Title 93, Domestic Relations

(1) (a) De novo appeal. Any party aggrieved by the decision of a municipal or justice court judge to issue a temporary domestic abuse protection order has the right of a trial de novo on appeal in the chancery court having jurisdiction. The trial de novo shall be held within ten …

(1) A protective order from another jurisdiction issued to protect the applicant from abuse as defined in Section 93-21-3, or a protection order as defined in Section 93-22-3, issued by a tribunal of another state, or a similar order by a state military court as defined in Sectio…

(1) The granting of any relief authorized under this chapter shall not preclude any other relief provided by law. (2) The court may amend its order or agreement at any time upon subsequent petition filed by either party. Protective orders issued under the provisions of this chapt…

There shall be no restrictions concerning a spouse testifying against his spouse in any hearing under the provisions of this chapter.

(1) Upon a knowing violation of (a) a protection order or court-approved consent agreement issued pursuant to this chapter, (b) a similar order issued by a foreign court of competent jurisdiction for the purpose of protecting a person from domestic abuse, or a similar order by a …

Any licensed doctor of medicine, licensed doctor of dentistry, intern, resident or registered nurse, psychologist, social worker, family protection worker, family protection specialist, preacher, teacher, attorney, law enforcement officer, or any other person or institution parti…

(1) In order to provide a statewide registry for protection orders and to aid law enforcement, prosecutors and courts in handling such matters, the Attorney General is authorized to create and administer a Mississippi Protection Order Registry. The Attorney General’s office shall…

A law enforcement officer shall not be held liable in any civil action for an arrest based on probable cause, enforcement in good faith of a court order, or any other action or omission in good faith under this chapter arising from an alleged domestic violence incident brought by…

(1) A person who alleges that he or she or a minor child has been the victim of domestic violence may request the assistance of a local law enforcement agency. The local law enforcement agency shall respond to the request for assistance. The local law enforcement officer respondi…

Any proceeding under this chapter shall be in addition to other available civil or criminal remedies.

(a) As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:(a) “Abuse” means the occurrence of one or more of the following acts between spouses, former spouses, persons living as spouses or who formerly lived as spouses, persons having a child or children in common, othe…

(1) There is hereby created in the State Treasury a special fund designated as the Domestic Violence Training Fund. The fund shall be administered by the Attorney General. Money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund and any …

(1) There is established the Domestic Violence Task Force, which will be made up of not more than twenty-six (26) members as follows:(a) The Governor shall appoint the following appointees who shall possess a practicing knowledge of domestic violence as follows:(i) Four (4) execu…

(1) The municipal, justice, county or chancery court, or a state military court as defined in Section 33-13-151, shall have jurisdiction over proceedings under this chapter as provided in this chapter. The petitioner’s right to relief under this chapter shall not be affected by h…

(1) Any person may seek a domestic abuse protection order for himself by filing a petition alleging abuse by the respondent. Any parent, adult household member, or next friend of the abused person may seek a domestic abuse protection order on behalf of any minor children or any p…

(1) A petition filed under the provisions of this chapter shall state:(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the name, address and county of residence of each petitioner and of each individual alleged to have committed abuse;(b) The facts and circumstances concerning t…

(a) As used in Sections 93-21-101 through 93-21-113, unless the context otherwise requires:(a) “Domestic violence shelter” means a place established to provide temporary food and shelter, counseling, and related services to victims of domestic violence.(b) “Interpersonal violence…

There is hereby established a program for victims of domestic violence through domestic violence shelters. The oversight of shelters, and distribution of state funds for the purpose of serving victims of domestic violence, shall be the responsibility of the Office Against Interpe…

(1) To qualify for funds under the provisions of Sections 93-21-101 through 93-21-113, a domestic violence shelter shall meet all the following requirements:(a) Be incorporated in the state or recognized by the Secretary of State as a private or public nonprofit corporation. Such…

Records maintained by domestic violence shelters, except the official minutes of the board of directors of the shelter, and financial reports filed as required by statute with the board of supervisors or municipal authorities or any other agency of government, shall be withheld f…

A domestic violence shelter that receives funds pursuant to the provisions of Sections 93-21-101 through 93-21-113 shall file at a minimum an annual report with the commission of budget and accounting and other data reports as requested. A copy of the annual report shall also be …

Domestic violence shelters through their employees and officials shall, on every occasion other than the initial request for assistance, report to the district attorney, the county attorney, or the appropriate law enforcement official or other state agencies any occurrence or ins…

The governing authorities of any municipality in the state are hereby authorized and empowered, in their discretion, to donate annually out of any money in the municipal treasury such sums as the governing authorities deem advisable to support any domestic violence shelter or rap…

(1) There is hereby created in the State Treasury a special fund to be known as the “Victims of Domestic Violence Fund.” The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal-year limitations, and shall consist of:(a) Monies appropriated by the Legislature;(b) The interest a…

(1) There is established the Office Against Interpersonal Violence (OAIV) within the Mississippi Department of Health under the direct supervision of the State Health Officer. The OAIV shall be responsible for administering certain state and federal pass-through victim-services f…

(1) The Office Against Interpersonal Violence shall have authority to:(a) Receive funds intended for care of victims of interpersonal violence when those funds are not directed elsewhere;(b) Administer funds received from any source and establish procedures for the disbursement o…

(1) From and after July 1, 2016, the Office Against Interpersonal Violence shall be the single state agency for the receipt and administration of and the sole authority and responsibility to seek grants on behalf of the state which will be administered or available after July 1, …

(1) Definitions. The following definitions apply in this section:(a) “Advocate” means an employee, contractor, agent or volunteer of a victim service provider whose primary purpose is to render services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficki…

Sections 93-21-301 through 93-21-311 shall be known as the “Children’s Trust Fund Act of 1989.”

(a) The Legislature of the State of Mississippi finds and declares the policy of this state as follows:(a) The children of Mississippi are its single greatest resource and our children require the utmost protection to guard their future and the future of this state;(b) Child abus…

(1) There is established in the State Treasury a special fund to be known as the “Mississippi Children’s Trust Fund.” (2) The fund shall consist of any monies appropriated to the fund by the Legislature, any donations, gifts and grants from any source, receipts from the birth cer…

(a) The administration of the Mississippi Children’s Trust Fund shall be vested in the Department of Child Protection Services. In carrying out the provisions of Sections 93-21-301 through 93-21-311, the Department of Child Protection Services shall have the following powers and …

(1) The Department of Child Protection Services may authorize the disbursement of money in the trust fund in the form of grants or loans for the following purposes, which are listed in order of preference for expenditure:(a) To assist a community private, nonprofit organization o…

(a) In making grants or loans from the trust fund, the Department of Child Protection Services shall consider the degree to which the applicant’s proposal meets the following criteria:(a) Has as its primary purpose the development and facilitation of a community-based prevention …