Courts would change how people file protective orders

The District Court would have jurisdiction over interpersonal protective-order petitions. This covers petitions filed under Kentucky's interpersonal protective-order law. Judges receiving a petition would have authority to review it, hear it, and grant or enforce an order. The Court of Justice would provide 24-hour access protocols for interpersonal protective orders, subject to Supreme Court review and approval.

The Court of Justice would provide filing protocols, including electronic filing, for participating support centers. The protocols would cover regional rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters that choose to participate in a county's 24-hour access system. The Supreme Court would review and approve the initial protocols and later changes. Participation by a center would be optional.

A person could file a foreign protective order with the clerk of any Kentucky District Court, and the court would enforce it like a Kentucky interpersonal protective order. This applies to protective orders issued by courts in another state or jurisdiction, including orders that are certified or not certified. The person filing must provide an affidavit stating the issuing court and certifying the order's validity and current status. An uncertified order would be temporary while the clerk seeks certification: it would last 14 days, could be extended once for 14 more days, and would expire after 28 days if certification is not received. A Kentucky protective order could be issued if the applicant qualifies and provides the required evidence. For an uncertified order, the clerk would contact the issuing court within two business days; the clerk would notify the applicant if certification had not arrived within ten days.