Legislators in Michigan recently proposed bills to help protect victims of domestic violence. The proposed bills would help victims of domestic abuse get treatment and help them move on with their lives.
Specifically, the bills would allow victims to seek unemployment benefits after quitting their jobs due to the abuse. The bills would also allow victims to use sick leave in order to get medical or legal help, and landlords would not be allowed to evict tenants if disruptions occurred due to a domestic violence incident.
The bills would help victims of domestic violence, stalking, human trafficking and sexual assault maintain privacy through a confidentiality program. The program would keep victims' names, addresses, phone numbers and other personal information confidential. The attorney general would give victims a new address to use so perpetrators would not have the victim's true address.
The proposed bills would help victims of domestic violence maintain privacy and help them seek medical or legal help.
Domestic violence cases in Michigan are taken very seriously. Individuals who are accused or charged with domestic abuse or assault should understand that they have rights and work with a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible.
Domestic abuse convictions and even accusations can result in serious damage to your reputation and can carry a stigma that will follow you for the rest of your life. Assault and domestic violence incidents can stem from many different situations. It can be very difficult to determine what truly happened in these cases, which is why you need to work with an attorney to protect your rights and your future.
Source: Michigan Radio, "New bills would give domestic violence victims sick leave, unemployment benefits," Kate Wells, March 25, 2015