[00:00:06]
GOT A FEW PEOPLE MORE, A FEW PEOPLE IN THE DOOR, SO, UM, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED BECAUSE I KNOW EVERYONE'S, UH, TIME IS, IS SUPER IMPORTANT AND EVERYONE'S PRETTY BUSY.
BUT THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
UH, IT'S OF COURSE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH AND WANTED TO REALLY GATHER SOME PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
UM, I, I TALK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME, BUT IT'S TRULY A SOCIETAL EPIDEMIC IN, IN OUR COUNTRY, BUT CERTAINLY IN HARRIS COUNTY.
UM, AND, AND WE'LL GET MORE INTO THE DATA.
BUT BEFORE WE DO, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
UM, AND, UH, I HOPE THAT EVERYBODY'S OKAY TODAY BECAUSE I'M OKAY.
AND THEN I ALWAYS SAY, "ARE YOU OKAY?" THAT'S KIND OF THE TOPIC OF THE DAY.
BUT I'D LIKE TO WELCOME OUR GUEST AND, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY SEAN TIER, HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF ED GONZALEZ.
UM, TO, I'M, I'M TRYING TO THINK WHAT ORDER.
UH, SO, UH, FAMILY LAW, LONGTIME FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY, UH, CHRISTINE JONTAE, AND THEN SHARI NIGHTINGALE, WHO IS A, A, A GREAT FRIEND, AND SHE IS THE FOUNDER OF LINDSAY'S LIGHT DATING VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM, BUT ALSO TO A RECENT APPOINTEE OF THE FA - THE, UH, FAMILY VIOLENCE CRIMINAL HOMICIDE PREVENTION TASK FORCE BY GOVERNOR ABBOTT.
AND THEN LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, UH, CEO OF THE TEXAS COUNCIL ON FAMILY VIOLENCE, GLORIA TERRY.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
JUST, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR WORDS OF WISDOM, YOUR KNOWLEDGE IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO SHARE, UM, BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW.
AND, AND, UH, I, I TALK ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE EVERY DAY.
IT SEEMS TO BE BETWEEN THAT AND HOMELESS.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO KNOW ME THINK THAT'S ALL I KNOW AND PROBABLY BY NOW IT REALLY IS.
I KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BASEBALL, BUT NOT MUCH ANYMORE.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS NOT A, UH, IT'S NOT A PRIVATE FAMILY MATTER.
IT'S A LEGAL ISSUE, AND TRAGICALLY, SOMETIMES IT'S A HOMICIDE ISSUE.
UM, MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO, UH, WE HAD A CASE HERE IN HARRIS COUNTY, AND SOME OF Y'ALL ARE WAY TOO YOUNG TO REMEMBER.
SADLY, I'M OLDER THAN THAT, SO I REMEMBER.
BUT, UM, SOME 30 YEARS AGO, FARRAH FRADA'S MURDER SHOCKED OUR COMMUNITY.
AND TODAY, WE HAVE MORE AWARENESS, MORE RESOURCES, AND MORE SPECIALIZED, UH, PROFESSIONALS WORKING TO PREVENT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
YET HARRIS COUNTY RECORDED 26 INTIMATE PARTNER HOMICIDES IN 2025.
THE DATA WAS JUST RELEASED LAST WEEK, AND, AND GLORIA WILL SHARE MORE OF THAT LATER.
UM, SO TODAY WE'RE JUST KIND OF GONNA LOOK AT A DIFFICULT QUESTION, WHICH IS WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED IN ALL THESE YEARS AND WHAT ARE WE STILL GETTING WRONG? UM, CHRISTINE JONTAE WAS, UH...
CHRISTINE, YOU REPRESENTED FARRAH FRADA, AND WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT FARRAH AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING HER DIVORCE AND CUSTODY CASE? WELL, UH, I'VE PROBABLY BEEN PRACTICING LAW LONGER THAN MOST OF YOU HAVE EVEN BEEN ALIVE.
UH, BUT FARAH AND I, SHE HAD COME IN TO SEE ME A COUPLE OF TIMES ABOUT REPRESENTING HER IN HER DIVORCE, AND SHE DIDN'T RETAIN ME INITIALLY BECAUSE SHE THOUGH IT WAS TOO EXPENSIVE EVEN BACK IN 1970, 19, UH, NI - IN THE 1990S.
BUT IT BECAME CLEAR THAT SHE NEEDED, UH, MORE EXPERTISE.
AND SO I SUBSTITUTED IN IN MARCH OF 1994 TO REPRESENT HER IN A JURY TRIAL THAT WAS TAKING PLACE IN NOVEMBER OF 19, UH, 94.
AND IT STARTED LIKE MOST OF OUR DAYS.
I GOT UP IN THE MORNING, TURNED ON THE NEWS, AND THE FIRST THING THAT HIT ME WAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT FARAH FRADA HAD BEEN MURDERED.
AND THAT WAS NOVEMBER THE 10TH WAS THE NEWS BROADCAST, BUT SHE HAD BEEN MURDERED ON THE 9TH.
IT WAS A LITTLE BIT UNUSUAL BECAUSE SHE NEVER REALLY EXPRESSED MUCH FEAR OF HER HUSBAND, PHYSICAL FEAR OF HIM.
SHE JUST WANTED OUT, WHICH IS WHAT MOST VICTIMS WANT.
THEY DON'T WANT IT TO BE PUBLIC.
THEY DON'T WANNA CRUCIFY ANYBODY.
AND SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T JUST GET OUT QUICK ENOUGH.
WE DID HAVE SOME PROTECTIVE ORDER STATUTES BACK THEN, BUT THEY WEREN'T REALLY STRONG PROTECTIVE ORDER STATUTES.
[00:05:01]
WOMAN OR EVEN A MAN, AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT I'VE REPRESENTED MEN WHO HAVE BEEN VICTIMS D - OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ALSO.UM, SHE, UH, SHE NEVER REALLY EXPRESSED A LOT OF FEAR OF HIM, SO IT WAS NEVER TO THE LEVEL OF, DO WE GET A PROTECTIVE ORDER AGAINST HIM? HE DIDN'T THREATEN HER.
AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE STORY, HE HIRED SOMEBODY TO KILL HER, HIRED TWO PEOPLE TO HAVE HER MURDERED.
AND, UH, BOB FRADA WAS EXECUTED IN 2023, I THINK, BY LETHAL INJECTION.
HE WAS ON DEATH ROW FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
HIS KIDS AT THE TIME WERE, UH, BRADLEY, THE OLDEST ONE WAS SEVEN.
DANIEL, WHO WAS THE SPITTING IMAGE OF BOB FRADA, WAS SIX, AND THEN AMBER, THE BABY, WAS FOUR.
UH, THEIR MOTHER WAS A VERY LOVING MOTHER.
SHE DIDN'T WANT ANY MONEY FROM HIM.
HE WAS ORDERED TO PAY $635 A MONTH CHILD SUPPORT FOR THREE CHILDREN.
AND HE, HIS REASONING WAS THAT HE COULD NEVER HAVE ANYTHING EVER AGAIN IF HE HAD TO PAY CHILD SUPPORT.
UH, YOU CAN'T SUPPORT THREE KIDS ON $635 EVEN BACK THEN.
SO, UM, I WOKE UP, HEARD THAT FARAH FRADA HAD BEEN MURDERED, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA THEN.
WE DIDN'T HAVE CELL PHONES THEN.
AND SO, I WENT TO WORK, WENT DOWN TO THE COURTHOUSE, FINISHED MY DAY, AND I GOT BACK TO MY OFFICE AT ABOUT 3:00 IN THE AFTERNOON.
AND, UH, THERE WAS A, MY OFFICE WAS FULL OF POLICE OFFICERS.
IT WAS FULL OF THE, UH, THERAPIST FOR THE CHILDREN.
IT WAS WITH FARAH'S MOTHER AND FATHER WERE THERE.
THE, THE POLICE OFFICERS THOUGHT I HAD BEEN MURDERED TOO, BECAUSE THEY WERE LOOKING FOR ME.
AND, UH, THEY COULDN'T GET AHOLD OF ME.
THEY HAD TO WAIT UNTIL YOU GOT BACK TO YOUR OFFICE.
SO IT, IT DIDN'T HELP TO REALLY, UH, PUSH PROTECTIVE ORDERS BACK THEN.
THE STATUTES HAVE CHANGED A LOT, AS YOU WILL FIND OUT.
AND, AND JUDY WARNEY, WHO WAS ACTUALLY INSTRUMENTAL IN WRITING THE FAMILY CODE WITH REGARD TO PROTECTIVE ORDERS IS A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE.
SHE'S A RETIRED SENIOR JUDGE NOW.
BUT I DIDN'T GET A PROTECTIVE ORDER BEC - AND I GUESS YOU'LL HEAR FROM THE POLICE AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY THAT BACK, BACK IN THOSE DAYS, IT WAS ALMOST EXPECTED THAT THE VICTIM WAS GONNA BACK OUT, THAT THEY WOULD NOT PRESS CHARGES BECAUSE THE VIC - THE ABUSER ALWAYS SAYS, "I'M SORRY.
I WON'T DO IT AGAIN." THEY MAKE PROMISES AND, UH, UNTIL THE NEXT TIME.
UH, SO I DIDN'T REMEMBER A L - A LOT ABOUT THE THINGS THAT FARAH NEVER REALLY SAID SHE WAS AFRAID OF HIM.
I WILL TELL YOU ONE STORY THAT WAS SORT OF UNNERVING TO ME THAT SHE TOLD ME.
WE WERE PREPARING FOR TRIAL AND SHE CAME IN AND SHE SAID, "SOMETHING UNUSUAL HAPPENED." AND SHE WAS SO FLATLINED IN HER PRESENTATION OF WHAT HAD, SHE, AS SHE DESCRIBED WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO HER THAT I, I HAD TROUBLE BELIEVING IT WAS ACTUALLY TRUE, BUT NOW I KNOW IT WAS TRUE.
SHE SAID THAT SHE WOKE UP EARLY IN THE MORNING AND THERE WAS A MAN IN THE SKI BA - UM, A SKI MASK STANDING AT THE FOOT OF HER BED.
AND AT THAT TIME, THEY LIVED IN A TWO-STORY HOUSE.
THE KIDS WERE IN BED WITH HER THOUGH.
AND SO THIS MAN IN THE SKI MASK IS STANDING AT THE FOOT OF HER BED AND SHE IS PANIC STRICKEN.
AND SHE TELLS HIM, "JUST LET ME GET THE KIDS UPSTAIRS.
JUST LET ME GET RID OF THE KIDS." AND OF COURSE, BY THE TIME YOU'RE WAKING UP THREE LITTLE KIDS, THEY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
HE LEFT THE, THE, THE RESIDENCE, BUT THE POLICE THOUGHT THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY HAD SENT THE HITMAN IN TO GET HER.
AND HE COULDN'T DO IT BECAUSE THE KIDS WERE IN THE BED.
AND THAT MEANT IT, YOU KNOW, EITHER VIOLENCE AGAINST THE CHILDREN OR SOMETHING ELSE.
AND THE WAY SHE TOLD THAT STORY, IT WAS SO FLAT LINED AND, AND NO PANIC IN HER VOICE AT ALL.
AND I SAID, "WELL, DO YOU THINK THAT WAS YOUR HUSBAND?" AND SHE SAID, "I DON'T KNOW." WELL, IF YOU'VE SEEN BOB FRADA, HE WAS A SHORT GUY, BODYBUILDER.
HE HAD A VERY DISTINCT PHYSIQUE.
AND I SAID, "WELL, COULD YOU TELL BY HIS EYES?" AND SHE, SHE COULDN'T EVEN TELL ME IT WAS HER HUSBAND, BUT IT WAS VERY ALARMING.
SO WE'VE TRANSITIONED A LOT SINCE THOSE DAYS, BUT NOT THAT MUCH.
THINGS STILL HAPPEN LIKE THAT.
I'VE HAD THREE OR FOUR MURDERS WHILE I'VE BEEN PRACTICING LAW.
I'VE HAD A NUMBER OF SUICIDES.
I EVEN HAD A, A GENTLEMAN THAT I HAD REPRESENTED, LUCKILY I WITHDREW BEFORE IT HAPPENED, BUT IN 2000, I THINK IT WAS 2006, HE TOOK HIS KIDS HOME FOR THE WEEKEND, TWO OF THEM, NOT, THE THIRD ONE DIDN'T HAVE TO GO.
AND SATURDAY NIGHT, HE PUT HIS KIDS TO BED, KILLED THEM AND KILLED HIMSELF.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, IT, IT JUST HAPPENS EVERY DAY.
[00:10:01]
YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY THAT GETTING EDUCATION, GETTING THE NEWS OUT WILL, UH, HELP WITH THE VICTIMS THAT KNOW THAT THEY'RE BEING VICTIMIZED.AND I THINK YOU'RE GONNA HEAR A LOT, A LOT MORE ABOUT THAT.
DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? I DID HAVE A...
I, I HAD A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, SEEMS LIKE JUST YESTERDAY TO HEAR YOU TALK ABOUT IT, I REMEMBER ON THE NEWS QUITE WELL, AND IT WAS KIND OF IN MY COMMUNITY, SO IT WAS VERY ALARMING, FIRST TIME I'D EVER REMEMBERED ANYTHING LIKE THAT HAPPENING.
UM, WHAT WARNING SIGNS DO YOU RECOGNIZE NOW THAT PERHAPS WHEN YOU LOOK BACK WEREN'T AS CLEAR THEN? ANYTHING STAND OUT IN YOUR MIND? WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS WAS SHE DIDN'T EXPRESS HERSELF WELL.
AND, AND BACK THEN, PEOPLE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT ABUSE BECAUSE IT WAS EMBARRASSING.
AND OVER THE YEARS, THE THOUSANDS OF WOMEN THAT I'VE REPRESENTED, SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN ABUSED.
I WILL TELL YOU SOMETIMES IT'S NOT TRUE.
UH, MARIANELLE TIMMONS, WHO STARTED THE VICTIM'S ASSISTANCE CENTER AND THE MOTHERS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING HERE IN HOUSTON WAS A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE.
JUDY COX WAS A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE.
AND THEY WOULD CALL ME AND SAY, "WILL YOU TAKE THIS PERSON'S CASE?" AND MORE THAN LIKELY I WOULD, BUT I REMEMBER ONE PARTICULAR CASE WHERE I HAD TO CALL MARYNELL BACK AND SAY, "MARYNELL, I THINK SHE'S LYING." AND THAT, THAT IS WHAT IS A DISSERVICE TO ALL THE TRUE VICTIMS OUT THERE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE IT UP BECAUSE THEY THINK THAT IT'S GOING TO GET THEM AN ADVANTAGE IN A CUSTODY CASE.
THEY THINK IT'S GONNA GET THEM AN ADVANTAGE IN IMMIGRATION.
THEY THINK, YOU KNOW, WE DEAL WITH FAWA A LOT RIGHT NOW.
I'VE WORKED WITH AVDA MANY TIMES.
I'VE HAD THEM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF CASES.
A- AND SOMETIMES THE JUDGES BELIEVE IT AND SOMETIMES THEY DON'T.
AND SO GETTING EDUCATED, HAVING PEOPLE BE TRUTHFUL ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IS KEY.
AND, AND THEN ALSO, UM, I WAS TELLING TWILA, THERE WAS A CHECKLIST THAT FAMILY TIME GAVE ME ONE TIME AND WHEN I'D HAVE WOMEN COME IN AND, AND I, I SORT OF WAS SUSPICIOUS THAT THEY'RE BEING ABUSED, BUT THEY DIDN'T WANNA DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT OR...
I'D HAVE 'EM DO THE CHECKLIST AND I'LL SAY, "LOOK AT YOUR CHECKLIST.
MORE THAN LIKELY YOU ARE ABUSED." SO I, I WOULD ALWAYS REFER THEM TO COUNSELING AT FAMILY TIME BECAUSE THEY WERE CLOSE TO ME AND THEY'RE OUT NOW HUMBLE, UH, OR TO GET A THERAPY OR TO GET IN WITH THE WOMEN'S GROUP, UH, TO TALK ABOUT THEIR SITUATION BECAUSE IT'S COMMUNICATION, IT'S EDUCATION THAT IS EVER GONNA STOP THIS IF WE'RE GONNA STOP THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
ONE LAST QUESTION FOR YOU, CHRISTINE.
IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME WITH EVERYTHING WE KNOW ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND LETHALITY TODAY, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT THE LEGAL SYSTEM TO RECOGNIZE SOONER? OH, TH- THAT'S A TOUGH ONE.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE A LOT OF IT IS JUST IN, IN THE VICTIMS THEMSELVES AND HOW THEY EXPRESS THEMSELVES.
AND MOST OF THE TIME THEY'VE BEEN BEATEN DOWN SO MUCH, THEY CAN'T EXPRESS THEMSELVES.
THEY DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT.
IT'S MAKING THEM RELIVE THE TRAUMA A- AND THEY'RE EMBARRASSED BY IT.
"YOU ARE EMBARRASSED BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
HOW COULD I GET IN THIS SITUATION? HOW COULD I LET MYSELF GET IN THIS SITUATION? "AND MOST OF THEM KNOW BETTER.
THEY JUST DON'T WANNA DISCUSS IT.
SO THINGS WE COULD DO DIFFERENT AS FAR AS FRAUD IS CONCERNED, I DOUBT ANYTHING BECAUSE OF THE TIME THAT IT HAPPENED.
UH, I THINK THERE'S A LOT MORE EDUCATION NOW AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE I SHOULD'VE SPENT MORE TIME WITH HER, BUT SHE WAS A VERY CLOSED BOOK AND SHE DIDN'T WANNA DISCUSS IT.
AND, UH, WHO WOULD'VE DREAMED THAT HER HUSBAND, WHO WAS A POLICE OFFICER, WOULD HIRE SOMEBODY TO HAVE HER MURDERED? AND, AND I DO HAVE TO COMMEND THE LEGAL SYSTEM BECAUSE THE LEGAL SYSTEM WAS DOGGED ON THAT MAN.
