DeLeo, Coakley Unveil Domestic Violence Bill After Martel Murder
BOSTON (CBS/AP) — House Speaker Robert DeLeo says he hopes to make Massachusetts one of the strongest states in the nation for how it deals with domestic violence.
DeLeo joined Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Martha Coakley on Tuesday to unveil the bill that seeks to toughen penalties for abusers while also helping victims caught in the cycle of domestic violence.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Carl Stevens reports
Work on the legislation began after Jared Remy was arrested last August and charged with the fatal stabbing of his girlfriend, Jennifer Martel. Remy, the son of Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy, has pleaded not guilty.
An independent review later found problems with the way Middlesex County prosecutors had handled previous assault allegations against Jared Remy, and placed too much weight on Martel's decision not to seek an extension of a restraining order.
At the unveiling Tuesday, DeLeo called the bill the strongest domestic violence legislation to be considered in at least a decade.
"If these horrible crimes are preventable, let's do everything we can to prevent them," he said.
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