Judge Jerri L. Collins, Jeb Bush appointee, berating a domestic abuse woman in court for failing to show up to testify because she was afraid, prior to sentencing her to jail:
Collins, who was re-elected last year, sent the woman to jail for refusing a court order to appear during the trial of her abuser. According to WFTV, she also had the option of fining the woman or ordering her to perform community service for failing to respond to the subpoena.
The unidentified man, who is the father of the victim’s 1-year-old son, was accused of choking her and grabbing a kitchen knife. The woman says in courtroom footage that she refused to attend the trial because she was dealing with depression.
“Why didn’t you show up to court?” Collins asks.
“I’m just, my anxiety, and I’m just –” the woman replies.
“You think you’re going to have anxiety now?” Collins says. “You haven’t even seen anxiety. We had a jury — six people there — ready to try [the abuser], who has a prior criminal history of domestic violence.”
Collins later asks the woman whether her statements to police following the man’s arrest in April were true. The woman says that they were, then explains, “I’m trying to move on with my life,” saying she was living with her parents and had sold all of her possessions because she was not able to receive child support. Her abuser, she said, lost his job after being sentenced to 16 days in jail on charges of simple battery.
“I’m just not in a good place right now,” the woman says while audibly holding back tears.
“And violating your court order did not do anything for you,” the judge responds. “I find you in contempt of court. I hereby sentence you to three days in the county jail.”
The victim can be heard crying as bailiffs approach. Collins then orders her to turn around in order to be handcuffed.
You can watch the video at the link, if you can stomach it.
Keith P.
Mike Huckabee will be taking up her cause in 3….2….
Litlebritdifrnt
In fairness to the Judge, women use domestic violence complaints against men all the time when it turns out they are baseless charges. They traditionally take the charges out on Friday morning so the guy has to spend the weekend in jail until they can go before a judge on Monday. I see this all the time in court. I am not saying that this is the case here, and it does appear that the Judge is particularly harsh with the woman but there is a lot more behind this story than the video portrays.
jl
Stuff happens. No point trying to fix anything that seems wrong, nothing works.
gf120581
@jl: Justice is untidy!
dedc79
That’s not a judgment I’d be comfortable making until 11:59. Particularly these days.
jl
@gf120581: No, that is Jeb”s plan of action to make America great again.
RtR isn’t around to plug Jeb? right now, so I thought I would get some troll practice in tonight.
redshirt
Great late night discussion starter.
Go Pirates! Ermmm….
catclub
OT but amusing:
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2015/10/arguing-with-gun-nuts-on-twitter-bingo/
Arguing-with-gun-nuts-on-twitter-bingo. he gets most everything.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@Litlebritdifrnt: Oddly, in my many years as a prosecutor, I did not find this to be the case. Perhaps it’s different in your region.
One of the cases I had where the victim failed to appear it was because she, like the woman in Judge Collins’ case, was not in a good place at the time. She was dead.
catclub
@redshirt: Home? On vacation?
They mentioned that some 98 or 97 win team goes home tonight.
Just heard, 98 win team.
normal liberal
@Litlebritdifrnt:
Hmm, I think not in this instance, as the contempt citation resulted from the victim’s failure to appear to testify at trial. The complaint was months ago. Either this judge doesn’t understand the concerns of domestic violence survivors, or “fairness” to a crime victim and witness is not a priority in her court. Should the witness have appeared to testify? Sure. Might she have found it so traumatic that appearing was more than she could take? So she said in court?
ETA and I defer to the hip hop artist’s experience.
Percysowner
@Litlebritdifrnt: Yes, yes. And rape victims who know their rapist always lie to either 1) avoid the shame of consensual sex or 2) sue the well-known man for money. And if it’s stranger rape \ they got raped because they wore the wrong clothes and HOW DARE this woman apply for food stamps for her and her child! Shouldn’t she just go back to the man who abused her?
Omnes Omnibus
Worst person in the world? No. The legal system is not particularly good at dealing sensitively with alleged victims.
Mike in NC
JEB! is the Worst Person in the World because shit happens, the all inclusive wingnut excuse for anything they oppose and refuse to try to fix.
Morzer
A Republican judge behaving like a two-bit sadist while failing miserably to serve the community?