I MEAN, THEY WERE OUT TO GET HIM.
UH, I TESTIFIED IN THREE CAPITAL MURDER TRIALS AND THE POLICE THAT WAS THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT THEN BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THEY WERE ON HIM ALL THE TIME.
THEY WERE GOING TO MAKE HIM PAY.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE SO OFF - O- OFFENDED BY WHAT HAD HAPPENED OR BECAUSE IT WAS ONE OF THEIR OWN AND THEY WERE NOT GONNA LET HIM GET AWAY WITH IT.
PROBABLY A COMBINATION OF BOTH.
UM, THE, UH, FRAUD OF STORY OFTEN REMINDS US THAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DOESN'T NECESSARILY BEGIN WITH THE FINAL ACT OF VIOLENCE, AND OFTEN THERE ARE WARNING SIGNS ALONG THE WAY.
UM, NEXT QUESTIONS GO TO OUR DA.
AND I'M, I'LL JUST HOLD THIS MIC.
I'M, I'M GONNA PRETEND I'M THE DA TODAY.
[00:15:01]
I, I, WHEN I, WHEN I SEE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, YOU GO THROUGH, I'M LIKE, "OOH, LET ME PRAY FOR HIM TONIGHT FOR SURE." WHOO.SO HOW DOES YOUR OFFICE IDENTIFY WHEN A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE IS MOVING FROM CONFLICT TO POTENTIALLY, UH, LETHAL VIOLENCE? YEAH.
SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIG CHANGES THAT, THAT WE PIVOTED TO IN 2025.
UM, WE CREATED, AND ANYONE THAT'S NOT IN LAW ENFORCEMENT WON'T REALLY GET THIS, BUT WE CREATED A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BUREAU WHERE ALL OF THE PROSECUTORS, ALL THE LICENSED SOCIAL WORKERS, ALL THE VICTIM ASSISTANCE COORDINATORS, EVERYONE THERE IS TRAINED SPECIFICALLY TO HANDLE INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES.
THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THE VERY FIRST INTERACTION WITH A SURVIVOR CAN REALLY DICTATE HOW THEY PROCEED THROUGH THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE LEARNED OVER DECADES.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT FIRST CONTACT WITH A SURVIVOR TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY'RE HEARD, THAT THEY'RE BELIEVED, THAT THEY'RE SUPPORTED, NOT JUST IN THE PROSECUTION, BUT IN EVERYTHING ELSE, THEN THAT'S WHERE WE SEE SO MANY VICTIMS FALL OFF OF THE PROSECUTION.
DON'T WANNA CONTINUE TO GO BACK TO THE ABUSER, DO ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN HISTORICALLY HAPPEN.
AND SO PIVOTING TO THAT IN 2025, WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF SUCCESS IN SURVIVORS STAYING THE COURSE, SO TO SPEAK, BUT WE'VE ALSO PIVOTED TO DOING A REAL LETHALITY ASSESSMENT RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING AND CONTINUING TO UPDATE THAT ASSESSMENT.
AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT COME WITH THAT, FROM SAFETY PLANNING THE FIRST MEETING OF, HAVE YOU GOTTEN OUT OF THE HOME? DO YOU NEED HELP GETTING OUT? AND I SEE ALL OF OUR INCREDIBLE PARTNERS THAT WE WORK WITH DAY IN AND DAY OUT THAT PROVIDE THAT SAFE PLACE, THAT PROVIDE THE SAFETY PLANNING OUTSIDE OF OURS, BUT CONTINUING TO ASSESS EACH OF THOSE CASES FOR THEIR, THEIR LETHALITY REALLY LETS US DEVOTE OUR LIMITED RESOURCES INTO MAKING SURE THAT THOSE CASES THAT, THAT REALLY STATISTICALLY SAY ARE GOING TO END IN HOMICIDE OR IN SIGNIFICANT INJURY ARE FOCUSED ON AND ARE DEALT WITH IN THE RIGHT WAY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE FRATA IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF, WE ALL KNOW THE FIRST 30 DAYS AFTER OUTCRY IS THE MOST LETHAL.
AND IF THERE'S A FIREARM IN THE HOUSE, YOU'RE 500% MORE LIKELY TO END IN MURDER, ALL OF THOSE THINGS, BUT YOU ALSO CONTINUE TO RAMP UP THAT POTENTIAL LETHALITY AS A CASE PROGRESSES, BE IT A DIVORCE CASE OR A PROSECUTION.
AND SO THE LONGER THAT THAT CASE PINS, THE ABUSER CONTINUES TO, TO RAMP UP AND GET MORE ANGRY AND FEEL MORE EMPOWERED BECAUSE HE HASN'T BEEN, OR SHE HASN'T BEEN HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
AND SO BEING ABLE TO, BEING ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS, DEVOTE THE RESOURCES EARLY TO REMOVING THAT PERSON FROM SOCIETY OR DOING WHATEVER WE'RE CAPABLE OF DOING TO REMOVE THEM FROM THE, THE DANGER IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT WE THINK IS GOING TO SHOW SUCCESS IN IMPROVING LETHALITY.
IF WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROSECUTE BOB FRADDA FOR ANY OF THE INTIMATE PARTNER ABUSES HE COMMITTED DURING THEIR MARRIAGE, HE'S NOT OUT TO GO HIRE GUIDRY AND WHATEVER THE OTHER GUY'S NAME IS AT THE GYM TO KILL HIM.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'VE SEEN AND I CAN PROMISE YOU, YOU COULD PULL UP ANY OF 20 OF THESE INCREDIBLE PEOPLE AND THEY COULD TELL YOU BETTER THAN I WHAT THE LETHALITY ASSESSMENT LOOKS LIKE, BUT IT'S MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF ABUSE.
IT'S CHOKING, IT'S UTILIZATION OF A WEAPON, IT'S IN FRONT OF CHILDREN.
ALL OF THESE THINGS REALLY GO INTO THE ASSESSMENT OF LETHALITY AND DICTATE NOW HOW WE GO ABOUT PROSECUTING THESE PEOPLE AND, AND REALLY PUTTING IT IN A HIERARCHY OF THIS PERSON'S LIKELY GONNA KILL HIM, WE'RE GONNA PUT HIM IN PRISON.
SO I THINK, SO I THINK YOU'VE TOUCHED ON TOUCHED ON THE, UH, ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, YOU KNOW, AND ON THE, ON THE LEGAL SIDE, THAT ACCOUNTABILITY, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IS WHAT YOU'VE JUST DESCRIBED BEFORE A HOMICIDE ACTUALLY OCCURS.
YOU KNOW, EVERY DAY WE TURN ON THE NEWS AND HEAVEN FORBID, THERE'S AN, THERE'S ANOTHER INSTANCE, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S BOYFRIEND, GIRLFRIEND, HUSBAND, WIFE, CHILDREN, AND, AND NOW, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, UH, UH, WHEN YOU WERE SPEAKING OF THE FRADA CASE AND, YOU KNOW, A MASKED MAN IS AT THE FOOT OF THE BED, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, 30
[00:20:01]
YEARS LATER, SADLY, THOSE CHILDREN WOULD ALSO LIKELY BE VICTIMS IN TODAY'S SOCIETY BECAUSE YOU, YOU HEAR, YOU KNOW, A PARENTS, A, A, A FATHER OR A MOTHER KILLING THEIR OWN CHILDREN.SO, YOU KNOW, TIMES HAVE CHANGED, BUT TO IDENTIFY, UM, HOW YOU CAN PREVENT THAT HOMICIDE ARE MULTIPLES, TO BE HONEST.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR OFFICE, YOU SPOKE ABOUT THE, UH, SPECIALIZED, THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BUREAU, AND, AND WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT APPROACH ACCOMPLISHES TODAY THAT THE OLD SYSTEM COULDN'T? SO I THINK PART OF IT IS WHAT I TALKED ABOUT OF, OF SUPPORTING SURVIVORS HOLISTICALLY, RIGHT? NOT JUST SAYING, "WE'VE ACCEPTED THE CHARGE, PROBABLE CAUSE EXISTS, WE'LL LET, WE'LL ISSUE YOU A SUBPOENA WHEN IT'S TIME TO TESTIFY AND YOU'RE JUST ANOTHER NUMBER." WE HAVE DIFFERENT SETS OF TRAUMA-INFORMED PEOPLE THAT, THAT HOLD SURVIVORS' HANDS IN MEANINGFUL WAYS THROUGH EVERY PART OF IT.
UM, I, I THINK THAT IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE OVER MY 20 YEARS IN PROSECUTION.
UM, BUT ALSO RECOGNIZING THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO JAIL AND PROSECUTE OUR WAY OUT OF THIS EPIDEMIC EITHER.
AND IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS TALKING ABOUT PROTECTIVE ORDERS THAT I'M SO PROUD OF THAT, THAT MARY MCFADDEN AND, AND ALL OF OUR PARTNERS HAVE, HAVE DONE IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
WE'VE, WE'VE LAUNCHED POET, WHICH IS OUR PROTECTIVE ORDER EXTENDED TEAM.
WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IS THAT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN HARRIS COUNTY IS ONE OF, IF NOT THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF PROTECTIVE ORDERS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
WE FACILITATE THAT DOWN AT OUR OFFICE IN DOWNTOWN, AND WE DO HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF APPLICATIONS AND WE HAVE PARTNERS AND INTERNALLY, WE, WE WALK THE SURVIVORS THROUGH EVERY STEP OF THAT.
THEY DON'T NEED A CRIMINAL CHARGE.
THEY DON'T NEED TO HAVE EVEN CALLED THE POLICE.
THEY, THAT CAN BE THE VERY FIRST TIME.
AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT STATUS, YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST INTIMIDATED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT, THAT'S A WONDERFUL WAY TO, TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF JUST GETTING OUT.
WHAT I SAY ALL THE TIME THOUGH IS HISTORICALLY, THE ONLY PLACE WE'VE DONE IT IS DOWNTOWN AT THE CRIMINAL COURTHOUSE.
AND MY WIFE IS A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, ENGLISH IS HER FIRST LANGUAGE, SHE HAS A VERY FLEXIBLE JOB, SHE HAS HER OWN TRANSPORTATION, AND SHE STILL WON'T COME DOWNTOWN TO HAVE LUNCH WITH ME IN 25 YEARS BECAUSE DOWNTOWN INTIMIDATES HER.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE POPULATIONS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE HELD CAPTIVE IN THESE HOMES THAT ARE BEING ABUSED ON A DAILY BASIS, ENGLISH MAY NOT BE THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE.
THEY MAY COME FROM A CULTURE THAT IS INTIMIDATED BY A BUILDING FULL OF COPS, RIGHT? THEY MAY NOT HAVE TRANSPORTATION OR BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THE $75 PARKING ON A ASTROS GAME DAY.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA COME DOWN AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FREE SERVICE THAT WE HAVE IN THE COURTHOUSE.
BUT NOW WITH POET, WE ARE PARTNERING WITH OUR PARTNERS AND WE'RE GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND WE'RE GONNA BE IN EVERY PART OF HARRIS COUNTY IN SAFE, NEUTRAL LOCATIONS WHERE THESE SURVIVORS CAN COME.
THINK BAKER RIPLEY, THINK ALL OF THE DIFFERENT LIBRARIES THAT ARE OWNED, AND WE'RE JUST GONNA BE THERE TO, TO GIVE THE SAME SERVICES THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVING DOWNTOWN, BUT IN A MUCH CLOSER, SAFER VENUE THAT WON'T POTENTIALLY HIGHLIGHT TO THE ABUSER THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET IT.
AND I THINK EVERYONE CAN SAY THAT A PROTECTIVE ORDER IS JUST A PIECE OF PAPER, BUT STATISTICALLY SPEAKING, ONCE A SURVIVOR REACHES OUT AND GETS THAT PROTECTIVE ORDER, LIVES ARE SAVED.
AND SO BEING ABLE TO DO THAT IS GOING TO, I THINK, DRASTICALLY IMPROVE OUR TERRIBLE NUMBERS OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE MURDERS THAT WE SEE.
SPEAKING OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, SHERIFF, BACK IN THE '90S, WERE YOU WITH HPD BACK THEN? I WAS.
LITTLE KNOWN FACT, OUR SHERIFF HAS BEEN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
HOW MANY YEARS? UM, NOW ABOUT CLOSE TO 30.
SO HE'S HPD AND THEN - I JUST LOOK YOUNG.
CITY COUNCIL, I, I THINK I MET YOU WHEN YOU WERE ON CITY COUNCIL.
UM, YOU, YOU ALL ARE ON THE FRONT LINES.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN A DEPUTY RESPONDS TO A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALL, WHAT WARNING SIGNS TELL YOU THAT IT MIGHT BE A HIGH RISK SITUATION, THAT IT MIGHT BE A, A, A LETHAL SITUATION? UH, WELL, FIRST I WANNA THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILMEMBER, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
YOU'VE BEEN, FROM DAY ONE, VERY FOCUSED ON THIS ISSUE, UM,
[00:25:01]
AND BEFORE THAT AS WELL IN YOUR PREVIOUS ROLE.AND SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, ALL THE PANELISTS HERE, ALL OF YOU FOR ATTENDING, AND CRIME STOPPERS FOR HOSTING US.
AND IT'S SO REFRESHING TO LISTEN TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY THAT'S BEEN A TREMENDOUS PARTNER BECAUSE I REALLY THINK TO YOUR EARLIER KIND OF, UM, UH, INTRODUCTION OF, OF WHAT CAN WE DO NOW THAT PERHAPS WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN RIGHT I- IS THE, THE NEED FOR, FOR LEADERSHIP AROUND THIS ISSUE AND STRONGER COORDINATION.
UH, HISTORICALLY, AS MUCH AS WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT THIS, THERE STILL CONTINUES TO BE SILOS TO THIS DAY.
AND SO HEARING A PROACTIVE APPROACH, I THINK REALLY HELPS.
UH, SPECIFIC TO YOUR QUESTION, UM, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I FIRST STARTED, UM, AND BEFORE THAT WHEN THESE ISSUES WERE VIEWED AS A PERSONAL MATTER IN A RELATIONSHIP, AND TO SOME EXTENT, YOU STILL HAVE THAT THINKING OUT THERE TODAY.
IT'S LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHY ARE YOU STILL WITH THIS PERSON IF YOU'RE SO AFRAID? AND, YOU KNOW, THE TYPICAL, UH, JUST APATHY THAT JUST COMES WITH IT.
AND SO WE, WE'VE GOTTA, WE'VE GOT TO, TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT ISSUE.
BUT IN, IN TERMS OF WARNING SIGNS, FIRST OF ALL, WE WANNA MAKE SURE OUR DEPUTIES ARE UNDERSTANDING THAT DON'T LOOK AT IT AS A SINGLE INCIDENT.
LAW ENFORCEMENT, EVEN TO THIS DAY, STILL RESPOND AND VIEW IT AS A SINGLE INCIDENT.
THEY NEED TO BE KIND OF LISTENING AND LOOKING FOR CUES OF PATTERNS.
YOU KNOW, THEY NEED TO SEE, UM, HAVE THERE BEEN PREVIOUS CALLS, UH, FOR DOMESTIC DISTURBANCES AT THIS LOCATION, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, REPEATED, YOU KNOW, ABUSE.
UH, IS THERE ALCOHOL OR DRUGS INVOLVED? IS THERE A WEAPON IN- INVOLVED? UH, ARE THERE THREATS OF, "IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU, NO ONE CAN." AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, EVEN INTUITION, YOU KNOW, THE PERSON, AND IT STRUCK ME WHAT YOU WERE MENTIONING, UM, IF THE PERSON MIGHT SAY, "YEAH, I MAY NOT HAVE PHYSICAL, YOU KNOW, INJURIES, BUT I HAVE A FEELING THAT HE'S GOING TO HURT ME." THAT'S AN IMPORTANT CLUE RIGHT THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE THERE, AGAIN, ONGOING THREATS? IS THE VIOLENT, VIOLENCE BECOMING MUCH MORE, UH, FREQUENT? STRANGULATION, AS WE KNOW NOW, IS A GREAT CLUE RIGHT THERE THAT SOMETHING COULD BE, UM, ESCALATING.
SO ALL THESE FACTORS, UM, I THINK ARE IMPORTANT, AND THOSE ARE SOME OF THE, THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT.
I MEAN, IT COULD BE MUCH BROADER, BUT EVEN FROM A SINGLE INCIDENT, ALL OF THAT COULD BE DETERMINED.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TO BE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS, GIVE, UM, YOU KNOW, LET IT BE KNOWN THAT WE DO BELIEVE YOU.
WE WANNA HELP ASSESS WHAT'S GOING ON AND THEN TRY TO GET YOU HELP AND CONNECT YOU TO THE SERVICES YOU NEED.
CONNECTING THE DOTS IS IMPORTANT.
YOU KNOW, IT'S THE REPEATED CALLS, UM, TO THE SAME HOUSEHOLD AND, AND THAT THEY AREN'T HANDLED AS A SEPARATE CALL, UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES YOU HEAR ON THE NEWS REPORTS, OH, THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE CALLS, RIGHT? AND SO IT, IT, IT DOES CREATE A STORY AND, AND SOMETIMES IT'S A, IT'S A, THE, THE ENDING IS HORRIFIC.
UM, WHAT DO YOU WANT EVERY VICTIM AND EVERY PATROL OFFICER TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THAT FIRST CALL FOR HELP? THAT FIRST CALL FOR HELP IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, UH, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY GOING TO DETERMINE IF THE PERSON DEVELOPS SOME CONFIDENCE THAT, THAT HELP IS AVAILABLE, UH, THAT THERE IS HOPE AND TRUST IN THE SYSTEM.
IF NOT, POTENTIALLY IN THE FUTURE, THEY WILL NO LONGER CALL US, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND SO THAT CALL IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
IT'S ALSO, UH, AN IMPORTANT POINT BECAUSE THAT COULD BE THAT ONE OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE TO BREAK THAT CYCLE OF VIOLENCE, POTENTIALLY.
