Domestic Violence Arrests Could be Redacted Until After Arraignment

By John Waller

A bill, which has passed the Massachusetts House and Senate, would block the public’s access to domestic violence arrests until after the accused is arraigned in court, according to the Boston Globe.

The bill, which awaits Gov. Deval Patrick’s signature, has a number of other measures aimed at strengthening the state’s domestic violence laws, according to the Boston Herald.

Those measures were what lawmakers focused on Thursday, the Globe reports. However, advocates for the abused and free speech groups squared off on the public access issue.

Advocates said the change would encourage more victims to come forward, while free speech groups said it would protect abusers, including those who are community leaders, from scrutiny, according to the Globe.

The bill was largely inspired by the high-profile Jared Remy case. Remy, the son of Boston Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy, stabbed his girlfriend, Jennifer Martel, to death last August in their Waltham apartment. Remy pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in May and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

What’s your take? Should the names of those arrested on domestic violence charges be initially redacted?

Boston Globe: Bill seals police reports in domestic violence cases