Crenshaw v. Macklin

The plaintiff, Jacqueline Crenshaw, appeals from a decision of a judge in the District Court denying her request for a permanent protective order against the defendant, Wallace Macklin, pursuant to G. L. c. 209A, § 3. The judge said that she was not authorized to do so. We granted the plaintiff’s application for direct appellate review. We hold that G. L. c. 209A, § 3, empowers a judge in the District Court (or any other court with jurisdiction to consider the matter) to issue a permanent protective order at a renewal hearing. We remand the case to the District Court for further proceedings…