bill 3140: Increases penalties for abusers who violate orders of protection. Under the legislation, violating an order of protection would no longer be a misdemeanor, but would be a felony. Repeated violations would become a higher-class felony. Senate Bill 3141: Imposes minimum holding times for repeat violations of protective, no contact, and stalking orders. Senate Bill 3142: Enhances penalties for repeat offenders by requiring courts to consider prior convictions across different types of protective orders. This collection of bills will protect victims, hold abusers accountable, and provide law enforcement and the courts with the tools needed to intervene before a tragedy or fatality. I am proud to serve as a co-sponsor of each one of them. |
