FRANKFORT, Ky. -- The mother of a woman who was gunned down outside of her Lexington home will attend a Thursday news conference to support a bill that would allow judges to order the electronic monitoring of people who have domestic violence or emergency protective orders filed against them.
House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said Tuesday he will likely pre-file such a bill by Thursday. Diana Ross, the mother of Amanda Ross, will attend a news conference to tout the bill, according to a news release issued by Stumbo.
Ross was killed Sept. 11 outside of her Lexington apartment. Former Republican gubernatorial candidate and state Rep. Steve Nunn has been charged with the murder. Nunn has pleaded not guilty.
Ross sought a protective order against Nunn earlier this year and friends said that she feared for her life in the days leading up to her death.
Stumbo, a guest on Sue Wylie’s show on WLVK 590 AM, said Tuesday that, under the bill, a judge could order someone who has a domestic violence or protective order to wear an electronic device, such as an ankle bracelet, that would allow law enforcement to track their whereabouts. Those they are accused of endangering would wear a device that would alert them if the perpetrator was nearby.
Details of how the proposed electronic monitoring device would be administered will likely be released on Thursday, when Stumbo says he plans to hold a news conference to announce his bill.
"These will not be ordered in every case," Stumbo said.
Stumbo said he believed the proposal was constitutional, in spite of the fact that a domestic violence order is not a formal charge, and it would be up to the judge to determine whether to order it. "This is not a penalty," Stumbo said. "This is restrained conduct."
At least 13 states have passed electronic monitoring or global positioning systems as a way to monitor offenders who violate stalking or domestic violence orders. Most recently, Ohio passed an electronic monitoring law which took effect in April.
Read more at Kentucky.com
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