More than once recently, I’ve had reason to be involved in discussions regarding “victims” who do not wish to testify against their alleged abusers in domestic violence cases. Most of these “victims” are women, though not all are. In some cases, I’m defending the alleged abuser; in others, I’m providing legal advice to the “victim” who wishes not to testify; in still others, it’s a more philosophical exercise — arguing the issue with ignoramuses on the Internet.
When working the cases, the hardest part is not that one human being might be abusing another and then is essentially being allowed to escape punishment because the “victim” won’t testify. Not at all. [Read more...]
Call Somebody Who Cares
When I was in high school, a common taunt when anyone complained about something was, “Here’s a dime: call somebody who cares.”
Thing is, in the 1970s, if you wanted to actually follow that advice, it wasn’t much of a problem. You simply offered to accept the dime — later a quarter — found a phone booth, and dialed the number you’d memorized for those who might actually care.
As Stephen Petrick recently learned, it doesn’t quite work that way anymore.
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