IT'S AN IMPORTANT, UH, POINT TO GET INFORMATION, AGAIN, TO START IDENTIFYING PATTERNS THAT MAY BE GOING ON.
AND SO ALL OF THAT COMBINED IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
WE WANT THE PERSON TO KNOW THAT WE DO BELIEVE THEM, WE'RE LISTENING, WE'RE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO LEARN MORE INFORMATION, TRYING, LIKE I SAID, TO, TO, TO SUPPORT THEM, TO HELP THEM, AND TO CONNECT THEM TO SERVICES.
UH, WE WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT, THAT WE ARE THERE FOR THEM AND, AND OUR SUPPORT.
AND WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IN OUR LANGUAGE AND IN OUR ACTIONS THAT WE'RE EMPOWERING THEM STILL BECAUSE, UH, THIS IS ABOUT POWER AND CONTROL.
AND SO IF WE COULD MAKE SURE THAT THEY RETAIN THAT POWER INSTEAD OF US JUST TALKING DOWN TO THEM OR IT'S NOT IN A TRAUMA-INFORMED APPROACH, THEN WE'RE JUST BEING PART OF THE, THE PROBLEM AS WELL BECAUSE WE'RE JUST DICTATING TO THEM WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING OR AGAIN, WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE? AND IF YOU WERE SCARED, YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE TYPE OF QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, AND WE'VE COME A LONG WAY, BUT WE COULD STILL DO BETTER.
WELL, WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DO BECAUSE YOU HAVE COME A LONG WAY, AND I KNOW IT'S A, IT'S A DIFFICULT, A DIFFICULT TOPIC AND, YOU KNOW, YOU FIND YOURSELF IN THE, IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING AND, AND HOW DO YOU HANDLE IT? AND WHAT ARE THE SIGNS THAT YOU, YOU AREN'T HEARING, BUT THAT ARE THERE, RIGHT? HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY THE, THE, UH, INVISIBLE, SO TO SPEAK? UM, I'LL GO BACK TO THE FAMILY LAW SYSTEM FOR JUST A MINUTE, AND THEN WE'LL TOUCH ON, UH, SURVIVORS, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT.
[00:30:02]
WHY CAN SEPARATION AND CUSTODY, UH, LITIGATION BE SUCH A DANGEROUS PERIOD FOR A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM? WELL, IT, IT RAMPS THE ABUSER UP.THEY WANT, THEY MAKE MANY, MANY PROMISES.
THEY TRY TO GET THEM BACK AND, YOU KNOW, OVER MY CAREER, I'VE SEEN WOMEN GO BACK A LOT.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO SAY THAT I, WE HADN'T TOUCHED ON BEFORE WAS NOW WHEN THERE'S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE HOME AND THE CHILDREN ARE THERE, THE POLICE HAVE TO MAKE A REPORT TO CPS.
SO ONE OF THE RE - WAYS I CONVINCE MOTHERS OR FATHERS THAT YOU'VE GOT TO STOP THIS CYCLE IS CPS IS GONNA TAKE YOUR CHILDREN IF THERE'S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN YOUR HOME.
AND A LOT OF TIMES THE MOTHER'S SAFETY IS NOT PARAMOUNT TO THE MOTHER TO GET THEM OUT OF THE HOME.
BUT WHEN CPS THREATENS TO TAKE YOUR CHILDREN, THAT MOTIVATES THE ABUSE VICTIM TO TAKE STEPS AND GO FORWARD AND, AND MAKE THE SEPARATION.
AND, AND I'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN JUST, I MEAN, THREE OR FOUR TIMES JUST THIS YEAR SO FAR IN MY PRACTICE WHERE THERE'S BEEN ALLEGATIONS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, THE COPS HAVE BEEN CALLED, UH, CPS HAS FOLLOWED UP WITH AN INVESTIGATION.
AND I HAVE TO TELL THE CLIENT, IF YOU CONTINUE ON THIS PATH, CPS IS GOING TO TAKE YOUR CHILDREN BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST YOU THAT IS IMPACTED BY THAT, BUT THE KIDS GO TO SCHOOL AND THEY TELL THEIR TEACHERS EVERYTHING AND THEY TELL THEIR FRIENDS EVERYTHING.
UH, BEFORE I WAS A LAWYER, I WAS A KINDERGARTEN TEACHER FOR A LONG TIME.
IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOUR CHILD COMES HOME AND TELLS YOU ABOUT ME, I WON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING THEY COME TO SCHOOL AND TELL ME ABOUT YOU.
BUT NOW YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT AGREEMENT MUCH ANYMORE BECAUSE THE KIDS WILL JUST NATURALLY BLURT THINGS OUT.
SO ONE OF THE WAYS TO GET MOTHERS OR PARTICULARLY TO LEAVE IS SAY CPS IS GONNA TAKE YOUR KIDS IF YOU DON'T STOP THIS.
SO I'VE FORGOTTEN THE QUESTION TWICE.
BUT YOU ANSWERED THE QUESTION.
BUT YOU'VE ANSWERED IT, BUT WHAT IF, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING WITH THAT, WHAT DO PEOPLE, UH, WHAT'S LIKE MO - WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE MISUNDERSTAND ABOUT PROTECTIVE ORDERS AND THE, UH, LEGAL PROTECTIONS AVAILABLE FOR VICTIMS? WELL, I THINK, UH, DHTR TOUCHED ON IT.
YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE JUDGES, NOT IN HARRIS COUNTY ANYMORE, BUT AT LEAST OTHER JUDGES IN OTHER COUNTIES, AND I NAME THE COUNTY IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, BUT, UH, THERE WAS AN OLD JUDGE UP THERE ONE TIME.
HE DID NOT, HE DID NOT EVEN GRANT RESTRAINING ORDERS.
HE DIDN'T BELIEVE A RESTRAINING ORDER STOPPED A BULLET AND HE SAID, "I'M NOT GONNA GRANT THEM." AND SO YOU WERE JUST OUT THERE STUMBLING AROUND TRYING TO GET A DIVORCE DONE, TRYING TO GET THINGS TO CALM DOWN BECAUSE HE DID NOT ISSUE RESTRAINING ORDERS.
NOW, A LOT OF THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES HAVE, UH, SORT OF STANDING ORDERS WHICH A- APPLY TO EVERYBODY WHILE THE CASE IS GOING ON.
SO, UH, PROTECTIVE ORDERS ARE A GOOD THING.
THEY'RE SOMETIMES MISUNDERSTOOD.
UM, AND I DON'T SPECIALIZE IN PROTECTIVE ORDERS.
I HATE TO FILE THEM, BUT SOMETIMES THEY ARE NECESSARY.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH OTHER ISSUES SORT OF LIKE, UH, SUICIDE AND, YOU KNOW, AND KIDNAPPING KIDS.
I'VE HAD THAT HAPPEN BEFORE WHERE KIDS HAVE BEEN KIDNAPPED, TAKEN OUT OF THE COUNTRY, AND, YOU KNOW, SIX YEARS LATER, THEY'RE FOUND BACK IN THE UNITED STATES.
SO LOTS OF DIFFERENT ASPECTS TO FAMILY DYNAMICS.
YOU, YOU GET A LOT OF STORIES.
YOU GOT ONE MORE QUESTION BEFORE YOU PASS THE MIC.
BUT I, UH, IF YOU NEED A GOOD ATTORNEY, I'M NOT ADVERTISING OR ANYTHING, BUT I, SHE'S ALL RIGHT.
WHAT SHOULD AN ATTORNEY DO WHEN A CLIENT SAYS, "I'M AFRAID OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF I LEAVE?" WHAT, WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU HEAR THAT? I, I TELL THEM, "GET OUT NOW." BECAUSE IT'S NEVER GONNA GET ANY BETTER.
THEY'RE JUST GONNA BE MORE AND MORE CONTROLLING.
IF YOU THREATEN TO LEAVE AND YOU DON'T LEAVE, THEN THAT JUST EMPOWERS THEM.
UH, I ALWAYS ASK THEM, "DO YOU HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO GO? WHAT'S YOUR PLAN? DO YOU HAVE FAMILY? CAN YOU LEAVE AND GO TO YOUR FAMILY'S HOUSE? UH, DO YOU HAVE A BACKUP PLAN? CAN YOU GET A HOTEL? GET A CREDIT CARD IN YOUR NAME SO THAT HE DOESN'T, HE CAN'T TRACK YOUR SPENDING?" BECAUSE THAT'S A LOT OF, UH, FINANCIAL ABUSE AS WELL AS PHYSICAL ABUSE, EMOTIONAL ABUSE, FINANCIAL ABUSE.
UM, I TRY TO GET THE VICTIM AND WHAT, U- USUALLY IT'S THE WOMEN THAT DON'T HAVE THE FINANCIAL ADVANTAGE, BUT GET, GET A CREDIT CARD IN YOUR OWN NAME.
CONTACT YOUR PARENTS, CONTACT YOUR FAMILY, LET THEM KNOW THAT, WHAT YOUR PLAN IS.
AND THEN SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO MAKE A PLAN ON HOW THE, UH, THE OTHER PARTY'S GONNA BE SERVED BECAUSE YOU CAN'T JUST SERVE THEM AND LEAVE THEM IN THE SAME HOUSE.
[00:35:01]
AND SO I TELL THEM, WELL, THEY'RE GONNA...NOW WE HAVE PRIVATE PROCESS SERVERS, BUT WE DIDN'T FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOTTA GET OUT OF THE HOUSE.
SO THE PRIVATE PROCESS SERVER WILL GO ON THERE, OVER THERE ON FRIDAY, GO TO STAY AT A HOTEL WITH YOUR KIDS FOR THE WEEKEND.
HOPEFULLY BY THE TIME MONDAY ROLLS AROUND OR TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY, HE'S GOING TO SEE AN ATTORNEY, AN ATTORNEY WHO'S GONNA UN - HELP HIM UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, MAYBE GET HIM CALMED DOWN, BUT IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN.
AND I'VE GOTTA SHUT UP, BUT I WILL TAKE THIS.
YEARS AGO, UH, THERE WA - THE, UH, FILING, DIVORCE FILINGS WERE ALL OPENED.
THERE WAS AN ATTORNEY IN HOUSTON, AND THIS IS BACK WHEN WE HAD THE BIG BOOKS AND YOU WOULD FILE YOUR CASE AND THEY WOULD PUT IT DOWN IN THE BIG BOOKS.
HE WOULD GO DOWN EVERY DAY AND LOOK TO SEE WHO HAD FILED FOR DIVORCE.
AND SO HE WOULD, UH, SEND OUT LETTERS TO THE OTHER PARTIES SAYING, "YOUR SPOUSE HAS FILED FOR DIVORCE.
COME AND SEE ME FOR A FREE CONSULTATION." AND SO THE WIFE WHO WAS PLANNING THE GETAWAY, UH, SHE HAD, SHE COULDN'T HIDE IT BECAUSE HE WAS SENDING OUT THESE LETTERS BY MAIL.
SO THE JUDGES, THE FAMILY COURT JUDGES OF HARRIS COUNTY DID GET TOGETHER AND THEY MADE THE FILINGS CONFIDENTIAL FOR THE FIRST 30 DAYS SO THAT THE, THE ONE, SO THE SPOUSE WHO WAS TRYING TO FLEE, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COULD MAKE A PLAN TO GET AWAY.
AND THAT'S WHAT I ADVISED MY CLIENTS.
I KNOW MOST FAMILY LAW LAWYERS DO ADVISE THEIR CLIENTS, "WE NEED TO MAKE A PLAN.
WE NEED TO MAKE A PLAN FOR YOU TO BE SAFE.
AND IF THERE'S ANY GUNS IN THE HOUSE, HIDE THEM.
TAKE THEM OUT OF THERE." YEAH, FOR SURE THAT.
UM, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO TALK A BIT ABOUT SURVIVORS.
I'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS, BUT I'M JUST GONNA LET YOU, UH, TALK A LITTLE BIT HOWEVER YOU, UH, WANT TO, YOU KNOW, REGARDING ON THE SURVIVOR END OF, OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE UNDERSTAND BEFORE SOMETHING HORRIFIC HAPPENS? WELL, TO START OFF, UM, MY DAUGHTER, WHO'S 28, WAS MURDERED BY AN EX-BOYFRIEND.
AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS, FIRST QUESTIONS YOU HEAR IS, "WELL, WHY DIDN'T SHE LEAVE?" UM, AND THERE'S A MYRIAD OF REASONS FOR THAT.
BUT I THINK THE FIRST THING, THE FIRST LIE THAT I THINK WE BELIEVE, UM, IS THAT IT'LL NEVER HAPPEN TO US, THAT WE'RE IN CONTROL.
WE HAVE CONTROL OF THE SITUATION.
UM, AND SO I THINK, FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE TO REALIZE IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE.
IT, IT DOESN'T MATTER RACE OR SOCIOECONOMIC OR WHATEVER.
SO I THINK THAT ALREADY PUTS YOU AT A DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE YOU NEVER WANNA THINK YOU'RE IN A SITUATION WHERE SOMEONE'S GONNA TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU AND YOU'RE GONNA BE IN DANGER.
UM, SHE HAD DATED HIM FOR ABOUT TWO, TWO, THREE YEARS.
SHE LEFT SEVERAL TIMES, UH, AND WENT BACK.
UM, THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION YOU GET, WHY DO YOU GO BACK? UM, SHE DID FINALLY LEAVE FOR GOOD, UM, AND IT WAS SIX MONTHS AFTER SHE ENDED THE RELATIONSHIP THAT HE KILLED HER WITH HER THREE-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER IN THE HOME AT THE TIME.
UM, SHE WAS NOT HURT, UM, STILL VERY TRAUMATIZED BY IT.
SHE'S 17 TODAY AND STILL REMEMBERS THAT DAY VERY VIVIDLY.
SHE CAN'T REMEMBER HER MOM, WHICH IS VERY UPSETTING TO HER, BUT SHE REMEMBERS THAT DAY.
UM, SO WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE AFTERMATH OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IT...
THERE'S SO MANY RIPPLE EFFECTS.
UM, SO AT THAT POINT, WE, WE ADOPTED HER, UM, AFTER THAT, BUT YOU'RE DEALING WITH YOUR OWN GRIEF, YOU'RE DEALING WITH HER GRIEF AS A THREE-YEAR-OLD AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND THEN I HAVE ANOTHER DAUGHTER THAT'S HERE TODAY THAT SHE HAD HER OWN GRIEF, SO IT'S JUST A FAMILY DYNAMIC THAT EVERYONE'S DEALING WITH THEIR OWN WAY OF GRIEVING AND THE ISSUES THAT COME WITH THAT.
UM, BUT I THINK ANYTIME YOU GO THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THAT AS A, ESPECIALLY AS A MOM, I MEAN, MOMS WERE CREATED TO PROTECT THEIR CHILDREN.
AND SO THERE'S ALSO AN ELEMENT OF GUILT THERE THAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE MORE.
UM, IN MY HEAD, I KNOW THAT I COULDN'T, BUT IN
[00:40:01]
MY MOM'S HEART, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU COULD HAVE.BUT AS I SAID, WE BOTH HAVE BEEN THROUGH COUNSELING.
SHE'S BEEN IN AND OUT OF COUNSELING HER ENTIRE LIFE SINCE THEN.
UM, BUT BECAUSE THAT HAPPENED AT A DEVELOPMENTAL AGE, SHE HAS LEARNING DELAYS, SHE HAS MATURITY DELAYS.
THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT WE'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH AND SHE'S GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH FOR A LONG TIME, UH, DEPRESSION, UM, JUST ALL THE THINGS.
SO IF YOU CAN GO BACK BEFORE SOMETHING HAPPENS, THEN YOU ELIMINATE A LOT OF, A LOT OF TRAUMA AND, AND JUST LIKE I SAID, THOSE RIPPLE EFFECTS THAT HAPPEN THAT YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT.
UM, AND WHAT I GO BACK TO IS EDUCATION BECAUSE, UM, MY DAUGHTER AND I, WE SPEAK IN HIGH SCHOOLS, UM, ON DATING VIOLENCE, AND ONE THING WE'VE FOUND IS THESE, THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT THE SIGNS ARE.
UM, PART OF IT IS BECAUSE THEY DON'T THINK IT'LL EVER HAPPEN TO THEM, BUT BY THE TIME YOU REALIZE YOU'RE IN A SITUATION, IT'S ALREADY BEEN HAPPENING FOR A LONG TIME.
AND THEN YOU FEEL REALLY STUPID FOR NOT SEEING IT, BUT THESE ABUSERS ARE SMART.
THEY KNOW THE PERSON, WHAT MAKES THEM TICK, WHAT THEIR SOFT POINTS ARE, HOW TO, HOW TO MANIPULATE THEM.
UM, AND SO WHEN YOU DO REALIZE YOU'RE IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT, YOU JUST FEEL HELPLESS.
UM, AND BY THAT TIME, YOU'VE BEEN SO BEATEN DOWN, YOU DON'T HAVE THE CONFIDENCE, YOU DON'T THINK YOU HAVE THE POWER.
SO I THINK IT GOES BACK TO EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT.
WE'VE GOT TO TELL THESE WOMEN AND MEN, THEY CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
LIKE YOU CAN GET OUT, YOU CAN CHANGE THIS SITUATION, AND YOU HAVE THE STRENGTH AND THE POWER TO DO THAT.
WE'VE JUST GOT TO GET THEM TO A POINT WHERE THEY BELIEVE THEY'RE BEING ABUSED, THEY BELIEVE THEY DON'T DESERVE IT, AND THEY BELIEVE THERE'S SOMETHING BETTER FOR THEM AND THERE'S A WAY OUT.
UM, IS, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT AT THE TIME, LOOKING BACK, THAT ANYONE, UM, YOU WISH SOMEONE WOULD HAVE SAID OR KNOWN TO SAY TO, UH, TO YOUR DAUGHTER OR, OR TO YOUR FAMILY, UM, AT THE TIME TO PREVENT, Y- YOU KNOW, WHAT'S CHANGED TODAY THAT YOU SEE IF BACK THEN WE HAD ONLY KNOWN OR COULD HAVE ONLY? IS THERE ANY ONE THING? THERE'S NOT ONE THING,
AND SO I WISH SOMEBODY HAD TOLD ME, "MAKE IT YOUR BUSINESS.
