Sylvia

". . . Robert told her that if he saw her with another man, he would kill them both. He slammed Sylvia against the bed and held an iron over her head, threatening to kill her. . . ."

     Throughout Sylvia's three-year marriage, her husband Robert became increasingly jealous, possessive, and violent. He was verbally abusive, cursing at her, calling her names, and threatening her. Whenever she left their apartment, he accused her of seeing another man and frequently hid the car and house keys from her so that she couldn't leave. He began to follow her everywhere. One night, Sylvia came home to find her husband furious that she had gone out. Robert told her that if he saw her with another man, he would murder them both. He slammed Sylvia against the bed and held an iron over her head, threatening to kill her. Robert drank heavily and whenever he became intoxicated he forced Sylvia to have sex with him, pinning her down against the bed and pulling off her clothes.

     Finally, Sylvia had had enough and decided to move out. As she began packing, her husband grabbed one of the suitcases and threw it at her. The couple's 1½ year-old son, Steven, witnessed this assault and began screaming and crying. The little boy became so upset that he began to vomit heavily. Robert then disconnected the phone and blocked the door of the apartment, preventing Sylvia from leaving. He continued to scream and threaten her. Finally, someone outside the building heard Sylvia's cries for help and called the police. Robert was arrested, and Sylvia and her son fled to her sister's apartment for safety.

     The next morning, Sylvia went to the Domestic Violence Intake Center.

". . .After the Clinic won, the judge awarded Sylvia a comprehensive, permanent civil protection order, directing Robert not to assault or threaten her or her child, to stay away from them, and to vacate the family home. . . ."

     The Intake Counselor referred Sylvia to the Domestic Violence Clinic, which represented Sylvia in her contested CPO trial. After the Clinic won, the judge awarded Sylvia a comprehensive, permanent civil protection order, directing Robert not to assault or threaten her or her child, to stay away from them, and to vacate the family home. Robert was ordered to enroll in domestic violence counseling and drug treatment, and Sylvia was awarded custody of Steven and child support.

Bernice & Marie

". . . [Sam] demanded total silence in the house and would let neither Bernice nor Marie leave without his permission. . . ."

     Bernice and her 16 year-old daughter Marie had lived in fear over the last three years. Bernice's husband Sam, Marie's father, had been drinking heavily. Every night after work, and all day on the weekends, Sam sat in front of the television with a bottle of Jack Daniels. He demanded total silence in the house and would let neither Bernice nor Marie leave without his permission. Tension between Marie and Sam had escalated over the last year when Marie became more insistent on going out with her friends. Sam began withholding money from Marie so that she was not able to buy new clothes or school supplies. Any time Bernice tried to intervene on her daughter's behalf, Sam would force her into their bedroom and punch her repeatedly in the face. Next door, Marie could hear her father hitting her mother.

     Sam was beating Bernice so often that she was frequently unable to go to work. She began to lose hearing in her left ear. She counseled Marie to stop pushing her father and to simply stay in her bedroom. Marie agreed, but became extremely depressed.

     One Saturday Sam was stationed, as usual, in front of the television. Bernice sat quietly at the dining room table. Sam stood up and asked her what she was doing. She did not reply, fearing that any response would anger him. Without warning, Sam punched Bernice in the head. The blow knocked her off her chair and onto the floor. While she lay there, Sam kicked her repeatedly in the back and head, telling her that he would kill her. Hearing the noise, Marie came out of her room and ran down the stairs. She yelled to her father to stop and threatened to call the police. Marie stood in the threshold to the kitchen. Sam entered the room, shoving Marie through the door with him. He grabbed a carving knife and told Marie that he had had enough of her sassiness. Marie turned and fled to neighbor's house, where she called 911.

". . . In court, the Clinic students were able to negotiate a one-year Civil Protection Order that ordered Sam to vacate the residence, give Bernice use of the family car, and stay away and not contact Bernice or Marie until he had completed alcohol and domestic violence counseling. . . ."

     The police arrested Sam and told Bernice and Marie to go to the Domestic Violence Intake Center. At the Intake Center, Bernice and Marie spoke to an Intake Counselor who referred the case to the Domestic Violence Clinic.

     In court, the student attorneys were able to negotiate a one-year Civil Protection Order that ordered Sam to vacate the residence, give Bernice use of the family car, and stay away and not contact Bernice or Marie until he had completed alcohol and domestic violence counseling. The order also awarded Bernice custody of Marie. The Clinic students were also able to obtain a child support order so that money for Marie was garnished on a monthly basis from her father's wages.

 

Revised June 24, 2003 (ML)