Larkins Vacura Kayser Represents Oregon Attorney General Sexual Assault Task Force in Oregon Supreme Court

Larkins Vacura Kayser attorneys Kelsey Benedick and John Rake recently provided pro bono representation of the Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force (“SATF”) in submitting an amicus curiae brief to the Oregon Supreme Court in MAB v. Buell, 296 Or App 380 (2019).  The underlying case addresses the standard for issuing a restraining order under Oregon’s Family Abuse Prevention Act and in particular what evidence can create an “imminent danger of further abuse.”  SATF’s brief supplies crucial information related to characteristics of domestic violence associated with increased lethality risks to survivors, and argues that the Court of Appeals’ decision in Buell could hinder the ability of domestic violence survivors to obtain restraining orders following separation from an abuser, which is one of the most critical times for survivor safety.