S.K.
VS. J.H. A-1358-11T2
Plaintiff
brought this suit pursuant to the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act, N.J.S.A.
2C:25-17 to -35, as a result of being atrociously assaulted by defendant, who,
along with
plaintiff,
was on a trip to Israel with approximately forty others. In seeking to prove
the existence of a "dating relationship," plaintiff was able to show
only that, on the
evening
of the assault, she and defendant sat together, danced together, and were
together for a few hours at the bar. The trial court found a "dating
relationship" and entered a final
restraining
order.
In considering defendant's appeal, the
court deferred to the trial judge's finding that the parties' interactions constituted
a "date" but rejected the argument that this one
date
constituted the "dating relationship" required by the Act. Although
the Legislature did not expressly define what it meant by a "dating
relationship," the court found from the majority of those other states
that have defined the term that a "dating relationship" is a romantic
social relationship, which is further defined by its frequency and duration but
which excludes casual or ordinary fraternization between two individuals in a
business or social context. As a result of this generally accepted meaning of
"dating relationship," the court held that a single date was
insufficient and reversed. 06-06-12
