OCA launches Hope Card Program to aid domestic violence survivors

November 6, 2024 Robert Abruzzese, Courthouse Editor

Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas helped to launch the Hope Card program, aimed at enhancing the safety and empowerment of domestic violence survivors. Brooklyn Eagle file photo by Robert Abruzzese

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The New York State Office of Court Administration (OCA) has rolled out a new initiative designed to improve the safety and well-being of domestic violence survivors.

The Hope Card program, unveiled by Chief Administrative Judge Joseph Zayas and First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge Norman St. George on Monday, provides survivors with a portable version of their orders of protection.

The Hope Card is available in both physical and digital formats. The physical card is a durable, wallet-sized summary of the order of protection, featuring a QR code linking to the full digital version. Digital cards are sent via email or text, offering a secure link to the document. Both versions allow survivors to quickly provide critical information to law enforcement or share it with trusted parties like schools or workplaces.

“Hope Cards are a discreet, convenient way to share essential details in effectuating enforcement of a final order of protection,” said Chief Administrative Judge Zayas. “They serve as a handy reference tool, bringing greater safety and dignity to survivors and bolstering confidence in the court process.”

The program, authorized by the Hope Card Act signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul last year, is part of a broader effort to streamline the court process and make it more survivor-centered.

“The key word here is ‘hope,’” said First Deputy Chief Administrative Judge St. George. “Providing important information to survivors about the disposition of their court cases and having the same legal effect as a paper order of protection, these cards streamline the court process, offering security, peace of mind — and hope — to those who have been victimized by an intimate partner.”

Survivors with final orders of protection can request a Hope Card online or through any Criminal, Family or Supreme Court clerk’s office. More information is available on the New York Courts website.