IF YOU OFFEND HER, THAT'S OKAY.
UM, DO MORE, SAY MORE." UM, BEF - HE LURED HER TO ONE OF THEIR FAMILY'S, UH, RANCH HOUSES, AND SHE EVEN ASKED SEVERAL PEOPLE THEIR ADVICE, EVEN HER THERAPIST.
AND THEY SAID, "WELL, AS LONG AS YOU'RE NOT BY YOURSELF AND YOU FEEL LIKE THIS IS CLOSURE, THEN DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO." WELL, I WISH THEY HAD TOLD HER, "DON'T GO," OR, "I'LL GO WITH YOU," OR, "I'M GONNA TELL SOMEBODY YOU'RE GOING." UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HINDSIGHT.
ASIDE FROM YOUR BEAUTIFUL GRANDDAUGHTER, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU WANT LINDSAY'S LEGACY TO BE? FIRST OF ALL, THAT IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU.
UM, BUT SECONDLY, HER PHYSICAL LIFE HAS ENDED, BUT I THINK AS LONG AS WE'RE TELLING HER STORY, AND IF ONE PERSON CAN BE SAVED FROM THAT, THEN HER STORY'S STILL BEING WRITTEN.
THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO, AND THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS ANSWERING THE CALL AND SPEAKING, UM, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NO VOICE.
YOU, YOU, YOU'RE AL - YOU ALWAYS AMAZE ME, AND, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR,
[00:45:01]
WHAT YOU AND ERICA DO TO GIVE BACK IN HOPES THAT, THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN TO, TO THE NEXT PERSON.UM, GLORIA TERRY, THE BIGGER PICTURE.
UH, SO, UH, GLORIA, I MEAN, THE TEXAS COUNCIL ON FAMILY VIOLENCE, YOU KNOW, I, I, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THE WORK THAT, THAT, UH, YOU DO AND, AND THE ORGANIZATION DOES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS.
I'M SO PROUD TO HAVE BEEN, UH, INVOLVED WITH THE ORGANIZATION SINCE, SOME OF YOU KNOW, 2017, BUT REALLY 2018, UH, WHEN I, WHEN I STARTED SERVING ON YOUR BOARD.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, GIVE US A, GIVE US A BIG PICTURE LOOK AT YOUR, UH, YOUR REPORT THIS YEAR, AND, AND SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO HARRIS COUNTY, BECAUSE SOME OF YOU IN THE ROOM, IF, IF YOU'VE EVER TALKED TO ME ABOUT THE NE - DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, YOU KNOW THAT I START OUT WITH HARRIS COUNTY ANNUALLY HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS OF INTIMATE PARTNER HOMICIDES, RIGHT? SO, IT'S ALL YOURS.
AND SHE MINIMIZES HER INVOLVEMENT, TRULY.
SHE HAS BEEN, WAS BOARD CHAIR FOR TWO YEARS, IS THE IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR, NOW HER SECOND YEAR, AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE IT CONTINUE.
UM, UH, JUST A, A QUICK, UH, BACKDROP.
THE TEXAS COUNCIL ON FAMILY VIOLENCE IS A STATEWIDE ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION COMPRISED OF, OF OVER 100 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE SURVIVORS DAILY.
SO IT GIVES US A, A REALLY GOOD DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION, EXPERIENCES.
UM, SO AGAIN, WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK AT THINGS FROM A BIG PICTURE.
OUR PRIMARY WORK IS TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, BUT WE HAVE A KEEN ABILITY TO INFLUENCE LEGISLATIVE ACTION.
UM, AND, UM, AND SO OFTENTIMES, THE INFORMATION WE'RE GETTING FROM THE GROUND AND THE, THE AMAZING PEOPLE THAT ARE SERVING SURVIVORS W - MAKE ITS WAY INTO, UH, LEGISLATIVE CHANGE.
UM, SO FROM A BIG PIC- PICTURE PERSPECTIVE, EVERY YEAR, THE TEXAS COUNCIL ON FAMILY VIOLENCE ISSUES, THE HONORING TEXAS VICTIMS REPORT, IT IS THE ONLY COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF DOMESTIC, OF INTIMATE PARTNER HOMICIDES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
UM, WE PUR- PURPOSELY LOOK AT THIS TO IDENTIFY TRENDS, AREAS OF THE STATE THAT MAY BE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED.
UM, WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THE DATA SO THAT WE CAN CREATE BOTH INTERVENTIONS, INFLUENCE, AGAIN, POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE CHANGE, AND THEN HOW DO WE EQUIP OUR COMMUNITIES BACK TO, AGAIN, UH, BEING ABLE TO RESPOND? UM, SO IN SHORT, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR REPORT FROM LAST YEAR THAT WE JUST RELEASED LAST WEEK, 160 TEXANS LOST THEIR LIVES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS, UM, IN NOT A, UM, A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT FROM THE PRIOR YEAR.
UH, THE DATA, THE, THE DATA THIS YEAR, UM, THAT, THAT IS STRIKING TO US CONTINUES TO BE THAT THERE, UH, WHILE THERE IS AN OVERALL DECLINE IN VIOLENT CRIME ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND EVEN IN TEXAS, THE, THE SAME IS NOT TRUE FOR, FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
UM, SO CONTINUING TO IDENTIFY WHERE THERE MAY BE BETTER INTERVENTIONS AND PREVENTION STRATEGIES IS STILL NEEDED.
THE VICTIMS RANGED IN AGES FROM 19, UH, EXCUSE ME, FROM 16 TO 89.
SO WHY IS THAT RELEVANT? THAT MEANS WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVENE AT DIFFERENT POINTS OF, UM, OF, OF THE LIFE CYCLE.
AND IF WE'RE THINKING IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN TO A TEENAGER, THE DATA'S TELLING US DIFFERENTLY.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, PREVENTION AND ESTABLISHING OF HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GRADE SCHOOL, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS WITH SELF AND OTHERS BEFORE YOU EVER TALK ABOUT A DATING OR AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP.
UM, IF WE THINK THAT OUR ELDERS ARE SAFE BECAUSE THEY'RE WISE AND, AND THEY'RE REFLECTING ON THEIR GOLDEN YEARS, TH- THAT IS NOT TRUE.
AND SO WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE IN, IN THAT AGE RANGE HAVE AN ABILITY TO KNOW WHERE, WHERE RESOURCES ARE? UM, WE CONTINUE TO, TO BE CONSISTENT IN THE DATA AROUND THE PRESENCE OF A FIREARM, AND THE PRESENCE OF A FIREARM INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF A FATALITY BY 500%.
AND I WANNA BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT OUR POSITION ON FIREARMS. OUR, OUR S - UM, PRIMARY POSITION IS WHEN YOU'VE LOST YOUR PRIVILEGE, WHEN YOU ARE PROHIBITED, UM, OUR, OUR, OUR SYSTEMS NEED TO DO BETTER TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT ACCESS IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.
[00:50:02]
AND MANY OF OUR, OF OUR HOMICIDES, WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT THERE WERE PROHIBITED POSSESSORS THAT USED A FIREARM TO KILL THEIR PARTNER.IN OUR REPORT, UM, AND AS IT DOES EVERY YEAR, INTIMATE PARTNER HOMICIDE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTS WOMEN.
IN FACT, FOR MANY YEARS, WE DID NOT HAVE, UH, MALE DEATHS NOTED, AND I ALWAYS GOT THE QUESTION, "WHAT ABOUT THE MEN?" AND, UM, WE DO NOT DIMINISH ANYBODY'S PAIN AND SUFFERING.
BUT I TELL YOU THIS, IF WE CAN SOLVE THE PROBLEM FOR THE POPULATION THAT IS MORE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED, IT WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM FOR EVERYONE ELSE.
UM, SO WE, WE ALSO KNOW THROUGH OUR DATA THAT THERE WERE, THERE WERE EFFORTS, UH, FOR HELP SEEKING, AND SO IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY WHAT HAPPENED IN THOSE HELP SEEKING INCIDENTS THAT STILL RESULTED IN A HOMICIDE.
UH, UM, WHEN I TALK ABOUT HARRIS COUNTY IN PARTICULAR, THERE, THERE...
IT, IT IS SIMPLY A, AN ISSUE OF POPULATION.
IT IS NOT AN ISSUE OF, OF SERVICES, BUT HOUSTON HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST DECLINED RATES FOR EMERGENCY SHELTER DUE TO CAPACITY.
SO IF SOMEBODY SOUGHT HELP AND WAS BRAVE ENOUGH TO MAKE THAT FIRST CALL, BRAVE ENOUGH TO TALK TO, TO A CRISIS HOTLINE, AND, AND THERE WAS NOT SPACE TO KEEP THAT PERSON SAFE, UM, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE IS 56% OF REQUESTS FOR EMERGENCY SHELTER GO UNMET.
IN H - IN HARRIS COUNTY, YOU'RE HOVERING AROUND 90%.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'M, I, I DON'T WANT TO RECITE THE ENTIRE REPORT TO YOU.
YOU CAN GOOGLE HONORING TEXAS VICTIMS. UM, AND I HAD A WHOLE BUNCH OF COMMENTS READY, AND THEN I STARTED TAKING NOTES FROM THINGS THAT PEOPLE WERE SAYING, SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, CAN I SHIFT A LITTLE BIT? NO, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GOOD.
UM, UH, CHRISTINE, ALL DUE RESPECT, I JUST FEEL LIKE THIS, THIS, UH, DOGGED, UM, ADVOCATE THAT, THAT LIES WITHIN ME, I'VE BEEN ASKED THAT SAME QUESTION, "DO VICTIMS LIE?" AND I WILL TELL YOU, I'VE SAT IN A EXPERT WITNESS SITUATION WHERE I'M LIKE, Y - THEY USUALLY DIMINISH THE VIOLENCE THAT'S HAPPENED TO THEM.
WE CAN HAVE A HEALTHY DEBATE LATER.
UM, I, I JUST FEEL IT'S, IT'S NECESSARY TO, TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT OUT LOUD.
IN MY EXPERIENCE IN THIS WORK, VICTIMS TYPICALLY MINIMIZE THE VIOLENCE, AND I'M GETTING A LOT OF HEAD SHAKING.
UM - I WOULD DEFINITELY AGREE WITH THAT.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO, TO, UH, IT'S BEEN SOME CONTENTION WITH, SOMETIMES WITH, UH, OTHER SYSTEMS AROUND THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, UM, TWYLA MENTIONED THE, THE TASK FORCE THAT WAS CREATED, THE CRIMINAL HOMICIDE PREVENTION TASK FORCE, THAT WAS THE TEXAS COUNCIL'S LEGISLATIVE BILL IN THE LAST SESSION, AND IT MEANT THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS TOOK A STRONG STANCE SAYING, "WE NEED TO MAKE THIS A PRIORITY FOR THE LEGISLATURE.
IT IS BEING, UM, ADMINISTERED OUT OF THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, SO IT'S GOT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF, OF, UM, EMPHASIS BEHIND IT.
UM, UH, WE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF NOMINATING SHARI TO, TO SERVE AS ONE OF THE SURVIVOR VOICES, SO THAT, THAT, UM, THAT TASK FORCE IS LOOKING AT THE TOP THREE LETHALITY FACTORS, AND THOSE TOP LE- LE- LETHALITY FACTORS ARE THE THINGS THAT COME IN, COME OUT OF OUR REPORT YEAR, AFTER YEAR, AFTER YEAR.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT STALKING, STRANGULATION, AND FIREARMS ARE THE TOP THREE LETHALITY FACTORS.
WHEN, UM, WHEN I THINK ABOUT, ABOUT HOUSTON PROPER, UM, AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF LOOKING AT THINGS FROM A MACRO PERSPECTIVE, SO I, I DON'T...
AND I, I'M THE OUTSIDER, SO TO SPEAK, IN THIS ROOM.
I FEEL LIKE IT POSITIONS ME DIFFERENTLY.
I CAN TALK ABOUT HARRIS COUNTY AND HOUSTON PROPER IN A MORE CLINICAL WAY.
I, I WILL TELL YOU, I DO NOT, I DO NOT FOR A, FOR A MOMENT, NOT RECOGNIZE THE LEVEL OF GRITTY, DOGGED...
I'LL, I'LL GO TO THE MAT FOR MY VICTIMS ADVOCATES THAT ARE IN HARRIS COUNTY, AND MANY OF THEM ARE SITTING AROUND THE TABLE.
SO I, I, I ALSO, AGAIN, LOOKING AT IT FROM MY MACRO PERSPECTIVE, GET TO LOOK AT YOUR SYSTEMS RESPONSE, AND YOU HAVE GREAT LEADERSHIP, YOU HAVE LEADERS THAT ARE DETERMINED TO IMPROVE THINGS.
IF I COULD OFFER AN ANE- ANECDOTE, I WOULD JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU CREATE SYSTEMS RESPONSE THAT AREN'T TETHERED TO ANY ONE LEADER, BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS
[00:55:01]
IN ALMOST EVERY COMMUNITY, IF SOMETHING IS LED BY THE SHERIFF, NO OFFENSE, UM, SOMETHING IS LED BY THE DA, AND THERE'S A SHIFT IN LEADERSHIP, THAT PRIORITY GO- GOES AWAY.SO CREATE SYSTEMS THAT'S GOING TO OUTLAST THESE AMAZING LEADERS, OKAY? UM, I, I ALSO, YOU KNOW, UH, HAD, HAD THIS WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO SEE TWILA IN, IN CREATIVE MODE WHEN SHE CREATED THE I'M OKAY CAMPAIGN.
AND SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHAT ARE THINGS, LOW LEVEL THINGS THAT WE COULD DO THAT REALLY, UM, MAKES CHANGE AND CAN BE A MARKER OF CHANGE, THAT SIMPLE LITTLE PHRASE, "ARE YOU OKAY?" LETS YOU TOUCH SOMEBODY'S HUMANITY A- AND MORE THAN LIKELY IN A MOMENT THAT THEY MAY NEED IT THE MOST.
SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT ARE PREVENTION STRATEGIES, HOW DO WE AS JUST A COMMUNITY CHECK IN ON EACH OTHER, RIGHT? UM, I WOULD SAY THAT CONTINUED AWARENESS NEEDS TO, UM, GROW.
I FEEL LIKE I'M SITTING IN A ROOM OF PEOPLE AND I'M TALKING TO PEOPLE THAT BELIEVE IN WHAT I BELIEVE IN AND DO WHAT I DO AND, UH, WE'RE SHARED IN MISSION AND PURPOSE, BUT THE GREATER PUBLIC, UM, SHARI, YOUR DAUGHTER, UM, YOU ARE NOT AWARE, WE'RE NOT AWARE OF WHAT THIS ISSUE, HOW, HOW DEVASTATING IT COULD BE, THE REACH THAT IT HAS, AND WHAT REMEDIES AND PROTECTIONS EXIST.
SO WE HAVE TO CONTINUE NOT JUST, UH, MAKING OURSELVES SMARTER ABOUT THE ISSUE, BUT HOW DO WE REACH PEOPLE THAT AREN'T IN THIS ROOM BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T HAD THE EXPERIENCE OR DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING? JUST ON MY UBER RIDE YESTERDAY, THE UBER DRIVER, NICE MAN, HE ASKS ME, "SO WHAT DO YOU DO?" AND I TYPICALLY SAY, "I'M AN ACCOUNTANT." AND, AND I, I REALLY AM, BUT, BUT USUALLY THEY'RE JUST LIKE, "OH, THAT'S REALLY NICE," RIGHT? AND THAT STOPS THE CONVERSATION.
WE, WE TRIED TO GET HER A PROTECTIVE ORDER.
IT, IT IS, IT IS SUCH A CHALLENGING PROCESS.
I COULDN'T GET IT TO MOVE." UH, BY THE WAY, IT WAS NOT IN HARRIS COUNTY, SO, UM, I, I'M, I'M JU - I, I, I'M NOT SAYING IT ISN'T HARD HERE, I'M JUST SAYING MY, MY CONVERSATION WASN'T.
BUT HE WAS IN FEAR BECAUSE HIS DAUGHTER'S BOYFRIEND HAD NOT ONLY MADE SPECIFIC, UH, THREATS OF DEATH AND HARM TO HER, BUT TO HIM AS WELL WHEN, WHEN HE DEFENDED HER.
SO THIS RANDOM INDIVIDUAL THAT'S TAKING ME TO, TO THE AIRPORT, UM, DIDN'T KNOW THAT THERE WAS SUCH A, A, A PLACE TO GET SUPPORT.
SO HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO GROW THAT? THAT WILL BE, THAT WILL BE AN INTERRUPTER OF VIOLENCE AND HOMICIDES.
UM, I ALSO, WHEN, WHEN I LOOK AT, AT HARRIS COUNTY, YOU'VE HAD SOME REMARKABLE, HAVE AND HAVE HAD REMARKABLE LEADERS, POLICY LEADERS.
THEN SENATOR WHITMEYER SPONSORED, SPONSORED MANY OF OUR BILLS.
UH, TURNER CURRENTLY, YOU KNOW, FOLKS LIKE, UH, JOHN HUFFMAN AND, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, JUST A NUMBER OF FOLKS HAVE REALLY CARE ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
SO WHEN I, I THINK ABOUT HARRIS COUNTY AND IN MY ORGANIZATION, WE KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON Y'ALL BECAUSE WE ALWAYS SAY THE WAY HOUSTON GOES, THE REST OF THE CITY, THE REST OF THE STATE WILL FOLLOW.
YOU'RE OUR BIGGEST PETRI DISH THAT WE LOOK AT.
WE WANNA UNDERSTAND THE CONDITIONS THAT ARE HERE THAT, THAT CAN PREVENT VIOLENCE, AND WE WANNA UNDERSTAND THE CONDITIONS THAT ALLOW VIOLENCE TO OCCUR.
