Hillsborough County Clerk of Court and Comptroller Cindy Stuart spoke to around 80 guests at the University Club in downtown Tampa on Tuesday, October 27th.
Clerk Stuart highlighted the new Domestic Violence Injunction law she, State Senator Janet Cruz and The Spring of Tampa Bay CEO Mindy Murphy guided to the Governor’s desk. The new law, which went into effect on October 1st during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, allows Florida Clerks to transit official documents by EMail instead of U.S. Mail speeding-up the injunction process and providing survivors with a swifter path to protection. The Clerk’s Office is the first point of contact for domestic violence survivors. Since 2018, Stuart’s Office has handled more than 31,200 injunctions. Time matters. Seconds matter for survivors who have the bravery to come forward and step away from a violent relationship despite fear, imminent danger, mental, emotional and economic stress. The Clerk’s Office has also put into place several new innovations including text messaging to deliver injunctions quickly and an online option for survivors to file all of their paperwork so they can stay in their safe place.
In Attendance:
- NAACP Local Chapter President Yvette Lewis
- The Spring CEO Mindy Murphy
- The Honorable Samantha L. Ward, Criminal Justice & Trial Judge, Division 3
- Former & 55thMayor of Tampa Sandy Freedman (first female Mayor of Tampa)
- Hillsborough County Commission Chair Kimberly Overman (District 6, Countywide)
- Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen (District 1)
- Hillsborough County Commissioner Gwen Myers (District 3)
- Hillsborough County School Board Member Dr. Stacy Hahn (District 2)
- Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer
- Hillsborough County Property Appraiser Bob Henriquez
Images can be viewed below of the event-
