Rough Justice

   Kentucky Judge Megan Thornton has had it. It seems that as often as not, after a victim of domestic violence has requested that the Judge put a restraining order in place against her batterer, the woman lets the abuser back into the home and into her life, thus “allowing” him to break the order.
   In an article in the Kentucky Herald-Leader, Judge Thornton put it this way: “It drives me nuts when people just decide to do whatever they want.    In my experience on the bench, I have found that there has been a number of petitioners who have chosen to come and get an order, and then ignore the order…I think that both parties are obligated to follow through with [it]. You can’t have it both ways.’’
   And so, she has been holding in contempt and doling out fines to women who come to her court seeking protection.
   On the surface, this may sound like a reasonable response from the Judge, but domestic violence professionals know all too well that women most often go back to their batterers out of necessity — for a roof over their heads, or their children’s heads — or because they have been threatened with more violence or even death (their children, too) if they do not return.
   Often it takes several attempts before a woman can successfully (and permanently) leave her abuser. For some reason, many of us have no patience with that concept. Some of us are lucky — we haven’t been through it, and so, can’t fully understand. We are frustrated. We want them to just leave. It seems that people have more understanding for someone who is trying to quit smoking and falls off the wagon, than for a woman who has legitimate reasons for returning (hopefully temporarily) to her batterer.
   But statistics show that the most potentially lethal time for a victim of domestic violence is after she has left the abuser.
   Remember, whenever you see a news story about an “estranged” husband or boyfriend killing a woman and/or children, it is a case of domestic violence extended to its worst end.
   Judge Thornton, offended at the newspaper’s coverage, said, “If somebody has a criticism about something that happens in my courtroom, they ought to call me instead of complaining to the Herald-Leader. That’s just common courtesy.’’
   For this judge to be so uneducated about the dynamics of domestic violence, and then for her to issue judgments (and fines) that will likely prevent women in her area from seeking protective orders in the future is shortsighted, dangerous, and unforgivable.
   Judge Megan Thornton (859) 246-2247; fax: (859) 246-2614.