A 2006 murder at a Jackson County domestic violence shelter spurs lawmakers into action
Published Thursday, July 1 2010, 10:31 PM EDT (WLOS ABC 13) – Video after the link. http://tinyurl.com/2b3mjlu
A 2006 murder at a Jackson County domestic violence shelter spurs lawmakers into action. Bonnie Woodring was staying at REACH when her estranged husband, Woody Woodring, walked into the shelter, then shot and killed her. After her death, Bonnie’s family sued, alleging REACH employees played a role in her death because they left a door unlocked. A judge dismissed the lawsuit in 2008, but still, REACH struggled to stay in operation because it spent so much money on the legal battle. A new law recently approved by the General Assembly is designed to protect shelters from being held liable if acts of violence are committed on their property. State Senator John Snow sponsored the bill after Woodring’s death. The North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence advocated for it. The new law also makes it a felony for anyone with a restraining order against them to trespass on property owned by a domestic violence shelter, regardless of whether the victim is even there.