Rochester's Democrat & Chronicle dug up some more details about the incarceration over the weekend of a Batavia groom who was barred from contact with the woman he married.
Batavia police reported yesterday that Timothy T. Cole, 45, of 16 Walnut St., Batavia, was charged with a felony count of first-degree criminal contempt Friday night following his wedding.
Cole was sent to Genesee County Jail in lieu of $2,500 bail, and it turned out that this was not the first time he had been picked up for violating a court order of protection.
From the Democrat & Chronicle:
According to Batavia City Court documents, Cole was charged with second-degree criminal contempt on July 1, meaning that he violated a previous court order. The July 1 order of protection required Cole to stay away from the woman he ended up marrying Friday.
The order, which also mandated that he stay away from the woman's home, school, business and place of employment, was effective until July 1, 2011. Cole was required to "refrain from communication or any other contact" with the woman.
It turned out that police were alerted to the contact because of an alleged altercation at Cole's residence. When police arrived on the scene they allegedly found Cole in a fight with a guest "over a chair." The subsequent charge of criminal contempt was levied when Cole's record was checked and police discovered that his new wife had an order of protection.
Cathy Mazzotta, executive director of Alternatives for Battered Women in Rochester, was not familiar with Cole's case but said women who have orders of protection against men sometimes end up having contact with them for various reasons.
"Victims have the same hopes and aspirations we all have," Mazzotta said. "They are hopeful their abusers will change ... and believe their promises. They are looking toward the future in a positive way."