I am amazed beyond the capacity of the English language to express.
rikyrah
I can’t watch the video.
Sigh.
absolutely ridiculous.
ruemara
@Litlebritdifrnt: I’m going to just turn away from this and let it pass.
Well. That judge is high bit of a bitch.What a piece of crap.
GregB
Stuff happens, why bother your beautiful minds with such awful things, now watch this drive towards a thousand points of light.
Morzer
@GregB:
Needs a touch of “We are an empire of unknown knowns and we make our own heckuva reality”, but otherwise a bravura performance that should be wearing a flying suit with “Mission Accomplished” emblazoned on it.
Gravenstone
@catclub: Actually, it was the 97 win team (regular season) that prevailed. The 98 win team is going home with a very bad taste in their mouth.
Now to topple the 100 game winning juggernaut.
bg
@a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q): I was involved in a case where the ex splashed the victim with gasoline and set her on fire on the courthouse steps when she came to testify against him.
She had begged prosecutors for protection but they did nothing, threatened her with jail if she failed to show up.
Bear in mind, here in Florida our courts are chock-full of JEB! and Voldemort appointees like this. Our only saving grace is our Supreme Court.
jibeaux
It’s frustrating for prosecutors and judges who want these abusers tried, and the witnesses they need (usually) don’t show up. The victims often change their minds about pressing charges, a well-known pattern in domestic abuse cases. But you’d think the judge might know enough about that pattern to know that it takes guts beyond guts to go to court and testify against someone you’re afraid of and have been conditioned to fear. And also that there’s a one year old whose only good parent is being sent to jail. Community service, with fees waived if possible, should’ve been the most this woman should’ve had to contend with.
Mandalay
Apart from the obvious issues, this aspect of the story sucks bigtime:
So even if it is later decided that the judge behaved inappropriately in this case the public will never know. Why should a judge’s inappropriate behavior remain a secret?
Nate Dawg
Compassionate conservatism at work!
cmorenc
Here’s a working copy of Judge Jerri Collins berating the domestic violence victim on YouTube. Many of us cannot get the rawstory.com link posted to work.
Judge Collins transforms from a calm judicial demeanor into the Wicked Witch of the West at about the 3:00 mark.
Mnemosyne (tablet)
This is more Kay’s beat, but we really have gotten to the point where default mode for a lot of judges is jail. Witness is too afraid to show up? Jail. Kids don’t want to have lunch with their father? Juvenile detention. Guy has a joint in his pocket? Jail.
Especially given how overcrowded our jails and prisons are right now, jail should be the LAST resort used against a nonviolent offender, not the first one.
ruemara
In lieu of really great news to counter this awful person alert, here’s some pretty decent news. I am fully crewed! Got a great audio person, which I was hoping for and enough bodies to deal with the full picture. If you knew me, you’d see what passes for elation.
Omnes Omnibus
@cmorenc: Honestly, while I think that the judge should have gone for something lighter, I see her frustration. The woman, had she shown up and testified, would have put an abusive man in jail. She did not show up. She did not provide a substantiated reason for not coming to court and testifying. She was in contempt of court.
You may start calling me an asshole now.
Morzer
@efgoldman:
I thought you were down for the kindly twinkle-eyed grandpa who carves wooden toys role?
Morzer
@Omnes Omnibus:
Paging mclaren, paging mclaren….
ruemara
@efgoldman: The grumpy old guy will be played by me. It’s a stretch, but I think I can do it. I’m bleaching my whole body for the role. Still looking for a handsome actor fellow to play handsome guy.
redshirt
@Omnes Omnibus:
Past midnight on the East coast, but still yesterday in Green Bay!
Omnes Omnibus
@redshirt: And? Just a temporal comment? Just asking….
ETA: I am actually in Madison. If that is important to your calculations.
redshirt
@Omnes Omnibus: Yes it was just temporal. Which I thought was the joke.
Morzer
@Omnes Omnibus:
I am absolutely astounded that mclaren hasn’t rocketed up through the trapdoor onto the stage to jab you with the Pitchfork of Ultraprogitude + 5. It’s been almost 30 minutes – and still the sound of silence.
J R in WV
We here at Casa J R just saw, on Colbert’s show, tape of the Republican expected to become Boner’s replacement as Speaker of the House.
