Briefly Speaking: April 2023
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
"Representing victims of domestic violence is rewarding because it gets me outside my comfort zone and my normal practice area, and it allows me to help people feel safe and get their lives back on track. It's made me a better lawyer and a better person."
- ALEX DAVIS, ALEX DAVIS LAW OFFICE
VOLUNTEERS SAVE LIVES
“Dionne” experienced violence for a decade before she left her abusive partner. She hid the violence for so long because she feared that no one would believe her.
In 2022, Dionne had enough and planned her escape. She told her partner that she was visiting family in Louisville for the weekend and that she and their 4-year-old daughter would be back. When Dionne and her daughter were safely in Kentucky, she called her partner in Ohio and told him that she would never return. Once again, Dionne’s abuser threatened her. He said that he would would find her and beat her, shoot her in the face, and take their daughter at gunpoint. Terrified that he would keep his promise, Dionne filed for an Emergency Protective Order (EPO) at the Domestic Violence Intake Center (DVIC). While at the DVIC, she received an application for Legal Aid’s Domestic Violence Advocacy Program.
After qualifying for our program, Dionne’s attorney went to work. At the Domestic Violence Order (DVO) hearing, Dionne and her attorney were armed with years of stories of violence and threats. Dionne testified to the time her abuser punched her in the face so hard that she had to go to the hospital, the time he put a knife to her throat, and the time he dragged her by her hair and kicked her repeatedly. She also showed the judge evidence of his more recent threats, including a recording of his threatening phone call and a copy of his texts. By the time she was done testifying about the horrible things her abuser had said and done, Dionne’s abuser relented and even admitted that he had "messed up."
The judge granted Dionne a 3-year DVO on behalf of herself and her daughter, giving her temporary sole custody. Because Dionne was finally able to tell her story to a judge, she feels empowered and safe. She now knows that she can live in peace here in Louisville, without any more contact from her abusive ex-partner. What's more, in a few months, once Kentucky is established as her daughter’s home state, Dionne can even pursue permanent full custody.
IMPACT OF SERVICES
Legal Aid Society’s Domestic Violence Advocacy Program launched 2010 with support from the local bar. In 2022, volunteers helped 164 survivors access a protective order through the Domestic Violence Advocacy Program.
Legal intervention is not only a powerful tool in keeping survivors safe; it also creates long-term safety and stability for the affected families. Beyond the 164 survivors directly assisted by volunteers, 254 children were secondary beneficiaries of legal help.