Story of Justice: Audrey Endures Verbal and Physical Abuse
Background & Assistance
The verbal and physical abuse had gone on for years. Audrey* was first represented by an attorney with CCLA’s Victim of Crimes Act Project (VOCA,) who successfully obtained a Final Judgment of Injunction for Protection against Domestic Violence against Sammy, the client’s husband and father of their children. Unfortunately, Sammy continued to violate the terms of the injunction by using the Talking/Parents application to verbally abuse Audrey.
The state of Florida ultimately charged Sammy with one count of Violation of Injunction. Audrey then retained CCLA, this time on the Rights In Systems Enforced Project (RISE,) to advocate for her rights in the criminal proceeding against Sammy.
As the case proceeded, Audrey, the Defendant, refused to agree to any plea deals and the case ultimately went to trial. With CCLA’s attorney by her side, Audrey did not waiver or back down in trial preparation. Audrey’s testimony at trial resulted in a guilty verdict against the abuser.
Why It Matters
Audrey was relieved to hear the verdict. Sammy was sentenced to probation with strict terms of injunction that he must abide by, undergo a mental health evaluation, and attend an extended parenting course to completion.
Audrey was extremely appreciative of CCLA’s full-service representation and the outcome of both the civil injunction and the criminal case.