Family members working for a law to strengthen protective orders visited with state Rep. John Stefanski this morning, and delivered more than 3,000 signatures of support.
Heather’s Law is named for Heather Mouton, who was shot and killed in Acadia Parish, two weeks after she filed a restraining order against her estranged husband. He was arrested and accused of second-degree murder in her death.
Her father, Dr. Tracy Andrus, is behind the movement to protect other women from abusers.
"I believe that we are on the right road and on the right path to making a difference in the lives of those people who cry in silence, who suffer in silence because they feel they have no other alternative," Andrus said.
Andrus said his daughter, a 37-year-old mother of three, did everything she was supposed to do to protect herself.
Heather’s law would strengthen restrictions on protective orders and up the ante on the consequences for violating them. Andrus also has the idea to have both people in the case wear a monitoring device, so that law enforcement could be alerted by a proximity alarm.
Stefanski has been working with Andrus for several weeks on the law.
