Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence

The Illinois Senate unanimously has voted to expand orders of protection to online spaces and allow victims to indefinitely extend protection orders. The bill would give law enforcement more tools to investigate violations of orders of protection.

Illinois Senate Republicans introduced bills to protect victims of domestic violence by making it a felony to repeatedly violate orders of protection and give law enforcement the ability to detain violators for longer periods of time.

Five women in three central Illinois counties have obtained court orders to keep Joshua Livingston away from them based on allegations of abuse and threats to their safety. A review of court records by WGLT reveals three orders of protection and two no-contact orders sought by five women starting in 2016.