BARBARA'S TCHATZKAHS

VICTIM GETS NO JUSTICE - CASE THROWN OUT Via my victim's advocacy work I have met a few truly extraordinary people. People who, against the odds, fought to get back their dignity and come forward about the abuse they endured. People who have endured stigma, smear, false charges filed against them and attacks on their families and reputations. Coming forward about abuse of any kind is hard because of the "blame the victim" mentality in our society. Rape is extremely hard because often the victim's sexual history and personal ups and downs are part of a smear campaign by the rapist/ abuser and their friends, family and the defense's legal team. ( see this post I did yesterday about just such a situation.) One of these extraordinary people is Holly . I am priviledged to consider Holly a personal friend. Holly's blog is here and everyone should take a moment and read her story. For my Canadian readers, Holly is currently working to get a National Rape Crisi...

WHAT. THE. F***?!?!?!? I'm trying to think of an award "worthy" of this judge in Maryland. Or perhaps a combo of awards... I used to paralegal and believe me, I met more bad lawyers than I did good. But this? Well, this kinda judge is in a class all his own! Please let me know what you think after reading this: Deluded Judge Suggests Domestic Violence Victim: Wanted to Be Hit By Karen Houppert Domestic violence cases are notoriously difficult to prosecute. But every once in a while, prosecutors get handed the tools for a conviction on a silver platter: An impartial eyewitness who just happens to be a police officer. Such was the case in a domestic violence trial that made the local papers here in Maryland last week. A cop pulling into an Exxon station saw a man hit his girlfriend in the face three times, called in back-up and had the man arrested. But according to Anne Arundel County Circuit Judge Paul Harris, who is "probably as against domestic violence as anybod...