SO, UM, TWILA, THE, THIS WAS MY RESPONSE TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT I HEARD, BUT I, YOU MAY HAVE SOME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR ME.
WELL, IT'S GOOD TO HEAR YOU SAY THE WAY, UH, HOUSTON GOES, THE STATE GOES.
THE MAYOR SAYS THAT ALL THE TIME, ODDLY ENOUGH.
I DON'T DARE SAY WHAT I REALLY DO.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU, GLORIA, FOR YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, ALSO TOO, UM, LET ME BACK UP.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE I'M OKAY, ARE YOU OKAY? AND, AND LITERALLY,
[01:00:01]
IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT.AND I THINK THE, IN ALL THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH, YOU KNOW, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WITH, WITH THE NONPROFITS AND JUST, JUST WORKING IN THE SPACE, WHAT IS SO OBVIOUS AND SHOCKING TO ME EVERY SINGLE DAY, AND IF YOU KNOW ME AND IF YOU'VE SAT IN MY OFFICE, YOU HEAR MY SERMON, BUT FOLKS DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY CAN GET HELP.
I SEE OLIVIA RIVERS RIGHT HERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, UM, A YEAR AGO THIS PAST DECEMBER, YOU KNOW, ON A, ON A WEDNESDAY NIGHT, IT'S DURING THE WEEK, IT'S LATE AT NIGHT, I GET A CALL, SOMEONE SAYS, "OH, I, I KNOW YOU WORK IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
THERE'S A MOTHER WITH FOUR CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, OUT ON THE FREEWAY.
THEY'VE BEEN PUT OUT OF A VEHICLE.
THEY'RE OUTSIDE MCDONALD'S." THIS WHOLE BIG STORY, AND I GO INTO, YOU KNOW, MY FIX IT MODE.
AND ONLY BECAUSE I KNEW, BECAUSE I KNOW THE URGENCY OF GETTING THESE, THESE, THESE TWO INFANTS AND, YOU KNOW, FIVE AND SIX YEAR OLD, SIX AND EIGHT YEAR OLD, WHATEVER THEY WERE, OFF THE STREET IS I KNOW WHO TO CALL, RIGHT? AND SO I LITERALLY START CALLING, OH, HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER, NO ROOM.
I MEAN, I START, I CALLED GALVESTON, I CALLED BEAUMONT, OF COURSE FAMILY TIME, BUT I LANDED, THEY LANDED AT THE BRIDGE.
BUT AGAIN, I SAY THAT TO SAY THAT IT'S ONLY BECAUSE I KNEW, AND I CAN LIST THESE AGENCIES, THAT THAT NIGHT AS THE, AT THE BRIDGE WHEN THEY SAID, "WELL, WE'LL HOLD THE BED FOR YOU UNTIL," YOU KNOW, I BECAME A SOCIAL WORKER FOR A MOMENT.
WE'LL GET THEM THERE." THEN I KNOW TO CALL BACK OVER TO HAWK AND THEY CAN GET UBER, THEY HAVE FUNDS TO GET, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I KNOW THE SYSTEMS, RIGHT? AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET MOTHER AND FOUR CHILDREN TO THE BRIDGE BY MIDNIGHT.
I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH HER AND LIKE JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL BE FINE, YOU'LL BE FINE, JUST GET THERE.
BUT I'LL NEVER FORGET TALKING TO THIS, THIS MOTHER.
IT'S AFTER 10 O'CLOCK, I'M TRYING TO PUT THE PIECES, LOCATED THE BED, AND THE, THE, I CAN HEAR THIS LITTLE, LITTLE CHILD IN THE BACKGROUND.
AND I SAID, "PUT HER ON THE PHONE, PUT HER ON THE PHONE." SO SHE GETS, BECAUSE SHE'S MAMA, MAMA, MAMA, YOU KNOW, AND ZOE SAID, "PUT HER ON THE PHONE." SO LITTLE GIRL GETS ON THE PHONE AND SHE SAID, "THANK YOU FOR HELPING US." SHE SAID, "I JUST, WELL, WILL THEY HAVE FOOD WHERE WE'RE GOING?" SHE SAID, "BECAUSE WE'RE HUNGRY." I SAID, "DON'T WORRY, THEY'LL HAVE FOOD." SHE SAID, "AND ALSO TOO, WE'RE COLD." AND I SAID, "DON'T WORRY, YOU'RE GONNA BE FINE." BUT AGAIN, I, I ADMIRE ALL THE WORK THAT SO MANY OF YOU DO EVERY DAY, BUT THE LACK OF AWARENESS AS TO WHAT'S AVAILABLE IS, LIKE, THAT IS A HUGE PIECE OF, OF THE PUZZLE.
UH, IT'S JUST, IT'S SHOCKING THAT IN A CITY THIS SIZE, WE CAN'T DO A BETTER JOB.
AND I SAY THAT WE CAN'T GET A DO - CAN'T DO A BETTER JOB AT GETTING THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE, THERE ARE NEEDS.
UM, GLORIA, SORRY, I DIGRESS OVER.
UH, ABOUT, ON THE 20, ON THE, ON THIS YEAR'S, UH, STATEWIDE REPORT, WHICH IS 2025, OF COURSE WE ALL KNOW THAT, UM, IF VICTIMS REACH OUT AND ARE STILL BEING KILLED, WHERE IS THE BREAKDOWN? JUST A QUICK, W- W- WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE BREAKDOWN? WHERE IS THAT? IT, IT'S A VERY CO- COMPLEX PRO- PROBLEM.
I WOULDN'T HAVE A QUICK RESPONSE, RIGHT? UM, BUT I THINK IT, IT DOES REQUIRE A MULTIFACETED A- APPROACH.
UM, IT'S EXAMINING OUR, UH, OUR ABILITY TO HELP SOMEBODY THAT'S IN DANGER WHEN WE DON'T HAVE CAPACITY.
I DID SEE SOME HEAD SHAKING AROUND, IS IT DIFFICULT TO GET ORDER PROTECTION? LOOK, THERE, THERE'S PROBLEMS IN EVERY SYSTEM.
SO LET'S EXAMINE WHERE THOSE PRESSURE POINTS ARE AND, AND REALLY UNPACK THEM AND NOT DO IT FROM A, A, A POSITION OF LET'S SEE WHAT SYSTEM'S FAILING AND, AND WHO'S TO BLAME, BUT MORE ABOUT HOW DO WE STRENGTHEN THE SYSTEM TO PREVENT HOMICIDE.
AND, UM, AND I, I DEEPLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THAT ARE DOING THAT ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO I KNOW THAT, THAT THERE ARE MA - I, NOTHING IN MY COMMENTS IS TO DIMINISH THE EFFORTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE PUT FORTH.
IT'S ABOUT DOING THAT REFLECTION, INTROSPECTION, AND SAYING, "WHERE IN MY SYSTEM CAN I IMPROVE? BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA FAIL THE NEXT ONE, RIGHT? UM, I'M AN ETERNAL OPTIMIST TOO.
I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN OVERCOME THIS.
I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN RAISE HEALTHY,
[01:05:02]
CONFIDENT YOUNG MEN WITH, UM, HEALTHY MASCULINITY AND, AND CONFIDENT YOUNG WOMEN THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, TAKE THE, TAKE CHARGES UP THE HILL AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE HEALTHY BOUNDARIES ARE.SO I BELIEVE WE CAN CREATE THAT.
SO THAT'S AN INTERRUPTER WAY BEFORE ANYTHING COMPLICATED SHOWS UP.
BUT IT TAKES BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT.
UM, TO, TO THE IMMEDIATE AROUND FATALITY, I, HARRIS COUNTY HAS ONE OF THE STRONGEST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HIGH RISK TEAMS. UM, CONTINUE TO DO THAT WORK, EXPAND THAT WORK TO THE PARTS OF YOUR AREA THAT, THAT CUR- CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE THAT COVERAGE OR AREN'T PARTICIPATING.
UM, WE DO A SEPARATE ANALYSIS ON HIGH RISK TEAMS. CURRENTLY, THE TEXAS COUNCIL IS FUNDING 10 DIFFERENT SITES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS TO IMPLEMENT HIGH RISK TEAMS, UM, IN, IN THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES.
AND THE DATA'S TELLING US THIS IS WORKING.
THE DATA IS TELLING US, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OVER 500, UH, VICTIMS THAT WERE ABLE TO, TO HAVE THEIR SAFETY AMPLIFIED BECAUSE THE SYSTEM WAS CENTERING THEIR SAFETY ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO CONTINUE TO, CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
UM, CHRISTINE AND I WERE TALKING EARLIER BEFORE, BEFORE THE EVENT STARTED.
AND I'M, I'M GONNA ALSO GONNA REFLECT ON, UM, SOMETIMES LONG DISTANCE RUNNERS RUN BACKWARDS, RIGHT? AND THEY DO IT FOR TWO REASONS.
ONE IS TO BUILD A DIFFERENT MUSCLE AND TWO, TO SEE HOW FAR THEY'VE, THEY'VE COME, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK I ENCOURAGE US TO RUN BACKWARDS FOR JUST A SECOND BECAUSE IT'S, IT CAN BE, IT CAN OFFER US A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE IF FOR A SECOND WE SAY WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE.
AND CHRISTINE AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, MY FIRST LEGISLATIVE SESSION AT THE TEXAS COUNCIL ON FAMILY VIOLENCE, THE FIRST BILL THAT WE PASSED WAS TO CHANGE STRANGULATION FROM A MISDEMEANOR TO A FELONY.
AND IT, IT CHANGED THE ENTIRE LANDSCAPE OF, OF, UH, VICTIMS THAT ARE STRANGLED.
SO WHAT IS IT THAT WE NEED TO MAKE AND PRIORITIZE FOR THE BIGGEST SHIFT WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE LEARNED TO DATE? SO IT'S OKAY TO, TO LOOK BACKWARDS FOR A SECOND AND SAY, "WE'VE COME THIS FAR AND WE STILL HAVE A LOT TO DO, SO WHAT OTHER MUSCLES DO WE NEED TO BUILD?" THANK YOU.
I'M GONNA ASK ONE FINAL QUESTION OF EVERYONE.
YOU GOT JUST KIND OF A 30-SECOND ANSWER AND THEN WE'LL TAKE A FEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
AND THEN I KNOW THESE, UH, WONDERFUL MEN TO MY RIGHT NEED TO MOVE ON.
UM, BUT WE'LL HAVE A, ANOTHER ROUND OF Q&A AND CONVERSATION AFTER THIS ONCE WE GATHER LUNCH.
BUT LAST, KIND OF THE LAST QUESTION FOR ALL OF YOU IS, YOU KNOW, IF WE COME BACK A YEAR FROM NOW AND, YOU KNOW, THE ONE MEASURABLE CHANGE THAT, THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO POINT OUT AND SAY, UM, WE MADE A DIFFERENCE, WHAT IS THE ONE THING, IF THERE IS ONE THING THAT WE NEED TO DO DIFFERENTLY? I MEAN, 30 SECONDS.
I'M EVERYBODY'S WORST NIGHTMARE.
I'M A LAWYER AND NOW A POLITICIAN, SO NO CHANCE.
UM, I, I THINK I, I KINDA WANNA FRAME THAT ANSWER IN THE QUESTION YOU ASKED EARLIER ABOUT A MAGIC WAND.
IF WE COULD WAVE A MAGIC WAND IN ONE YEAR, IT WOULD GO VERY MUCH TO WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
I WOULD LIKE THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION TO REALLY GET SERIOUS, AND WE'VE TAKEN STEPS IN GUN SURRENDER AROUND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT ARE CHARGED WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
I MEAN, THE STATISTICS ARE SO ABSOLUTELY BLACK AND WHITE.
WEAPON IN THE HOME, 500% MORE LETHALITY CHANCES.
SOMEONE CHARGED WITH A FELONY, STRANGULATION, A SECOND ASSAULT FAMILY MEMBER, CHILDREN IN THE HOME, LETHALITY SKYROCKETS.
SO BEING ABLE TO HAVE NOT A, ALMOST A, A SUGGESTION OF THE WAY THAT IT'S WRITTEN NOW, AS OPPOSED TO REQUIRING PROSECUTORS, THE JUDICIARY TO, TO REQUIRE THAT THE GUNS BE REMOVED FROM THE HOME, WHEN THAT WAS DONE, SHERIFF GONZALEZ CREATED SPACE IN ANTICIPATION.
I MEAN, THE ROOM WAS MASSIVE, CREATED AN INCREDIBLE SPACE FOR ALL OF THE ANTICIPATED WEAPONS THAT WERE GOING TO BE SURRENDERED DURING IT.
I MEAN, OTHER THAN JUST SOME COCKROACHES,
[01:10:01]
IT JUST WENT UNUSED BECAUSE WE COULDN'T COLLABORATE ACROSS ALL OF THE DIFFERENT GROUPS TO GET IT DONE.WE HAVE TO BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT MAKING IT THE RIGHT WAY WRITTEN AND BY GETTING EVERY STAKEHOLDER ON BOARD FROM THE, THE DEPUTY OR THE POLICE OFFICER THAT SHOWS UP ON SCENE THAT KNOWS THE QUESTIONS TO ASK.
ARE THERE FIREARMS IN THE HOME? WHAT IS THE VI - WHAT IS THE SERIAL NUMBER OF THAT? SHOW ME WHERE THEY ARE SO I CAN SPECIFICALLY LIST THEM.
AND THEN PROSECUTORS CAN SAY, "HERE ARE THE WEAPONS THAT THIS PERSON NEEDS TO SURRENDER PRIOR TO BEING RELEASED." IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE, BUT IF I COULD WAVE A MAGIC WAND, IN ONE YEAR WE COME BACK HERE, IF WE'VE JUST DONE THAT AND WE RE-UTILIZE YOUR ROOM, WE'VE, I, I THINK WE'VE SAVED A NUMBER OF LIVES JUST FROM THAT.
I, I TOO AM GONNA HAVE TO PROBABLY USE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN 30 SECONDS, BUT, UH, JUST A COUPLE THINGS.
UH, WE WERE JUST TALKING A LITTLE BIT, THE DA AND I, BEFORE WE STARTED TALKING HOW TRAGIC IT IS THAT WE'VE SEEN SO MUCH VIOLENCE HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY HERE LOCALLY INVOLVING INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE.
I KNOW HPD, I BELIEVE, HAD ONE THIS WEEK.
UH, THE UBER DRIVER EXAMPLE YOU TALKED ABOUT, UH, IN EAST HARRIS COUNTY, WE HAD THE FATHER THAT WAS MURDERED BY THE ALLEGED ABUSER WHO CAME BACK TO ALSO, ALSO SHOT THE 19-YEAR-OLD EX-GIRLFRIEND.
UH, WE HAD THE, UH, ONE MAYBE A MONTH AGO WHERE, UH, IN THE MORNING, THE, UH, ALLEGED ABUSER, I MEAN, WENT, SHOT THE BROTHER OF THE EX.
UH, HE WAS TRYING TO PROTECT HIS SISTER, SHOT AND KILLED HIM, AND SHOT AND KILLED HER.
AND SO THIS IS JUST WITHIN THE LAST FEW WEEKS, YOU KNOW? UH, THIS IS AN EPIDEMIC.
WE'VE GOTTA CONTINUE TO DO MORE.
WE TALKED ABOUT PREVENTION AND AWARENESS.
I WANNA RECOGNIZE OUR FRIENDLY BELL AS WELL WITH CLEAR CHANNEL, ALWAYS WITH THE BILLBOARDS AND THE CAMPAIGN.
UH, UH, I'M OKAY, ARE YOU OKAY? TREMENDOUS PARTNER.
UM, I'M, LIKE LORI, I'M, I'M AN ETERNAL OPTIMIST.
UH, FOR ME, WHAT GIVES ME THE GREATEST HOPE, UM, A YEAR FROM NOW, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO IS WE ARE BEING VERY, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE VERY DISRUPTIVE WHEN IT COMES TO THIS ISSUE.
UM, WE ARE PRIORITIZING ALL OUR, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ACTIVE WARRANTS.
WE'RE THE HOLDER OF ALL THOSE WARRANTS FOR THE COUNTY.
SO WE'RE MAKING IT OUR TOP PRIORITY.
WE HAVE AN INITIATIVE GOING ON RIGHT NOW THIS WEEK, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DOUBLE DOWN SPECIFICALLY ON THESE OFFENDERS TO MAKE SURE WE GET THEM.
AND WITHOUT DIVULGING TOO MUCH INFORMATION, ONCE WE HAVE THEM, THERE'S INTELLIGENCE WE COULD BE GRABBING WITH.
UH, ARE THERE ACTIVE, UH, PROTECTIVE ORDERS? WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON? WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
ALSO, UNDERSTANDING THAT AS PROTECTIVE ORDERS ARE SET TO EXPIRE, THAT'S A CRITICAL TIME AS WELL.
WE'VE KIND OF DETERMINED THAT, THAT VIOLENCE IS, GOES UP AROUND THAT TIME.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO MAKE IT EASIER.
THIS IS MY BIGGEST TAKEAWAY, IS, UM, IN POLICING, AND THIS IS BEYOND JUST THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE.
WE'VE DESIGNED TOO MANY ISSUES AROUND THE, FROM THE INSIDE OUT.
FRANKLY, WHAT'S, HOW DOES IT, HOW IS IT CONVENIENT FOR US FIRST? AND THEN WITHOUT REGARD OF HOW IT HELPS THE SURVIVOR AND ABUSERS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE PROCESS SIMPLER FOR THEM, MORE EFFECTIVE.
AND SO AT MY HIGHEST LEVEL, AT THE EXECUTIVE LEVEL, UH, MY LATEST ADDITION TO OUR TEAM IS SOMEBODY THAT'S VERY WELL RESPECTED IN THIS COMMUNITY IN THIS BIT.
SONIA CORALES, UH, WE LIKE, YEP.
