Wotan v. Kegan

The plaintiff’s primary challenge is to the issuance and subsequent extensions of a protective order, pursuant to G. L. c. 209A (c. 209A order), by a judge of the Brookline District Court. The 209A order was first issued on a preliminary ex parte basis on December 17, 1993. Following a hearing on January 13, 1994, during which both the plaintiff and the defendant testified, the judge issued the 209A order for a one-year period of time. In January, 1995, and again in January, 1996, the defendant succeeded in having the 209A orders extended for additional one-year periods.

On December 12, 1996,…