Apr 8, 2026 By Brad Hundt 2 min read

State Rep. Jason Ortitay has teamed up with a fellow state representative from Allegheny County to introduce measures they say would offer additional protection to victims of domestic violence.

At a press conference Tuesday at the South Fayette Police Department, Ortitay and state Rep. Lindsay Powell discussed bills they have put forward in Harrisburg that would prevent domestic abusers from receiving alimony or other shared assets in divorce proceedings, and order accused abusers to wear a GPS monitoring device during criminal proceedings and when protection from abuse orders are in effect.

Ortitay said the measures would help close “dangerous gaps in current law and send an unmistakable message that Pennsylvania’s legal system will not empower domestic abusers.”

The lawmakers say the measures have been introduced in response to the case of Courtney Kotar, a South Fayette woman who was stabbed multiple times in her home by her estranged husband in 2022. Her husband, John Mowod, was sentenced last year to serve seven to 15 years in a state prison after he pleaded guilty to attempted murder and other charges. Mowod, who was an actor and movie producer, is the son of the late Pittsburgh jazz radio host Tony Mowod.

A domestic relations judge nevertheless found that Mowod could receive a portion of Kotar’s pension and other assets acquired during the marriage.

Another bill in the package would create a home security grant program that would help victims of domestic violence secure their homes or move elsewhere.

Ortitay’s district includes parts of northern Washington County and southern Allegheny County, and Powell’s district includes part of Pittsburgh, Millvale, Shaler township and other communities.