This judge made me grateful that I have a thick skin and have endured the abuse that I have.
This judge made me grateful that I have a thick skin and have endured the abuse that I have. Someone with a lesser tolerance for abuse would have not survived what this judge did to me. After enduring 2 weeks of a completely traumatic and unnecessary trial to obtain a restraining order after already enduring 8 years of abuse at the hands of my ex, This judge allowed the opposing criminal attorney to be abusive and combative(even after I told her I felt threatened by his aggressive demeanor), ignored plentiful evidence, including pictures of bruises and ligature marks on my neck, testimony from a PO saying he found me credible, and 3 witnesses that testified on my behalf. She then went on an hour and 40 minute rant at the end of the trial, going through my TRO attempting to discredit every single abusive event that was listed on the TRO, in essence trying to erase my history of abuse from the Court System. This was not only unspeakably cruel, it was also dangerous; as my ex's erratic, impulsive and aggressive behavior has only gotten worse since then - exposing the 5-year-old little girl that was not even acknowledged!! during this trial to even more trauma than she has for the past 5+ years. It has been almost a year since that horrific experience, and I am still working through the extremely difficult feelings that resulted from the nightmare I experienced in her courtroom. But, I will not allow one person - regardless of their position - to take away, or devalue what I have experienced, am still experiencing, and what I have survived and am still surviving. I have faith the truth will prevail and set me free.