Story of Justice: CCLA Addresses Julie’s Legal Needs #DVAM

After enduring years of domestic violence, Julie came to Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida seeking help with her Injunction for Protection and Paternity matters. The father of her children had been arrested for strangling her and she left with their children. However, even after separating from her partner, he continued to threaten her safety, including a public physical attack during one of their children’s birthdays—a shocking event that led to an additional arrest for battery. There were now two pending criminal cases against him. We let Julie know about our RISE (Rights In Systems Enforced) Program and assisted Julie for victim’s rights enforcement in the criminal cases against her abuser as well. We were able to assist Julie holistically and address all her legal issues without her needing to retell her story repeatedly, further retraumatizing her.

Coast to Coast Legal Aid attorneys worked carefully to protect her privacy and avoid contentious courtroom battles that could have exposed sensitive personal information. Through strategic evidence gathering and negotiations, we were able to achieve meaningful results for Julie without prolonged litigation. Julie was relieved.

One critical step was subpoenaing the surveillance footage from the public birthday party incident, which directly contributed to the abuser’s continued prosecution. This evidence also helped secure a Final Judgment of Injunction, ensuring Julie’s safety. Moreover, for the past year and a half, Julie has had 100% of the physical time-sharing with her children, with Julie’s abuser limited to video calls, keeping them safe as well.

Recognizing the impact of children witnessing domestic violence, we coordinated a therapeutic visitation plan for the children and their father through a community agency. Their father started supervised visits, with reports from the children’s therapists made admissible in the paternity case to support their ongoing care.

Victims’ determination to protect their children and themselves, supported by Coast to Coast Legal Aid’s thoughtful legal advocacy, makes all the difference in keeping families and our community safe.