Jason Kidd Alleges Domestic Abuse

Jan. 10, 2007 — -- Since pleading guilty to assaulting his wife six years ago, Jason Kidd, the New Jersey Nets basketball star known for his jump shot, has been heckled on the court as a wife beater.

On Tuesday, however, the Kidd family drama took a surprising turn when he took out a restraining order against his wife, Joumana Kidd, saying that her recent behavior had negatively affected their three young children.

Famed New York divorce lawyer Raoul Felder, who is representing Joumana, told ABC News today that she had been ordered out of her home on Tuesday by authorities after a "police misinterpretation" when her husband filed the order.

Felder notes that even Jason's lawyers joined him in pleading with the police to reconsider.

"She was put out of the home," Felder said. "And she denies all of the allegations."

Neither Felder nor Jason's legal council would comment on the nature of the allegations. As for the restraining order, Felder said, "They both have one against each other."

A husband having a restraining order against his wife may seem shocking to some. Restraining orders are taken out for a variety of reasons, however, the most common reason is domestic violence.

The allegations against Joumana are not yet known.

In January 2001, Jason was charged with domestic violence assault after Joumana told Phoenix police officers that he had hit her during an argument. He pleaded guilty to spousal abuse, was fined $200, ordered to take anger management classes.

Jason's record was later expunged.

Although most divorce lawyers say that domestic-violence claims against women are far from common, they agree that in the last decade such claims have seemed to spring up in the legal system.

"Domestic violence against men is the exception, not the rule," divorce lawyer Bernard Rinella told ABC News, although he has seen a slight increase in the number of men seeking restraining orders against their wives.

Rinella fears some men might be trying to take advantage of an increasingly gender-unbiased legal system by filing restraining orders.