Earlier this month, New Jersey legislator Ron Dancer introduced the “Lisa’s Law” bill, establishing a pilot program for electronic monitoring of domestic violence offenders in Ocean County. The bill is named after Letizia “Lisa” Zindell, a Toms River resident who was killed by her ex-fiancé Frank Fisco in 2009. Zindell had filed a restraining order against her ex which resulted in police forcing him to check into a mental health facility. Yet, as soon as he was released, Fisco violated the restraining order and went to jail. But once again, as soon as he was released, Fisco violated the protective order, resulting in Zindell’s death.
You may have heard of “Lisa’s Law” before in New Jersey. That’s because this same bill had tried to make it through the legislature before, only to be pocket vetoed by Gov. Chris Christie in February. But state legislators are still pushing for the passage of this bill, saying it can save lives by tracking the movements of victims’ attackers.
This is not the only domestic violence bill that Christie has vetoed this year. In May, Christie once again vetoed an effort by the NJ Democrats to restrict access to firearms by convicted domestic abusers. Instead, Christie is pushing to expedite the permit process for domestic violence victims who are interested in obtaining a gun for their protection.
Hopefully, this time “Lisa’s Law” will finally become law.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse and are in need of legal representation, we can help. Contact the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone today for a free consultation.