That video revealed that the gentleman cannot speak English. Not at all!
Without the ability to speak the language, can we expect this McCarthy guy to understand what is proposed, what will be disposed, how the acts of his House will affect the government of the nation?
No. We cannot. We may be doomed if this guy becomes the leader of the House of Representatives. At least there are two legislative bodies in our government. If there was only one, and he was in charge, that would truly be doom.
EconWatcher
Kevin Drum has a pretty tough–and unfortunately plausible–take on Biden: http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2015/10/perhaps-we-should-retire-idea-joe-biden-authentic
Are we absolutely sure we cannot run Obama again? I mean, I’m a lawyer, and I know about that Constitutional thingy–but maybe some kind of loophole?
And on the judge: Yes, on its face, it appears monstrous. But I’m always wary about taking one snippet of judicial proceedings and thinking you know what happened. It’s very possible that judge is a monster. But it’s also possible there’s background we don’t know.
Morzer
@J R in WV:
Can he weep while occupying that part of the dermatological spectrum reserved for fanatical Holland supporters and over-enthusiastic consumers of carrots?
Omnes Omnibus
@Morzer: W’vevs. I’ll live.
Morzer
@EconWatcher:
Michelle, ma belle, these are words that nominate quite well….
pseudonymous in nc
Elected judges. Fuck elected judges.
Why does the US have such a shitty justice system? Well, it’s not all about elected judges, but elected judges have a big part in it. Elected judges who think they’re on fucking television.
Omnes Omnibus
@pseudonymous in nc: What did this judge do wrong?
Morzer
@efgoldman:
I suspect Michelle would take a baseball bat to him if he even suggested it. Time to let the girls grow up and enjoy something resembling a normal family life.
AMD
Well, this judge just guaranteed this woman will not seek help from law enforcement when her abuser comes after her again. Notice I said “when,” not “if.”
pseudonymous in nc
@Mnemosyne (tablet):
The Buzzfeed (!) piece on Texas municipal and traffic court judges who lock people up for not being able to pay their fines is a case in point. The law plainly says they can’t do that, and when the judges are told that, they deny that what is, is. And they can get away with it because there are no public defenders, and cases are rattled off one-a-minute so fuck you, law, I’z a judge.
redshirt
@efgoldman: He could still do it for 8 more. And maybe beyond that.
Not that I’m saying I want to appoint Obama lifetime President of the USA…
Morzer
Some pretty big news from Brazil:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/08/brazils-president-dilma-rousseff-loses-legal-battle-and-could-face-impeachment
Omnes Omnibus
@AMD: She didn’t show up to press charges at the guy’s trial.
EconWatcher
@pseudonymous in nc:
With all those people being thrown in jail in Texas for minor infractions, it’s a good thing the jails are safe:
http://www.newsweek.com/texas-prison-rape-capital-us-344729
pseudonymous in nc
@Omnes Omnibus: well, one, she turned it into a grand fucking performance, because that’s what elected judges with cameras in court do.
Now, maybe you think it’s okay for Judge Fucknut to behave like that, but members of the American legal profession customarily believe all sorts of stupid and pernicious things because they can’t imagine alternatives. You’re forgiven because you don’t know any better.
Omnes Omnibus
@pseudonymous in nc: What was her legal mistake? She had a witness in a criminal case who failed to show up. The witness had a court order to show up. The witness did not contest the court order; she simply ignored it.
redshirt
@efgoldman:
He’s still young and possessed of all his capacities. In fact you could argue he’s never been more in possession of the very skills that have made him one of the best presidents ever. And to have to just walk away even when the nation would gladly vote you back into office?
Not so much when it’s an (R), and thus…..
EconWatcher
@efgoldman:
You’re probably right.
I can’t see inside the guy’s head, but my sense is that Obama only started enjoying his job once he knew he’d never have to run again.
He is the most spry lame duck I’ve ever seen. You can see the gleam in his eye now when he lets loose and tells it like is, as he is doing with increasing frequency.
I can only imagine the farewell address. It will be one for the ages. It might involve flipping a double bird at a key moment.
