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160 | 7 A Reconstructed Legal System The night of June 23, 2010, was cool and clear. Karen Anderson and her boyfriend, Corbin Jones, decided to open the windows to let the air into the apartment they shared with their son, Daniel, who was seven. Around 10:00 that evening, Corbin began teasing Karen about her Facebook use and insisted upon seeing her friends list. The playful teasing turned to an abusive outburst, however, when Corbin found that Karen’s ex-boyfriend was among her many Facebook friends. Corbin berated Karen, calling her a slut and demanding to see all of the communications between Karen and her former partner. Karen refused and attempted to pull the computer away. Corbin grabbed the computer, slammed it to the ground, and screamed at Karen, “You fucking whore, I’ll kill you before I let you make a fool of me with that asshole. You’ll never see your son again.” Karen tried to placate Corbin as he continued to rage and to throw and break plates, vases, and the porcelain figures Karen’s mother had given her as a child. Karen begged Corbin to stop before someone called the police. Corbin responded that if Karen had him arrested, he would expose Karen’s infidelity to the members of their church. Before long, there was a knock at the door. Karen opened the door to find two police officers, looking concerned. One officer escorted her outside of the apartment; the other remained in the apartment with Corbin. So begins Karen’s journey through the legal system. The account that follows is a worst-case scenario—at every turn, Karen’s wishes will be thwarted and her appeals for assistance ignored. While it is certainly unlikely that her every contact with the legal system would unfold quite so badly, it is absolutely possible, and even probable, that any one or more of these interactions could play out just as they are described here. For a woman like Karen, who wants to control how the system intervenes in her relationship with her partner , what is about to happen is a nightmare. Karen first asks why the police have come. The police tell her that a neighbor called after hearing the shouting from the apartment. Karen tells the police what has happened: that she and Corbin were arguing about her ex-boyfriend, A Reconstructed Legal System | 161 that Corbin threatened to kill her, and that he destroyed the property in the apartment. She also tells the police, however, that she does not want to press charges. Corbin and Karen have been together for nine years. Although he is occasionally verbally abusive, he has never been physically abusive. Karen does not believe that he will harm her physically. Karen cannot afford to keep the apartment without Corbin’s income, and she believes that it is important for Daniel to have his father in the home. The police explain that notwithstanding her wishes, they are required to arrest if they have probable cause to believe that an act of domestic violence has occurred. Corbin’s threat to kill and his destruction of property qualify as such acts. The police address her economic concerns by counseling Karen to seek a civil protection order to secure child support from Corbin. They also tell Karen that they must conduct a danger assessment with her. Karen responds that she wants to check on Daniel and is not interested in talking with the police further. The police insist, citing the department’s policy of reviewing every domestic violence case for future risk. The police ask her a series of questions about prior incidents of abuse, Corbin’s jealousy, his use of drugs and alcohol, his access to weapons, his threats to kill her and Daniel, and whether Corbin has ever been suicidal. Based on the information Karen provides, particularly as to Corbin’s jealousy and threats to kill her and Daniel, the police advise Karen that she is at serious risk of further abuse, possibly life-threatening abuse, and tell her that she must speak to a domestic violence counselor. When Karen explains that she is not interested in seeking any assistance, the police pressure her to talk with the counselor. The counselor reiterates what the police have said about the potential danger to her and Daniel. Karen believes that they are mistaken, but tells the counselor and the police that she will seek a civil protection order. Corbin is arrested and taken to central...

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