Krystal
Veteran Member
I generally don't post anywhere but in the crime news forums but I saw this story and wanted to put it on here for everyone to discuss.
A woman in Florida has been the victim of domestic violence, I don't know for how long, but after an incident earlier this summer the police were called, which started the ball rolling for why she is featured here.
The woman was attacked by the father of her child this summer. He reportedly choked her and threatened her with a kitchen knife. As a result of his assault on her, the police were called and he was arrested. A trial date was set for July 30th for which the victim received a subpeona.
The woman did not show up in court.
As a result she was brought into the courtroom at a later date but not as a witness or victim, this time she was the defendant, facing a contempt of court charge for ignoring the subpeona.
The woman tells the judge that she is currently suffering from depression and severe anxiety as a result of what occurred with the father of her child. Such conditions that are exacerbated by having to come face-to-face with her abuser as she would have had to do at the July 30th hearing.
The judge is having none of it.
The judge, also a woman, tells the DV victim that she was required to appear and that she disobeyed a court order. Further telling the victim that she knew that by her not showing up it "was not going to turn out well for the state".
The judge even goes as far as to belittle the victim's claims of anxiety and depression by telling her: "You think you're going to have anxiety now? You haven't even seen anxiety".
The victim again apologizes to the court.
She goes on to tell the court that she is right now homeless and "not in a good place". A statement that I think more telling of her emotional state than her lack of address.
By her statements, it does appear that she has not taken her abuser back. In fact, in a final plea to the judge she says that she has a 1 year old son who she is trying to take care of alone.
The victim is begging the judge not to put her in jail, not to punish her. To understand the Hell that the assault caused in her life, not just at the moment when it happened but rather the totality of the catastrophic effects it has had on her life.
The judge repsonds by telling the distraught woman to "turn around" because she has already issued her order.
That order: 3 days in county jail for the contempt of court.
The judge and her office did not return calls for comments after the ruling has been made public.
A former prosecutor turned Domestic Violence Advocate, Jeanne Gold, has spoken out though.
She has called the judge's actions "pretty brutal", and points out the sad fact that because of what has occurred this time that she reached out for help the likelihood of this victim ever calling the police again are greatly diminished. In fact, Jeanne Gold believes that this victim will never call the police or seek help again.
As for the damage that the victim's failure to appear had on the state's case: Her abuser was sentenced to 16 days in jail for simple battery and was ordered to pay court costs.
Which is probably about the same sentence that he would have received had the victim testified.
On a side note, the judge was just re-elected last year for another 6 year term and part of her campaign was her saying that she should be re-elected because she makes a "positive impact on the citizens and the litigants that come before the court"
Link:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...abuse-victim-sentences-jail-article-1.2389943
A woman in Florida has been the victim of domestic violence, I don't know for how long, but after an incident earlier this summer the police were called, which started the ball rolling for why she is featured here.
The woman was attacked by the father of her child this summer. He reportedly choked her and threatened her with a kitchen knife. As a result of his assault on her, the police were called and he was arrested. A trial date was set for July 30th for which the victim received a subpeona.
The woman did not show up in court.
As a result she was brought into the courtroom at a later date but not as a witness or victim, this time she was the defendant, facing a contempt of court charge for ignoring the subpeona.
The woman tells the judge that she is currently suffering from depression and severe anxiety as a result of what occurred with the father of her child. Such conditions that are exacerbated by having to come face-to-face with her abuser as she would have had to do at the July 30th hearing.
The judge is having none of it.
The judge, also a woman, tells the DV victim that she was required to appear and that she disobeyed a court order. Further telling the victim that she knew that by her not showing up it "was not going to turn out well for the state".
The judge even goes as far as to belittle the victim's claims of anxiety and depression by telling her: "You think you're going to have anxiety now? You haven't even seen anxiety".
The victim again apologizes to the court.
She goes on to tell the court that she is right now homeless and "not in a good place". A statement that I think more telling of her emotional state than her lack of address.
By her statements, it does appear that she has not taken her abuser back. In fact, in a final plea to the judge she says that she has a 1 year old son who she is trying to take care of alone.
The victim is begging the judge not to put her in jail, not to punish her. To understand the Hell that the assault caused in her life, not just at the moment when it happened but rather the totality of the catastrophic effects it has had on her life.
The judge repsonds by telling the distraught woman to "turn around" because she has already issued her order.
That order: 3 days in county jail for the contempt of court.
The judge and her office did not return calls for comments after the ruling has been made public.
A former prosecutor turned Domestic Violence Advocate, Jeanne Gold, has spoken out though.
She has called the judge's actions "pretty brutal", and points out the sad fact that because of what has occurred this time that she reached out for help the likelihood of this victim ever calling the police again are greatly diminished. In fact, Jeanne Gold believes that this victim will never call the police or seek help again.
As for the damage that the victim's failure to appear had on the state's case: Her abuser was sentenced to 16 days in jail for simple battery and was ordered to pay court costs.
Which is probably about the same sentence that he would have received had the victim testified.
On a side note, the judge was just re-elected last year for another 6 year term and part of her campaign was her saying that she should be re-elected because she makes a "positive impact on the citizens and the litigants that come before the court"
Link:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...abuse-victim-sentences-jail-article-1.2389943