Smith v. Smith

We address again efforts to obtain relief in difficult personal circumstances within the limited provisions of G. L. c. 209A (governing certain acts between family or household members that constitute “abuse” as therein defined). The defendant, Stephen Jones, appeals from both an ex parte abuse *130prevention order and a subsequent extension order that required that he refrain from contact with the plaintiff, Mary Smith. He asserts that the evidence was insufficient in each proceeding to support a finding of abuse as contemplated by the statute, and consequently that the judges below lacked…