Judge Jails Domestic Violence Victim For Failing To Testify

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"You think you're going to have anxiety now? You haven't even seen anxiety," Judge Jerri Collins said.

A Florida judge is under fire from domestic violence advocates after a video shows her berating a victim and sentencing her to three days in jail for failing to testify against her attacker.

Video released Tuesday to WFTV shows Seminole County Judge Jerri Collins holding the victim in contempt of court for failing to appear at her case on July 22. The Huffington Post is withholding the woman's name because we do not identify victims of domestic violence.

Court documents allege that the victim ignored a subpoena to testify against the father of her child, who allegedly choked her and threatened her with a knife. A day before the assault trial, the victim told a court advocate, "I am not going in tomorrow, I don't care if I get arrested!"
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Collins, on the video, appears to become agitated as the victim pleads for her freedom.

"You think you're going to have anxiety now? You haven't even seen anxiety," Collins says before sentencing the sobbing victim to jail.

The victim cries harder and pleads for another chance, but Collins says her fate is sealed.
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"She's never going to call 911 again," said Cindy Southworth, executive vice president of the National Network to End Domestic Violence. "I understand how frustrating it is for prosecutors without certain evidence and testimony, but the solution is never to threaten or bully the victim. She's scared to testify. And that judge sealed the deal -- she's never calling 911 again."

Southworth added, "And if she dies, it's on that judge's watch."

More: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/judge-jailed-domestic-violence-victim-for-failing-to-testify_5616d914e4b0dbb8000dc745

[shenmue]

1. No!

That is evil!

[yeoman6987]

2. Were voting her out in 2020

No excuses.

[Dr. Xavier]

3. absolute power corrupts absolutely

It should be a lot easier to replace an incompetent judge like this, than to have to wait to vote her out. People in her jurisdiction should investigate whether that state has a board that looks into judges' malfeasance or impeachment.

[murielm99]

4. Do we know the whole story?

I feel badly for this victim. But people are supposed to have the right to face their accusers.

[Yupster]

5. I think the problem is

that someone will abuse his\her spouse. The police arrest the person and start a trial, and then the victim refuses to testify. This wastes the court's time and money and destroys the case and then double jeopardy kicks in so the accused can't be tried again .

Supposedly it happens all the time. The judge was too harsh though. Maybe could have given her community service instead.

I know the police hate domestic violence situations because they go in to arrest the husband and the beaten wife ends up punching the cops for trying to arrest her beloved Harold.