Printable Format60-31a01. Citation and construction of act. (a) K.S.A. 60-31a01 through 60-31a09, and amendments thereto, shall be known and may be cited as the protection from stalking, sexual assault or human trafficking act.
(b) This act shall be liberally construed to protect victims of stalking, sexual assault and human trafficking and to facilitate access to judicial protection for victims of stalking, sexual assault and human trafficking, whether represented by counsel or proceeding pro se.
History: L. 2002, ch. 141, § 1; L. 2017, ch. 66, § 3; L. 2018, ch. 110, § 4; July 1.
Law Review and Bar Journal References:
"What Every Lawyer Should Know About Crime Victims' Rights in Kansas," Suzanne Valdez, 80 J.K.B.A. No. 10, 32 (2011).
CASE ANNOTATIONS
1. Protection from stalking act construed liberally to protect victims; preponderance of evidence applies. Wentland v. Uhlarik, 37 K.A.2d 734, 736, 738, 159 P.3d 1035 (2007).
2. The 2012 amendments to the protection from stalking act does not impact any vested rights and therefore to be applied retroactively to existing orders. Dester v. Dester, 50 K.A.2d 914, 919, 335 P.3d 119 (2014).
3. In evaluating whether stalking has taken place, if the plaintiff is a child, the court must view the circumstances from the viewpoint of a reasonable child of the plaintiff's age. C.M. v. McKee, 54 K.A.2d 318, 321, 398 P.3d 228 (2017).