Lonergan-Gillen v. Gillen

The plaintiff appeals from the denial of her request for a permanent abuse protection order. She claims that the judge erred, as matter of law, by refusing to consider the option of a permanent order at a renewal hearing conducted pursuant to G. L. c. 209A, § 3.1 We agree and remand the case for further hearing.

The plaintiff was divorced from the defendant in 1998. She first obtained a temporary abuse prevention order against him on October 5, 1999, in the District Court. After a short extension and at a hearing at which the defendant did not appear, the *747order was further extended to October…