I was 42 when he was elected, and I’d long since given up on ever having a leader I truly believed in. Man, I am going to miss this guy.
normal liberal
@Omnes Omnibus:
You’re correct in technical terms, of course, but I think saying that “she simply ignored it” in its turn ignores the complexities of her situation.
You said earlier that she did not substantiate her failure to appear. Pray tell, how does a terrorized person substantiate her fears and resulting inability to cope? I doubt that anything is simple for her given her circumstances, even before the jailing for contempt.
With apologies to the prosecutors who have weighed in above, and who I’m sure have operated without adequate resources, but doesn’t anyone do trial prep? If my case depends on one witness, I’d think I’d spend a few minutes assessing her frame of mind ahead of trial, and evaluating her capacity to testify.
redshirt
mclaren
One of the requirements for becoming a judge in America is thorough knowledge of the law. Another is deep sadism.
amk
@catclub:
Missing their main boilerplate – guns don’t kill people. it’s the fucking people kill the fucking people.
ruemara
@Omnes Omnibus: I’m not saying you’re wrong, since you’re absolutely correct. However, both you and the judge are failing to account for the human quotient that should be the defining characteristic of the ability to judge. It’s understanding the ineffable human reaction to various situations. She did fail to show up. But she is also suffering from fear, abuse and depression. There has to be something besides berating her and jailing her that this judge could have done.
Other OT good news for this depressing thread; I think I am killing it with this statement of qualifications. Boy, I’m reading it and now I want to hire me! I look awesome on paper. I didn’t know I was so versatile. I’m the onions of communications.
? Martin
@EconWatcher: If there is any justice in the world, we’ll elect a Dem this election and Obama will be appointed as Scalia’s replacement on USSC.
redshirt
@? Martin: Do you think he would want that?
Do you think this Senate or even Dem +2 would elect him?
EconWatcher
@? Martin:
I actually think the SC would be a waste of Obama’s talent. Truth be told, any very smart, reliably liberal lawyer will do; they’re a dime a dozen. I think Kagan is probably smarter than Breyer, but does it really matter?
I’m hoping Obama comes up with something very imaginative to keep having huge impact.
This is the guy who invented the career track from Chicago community organizer to President. My guidance counselor somehow never mentioned this career path…
I don’t know what he’ll do next, but I bet he’ll surprise us all, and in a good way.
redshirt
@EconWatcher: Head of the UN?
? Martin
@redshirt: They could not fail to confirm him. How the fuck could they justify rejecting a two term President who taught con law as being unqualified?
I don’t know if he’d want it or not. But I suspect so. He’d have a real opportunity to shape meaningful policy without having to fundraise or campaign. He’d even have an ironclad reason to turn away anyone that came calling on that front. He’d remain a visible public figure and have a meaningful voice. Inside the court, he’d bring real-world experience on the kinds of constraints and trade-offs that are involved in the executive and legislative branches and the impact any given court ruling would bring there. It’s a perspective most members of the court now lack. People that have never run for office can’t really appreciate the consequence of something like Citizens United.
Morzer
@EconWatcher:
I am hoping he goes home, writes the definitive history of the modern GOP and gives it the title:
Fifty Shades of Cray.
redshirt
@? Martin: Why do Republicans need to justify anything?
Amir Khalid
@EconWatcher:
For what it’s worth, Joe Biden has denied floating any sort of trial balloon for a presidential run.
Keith G
@ruemara: But you didn’t.
Morzer
@Amir Khalid:
To be precise, he’s denied exploiting his son’s death to float a trial balloon. He hasn’t actually denied that he might run, or that he’s exploring possibilities.
EconWatcher
@redshirt:
Traditionally, head of the UN is not an American.
And anyway, that organization is pretty tainted, as seen in the recent elevation to the Human Rights Council of Saudi Arabia, as it prepares to behead and crucify a teenager for pro-democracy activity when he was 14.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-cameron-attempts-to-defend-squalid-deal-with-saudi-arabia-in-excruciating-interview-with-jon-a6684066.html
Amir Khalid
@Morzer:
That he is considering a run is old news. It seemed odd for him to be floating a trial balloon at such a point.
Morzer
@Amir Khalid:
I would be surprised if Biden actually ran at this point. I suspect he’s exploring what he can get for his endorsement and agreement to stay out of the race.
mclaren
Not in Shithole America. Here in the United Snakes of Amnesia, the more piteously the victim cries out in agony, the more brutally you must savage hi/r.
