Legal Aid attorney quoted as expert in article about CPO’s

from Plain Dealer reporter Rachel Dissell:

An Ohio Supreme Court opinion that prevents criminal punishment in cases where protections orders haven't officially been served, has prompted confusion and additional warnings from victim advocates in cases of stalking and domestic violence....

Before the decision, the accepted standard in many courts was whether the person knew about the order and recklessly disregarded it.

"At the very least it is confusing, " said Alexandria Ruden, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland and an expert in domestic violence law.

"Are protection orders that aren't served, are they valuable?" Ruden asked. "How do we tell clients, 'Yes, you have this protection order but while he is avoiding service it isn't effective?' It could be a very scary situation for many survivors of domestic violence."

Ruden said the court's ruling also seems to conflict with some of the rules that govern service in civil cases....

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