Judge under fire for sending domestic violence victim to jail

A judge has been criticised for “bullying” a domestic abuse victim and sentencing her to jail, after she failed to arrive at court to testify against her alleged attacker.

In response, the 27-year-old woman tried to describe the depression and anxiety that resulted from allegedly being abused by the father of her 1-year-old child. Collins shot back. “You haven’t even seen anxiety!” “YOU disobeyed a court order knowing it would not turn out well for the state”.

Collins said: “You were required to be here by a court order”.

A Florida woman was sentenced to three days in jail for failing to show up for her abuser’s trial. The case arose from an incident in April when she called for help after the father of her child choked her and grabbed a kitchen knife, WFTV reported. The woman was summoned to attend her alleged abuser’s July 22 trial, for which a jury was selected, but the woman did not show. “The victim’s decision…triggered the State to pursue an Order to Show Cause against her, and the Court’s subsequent sentence”. Collins chastised the woman, telling her that a jury had been picked and that the man already had a history of domestic violence.

“I asked them to drop everything, I’m trying to move on with my life”, said the victim.

On the video, the victim can be heard wailing as she is handcuffed.

Unidentified woman: “My anxiety and I just …”

The State Attorney’s Office said in a statement that domestic violence victims’ cooperation with the criminal justice system was “integral” to the successful prosecution of abuse crimes. “I’m begging you, please, please don’t”. She also expressed her worry that the judge’s shaming of the victim in court could possibly discourage her from ever calling the police again. The Huffington Post is withholding the woman’s name because we do not identify victims of domestic violence. The woman, Gold said, would likely never call police for assistance if her safety were threatened again.

Jane said she’s been in an abusive relationship for the past four years.

The Orlando Sentinel, however, reports that the level of disgust at Collins is running high and may energize an appeal, even if the victim’s time in jail can’t be recovered.

Neither Collins nor her office returned a request for comment Thursday. Jane ignored a court order to testify against her husband because she said she was afraid.

Despite a sobbing domestic violence victim’s pleas.

“There was definitely no testifying against him, 2 years isn’t that long”, she told Fox 35, adding she was afraid of what he would do to her when he got out.

Her attacker meanwhile received a reduced sentence of 16 days because the key witness did not testify.

“I feel like she’s been violated twice, once by a man, and then by a Judge!”

“Every litigant deserves an experienced, knowledgeable individual presiding over their case”, she said at the time.