In Shithole America, torturing the victim is always the solution. Because suffering ennobles…and, hey! “No pain, no gain!”
mclaren
@Omnes Omnibus:
Reliably sociopathic. Next, you’ll defend the Nazi atrocities because they were all legal in the Third Reich at the time they were committed.
Go back to masturbating to CIA torture videos, you’re done here.
MattR
@? Martin:
Because, despite his background teaching con law, their base believes he has been wiping his ass with the Consitution for the past 6+ years.
seaboogie
@Omnes Omnibus: I know, those homeless, devastated and depressed parents of tiny minors who have suffered abuse and threats on their life, why DON’T they get their shit together in a timely and orderly fashion? What the hell is wrong with them and why won’t they work on their own behalf? Frustrating for you, and I feel for you.
? Martin
@redshirt: Well, that’s pretty much the end of the Senate in that case. If a former con law professor, member of the Senate, and 2 term pres is deemed by the Senate to be unqualified for the job (remember, their job is not to vote for the selection, but to confirm them) then the Senate loses all credibility and the Dems would almost certainly blow the place up over that vote. The GOP knows they couldn’t do that.
seaboogie
@Omnes…where you failed on this was when you said that there was a court order, and she “simply” failed to show, so why was the judge wrong. As much as they are vilified for putting up with the violence, victims of domestic violence are most at risk and most often killed when they try to get out of the situation. To face the serial abuser in court when she was a hot mess and had had her life threatened does not seem surprising. As a domestic abuse survivor, I think it might be fair to assume that she would not have been given the same support as an attempted murder survivor, and she had a child with the abuser. So a lot more complicated on every level, and your “simply” is dismissive and lacking understanding of the situation in which the woman found herself in. But go ahead and tie it all up in a tidy legal bow, if that makes you feel better.
seaboogie
@mclaren: I disagree with Omnes on this too – but why must you always take it to the nth degree of ridiculousness? And if you are going to go down that road, you must have missed a Hitler reference or two. Oops – nevermind – you did that.
Mnemosyne (tablet)
@Omnes Omnibus:
And what did the judge’s decision actually solve, other than giving the judge an opportunity to vent her spleen? How did jailing the victim help prosecute the abuser?
As others have said, if this woman is abused again in the future, the judge just ensured that she won’t press charges at all, because she’ll be afraid of going to jail again. Punishing fearful people only makes them more fearful, not less.
And, frankly, every abuser in that district is going to be angling to get that judge for his case since we already know she has a temper and is willing to punish victims if they don’t act the way the judge wants them to.
Another Holocene Human
@Omnes Omnibus: Depression and anxiety is medicated-speak for gut-wrenching fear and frustrated rage. It can be crippling. Mood disorders are an epidemic in this country, they can damage relationships, put people out of jobs, dash academic aspirations, and even kill.
Sending her to jail (which hurts her ability to find a job, and she had just told the judge she was flat broke and running out of options) does not improve this situation.
Schlemazel
@Litlebritdifrnt:
Too late! The award was already made but that is one hell of an effort to beat him out for the title at the last minute.
BruceFromOhio
Where else but Florida. Big surprise.
evodevo
Good luck getting any female in THAT community to come forth with abuse stories after this !
bg
@Mandalay: If someone files a complaint with the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission, which I hope someone does, it becomes public record if the Commission decides to file formal charges. There would be a public hearing and the Florida Supreme Court would decide the discipline to impose, up to and including removal. Right now they are considering whether to remove another judge who called out a lawyer into the hallway for a fist fight in the middle of proceedings.
Mike E
Obama and OO…worse than Hitler!
Ryan
I’m trying to decide between stuff happens and “was it a legitimate domestic abuse incident?” God awful people.
Manyakitty
@Keith P.: 3…2…never?
Joey Maloney
@efgoldman: I think Obama should deliver his farewell address through his Anger Translator.
Paul in KY
@ruemara: Way to go! Best wishes!
Paul in KY
@AMD: The lady is crazy if she stays with that POS.
