By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
In 2009, to punish his ex-wife, James Mammone III stabbed to death their two young children in their carseats, then fatally shot his former mother-in-law in Canton.
Testimony for Ohio House Bill 359 stated Mammone was able to commit these acts after using public records to find his ex-wife’s address.
The bill, co-sponsored by State Rep. Tim Brown, R-Bowling Green, is designed to keep addresses of former crime victims confidential.
The legislation allows for victims of domestic violence, rape, sexual battery, menacing by stalking and human trafficking to safely register to vote while keeping their home address confidential. The victims would be assigned an Address Confidentiality Program number that they can use instead of their home address when filling out an election ballot.
Brown said members of the House were moved by the compelling testimony about the Mammone case. “You could have heard a pin drop,” in the chambers, he said. “It was an earthshaking story to hear.”
Since vehicle and voter registrations are public records, many domestic violence victims who have escaped their abusers often choose to not register to vote or participate in other government registrations out of fear their abuser will be able to find them. Under this legislation, any personal information about a victim who participates in the Address Confidentiality Program is exempt from the public record.
“Victims of crime should be able to vote and carry on with their lives without fear that their attacker can track them down through a public record,” Brown said.
The Secretary of State’s office will administer this program by assigning each participant with an ACP number and post office box that the victim can use as an official address for government functions. The only individuals who are able to access the participant’s full information are the county board of elections for the purposes of verifying voter eligibility and law enforcement officers with a legitimate government purpose.
The program also permits participants to request their employers, schools or institutions of higher education use the postal box numbers assigned to them by the Secretary of State’s office.
The bill now moves to the State Senate for consideration. Passage of the bill would make Ohio the 38th state to have such provisions for victims of domestic violence.
“Since introduction of the bill, I have had victims call my office telling me they wish this program existed when they decided to leave their abuser – individuals who have been tracked down because of court documents, county auditors or even car registrations,” said State Rep. Anne Gonzales, R-Westerville.
