McIsaac v. Porter

The defendant appeals from a Probate and Family Court order making permanent a G. L. c. 209A abuse prevention order (209A order) issued one year earlier. He argues that the judge erred by (1) making the order permanent based solely upon the plaintiffs fear arising out of a past incident of serious physical abuse, without any finding that the plaintiff reasonably feared imminent serious physical harm; and (2) limiting defense counsel’s ability to cross-examine the plaintiff at the renewal hearing. We conclude that the judge properly extended the order, because the statute authorizes a judge to…