UM, SHE'S, UH, SHE'S MY DIRECTOR FOR VICTIM STRATEGY, A DIRECT REPORT TO ME, AND SHE KNOWS I'VE GIVEN HER A SIMPLE TASK.
GO AND LOOK AT EVERY VICTIM OF CRIME OUT THERE.
WE HAVE TO BE STRATEGIC, BUT LOOK AT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, LOOK AT A SEXUAL ASSAULT, LOOK AT THE WHOLE PROCESS AND SEE HOW CAN WE MAKE IT MORE EFFECTIVE FOR THEM.
NOT FOR US, NOT FOR OUR DETECTIVES, NOT, YOU KNOW, AND THE OTHER THING TOO, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE SYSTEM STRUGGLES WITH, IT'S TOO FRAGMENTED.
YOU KNOW, A PERSON HAS TO GO HERE FOR A, A, A, AND I COMMEND YOU FOR LOOKING FOR SATELLITE SPACES.
LET'S MAKE IT EASIER FOR THEM, NOT FOR US.
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE EVENINGS? WHAT HAPPENS ON THE WEEKENDS? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE IT CONVENIENT FOR THEM.
NOT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE BASED ON FACTS AND WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT LET'S MAKE IT MORE CONVENIENT.
UH, TOO MANY SILOS, AGAIN, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE WORKING AS, WE HAVE TO WORK AS A SYSTEM.
I SAID EARLIER THAT WE LOOK AT THE INCIDENT.
WE NEED TO CONNECT THE DOTS FROM THE POINT THE CALL TAKE, UH, TAKER TAKES THAT INFORMATION, WHAT ARE WE LEARNING FROM THERE? WHAT ARE THE SIGNS ALREADY OF POTENTIAL RISK? YOU KNOW, PERTE - PERHAPS USING TECHNOLOGY FOR SOME OF THAT AI TO CAPTURE SOME OF THAT MASSIVE VOLUME OF THE, THE CALL VOLUMES THAT WE RECEIVE, AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT ALL PARTS ARE CONNECTED.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE COURTS, WE HAVE THE DA'S
[01:15:01]
OFFICE, WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF, UH, JURISDICTIONS, 80 PLUS IN HARRIS COUNTY ALONE.AND THE SYSTEMS DON'T ALWAYS COMMUNICATE.
AND I DON'T MEAN LEADERS, I MEAN THE SYSTEMS. IT, WE MAY NOT KNOW THAT FIRST CALL.
WE MAY SEE IT AS AN INITIAL INCIDENT, BUT BY GOLLY, THAT SECOND AND THIRD AND FOURTH CALL, WE BETTER HAVE IDENTIFIED THE, THE PATTERN AND NOT SEE IT AS A, UH, ONE SINGLE CALL AGAIN.
WE NEED TO HAVE IDENTIFIED THAT THERE'S A PATTERN THERE.
AND HOW WE COULD INTERRUPT THAT CYCLE I THINK WILL BE A CATALYSTIC, IF THAT'S THE RIGHT WORD, CHANGE IN HOW WE APPROACH THIS ISSUE.
WE COULD MAKE TREMENDOUS ISSUE.
WE'RE GONNA BE REALLY DOUBLING DOWN ON, ON PROACTIVELY, NOT JUST WAITING FOR SOMEBODY TO CALL AND GET A CALL FOR SERVICE AND SAY, "I THINK MY EX IS STALKING ME AND TRYING TO REPORT A VIOLATION OF A PROTECTIVE ORDER.
WE NEED TO BE ASKING FROM TIME TO TIME, ARE YOU OKAY? IS THERE, ARE THERE ANY ISSUES?"BECAUSE THE PERSON SAYS, "WELL, HE'S KIND OF BEEN HANGING AROUND." THAT'S A CLUE RIGHT THERE.
THAT'S A POTENTIAL VIOLATION, VIOLATION OF PRO - LET'S GET THAT FILED.
LET'S WORK ON THAT SAFETY PLAN AND LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE DA TO THROW THE BOOK AT THEM AND IF THE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS AND MAKE SURE THEY GO AND SPEND TIME IN TDC AND, AND WE TAKE, UH, TAKE CHARGE OF THIS.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN A YEAR FROM NOW.
AND, UM, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY.
BUT THAT IS A QUESTION I USED TO ASK CHILDREN ALL THE TIME.
I'VE REPRESENTED HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN IN CUSTODY CASES.
I DID CPS WORK FIRST, UH, WHEN I FIRST BECAME A LAWYER.
AND WHEN I ASK CHILDREN IN A DIVORCE CASE, WHAT WOULD, IF YOU HAD A MAGIC WAND, YOU NEVER ASK THEM WHERE THEY WANNA LIVE, YOU JUST ASK THEM ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES.
IF YOU HAD A MAGIC WAND, WHAT WOULD YOU MAKE HAPPEN? AND I BET EVERY ONE OF YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT THEY WOULD SAID.
I'D MAKE MOM AND DAD GET BACK TOGETHER AGAIN.
I'VE NEVER HAD A CHILD SAY, UN- UNLESS THEY'RE AN OLDER TEENAGER, I WANT MY PARENTS TO GET DIVORCED.
BUT, UH, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS, AND, AND I SEE THIS DIFFERENTLY THAN, THAN EVERYONE ELSE HERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'M IN THE BUSINESS OF, OF ENDING MARRIAGES OR TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO GET ALONG FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR CHILDREN, AND I DO TRULY CARE ABOUT THOSE, THOSE CHILDREN.
AND THE CHILDREN ARE ALWAYS GONNA BE AFFECTED BY THEIR PARENTS' ACTIONS.
SO THE, SOME OF THE THINGS I ASK THE MOM IS, "ARE YOU TRYING TO RAISE A SON WHO'S GONNA BE A CHILD ABU - UH, BE A SPOUSE ABUSER? DO YOU WANT YOUR SON ACTING THIS WAY?" AND I TELL THEM, "DO YOU WANT YOUR DAUGHTER TO MARRY A MAN OR GET WITH A MAN THAT YOU ARE WITH RIGHT NOW? COULD YOU IMAGINE YOUR DAUGHTER GOING THROUGH THIS?" THEY WILL ALL SAY NO, BUT FOR A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE, IT'S FINANCIAL TOO.
THE WIFE IS GETTING $8 MILLION AND SHE THINKS SHE'S GONNA BE LIVING UNDER A BRIDGE.
THEY DON'T THINK THEY CAN DO IT WITHOUT THEM.
AND I'VE REPRESENTED WOMEN WHO COULD SUPPORT THEMSELVES WHO WOULD NOT LEAVE THEIR ABUSER BECAUSE HE SAID, "YOU'RE NOT GONNA AMOUNT TO ANYTHING WITHOUT ME." AND IT'S A MINDSET.
SO WE GOTTA CHANGE THE MINDSET OF THE VICTIMS TOO.
UH, TAKE THE WEAPONS AWAY, CHANGE THE MINDSET OF THE VICTIMS. AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THE KIDS ARE CRYING BECAUSE THEY WANNA SEE DAD.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I DON'T SEE DAD ABUSE MOM EVERY DAY, BUT IT'S THERE AND, AND WE ALL BECOME OUR PARENTS IN THE END, I THINK.
YOU KNOW, I, I SEE MYSELF AND, AND MY MOTHER AND ME, AND I, WHEN YOU, THE FIRST TIME YOU HEAR YOUR MOTHER'S WORDS COMING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH, IT IS A SHOCK.
AND, AND I JUST CONSIDER MYSEL-SELF VERY LUCKY THAT I NEVER HAD TO DEAL WITH ANY OF THAT IN MY LIFE.
I DEAL WITH IT EVERY DAY IN MY LIFE NOW.
BUT I THINK IT'S A MINDSET THAT WE HAVE TO WORK ON THAT MINDSET OF THE WOMEN, THAT YOU CAN DO IT, YOU HAVE TO GET OUT, DON'T RAISE ANOTHER CHILD, UH, ANOTHER, UH, SPOUSE ABUSER.
DON'T RAISE YOUR DAUGHTER TO BE ABUSED BECAUSE SHE'S GONNA THINK, "IT'S OKAY.
THAT'S THE WAY MY DAD DID IT." AND MOM T - KEPT TAKING HIM BACK.
THA'S THE WAY THEY EXPRESS LOVE.
SO I SEE IT AS EDUCATION OF NOT ONLY THE, THE PARENTS AND THE CHILDREN AND THE LEGAL SYSTEM.
AND, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SOLVE THE LEGAL SYSTEM.
IT'S NOTHING THAT I, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY CAN SOLVE.
I THINK MINE GOES BACK TO EDUCATION BECAUSE WE SEE SO MANY TEENAGERS THAT HAVE NO IDEA WHAT ALL THESE TERMS MEAN.
THEY HEAR INTIMIDATION, THEY HEAR THREATENED, THEY, THEY HEAR ALL THESE WORDS, BUT THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS
[01:20:01]
LIKE IN REAL LIFE.AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO START IN GRADE SCHOOL AS BULLYING BECAUSE THAT JUST DEVELOPS INTO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
WE HAVE EVERYONE IN EVERY HOUSEHOLD KNOWS 911.
THEY KNOW THAT'S THE NUMBER THEY CALL IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY.
EVERY HOUSEHOLD NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT NUMBER THEY CALL IF THERE'S ANY SIGNS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
THEY NEED TO KNOW WHAT RESOURCES THEY'RE AVAILABLE.
UM, AND SO I THINK IT'S, IT JUST GOES BACK TO EDUCATION.
I, I THINK HARRIS COUNTY SPECIFICALLY, WE NEED TO, UM, IMPROVE THE TURNAWAY RATE AND WHATEVER STRATEGY IT, IT IS THAT WE NEED TO DEPLOY, UM, I, I, THAT WOULD BE MINE, THAT WE WOULD COME BACK NEXT YEAR AND THAT YOUR, THE DECLINE DUE TO CAPACITY PERCENTAGE WAS AT 92%, EVEN IF WE ONLY INCR - I- INCREASE IT BY 10%.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, UH, THIS IS MY SECOND QUESTION AND SHARI AND I WERE IN THE ROOM ON THE HOMICIDE PREVENTION TASK FORCE.
THE LAST SURVIVOR VOICE WAS THAT OF A WOMAN NAMED MARIAH GARDNER WHO SURVIVED A NEAR LETHAL ATTACK, WAS SHOT MULTIPLE TIMES, FIVE TIMES IN FACT, THE LAST TIME TO HER FACE.
HER INFANT DAUGHTER, UH, DID NOT SURVIVE THE ATTACK.
HER TODDLER DAUGHTER, UM, HAD SIGNIFICANT SERIOUS INJURIES AND A LONG RECOVERY.
SO THE STORY WAS REALLY HARD FOR THE TASK FORCE TO HEAR.
BUT THE, THE LASTING IMPRESSION THAT SHE MADE UPON ME THAT I, IT HAD NEVER CROSSED MY MIND WAS I HAD TO GO DOWN TO MEET WITH THE PROSECUTORS MULTIPLE TIMES AS THE CASE WAS COMING UP, AND IT WAS POSTPONED MULTIPLE TIMES.
AND I HAD TO TELL MY STORY SO MANY TIMES UNTIL I THREW UP.
AND WHAT SHE SAID WAS, "I HA - I HAD TO PAY $12 FOR PARKING.
I WASN'T WORKING AND I DIDN'T HAVE $12 TO PAY FOR PARKING." SO AS WE SERVE, UH, PEOPLE IN NEED, EVEN THAT SIMPLE QUESTION FOR HER, THAT $12 ALMOST BROKE HER.
SO MY WISH WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD BE A LITTLE MORE ATTUNED.
WE'RE ALREADY DOING GOOD THINGS AND WE, WE KNOW WHAT TO ASK.
I WOULD HAVE NEVER ASKED ABOUT, "DO YOU HAVE THE $12 TO PAY FOR PARKING?" I, I, I REMEMBER THAT STORY, BUT I ALSO REMEMBERED SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT ABOUT THAT STORY TWO YEARS AGO AT THE TEXAS TRIBUNE LAST YEAR.
AND, UH, WITHOUT GOING INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL, BUT THIS STICKS WITH ME.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU SEE THIS YOUNG LADY AND SHE LOOKS LIKE SHE HAS AN A CARE IN THE WORLD AND SHE STARTS TALKING AND SHE STARTED TALKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND HER CHILDREN.
AND SHE, I WILL NEVER FORGET, SHE SAID, "YEAH." SHE SAID, UM, "I HAD TO HAVE THE SIGNATURE OF MY HUSBAND AT THE TIME, HER, THE MURDER OF THEIR CHILD, AND SHE HAD TO HAVE HIS SIGNATURE IN ORDER TO HAVE THE CHILD'S BODY, UH, PROCESSED TO BE BURIED, AND HE WAS IN JAIL." REMEMBER THAT? I WAS JUST LIKE, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE LEGAL SYSTEM?" BUT ANYWAY, THERE'S SO MANY CHANGES THAT, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ALL SEE IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND, AND CHRISTINE, YOU SAID THAT YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE THINGS THE, THE SAME WAY AS ALL OF US.
WE ALL SEE IT DIFFERENTLY, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALL HERE, BECAUSE I THINK IT TAKES, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE, EVERYONE SPEAKING UP AND SPEAKING OUT AND WITH A PERSPECTIVE TO COME TOGETHER TO DO, TO DO THE GOOD WORK THAT'S, TO, TO DO THE GOOD WORK THAT'S BEING DONE REALLY WELL.
AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR, FOR THE SURVIVORS, FOR THE VICTIMS, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, BEHIND EVERY STATISTIC, IT'S A, IT'S AN INDIVIDUAL.
IT'S A, IT'S A, A MOTHER, A, A FATHER, A CHILD, A DAUGHTER, A SON, YOU KNOW, AND IT REALLY TAKES ASKING THAT ONE QUESTION, "ARE YOU OKAY?" LIKE, "I'M OKAY.
ARE YOU OKAY?" UM, AND I THINK THAT IT, I, I THINK OF YOU ALL THE TIME AND THAT, YOU KNOW, 70%, UNLESS THE NUMBERS CHANGE, 70% OF ALL CALLS MADE TO LAW ENFORCEMENT IN HARRIS COUNTY ARE FAMILY VIOLENCE, 70%.
AND I, I SPEAK A LOT ON FAMILY VIOLENCE, AND USUALLY I LEAD WITH THAT, AND I GIVE YOU CREDIT FOR IT BECAUSE
[01:25:01]
I LEARNED THAT FROM YOU, ALTHOUGH IT'S A TERRIBLE STATISTIC.UM, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S SO MUCH WORK TO BE DONE, AND THERE'S, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S LEVEL OF INTEREST.
WE'LL TAKE A FEW QUESTIONS AND THEN BREAK FOR LUNCH AND, UH, YOU KNOW, GO, COME BACK AND, AND EXPLORE SOME PREVENTION TOPICS AND ALL FURTHER.
UM, WHOSE QUESTIONS FROM THE...
WE NEED, NEED SOMEBODY WITH A MIC HERE.
MY NAME IS AMY SMITH, AND I'M WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COORDINATING COUNCIL.
AND FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK BOTH, UH, SEAN AND ED.
UM, I CAN CALL YOU THAT BECAUSE I'VE KNOWN Y'ALL FOREVER, UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS FOR A LONG TIME.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK SEAN FOR, UH, KEEPING MARY, UM, AS YOU'RE, AND MAKING IT A BUREAU, AND THE IN - AND THE INVESTMENT THAT YOU'VE DONE WITH THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HIGH RISK TEAM, UM, AS, UM, AND WE'VE EXPANDED IT.
UM, YOU'VE GIVEN US SOME MONEY, SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, ED, UM, WE WOULDN'T HAVE A GUN SURRENDER WITHOUT YOU.
UH, WE APPLIED FOR A, A VOCA GRANT AND WE WERE APPROVED BY HCAC, BUT WE WERE TURNED DOWN AT THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.
YOU SAID, "HEY, WE'RE DOING IT ANYWAY." SO WE DO HAVE A GUN SURRENDER.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S ONLY IN THE 280TH PROTECTIVE ORDER COURT.
SO IF YOU GO TO GET A PROTECTIVE ORDER AND THERE'S GUNS INVOLVED, THEN THEY ARE SURRENDERED.
YOUR STAFF HAS DONE AMAZING, UH, JOB, UM, GETTING THAT DONE, SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
THE LAST THING I WILL SAY IS THAT WE ARE SO GRATEFUL TO HARRIS COUNTY'S COMMISSIONER'S COURT BECAUSE THEY HAVE PUT A LINE ITEM IN THEIR BUDGET FOR THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ASSISTANCE FUND, WHICH IS A FLEXIBLE FUNDING, UH, AVAILABLE.
WE HAVE 19 PARTNERS THAT WE DISPERSE THE MONEY TO FOR FLEXIBLE FUNDING.
I THINK LOTS OF THEM ARE HERE TODAY, UM, THAT WE CAN, UH, GIVE THAT MONEY TO.
SO MY WISH IS THAT, HEY, MAYBE THE CITY CAN POP IN SOME MONEY, UH, FOR THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ASSISTANCE FUND AS WELL.
AND THEN, UM, WITH COMMISSIONER BRONIS AND, UH, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, NEW PILOT PROJECT IN PRECINCT FOUR IS GOING TO BE AN AMAZING, UH, AMAZING PROJECT, AND WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THAT GOING ON.
I AM A SOCIAL WORK INTERN AT HOUSTON AREA WOMEN'S CENTER, COMING FROM TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY.
UM, AND MY QUESTION WAS, IS THEN FROM MS. CHRISTINE BECAUSE SHE HAD SAID SHE DOESN'T LIKE PROTECTIVE ORDERS.
AND IT WAS, ANYBODY CAN ANSWER IT, BUT MY QUESTION WAS, WHAT, IS THERE AN ALTERNATIVE TO PROTECTIVE ORDERS THAT CAN MAKE, LIKE, A LASTING IMPACT OR EFFECT? WELL, I THINK PROTECTIVE ORDERS ARE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY IN CIRCUMSTANCES.
