A Kent County Family Court judge has ordered NASCAR’s Kurt Busch to stay away from his ex-girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll, according to a court order filed Monday. The order, good until 2016, says Busch has to stay 100 yards away from Driscoll, her home and workplace. At NASCAR races he has to maintain the maximum “practicable” distance from her and not attempt to contact her, according to the order issued by Commissioner David Jones. Busch is also not allowed to contact Driscoll by phone, email or any other means and has to be evaluated for mental health problems related to anger control and impulse control. He also may not be allowed to purchase or possess firearms or ammunition. The commissioner’s written opinion explaining the reasoning behind the order will be released Friday. Carolyn McNeice, Driscoll’s attorney, said she and her client were pleased with the decision. “Ms. Driscoll can now know that she will not receive any unwanted communications from Mr. Busch and feel that she is safe after nearly 5 months,” McNeice wrote in an email. The decision concludes a long, drawn-out no-contact order hearing between Busch and Driscoll.(Delaware News-Journal)(2-16-2015)
UPDATE: Busch attorney Rusty Hardin said in a statement he was not surprised by the decision and that Busch plans to appeal the verdict. He has 30 days to appeal once the full opinion and conclusions are issued by the end of the week. “We are deeply disappointed because we believe the evidence of Ms. Driscoll’s total lack of believability was overwhelming,” Hardin said. “It is important to note that the commissioner’s ruling is a civil family court matter and totally unconnected to any criminal investigation or finding. “¦ Mr. Busch’s conduct was totally reasonable and legal under the circumstances. He never intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly caused her any injury.” Hardin also said that he has new evidence that will challenge Driscoll’s credibility and has handed it over to the attorney general’s office. Carl Kanefsky, a spokesman for the Delaware attorney general’s office, said Monday that there is no timetable for the investigation to be completed. “We deeply regret that Ms. Driscoll has been allowed to abuse the justice system in such a flagrant way,” he said.(ESPN.com)
AND Stewart Haas Statement: “These are serious allegations and we do not take them lightly. We are relying on the authorities in Delaware and their collective experience to identify all the facts. They are the experts in these matters and their decision, specifically the one that will be made by the Attorney General, will determine our course of action.”(2-16-2015)
NASCAR Statement “NASCAR has been closely following the civil proceedings in Kent County Family Court regarding driver Kurt Busch and therefore is aware of the court order issued today. We now await the full findings of the Commissioner and any actions by the Attorney General of Delaware related to the allegations against Busch. As we stated earlier, NASCAR fully recognizes the serious nature of this specific situation and the broader issue of domestic violence. We will continue to gather information and monitor this situation very closely, and we expect our members to conduct themselves properly.”(NASCAR)(2-16-2015)
