Many people in Illinois, whether they are football fans or not, have learned that the NFL has come under fire with how it has handled the illegal behavior of some of its players. The main issue is how they have handled players accused of domestic violence. Ray Rice is at the forefront of the headlines, but recently Chicago Bears’ wide receiver Brandon Marshall has also made headlines.
The difference is that the reason Marshall is in the news is based on incidents that happened years ago. Marshall has had a well-publicized past of domestic violence with a former girlfriend. He has gone through the legal system based on past incidents and was previously punished by the NFL. ESPN ran a program which was based on an interview with Marshall recorded in 2012 outlining his past. Also, a civil rights attorney has used Marshall’s former girlfriend as an example of how the NFL has poorly dealt with victims in the past. Marshall recently addressed all these issues, stating that he is upset about how he is being portrayed and speaking about how he has been able to change his life around.
Domestic violence is a real problem that affects many people in Illinois. There are many victims who are in need of protection from abusers but may not feel like they can stop the abuse. There are ways to help protect themselves though. One way is that they could potentially obtain an order of protection.
An order of protection prohibits an abuser from having any contact with the victim. This includes staying a certain distance away from them, their home and place of employment. In addition to that, it can prohibit the abuser from contacting the victim in any way whether it is on the phone, email or other forms of communication. If the abuser contacts the victim, they can be charged with a crime and arrested.
There are many victims of domestic violence in Illinois. The victims may be able to obtain an order of protection to help protect them from future violence though. Experienced attorneys know how to obtain these and may be able to help guide one through the process.
Source: Chicago Tribune, “Bears’ Brandon Marshall still can’t escape his past” Dan Wiederer, Sept. 18, 2014