Posted on 10/08/2015 7:34:53 AM PDT by Timber Rattler
Channel 9 has obtained video from a Seminole County courtroom where an emotional domestic violence victim was sentenced to three days in jail for failing to show up for her abuser's trial.
During her contempt of court hearing in July, the woman told the judge she had been having anxiety for months after she was attacked by the father of her child.
She said she told the state's victim's advocate that she wanted to drop the charges and move on with her life rather than testify, but she was still called in to court.
After she failed to show, she received no pity from the judge during the brief hearing.
"You need to tell the court why I should not hold you in contempt of court, I can sentence you to jail," Judge Jerri Collins said.
(Excerpt) Read more at wftv.com ...
Meanwhile...
Justice Department to release 6,000 inmates from federal prisons beginning Oct. 30
Bizarro world.....we are in it.
Family courts are taking a very tough line on this nowadays.
Once a woman files a complaint or a charge they force them to see it through to the end and will not let them withdraw it.
A mutual acquaintance who is a Domestics Relations Officer says this is a reaction to the “stop snitching” culture that has taken over the Black community. Too many women pursuing charges who were threatened and intimidated into withdrawing them. So the courts now just force them to see it through to the end.
The judge likely thought she no-showed as an alternative to withdrawing the charges (a.k.a. stop snitching).
the justice served was obligating the citizen to lay prostrate and submit to the Lord Zod.... this was nothing more than a you shall submit sentence...though had this judge been a male - the blowback would be much worse
But yet, here we are...this judge just turned this sad, pathetic woman into a criminal with a jail sentence on her record, forever.
Typical story really.
Abused spouse later decides she doesn’t want to press charges and doesn’t show up for court.
I’m not sure jail was the right way to deal with it but she shouldn’t waste court time or resources.
Recently had one of these cases here in Atlanta, only
here the “no show” abused woman ended up murdered, along with two small kids, by the triumphant boyfriend.
No victim should ever be forced to press charges against or testify against an offender. If the victim, for whatever reason, believes it is in his/her own best interests not to forgive an incident or let it go, it should be their right.
I am sure a lot of women who were abused would prefer to divorce the bastards, but keep them out of jail and earning money to pay alimony and child support.
Exactly what I was thinking.
This happens ALL THE TIME and this judge took a stand.
The victim was also a WITNESS, and was legally obligated once called to testify.
I’ve seen a lot of false accusations of abuse over time. And then yes, there is the witness intimidation issue. I didn’t watch the video but if the order is issued to appear and the person doesn’t appear, the judge could and sometimes does issue a warrant and put the person in jail.
All the “witness” needs say is after consulting with counsel they refuse to testify on 5th amendment grounds. Due to the possibility of being counter charged with assault. It the Judge the grants “ immunity” they can just say they made it up as they are immune from prosecution (make sure that its complete immunity arsing from ANY aspect of the case)
The usual cycle is the man shows up drunk, they get in a fight, she calls the cops, the cops take him to jail (the woman may or may not attack the cops at that point), he sobers up and says he is sorry, she wants to drop charges; cycle repeats.
Can’t blame the judge for getting tired of it. More cops get hurt on domestic violence calls than on any other call.
“No victim should ever be forced to press charges against or testify against an offender. If the victim, for whatever reason, believes it is in his/her own best interests not to forgive an incident or let it go, it should be their right.”
What about the rights of everyone else in society to be defended from a violent criminal in their midst? What about the rights of the people he will victimize next because someone thought that forgiving them meant they shouldn’t be prosecuted?
Or did she take the jerk back?
I can't watch the video right now and I am not sure if the judge is being a jerk or not.
No victim should ever be forced to press charges against or testify against an offender.
If the charges go forward the accused has the right to confront their accuser. The system is not perfect.
This was a jury trial that she didn’t show up for. It was a waste of everyone’s time & money.
“Society” didn’t get beat up or otherwise victimized, the victim did.
Generally the only victims given no choice are DV victims. And they are the victims who are most likely to be negatively affected by the offender going to jail. They are also the most likely to feel they shared some measure of responsibility for the incident.
If she was unable to appear in court because of anxiety, she needed a doctor to tell that to the court.
She wasn’t summoned to court because of her role as a victim. She was summoned because she was a witness to an alleged crime.
I’m sorry her life is hard, but that doesn’t excuse her from her obligations. The trial wasn’t held just for her. It wasn’t up to her to decide whether or not to prosecute.
Otherwise, what is to prevent the State from producing their own plaintiffs and/or witnesses to send someone to jail who has been deemed inconvenient, subversive or an extremist?
Sound ridiculous? Think again while looking through the lens of current society and who this nation put in the Oval Office. Think of what our so called 'Justice' Dept. has accomplished...or failed to accomplish...under his direction.
She spun up the entire criminal apparatus with her OWN complaint to the cops, depositions, interviews etc.
Then failed to show and close the deal.
Disgusting.
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