UM, Y - I, I, I'VE DONE THOSE FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND, AND AT THE BEGINNING OF MY CAREER, WE DIDN'T DO PROTECTIVE ORDERS BECAUSE THE, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS HESITANT TO FILE CHARGES BECAUSE THEY ANTICIPATED THAT THE VICTIMS WERE ALWAYS GONNA BACK OUT.
AND I REMEMBER AT THE FIR - AND WHEN I WAS A BABY LAWYER, I'D TELL VICTIMS WOULD COME IN AND THEY'D SAY, "OH, MY HU - I THINK MY HUSBAND'S ABUSIVE." AND I HAD THE MINDSET AT THAT TIME THAT EVERYBODY SAYS THAT.
NOBODY, NOBODY, THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING.
THEY MAY THREATEN YOU, BUT THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO ANYTHING.
WELL, WE ALL KNOW THAT IS TRUE.
I WAS SO STUPID WHEN I WAS A BABY LAWYER.
I PRAC - STARTED PRACTICING IN 79 BEFORE YOU WERE BORN, A LONG TIME BEFORE YOU WERE BORN.
A- AND OUR FAMILY CODE, WHICH IS NOW THIS BIG, WAS ABOUT THIS BIG, A- AND THEY HAD JUST ADOPTED THE FAMILY CODE, I THINK IT WAS IN 1974, SO FIVE YEARS BEFORE I STARTED PRACTICING LAW IS WHEN THEY CODIFIED THE FAMILY LAW.
UH, SO FAMILY LAW'S CHANGED OVER THE YEARS.
PROTECTIVE ORDERS IN HARRIS COUNTY ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN THEY ARE IN OTHER COUNTIES BECAUSE TEXAS, UH, HARRIS COUNTY HAS THAT DESIGNATED PROTECTIVE ORDER COURT THAT THE PROTECTIVE ORDERS HAVE TO BE FILED IN.
YOU HAVE TO USE THEIR FORMS. I, I DON'T LIKE, I DON'T DO PROTECTIVE ORDERS WHEN I, WHAT I, WHAT I MEAN IS I PRO - I PROSECUTE THEM SOMETIMES.
NORMALLY, THE DA'S OFFICE DOES THAT NOW, SO I DON'T HAVE TO FILE A PRIVATE PROTECTIVE ORDER, BUT I CAN IF I WANTED TO.
UM, AND I DON'T LIKE DEFENDING THEM BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE, I DON'T LIKE THE VIOLENCE THAT GOES ON.
I DON'T LIKE THE KIDS BEING INVOLVED IN IT.
UM, NO, I THINK THEY'RE NECESSARY.
SO IF YOU THOUGHT THAT I DON'T LIKE THEM BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA DO THEM, I DON'T WANNA DO THEM BECAUSE IT'S, UH, IT'S ALWAYS VERY EMOTIONALLY CHARGED.
IT'S ALWAYS VERY FACT-INTENSIVE.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, EVERYBODY NOW HAS THE BEST EVIDENCE INSTRUMENT ON THEIR PERSON, AND THAT IS YOUR CELL PHONE.
I CAN'T TELL YOU IN JUST RECENTLY HOW MANY, HOW MANY ALLEGATIONS AND CASES THAT I'VE JUST DONE THE LAST TWO WEEKS
[01:30:01]
WHERE WE'VE GOT 15 RING CAMERA VIDEOS.WE'VE GOT, UH, VIDEOS FROM THE CELL PHONES, AND NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S ACTUALLY GOOD EVIDENCE BECAUSE NOW WE'VE GOT AI.
AND SO IT JUST LE - IT JUST GIVES A WHOLE NEW LEVEL TO LAW ENFORCEMENT, TO MY JOB.
SO I HOPE THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.
MY NAME IS MS. BLACKWELL, AND I DO DO A LOT OF VOLUNTEER WORK, A LOT OF COMMUNITY WORK.
AND, UH, WHAT I HAVE IS I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION, I JUST HAVE A COMMENT.
I LIKE THE WAY YOU WERE MENTIONING ABOUT THE GUN LEGISLATOR, TRYING TO GET A HANDLE ON THAT.
AND I LIKE THE WAY YOU MENTIONED ABOUT WHEN PEOPLE ARE MAKING PHONE CALLS ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, TRYING TO GET BEHIND THE SCENES, TRYING TO STOP IT IN ITS TRACKS, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON REGARDING THAT.
AND THEN FOR YOU, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF ABUSE, BUT IT'S INTERESTING YOU MENTIONED ABOUT FINANCIAL ABUSE.
I WAS LIKE, "OOH, THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING." AND THEN FOR YOU, YOU HAD MEN- MENTIONED ABOUT, UM, YOUR DAUGHTER DIDN'T WANT TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON AND SHE WAS GOING TO OUTSIDE PEOPLE TO GET ADVICE.
AND IT WAS INTERESTING HOW THE OUTSIDE PEOPLE THAT SHE WENT TO, NONE OF THEM FOR SOME REASON DIDN'T REFER TO SAYING, "YOU NEED TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE YOUR MOM KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON." AND THEN WHEN IT MENTIONED, AND THEN FOR THE LAST, YOU HAD MENTIONED, UM, HARRIS COUNTY.
THEY MAY NOT BE PERFECT, BUT, UH, I LIKE THE WAY THEY ARE STRIVING TO TRY TO SOLVE AND TACKLE THE ISSUES.
HARRIS COUNTY IS REALLY DOING IT.
GOOD, GOOD MORNING STILL, I THINK.
UH, MY NAME IS LAURA ZAVALA MEMBRENO.
I SERVE AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE ANTI-VIOLENCE PROGRAM AT THE MONTROSE CENTER HERE WITH SOME BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE ON MY TEAM.
AND OUR EXPERTISE IS IN SERVING LGBTQ SURVIVORS.
I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS TODAY THAT HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED, UH, MEN AND WOMEN AT DIFFERENT POINTS DURING COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE.
AND RESPECTFULLY, I'VE ALSO HEARD SOME COMMENTS MADE THAT CONTINUE TO PUSH THE IDEA THAT MEN ARE ABUSERS AND WOMEN ARE VICTIMS. AND WE KNOW THAT ANYONE CAN BE AN ABUSER, ANYONE CAN BE A VICTIM.
AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT OUR MALE SURVIVORS CAN BE ESPECIALLY HESITANT TO COME FORWARD BECAUSE OF IDEAS ABOUT MASCULINITY.
OUR LGBTQ SURVIVORS CAN BE HESITANT TO COME FORWARD OUT OF FEAR OF NOT BEING BELIEVED.
AND TRANS SURVIVORS ARE HESITANT TO COME FORWARD BECAUSE OF FEARS AROUND THEIR BASIC DIGNITY BEING RESPECTED.
AND SO MY QUESTION, UM, TO ALL OF YOU AND, AND MY THANKS FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION ON THIS PANEL IS WHAT CAN WE DO AS AN ECOSYSTEM SUPPORTING SURVIVORS TO LET ALL SURVIVORS KNOW REGARDLESS OF THEIR IDENTITIES, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL CONCERNS AROUND THEIR IDENTITIES, KNOW THAT HELP IS OUT HERE FOR THEM TOO, BEYOND REACHING OUT TO THE MONTREAL CENTER, OF COURSE.
UM, I'LL, I'LL ADDRESS THAT ONE JUST KIND OF AS A, YOU KNOW, CHRISTINE MENTIONED, OH, UH, MINDSET, MINDSET.
AND, UM, AWARENESS OF RESOURCES, BUT MINDSET.
YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE MINDSET OF AN INDIVIDUAL WHO DOESN'T WANT TO SEEK HELP BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID OF THIS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE REASONS YOU'VE DESCRIBED, RIGHT? WHETHER THAT'S DIGNITY, WHETHER IT'S MASCULINITY, WHAT, IT'S A MINDSET.
I CAN'T LEAVE BECAUSE FINANCIALLY I CAN'T.
AND SO I THINK AWARENESS AND EDUCATION EQUALS PREVENTION.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S ANY ONE AUDIENCE.
IT'S THE ENTIRE TOPIC, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE CAN'T DECIDE HOW WE CHANGE A MINDSET, YOU CHANGE THE MINDSET THAT, THAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, FAMILY VIOLENCE, RELATIONSHIP VIOLENCE IS NOT OKAY.
REGARDLESS OF WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW, IT'S NOT OKAY.
AND THAT STARTS IN, IN SOME CASES, STARTS HERE.
I JUST WANNA ADD THAT OUR REPORT DOES, UH, OUT OF THE 160 TEXANS THAT WERE KILLED, IT IDENTIFIES THAT NINE WERE LGBTQ, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND SO WE'D LIFT THEIR STORIES EQUALLY TO ANY OTHERS.
UM, OUR REPORT STILL IDENTIFIES WOMEN AS, AS DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED THROUGH INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE STOP SERVING ANYONE.
IT JUST MEANS, UM, YOU ELEVATE, UH, AGAIN, THE CONTEXT THAT TWILA JUST SAID, UH, INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE, PERIOD.
I, I HAVE TO SAY, I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT A LOT OF TIMES, I, I KNOW THAT W- WOMEN ARE VICTIMS MORE TIMES THAN MEN, BUT I'VE
[01:35:01]
REPRESENTED MEN BEFORE THAT HAVE BEEN VICTIMIS - VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.AND A LOT OF TIMES, I'M GONNA TELL YOU, THE COMBAT IS MUTUAL.
THE WOMEN ARE, ARE, ARE ARGUING WITH THE MEN, THE MEN ARE ARGUING WITH THE WOMEN, AND, AND SOMEHOW IT GETS OUT OF CONTROL AND MUTUAL PUNCHES ARE BEING THROWN OR SOMETHING'S HAPPENING.
BUT JUST PHYSICALLY, IN THE MAJORITY OF CASES, WOMEN ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO INFLICT THE DAMAGE THAT CAN BE DONE ON, ON WOMEN THAT, THAT WOMEN ARE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO, TO FIGHT BACK UNLESS THEY'VE GOT A GUN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT A DIFFERENT SCENARIO.
SO I THINK IT'S TEACHING MUTUAL RESPECT BETWEEN THE PARTIES THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT...
I JUST HAD A VIDEO PLAYED IN COURT LAST WEEK WHERE THE WIFE IS SCREAMING, "F YOU," TO THE HUSBAND LIKE A THOUSAND TIMES.
IT'S JUST GOING ON AND ON AND ON, AND SHE IS NOT BACKING DOWN.
AND THEN THE VIOLENCE STARTED HAPPENING AND PUNCHES ARE GETTING THROWN.
SO I, I THINK PART OF THE MINDSET IS KNOWING WHEN TO WALK AWAY AND SEEK THE, SEEK THESE OTHER SERVICES SO THAT YOU'RE NOT EXPOSING YOURSELF TO THIS, THIS, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST HAVE TO WALK AWAY AND SAY, "I'LL DEAL WITH THIS LATER.
CALM DOWN, WALK AWAY, CALM DOWN." AND, AND I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT I, I TELL MY CLIENTS IS DON'T EVER ENGAGE IN THAT.
IF THERE IS, IS CONFLICT GOING ON AT YOUR HOUSE, PUNCHES ARE BEING THROWN, CURSE WORDS ARE BEING THROWN AROUND.
FIRST OF ALL, YOUR KIDS ARE LISTENING TO THAT MORE THAN LIKELY.
AND WHAT ARE THEY THINKING? AND, AND SECONDLY, YOU HAVE A, AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEESCALATE ALSO.
AND I TELL MY MALE CLIENTS, IF THINGS ARE GETTING OUT OF CONTROL, YOU BE THE GUY THAT WALKS AWAY AND GET OUT OF THE HOUSE.
AND WITH WOMEN, IT'S THE SAME WAY.
EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THE HOUSE AND STAY AWAY, I CAN GET YOU BACK IN THE HOUSE.
YOU'RE NOT GIVING UP ANY RIGHTS TO YOUR HOUSE OR YOUR KIDS.
YOU'RE JUST SAVING THE FAMILY VIOLENCE.
CALL THE POLICE, IS THE FIRST WORD I GIVE, THE FIRST ADVICE I GIVE THEM.
IF SOMETHING'S OUT OF CONTROL, SOMETHING'S HAPPENING, CALL THE POLICE.
BUT I'M GONNA, I WARN THEM TOO, THAT THE, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, THE COPS ARE GONNA KNOW HOW MANY TIMES THEY'VE BEEN TO YOUR HOUSE AND THEY'RE GONNA SEE A REPEATED PATTERN.
AND THEN PRETTY SOON THEY'RE GONNA SAY, "NEXT TIME WE COME OUT HERE, SOMEBODY'S GONNA GO TO JAIL." AND THEY DO THAT.
SO DEESCALATE, GET AWAY, AND, AND, AND DON'T BE COMBATIVE.
THAT'S WHAT I TELL MY CLIENTS.
THAT WE'RE GONNA RESOLVE THIS EVENTUALLY, HOPEFULLY THROUGH THE COURT, BUT THERE ARE THOSE CASES THAT YOU CAN'T RESOLVE THROUGH THE COURT.
I, I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT W - AGAIN, A LOT WE CONTINUE TO LEARN.
I THINK LORI HAS SAID A GREAT EXAMPLE OF SOMETIMES WE WALK BACKWARDS AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE I KNOW EVEN NOW SOME STATES THAT HAVE MANDATORY ARRESTS, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY'RE STARTING TO AT LEAST LOOK AT THE DATA TO UNDERSTAND HAS IT HAD ITS INTENDED EFFE - THE, THE INTENDED EFFECT.
BECAUSE SOMETIMES IT CAN HAVE CHILLING CIRCUMSTANCE BECAUSE A PERSON SAYS, "WAIT A MINUTE, I'M GETTING ARRESTED TOO BECAUSE OF MUTUAL COMBAT.
WHY WOULD SHE CALL NEXT TIME?" RIGHT? AND SO WE'VE GOTTA BE REAL CAREFUL ON THAT.
AND ALSO, WHAT WAS THAT CASE, A HIGH PROFILE CASE THAT HAPPENED IN ARIZONA WHERE THE YOUNG LADY WAS STOPPED? YES, THAT ONE.
YOU KNOW, THEY INTERVIEWED HER FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND AT FIRST IN THE INTERVIEWING OF HER, IT SEEMS LIKE SHE WAS SOMEWHAT FEELING LIKE, "WELL, MAYBE IT WAS MY FAULT." YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE UNDERSTANDING THOSE CUES IS SO IMPORTANT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TO GET BETTER AT THAT BECAUSE SHE WAS MURDERED BY HER ABUSER, WHAT, A MONTH LATER OR SOMETHING? YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOTTA LEARN FROM THAT.
I, I SPOKE TO HER STEPFATHER WHO'S NOW WORKING TO TRY TO EDUCATE LAW ENFORCEMENT, ALL THOSE THINGS.
WE HAVE TO BE JUST VERY CAREFUL HOW, HOW WE, BECAUSE WHY WOULD THEY CALL AGAIN IF IT'S A THREAT OF, "WELL, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA GET ARRESTED NEXT TIME BECAUSE I CALLED." AND WE HAVE TO ALSO BE MINDFUL.
WE TALKED ABOUT LOOKING AT THE CUES.
MAYBE, YES, MAYBE THIS TIME, AND, AND I'M USING WOM- WOMEN IN GENERAL, RIGHT, BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF CASES WE DO SEE, BUT THIS IS ACROSS THE BOARD.
I'M JUST SAYING IT IN GENERAL, BUT LET'S JUST SAY SHE'S YELLING AND SCREAMING, "YEAH, BECAUSE SHE'S FINALLY HAD ENOUGH." AND NOW SHE'S SPEAKING UP.
AND, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE'VE GOTTA BE CAREFUL NOW THAT WE LOOK AT THE PATTERNS AND SAY, "YEAH, SHE'S CRYING OUT FOR HELP NOW, PERHAPS." RIGHT? AND SO WE'VE GOTTA BE REAL CAREFUL ON SOME OF THOSE THINGS AND HOW WE CONTINUE TO LEARN FROM THOSE, UH, SITUATIONS SO WE COULD CONTINUE TO IMPROVE OUR TRAINING AND EDUCATION FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND DEPUTIES.
[01:40:03]
HI, EVERYONE.I FOUNDED THE MAY FOUNDATION OF HOUSTON TWO YEARS AGO, AND I DID THAT BECAUSE I AM NOW A STATISTIC.
TWO YEARS AGO, I WAS SHOT FIVE TIMES BY THE MAN THAT I WAS MARRIED TO IN FRONT OF MY CHILDREN BEFORE HE SADLY TOOK HIS OWN LIFE.
MY BOYS WERE ALSO, ARE NOW ALSO STATISTICS HAVING TO JUMP OUT OF THE WINDOW TO SAVE THEMSELVES FROM THE MAN WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT US.
I DID NOT KNOW RESOURCES WERE AVAILABLE.
WHEN I CAME FROM HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL, I SAT ON MY SOFA HEALING FROM THE WOUNDS, JUST NOT KNOWING WHO TO CALL ON, WHO TO REACH OUT TO.
AND ALL YOU GET FROM THE HOSPITAL IS A STACK OF PAPERS SAYING, "HEY, FILL THIS OUT.
WE'LL HAVE SOMEBODY, UH, FROM CVC CONTACT YOU." BUT HERE'S THE THING, IF I CAN BE TOTALLY HONEST, CVC DID NOT HELP ME BECAUSE I WAS A STAY-AT-HOME MOM, SO I DEPENDED ON MY ABUSER FULL-TIME FINANCIALLY.
AND CVC IS A REIMBURSEMENT COMPANY.
THERE WAS NOTHING TO REIMBURSE BECAUSE I WAS A STAY-AT-HOME MOM.
I EVEN REACHED OUT TO THEM FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THERAPY.
THEY TOLD ME IF YOU HAVE MEDICAID OR MEDICARE AND SOME KIND OF INSURANCE, REACH OUT TO THEM FIRST.
I'M STILL IN ANGUISH AND SURPRISED THAT I EVEN MADE IT.
