An obstacle facing law enforcement across the state is now gone.
Domestic assault survivors say this is helping them feel more protected.
So what changed?
The new law makes it possible for officers to get search warrants for a third party residence that isn't connected to the crime.
There are some parameters:
Suspect must have a confirmed felony arrest warrant for domestic assault and battery
-OR-
Suspect must have a confirmed misdemeanor arrest warrant for domestic assault and battery
Governor Stitt signed the law in August.
2 News talked to Anna, a domestic abuse survivor, about these changes and her story. We are only using her first name because charges did not get filed against her abuser.
She said her life changed forever when someone she loved turned on her.
"I just ran across the room, and he tackled me to the floor and strangled me to the floor, and I really thought it was over. This was an incident that took me a very long time to recover from because I believed in that moment I was going to die."
Following the attack, Anna said she spent years recovering from trauma and tremors.
“The way that I reacted and responded in that situation when you don’t see it coming and you haven’t been in it before, as a female, I could have fought or done a lot of things, but I just froze,” said Anna.
Tulsa Police Lt. Justin Ritter worked to get the law passed. He said before this law, a suspect could go into someone else’s home unrelated to the crime and hide out, officers wouldn't have enough probable cause to write a warrant for evidence.
2 News asked Ritter about people who are against this law and argue it disrupts the lives of people in those third party homes.
“I get the concerns of citizens that are worried about the 3rd party being their sanctuary and not wanting the police involved which is specifically why this law is written the way it is. It specifically says violent felony warrants, meaning an affidavit has gone through the DA’s office and a judge has signed off on it so there is probable cause to arrest this person for a violent felony warrant or a domestic violence warrant or a bench warrant,” said Ritter.
Anna said this new bill will be a game-changer, not only for law enforcement but also for domestic violence survivors like herself.
“The feeling of being protected and an obstacle being taken out of the way for the sake of women is a huge win. I think there is so much that women need to feel safe and protected in our society and in our culture, and it will start with laws changing.”
Anna turned her pain into purpose. She works in neurofeedback and counseling and said she is dedicated to helping others heal.
The law goes into effect November 1.
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