• Georgia ranks high nationwide in the rate of men who kill women.don"t shoot 4 image by Daniel Wiedemann from Fotolia.com
  
  Family violence among Georgia families along with its physical and emotional impact has spurred the Georgia State Assembly to enact legislation addressing the issue. The state has ranked yearly since 1999 among the top 20 states nationwide with some of the highest rates of men killing women as a result of domestic violence. Between 2003 and 2009, 834 Georgia residents were killed in domestic violence. The General Assembly has created a package of laws dealing with family violence and how it is handled by judicial and law enforcement officials.
  
  

Family Violence Definition

• Family violence is one or more criminal acts between past and present spouses, parents of the same child or between parents and their children. Family violence can also occur between stepparents and stepchildren, foster parents and foster children or people living in the same home. Family violence includes any felony, battery, assault, stalking, unlawful restraint or trespass.
  
  

Petition Seeking Relief

• A Georgia resident may file a petition with the courts seeking relief from family violence. The petition must allege one or more acts of family violence.
  
  

Family Violence Hearing

• Upon receiving a petition alleging family violence, Georgia courts must supply a copy of the petition to the defendant. A hearing must be held within 30 days of the petition filing. The petitioner must prove with a "preponderance of evidence" that family violence has occurred. The petition is dismissed if a hearing is not held within 30 days.
  
  

Protective Order Registry

• The Protective Order Registry is a centralized database for Georgia-issued protective orders. Police officers, prosecuting attorneys and the courts have access to the Registry. The Registry is linked to the National Crime Information Center Network.
  
  

Intervention Programs

• A judge can sentence family violence offenders to intervention programs such as anger management and counseling programs, violence therapy and family problem resolution.