District of Columbia Code
Subchapter I - Intrafamily Proceedings Generally
§ 16–1001. Definitions

For the purposes of this subchapter, the term:
(1) “Attorney General” means the Attorney General for the District of Columbia.
(2) “Court” means the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
(3) “Custodian” shall have the meaning as provided in § 16-2301(12).
(4) “Domestic partnership” shall have the same meaning as provided in § 32-701(4).
(5) “Domestic Violence Division” means any subdivision of the court designated by court rule, or by order of the Chief Judge of the court, to hear proceedings under this subchapter.
(5A) "Family member" means a person:
(A) To whom the offender is related by blood, adoption, legal custody, marriage, or domestic partnership; or
(B) Who is the child of an intimate partner.
(5B)(A) "Household member" means a person with whom, in the past year, the offender:
(i) Shares or has shared a mutual residence; and
(ii) Has maintained a close relationship, beyond mere acquaintances, rendering application of the statute appropriate.
(B) For the purposes of this paragraph, the term "close relationship" does not include a relationship based solely on a landlord-tenant relationship.
(6) [Repealed].
(6A) "Intimate partner" means a person:
(A) To whom the offender is or was married;
(B) With whom the offender is or was in a domestic partnership;
(C) With whom the offender has a child in common; or
(D) With whom the offender is, was, or is seeking to be in a romantic, dating, or sexual relationship.
(7) [Repealed].
(8) "Intrafamily offense" means:
(A) An offense punishable as a criminal offense against an intimate partner, a family member, or a household member; or
(B) An offense punishable as cruelty to animals, under § 22-1001 or § 22-1002, against an animal that an intimate partner, family member, or household member owns, possesses, or controls.
(9) [Repealed].
(10) “Judicial officer” means the Chief Judge, an Associate Judge, a Senior Judge, or a Magistrate Judge of the court.
(11) “Minor” means a person under 18 years of age.
(12) "Petitioner" means the person for whom a civil protection order is sought under this subchapter.
(13) “Respondent” means any person 13 years of age or older against whom a petition for civil protection is filed under this subchapter.
(14) "Sexual assault" shall have the same meaning as provided in § 23-1907(9).
(July 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 546, Pub. L. 91-358, title I, § 131(a); Sept. 14, 1982, D.C. Law 4-144, § 2, 29 DCR 3131; Apr. 30, 1991, D.C. Law 8-261,§ 2(c)(1), 37 DCR 5001; Mar. 21, 1995, D.C. Law 10-237, § 2(a), 42 DCR 36; Mar. 24, 1998, D.C. Law 12-81, § 10(i), 45 DCR 745; Apr. 24, 2007, D.C. Law 16-306, § 206(a), 53 DCR 8610; Dec. 5, 2008, D.C. Law 17-281, § 107(a), 55 DCR 9186; Mar. 25, 2009, D.C. Law 17-368, § 3(b)(2), 56 DCR 1338; Apr. 27, 2021, D.C. Law 23-275, § 3(d), 68 DCR 001086.)
1981 Ed., § 16-1001.
1973 Ed., § 16-1001.
This section is referenced in § 2-1401.02, § 2-1402.21, § 4-1305.06, § 4-1345.01, § 7-2501.01, § 14-306, § 14-310, § 14-311, § 16-801, § 16-831.01, § 16-914, § 22-3020.53, § 22-4503, § 31-2231.11, § 32-131.01, § 42-3505.01, § 42-3505.07, § 42-3505.08, and § 51-131.
D.C. Law 16-306 rewrote par. (5).
D.C. Law 17-281 redesignated existing pars. (1) to (6) as pars. (2) to (7); and added par. (1).
D.C. Law 17-368 rewrote the section.
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 206(a) of Omnibus Public Safety Emergency Amendment Act of 2006 (D.C. Act 16-445, July 19, 2006, 53 DCR 6443).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 206(a) of Omnibus Public Safety Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2006 (D.C. Act 16-490, October 18, 2006, 53 DCR 8686).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 206(a) of Omnibus Public Safety Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2007 (D.C. Act 17-10, January 16, 2007, 54 DCR 1479).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 206(a) of Omnibus Public Safety Second Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2007 (D.C. Act 17-25, April 19, 2007, 54 DCR 4036).

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