Paul in KY
@redshirt: I’m pretty sure a person from a Security Council member state can never become head of UN. Probably an ‘unwritten rule’.
kindness
Betty Cracker please forgive me but Fuck Florida and their asshole politicians. When it gets swallowed up by the Atlantic Ocean in the coming decade you can count me out on saving that fucked up state. Let me apologize in advance to all the good people there. Sorry but you choose to live there. I could not.
Larry
@Litlebritdifrnt:
Dear litlebritdfnt, your argument is cruel and ridiculous. Only a tiny minority of the time are the accusations baseless. Your slanderous woman-hating defense of abuse and violence against women is about the most stupid and unkind notion possible. First, you use the term “all the time” when the opposite is true. Second, only a small-minded biased ignorant scum artist still employs your complicit so-called argument. Your only goal is to defend bullies and attack the vulnerable. I hope it doesn’t take a violent bully to show you the stupidity of your ways. You seriously need to grow a mind.
April
@Larry: Well done, Larry!
Henk
@Litlebritdifrnt: I call bullshit. You see it in court all the time? Really? Isn’t filing false charges and wasting the court’s time criminal? If you see this all the time, you must be in a position to know so why aren’t you charging these court cost wasters with a crime or are you?
pseudonymous in nc
@Omnes Omnibus:
That you think it’s all about legal mistakes is part of your problem.
Avedon
@Omnes Omnibus: I’m frustrated about a lot of things, too. Who should I put in jail? Oh, wait, I’m not a judge, my frustration doesn’t count.
Look, we all understand the frustration, but how is society served by putting this woman in jail? It isn’t. That’s all you need to know.
Avedon
Er, John, “a domestic abuse woman”? A domestically abused woman, or a domestic abuse victim, but no, not “a domestic abuse woman”.
celticdragonchick
If anybody is interested you can tell the judge what you think at her office phone: (407) 665 4982
VincentN
@Omnes Omnibus: Just because something can be legally done doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. I think this is a pretty straightforward and basic point.
A socialist not a liberal
—Collins later asks the woman whether her statements to police following the man’s arrest in April were true. The woman says that they were, then explains, “I’m trying to move on with my life,” —
Thanks for removing some of the transcript. Asshole
—The woman says that they were, then explains, I went to the abuse counsellor. I told them to drop everything, “I’m trying to move on with my life,” —
Bestguess
You did the right thing judge. Don’t lose any sleep over it.
The victim and the accused BOTH have the same rights in a jury trial. She had every opportunity during earlier phases to discuss any reticence to appear with the DA or their designee. If it got to that point, she needs to obey the law.
heatherannastasia
Judge Jerri Collins should be recalled immediately!
“Why doesn’t she call the police?”
THIS IS WHY!
Judge Jerri Collins is why!
I know. I have had the phone in my hand! But when you’ve spent years walking on eggshells and having some small feeling of control, of being able to manage the monster in your house, of feeling able to protect your kids…
Now the phone is in your hand. Between the trembling and the tears in your eyes, you can’t see the numbers clearly. You know what’s scary at that moment? The system is scary. Judge Jerri Collins is scary.
What happens if I make that call?
What happens to my kids? What happens to me? I’ll have ZERO control over the system, do I dare invite it in?
What if the master manipulator I live with can charm his way out of this? Then what?
What if he goes to jail? For a few days? A week? Six months? Then what?
**** you, Judge Jerri Collins!
**** you!
Howlin Wolfe
@Litlebritdifrnt: Didn’t seem to be the case here.
Carolyn Hennecy
@bg: Well, now, doesn’t that just give you warm fuzzies? NOT!
My Truth Hurts
@Litlebritdifrnt:
No they don’t. That does not actually happen. Fck off you little MRA POS.
AMD
@Paul in KY: Abusers don’t just go away when the victim ends the relationship. That’s when they are actually the most dangerous.
AMD
@Omnes Omnibus: Thanks, Captain Obvious, but I read the article. My point is when this guys comes after her again (and statistics say he will) she will now be even less likely to seek help.
Paul in KY
@AMD: Well, I guess she’s just fucked then. If you don’t physically leave, how do you get away from the abuser, AMD?
Sassypants
@Litlebritdifrnt:
The judge clearly said the abuser has a prior history of domestic violence.