Articles Posted in Domestic Violence and Restraining Orders

The Massachusetts Appeals Court decisions on 209A abuse prevention orders and 258E harassment prevention orders from the week of October 19, 2026.

The Appeals Court applied the 2024 coercive control definition to uphold a 209A abuse prevention order extension in Kehlani K. v. Tripp T.

By Attorney Joe Serpa | Georgetown University Law Center October 16, 2026 On September 24, 2026, the Massachusetts Appeals Court upheld the convictions of a man who pursued a woman he met in high school for about fifteen years, violated the harassment prevention order she obtained against him, and threatened her family in emails sent…

In Piper P. v. Barron B., the SJC affirmed denial of expungement after a fourth grader’s 258E order ended. The update examines the facts and separate opinions.

By Attorney Joe Serpa | Georgetown University Law Center September 28, 2026 Shortly before 2 A.M., a Cambridge police officer walking through Harvard Square saw Shyam Khadgi striking a woman in the face and arms. The officer saw Khadgi strike her ten to fifteen times, hard enough to lift his own foot off the ground.…

Learn when Massachusetts courts may admit Adjutant first-aggressor evidence, what notice Rule 14.3 requires, and how the prosecution may respond.

The Massachusetts Appeals Court has vacated a domestic violence conviction because of the prosecutor’s closing argument. In Commonwealth v. Pena, No. 24-P-970 (Mass. App. Ct. July 24, 2026), the Appeals Court set aside a Boston Municipal Court jury verdict for assault and battery on a family or household member. The court held that the prosecutor…

The Massachusetts Appeals Court has issued an early decision on a 209A restraining order (abuse prevention order) based on coercive control. The Appeals Court applied the coercive control definition that the Legislature added to the abuse prevention statute in 2024. In V.B. v. B.W.R.T., No. 25-P-1086 (Mass. App. Ct. July 24, 2026), the court vacated…

By Attorney Joe Serpa | Georgetown University Law Center | Massachusetts Criminal Defense Since 1995 This post explains which record systems hold a Massachusetts 209A restraining order (abuse prevention order) or a 258E harassment prevention order. The post also explains who can see the records in each system. Removing an order from the registry is…

Some of the hardest fought Massachusetts domestic violence cases I try are the ones where the accuser never takes the stand. The person who called 911 recants, refuses to appear, or has reconciled and wants the case gone. The Commonwealth does not always drop those cases. It tries to prove them through the recording and…