New Program to Promote Access to Justice for Domestic Violence Victims

New York State court officials have announced an initiative to allow domestic violence victims to obtain a temporary order of protection (TOP) via video-conference where traveling to or appearing in court would pose an undue hardship or risk of harm to victims.

As authorized by a recent amendment of New York’s Judiciary Law and Family Court Act, the Remote Access Temporary Order of Protection (TOP) Project will permit eligible applicants, with the assistance of a trained advocate, to e-file their TOP petition and appear before a judge via video-conference from a secure, remote site such as a local Family Justice Center, senior center, shelter, hospital or domestic violence advocacy agency.

The nation’s first remote TOP initiative to be implemented on a statewide scale, the program is being introduced in selected family courts in Broome, Chautauqua, Columbia, Erie, Monroe, New York (Manhattan), Suffolk and Westchester (White Plains and Yonkers) counties.

For more on this groundbreaking initiative, click here.