HUNTSVILLE, AlabamaWAF) – Protection from abuse or PFA orders are court orders designed to keep abusers away from their victims.

WAFF 48 News has discovered that the Decatur man arrested this week on four kidnapping charges, John Mitchell, has a history of violating a PFA.

Zachary Merriman of Priceville, accused of murdering his ex-wife, already had a history of violating protection from abuse orders with a woman in March.

Then there is Charlie Cain Jr. of Limestone County who also violated the order against him. Cain is now accused of the brutal beatings inflicted on his parents.

Kimberly Ricks filed a lawsuit against her accused murderer and her ex-husband Zachary Merriman, but this was refused in May. Two months later, he had already violated another PFA involving another woman.

Huntsville attorney Nick Lough says it’s entirely up to the judge’s discretion

“They get dropped off frequently,” Lough said. “Judges frequently deposed them. The most dramatic cases we see involve divorces or PFAs.

In another case, John Mitchell is currently in the Morgan County Jail after Decatur police say he kidnapped four people. He currently has a PFA against him. However, it is unclear whether the victim in this case is the one who filed the complaint.

“The PFAs are very detailed,” Lough said. “They can do a lot of different things. They can prevent someone from contacting another person on paper. They can prevent someone from being within a certain distance of another person on paper.

Lough admits a PFA is a simple piece of paper and may not solve the problem, but it can be an important tool to help deter abuse.

“Just because a PFA is issued doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to stop someone from carrying out a threat,” Lough said. “But just the fact that a temporary PFA order or even a final order is issued, that’s a piece of paper. And if someone is concerned about their safety, then they need to take other personal approaches.

The National Domestic Violence Hot Line website states that the best way to take additional steps to prevent domestic violence is to create a security plan.

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