In September 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed one of the country's first laws explicitly prohibiting coercive control in relationships.
“The judge essentially said, ‘A marriage license does not give a person permission to subjugate their spouse,'” said Lisa Fontes of the landmark ruling against coercive control, a type of domestic violence., one of the country’s first laws explicitly allowing courts to consider coercive control as domestic violence in family court matters. The law defined coercive control as “a pattern of behavior that unreasonably interferes with a person’s free will and personal liberty.” On Aug.
Zecher described the documents as “directives which literally control every aspect of the petitioner’s life from how she cooks and keeps the house, including the kitchen, to the times which things need to be done … and pre-empts her from engaging in any decision making in her own home.” Zecher ruled that the man’s behavior was coercive control domestic violence because it impeded his wife’s right to “freedom of thought, action and decision making.” The husband “engaged in a pattern of behavior which controlled and regulated [his wife’s] daily behavior, communications and economic resources” and “engaged in a pattern of domination, intimidation and deliberately impeding the rights” of his wife.
Fontes suggests that a judge referring to someone as “emotionally battered” in itself is groundbreaking, and may have implications for future rulings. “Different from other forms of intimate partner violence,” she said, “coercive control seeks to eradicate the subordinate partner’s sense of self and operates to make the subordinate partner fully dependent upon the dominant partner through more subtle forms of abuse that leave no physical scars—though the emotional scars and loss of self of the subordinate partner often run much deeper and are more difficult to health than bones that are broken.
Coercive control harms children as well, Frye argued. “We don’t want these kids growing up, thinking that this level of micromanagement and control and fear of punishment is normal. We have to break that cycle for these kids.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Federal judge issues temporary restraining order, says Texas law banning drag shows is “likely” unconstitutionalU.S. District Judge David Hittner heard from LGBTQ+ groups, businesses and a drag performer in a hearing this week, who argued Senate Bill 12 violated their First Amendment rights.
Read more »
Federal judge issues temporary restraining order, says Texas law banning drag shows is “likely” unconstitutionalU.S. District Judge David Hittner heard from LGBTQ+ groups, businesses and a drag performer in a hearing this week, who argued Senate Bill 12 violated their First Amendment rights.
Read more »
Federal judge issues temporary restraining order, says Texas law banning drag shows 'likely' unconstitutionalU.S. District Judge David Hittner heard from LGBTQ+ groups, businesses and a drag performer in a hearing this week, who argued Senate Bill 12 violated their First Amendment rights.
Read more »
Federal judge issues temporary restraining order, says Texas law banning drag shows is “likely” unconstitutionalU.S. District Judge David Hittner heard from LGBTQ+ groups, businesses and a drag performer in a hearing this week, who argued Senate Bill 12 violated their First Amendment rights.
Read more »
Nearly $35 million in grants given for Delaware River watershed protection in Philly, South JerseyFunds will go to 36 conservation projects, including local trail creations, stream restorations, shoreline enhancements, and wildlife habitat improvements.
Read more »
SF grants director Lanita Henriquez arraigned for corruption chargesLanita Henriquez, director of the San Francisco Community Challenge Grant Program, was arraigned Thursday morning on 30 charges.
Read more »