I ASKED THEM WAS THERE A LIST THAT THEY COULD PROVIDE FOR ME TO CALL A THERAPIST.
THEY SAID, "NO, YOU HAVE TO CALL AND REACH OUT YOURSELF." SO MIND YOU, I'M HEALING.
I'M SHOT UP FIVE TIMES, TRYING TO BE A MOTHER, TRYING TO STAY IN MY SOUND MIND.
AND I BEGAN TO JUST GET MY PHONE OUT AND I CALL AND I CALL AND I CALL AND I'M ASKING PEOPLE, "DO YOU TAKE CRIME VICTIMS? CAN I GET SOME THERAPY?" NOT KNOWING THAT FAMILY TIME EXISTS OR ALL THESE OTHER PLACES EXIST BECAUSE THERE'S NO...
AT THE TIME, I GUESS IT WASN'T A LOT OF OUTREACH OR I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO LOG ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR SEE WHAT THEY OFFERED.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, I COULDN'T ACCESS FUNDS AS A WIFE FOR THE BANKS BECAUSE, OF COURSE, HE'S NOT HERE, SO YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR A DEATH CERTIFICATE.
BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE CRIME, THE DEATH CERTIF - AND THEY DID AN AUTOPSY ON HIM AS WELL.
THE DEATH CERTIFICATE TOOK ABOUT CLOSE TO SIX MONTHS TO COME.
SO HERE I GO, I DON'T NEED SHELTER BECAUSE I HAVE A HOME, BUT I'M, AT THIS POINT, I'M PRAYING I DON'T LOSE IT BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE FINANCES.
SO I'M STRUGGLING AND I'M IN MY HOUSE CRYING BECAUSE I HAVE KIDS DEPENDING ON ME TO BE STRONG EVEN THOUGH I'M ALMOST LOSING MY MIND.
AND SO I WAS JUST WONDERING, ARE THERE THINGS WE, THAT CAN BE OFFERED, UM, IN THESE TYPE OF SITUATIONS? I DID FIND, FOUND MY FOUNDATION BECAUSE I WANTED TO HELP.
I DO A LOT OF OUTREACH NOW, SO I'M OUT AT THE SCHOOLS, I'M IN THE COMMUNITY HELPING WOMEN, UM, AS A CASE WORKER, LIKE, "HEY, LET'S GET ON THE PHONE AND CALL THEM." SO I AM DOING THE WORK.
UM, BUT IT, IT CAN GET CHALLENGING SOMETIMES, BUT I JUST WANNA KNOW HOW CAN WE DO BETTER AT LETTING INDIVIDUALS KNOW RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE AND HAVING THOSE RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF, UM, WHO DIDN'T NEED THE, I DIDN'T NEED THE SHELTER, I JUST NEEDED HELP.
UH, D- DID YOU WANNA RESPOND OR YOU...
SO I HAVE BEEN SITTING HERE DECIDING WHETHER I WAS GONNA SAY SOMETHING OR NOT, BUT I KNOW WE WAS TALKING ABOUT, UM, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND, UM, TO WHAT YOU SAID, SO I GUESS THIS IS MY TIME.
SO I HAVE BEEN A VICTIM ADVOCATE FOR YEARS, DID DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OVER 20-SOME YEARS, BUT I WANTED TO, UM, TRY TO JUST ENCOURAGE EVERY SOCIAL WORKER ADVOCATE, IF YOU WORK WITH DV VICTIMS, MAKE SURE YOU TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF BECAUSE IN THIS TYPE OF WORK, THEY TELL US SELF-CARE, BUT IF WE ARE NOT TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES, HOW CAN WE TAKE CARE OF THE VICTIMS? ALSO, NOT TO RE-VICTIMIZE A VICTIM.
I USED TO PASS BY PEOPLE OFFICES AND I'M KIND OF LIKE, "WHAT ARE THEY ASKING?" IF THAT WAS THE CASE, THEY WOULD HAVE NEVER CALLED OUR OFFICE.
ALSO, GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THE RIGHTS OF A VICTIM.
[01:45:01]
YOU CANNOT JUST GIVE A VICTIM A PAPER BECAUSE BY THE TIME THEY GET WHERE THEY GOING, THE NUMBER BEEN DISCONNECTED.ALL THE TIME, I TAKE TIME OUT OF MY DAY SOMETIME JUST TO CALL THE NUMBER TO SEE IF THE NUMBER'S STILL WORKING OR TO LOOK UP ADDITIONAL RESOURCES BECAUSE SOME OF US HAVE BEEN DOING THIS WORK FOR SO LONG.
AND WHEN WE STARTED, THAT WAS JUST THE RULE, AND YOU JUST TELL THEM THAT RULE.
BUT IT'S NOT FAIR TO THEM THAT THEY HAVE TO GO HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE ONLY TO BE RE-VICTIMIZED AGAIN AND WE WAIT ON A DIRECT DEPOSIT EVERY TWO WEEKS FOR A CHECK AND YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING TO HELP THESE VICTIMS. ALL I'M SAYING IS WE NEED TO GET...
WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO GO TO WORKSHOPS.
I KNOW SOME OF THE AGENCIES DON'T HAVE MONEY, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF FREE STUFF ONLINE.
IF YOU GONNA DO THE WORK, DO THE WORK, PUT AN ACTION WITH A PLAN AND HELP THESE WOMEN AND THEY CHILDREN, BECAUSE AGAIN, LIKE EVERYONE HAS SAID HERE, IF IT WAS US AND IT HAPPENED TO US, AND BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN DOING THE WORK, WE WOULD WANT THE HELP.
WE'D BE LIKE, "OH, I USED TO WORK HERE.
CAN YOU TAKE ME TO COURT OR CAN YOU DO..." YOU DO THE SAME THING FOR THEM.
YOU TREAT PEOPLE HOW YOU WANNA BE TREATED.
IT COULD BE A FAMILY MEMBER, A COUSIN, ANYBODY THAT YOU KNOW THAT'S YOUR RELATIVE, AND HERE WE GO.
LET ME CALL THEM BECAUSE THEY CAN GET YOU IN.
"BUT WHEN SOMEBODY COME TO OUR OFFICE, THAT'S THE SAME KIND OF DEDICATION AND DIGNITY THAT THEY NEED TO FEEL WHEN THEY LEAVE.
BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE'S THIS STATISTIC, IT WAS SEVEN TIMES, BECAUSE I DON'T WORK THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY WOMEN'S CENTER.
I DON'T WORK IN MISSISSIPPI DOING DV.
AND YOU SEE THE SAME PEOPLE OVER AND OVER AGAIN UNTIL YOU GET THE CALL AND SAY," HEY, HE KILLED HER LAST NIGHT.
"BUT WE GO HOME AND WE GO TO BED AND DO YOU ACTUALLY THINK WHEN WE LEAVING...
I MEAN, SOME PEOPLE MAY GO TO HAPPY HOURS, NO JUDGMENT, BUT WHAT HAPPENS WITH THIS LADY WHEN SHE'S AT HOME OR WHEREVER SHE IS TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT? AND WHEN WE HAVE THESE PLANS FOR THEM, CARRY OUT WITH THE PLAN, FOLLOW UP WITH THE IT WON'T TAKE BUT A SECOND TO CALL HER BACK AND SAY," HEY, DID YOU GET THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED? IF NOT, LET ME SEE HOW I CAN HELP YOU.
"AND WHEN WE HAVE DONE ALL WE CAN DO, THEN THAT'S ALL WE CAN DO FOR HER.
BUT AGAIN, TAKE IT TO OUR HEART WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE MONTH, BECAUSE EVERY MONTH, I MEAN, EVERY YEAR WHEN OCTOBER COMES, I FEEL LIKE MY HEART START RACING.
AND LIKE GONZALEZ SAID, IN THE LAST WEEK OR TWO, MY DAUGHTER DON'T EVEN WORK FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WE WAS AT NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, AND SHE SAID," I'M FINNA BE A POLICE OFFICER.
"I SAID," GIRL, YOU CAN'T BE A POLICE OUT TODAY.
"SHE WAS LIKE," I NEED TO BE, BECAUSE WHAT Y'ALL DOING, THESE WOMEN GETTING SHOT? "YOU KNOW, BUT IT'S AN ONGOING EPIDEMIC.
IF IT'S NOT THE WOMEN, IT'S THE CHILDREN.
I HAVE MONITORED THIS, DID RESEARCH.
ONE YEAR, IT'S THE WOMEN GETTING KILLED.
NEXT MINUTE IS THE CHILD ABUSE, AND THEN IT'S A CYCLE, AND IT HAS BEEN GOING ON IN HARRIS COUNTY FOR A WHILE.
BUT AGAIN, WHEN YOU LEAVE HERE, WE JUST NEED TO SEARCH OUR OWN HEARTS AND MINDS WHEN IT COMES TO THESE VICTIMS. AND LIKE EVERYBODY HAS SAID HERE, THE EDUCATION BEHIND THIS, WE GONNA DO THE WORK, WE GOT TO DO THE WORK.
WE CAN'T EXPECT EVERYBODY ELSE TO DO THE WORK FOR US.
WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE TWO MORE QUESTIONS AND THEN, AND THEN WE NEED TO, TO TAKE A BREAK.
UM, HI, I'M AMANDA ELKANIC-ODER.
I'M THE CHIEF ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION OFFICER AT TEXAS ADVOCACY PROJECT.
SO MY QUESTION'S FOR BOTH OF Y'ALL.
UM, I WANNA GO BACK TO, UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTIVE ORDERS FOR A MOMENT.
I'M GONNA HIGHLIGHT, I'M GONNA STEAL SOME NUMBERS OUT OF Y'ALL'S HONORING TEXAS VICTIMS REPORT, UM, THAT I FOUND REALLY INFORMATIONAL, THAT OUT OF THE 160 PEOPLE WHO WERE KILLED IN 2025, ONLY THREE OF THOSE HAD CURRENTLY OR IN THE PAST A MAGISTRATE'S ORDER OF EMERGENCY PROTECTION, AND ONLY ONE HAD A LIFETIME PROTECTIVE ORDER.
UM, DID NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A PROTECTIVE ORDER.
SO WE KNOW THAT PROTECTIVE ORDERS SAVE LIVES.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION BACK THERE, I'LL, I'LL BE THE ADVOCATE THAT SAYS, LIKE, PROTECTIVE ORDERS SAVE LIVES.
UM, INVESTMENT IN, IN ACCESSIBLE PROTECTIVE ORDERS IS IMPORTANT.
UM, SO MY QUESTION IS TWO PARTS.
LET'S START WITH MAGISTRATE'S ORDERS OF EMERGENCY PROTECTION, BECAUSE IN THE SCHEME, THAT'S THE FIRST ONE.
HOW IS THAT HAPPENING HERE IN HARRIS COUNTY, M- MAGISTRATE'S ORDERS OF EMERGENCY PROTECTION? UM, IS IT ACCESSIBLE FOR SURVIVORS, AND IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP WITH THAT? SO THAT'S MY FIRST PART.
AND THEN SECOND PART-THAT ONE'S GONNA BE ME.
[01:50:01]
LONG-TERM PROTECTIVE ORDERS.I, UH, COMMEND THE DA'S OFFICE FOR THE POET PROGRAM THAT YOU MENTIONED EARLIER AND GOING INTO COMMUNITIES MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR PROTECTIVE ORDERS.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THESE OTHER 157, YOU KNOW, SURVIVORS? AND, LIKE, HOW CAN WE...
AGAIN, I THINK THE, THE COMMON QUESTION IS, WHERE DO WE HAVE THESE COFFEE TALKS AND CONVERSATIONS? AND, AND WHO ISN'T AT THE TABLE? AND I'VE, I'VE SEEN MULTIPLE PEOPLE'S FACES IN THIS ROOM THAT I'VE NEVER MET BEFORE, SO I'M EXCITED TO GET TO CONNECT WITH THEM.
BUT WHAT, WHAT ELSE CAN WE BE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY TO HELP GET THE WORD OUT AND MESSAGING OUT AROUND PROTECTIVE ORDERS? SO I'M GONNA START WITH MOEP'S, MAGISTRATE'S ORDER FOR EMERGENCY PROTECTION.
I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE DON'T SEE MORE HOMICIDES WITH PROTECTIVE ORDERS IS BECAUSE THEY WORK.
AND SO WE HAVE A STANDING ORDER FOR OUR PROSECUTORS AT OUR INTAKE AND AT OUR MAGISTRATE LEVEL.
IF IT IS AN INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE CASE, WE FILE A MOAP, PERIOD, IN HARRIS COUNTY.
AND WE'RE UNIQUELY SITUATED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE 24-HOUR INTAKE.
SO IN ALMOST EVERY OTHER COUNTY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, A POLICE OFFICER FILES A CHARGE, AND THE DA'S OFFICE DOESN'T GET INVOLVED FOR 30, 90 DAYS AFTER THAT.
WE AUTHORIZE THE ARREST FROM THAT NIGHT.
WE COMMUNICATE WITH THE AGENCY ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
WE SAY, "YES, YOU'VE GOT PROBABLE CAUSE.
GO BRING THEM IN." AND THEN WE ARE RIGHT THERE.
SO WE'RE FILING THE MOAP, AS OPPOSED TO EVERY OTHER COUNTY, WE PUT IT ON THESE OFFICERS TO MAKE THAT DETERMINATION.
I DON'T EVEN GIVE THE LAWYERS THE OPTION.
WE FILE THE MOEP, AND THEN WE'LL DEAL WITH IF YOU DON'T NEED THE MOAP IN 15 DAYS, 20 DAYS, WHATEVER.
BUT THAT FIRST NIGHT, THAT INDIVIDUAL IS NOT GETTING OUT ON BOND UNTIL THAT MOEP IS ADDRESSED.
SO NO ONE LEAVES THE HARRIS COUNTY JAIL WITHOUT HAVING A MAGISTRATE'S ORDER FOR EMERGENCY PROTECTION.
I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT YOU SEE ONLY THREE OF THEM HAVING, HAVING BEEN MURDERED WHILE THERE WAS A, AN ORDER OF PROTECTION ON THEM.
UM, ONE THING THAT THE NUMBERS ARE STRIKING IN AND OF THEMSELVES, 160 DEATHS AND INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE CASES.
BUT THE, THE REAL THING THAT I THINK WE NEED TO GET OUT TO THE COMMUNITY IS THAT IS SUCH A SMALL FRACTION OF THE RIPPLE EFFECT IN LIVES THAT ARE DESTROYED, AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE MURDERS.
I'VE BEEN ON THE SCENE FOR TWO HPD OFFICERS THAT LOST THEIR LIVES RESPONDING TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALLS.
I WAS ON THE SCENE WITH THE SHERIFF LAST WEEK FOR AN, A DEPUTY WHO RESPONDED TO A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALL AND WAS SHOT TWICE.
THAT'S JUST THE LAW ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE, NOT TO MENTION ALL OF THE BYSTANDERS, ALL OF THE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO AREN'T INTIMATE PARTNER RELATIONSHIPS, BUT ARE MURDERED BY THE ABUSER.
SO THE 160 IS TRAGIC IN AND OF ITSELF, BUT I PROMISE YOU, IF WE DELVE INTO MURDERS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS RELATED TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE, YOU'RE IN WAY HIGHER THAN 160.
SO PART OF THIS IS COMMUNICATING TO THE PUBLIC THAT IT'S NOT JUST YOU AND THE PERSON THAT YOU'RE INTIMATE WITH.
IT DOESN'T JUST AFFECT THAT, THAT RELATIONSHIP.
INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE IS ONE OF THOSE CASES THAT AFFECTS LITERALLY THE PERSON DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD.
IT CAN AFFECT ANYONE IN THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY.
SO I, I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER PART OF THIS COMMUNICATING BECAUSE PEOPLE, QUITE FRANKLY, THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO CARE ABOUT AN ISSUE UNLESS IT AFFECTS THEM IN SOME WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.
SO LETTING PEOPLE KNOW THAT INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AFFECTS ALL OF US THE SAME WAY, QUITE FRANKLY, THAT DWI DOES AND A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT WE RELATE TO IRRATIONAL AND RANDOM DANGER, INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE CAN BE THAT EXACT SAME WAY.
AND SO IT, IT MATTERS TO ALL OF US.
I'M JUST GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT BRIEF.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT AND, AND, AND THE GREAT WORK HE'S DOING AND MAKING IT LIKE AN AUTOMATIC, THAT'S WHERE THE SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE COORDINATED BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S STILL GAPS.
AND SO IT'LL BE FILED, BUT THEN WHAT'S LAW ENFORCEMENT DOING? OR ARE WE AWARE? OR ONCE THEY'RE
[01:55:01]
IN CUSTODY AND THAT GETS FILED, UH, ARE THERE HARASSING PHONE CALLS? BECAUSE THAT'S A CLUE.AND THEN WE NEED TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE, UH, THE, UH, LEAD PROSECUTOR ON THAT PARTICULAR CASE OR WHATEVER LED TO IT.
ARE DEPUTIES GETTING CALLED OUT FOR HARASSMENT BEHAVIOR OF, "HEY, HE'S SHOWING UP AT MY WORK." WELL, HEY, THAT'S A VIOLATION OF PROTECTIVE ORDER.
WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE THAT CALL FOR SERVICE.
AND THEN IF THERE IS AN ACTIVE VIOLATION OF PROTECTIVE WARRANT, ARE WE ELEVATING THAT TO THE HIGHEST LEVELS? UH, AND AGAIN, IT'S LOOKING AT THOSE RED FLAGS.
HISTORICALLY, WHEN I WAS A, A BEAT COP, THERE WAS KIND OF AN UNDERSTANDING, AND FRANKLY, IN ALL, IN ALL HONESTY, IT STILL EXISTS TODAY.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, IF SOMEBODY'S HELL BENT ON KILLING SOMEONE, THEY'RE GOING TO DO IT.
AND SO THAT'S WHY THAT SAFETY PLAN IS SO CRITICAL, AND THE PIECE IS ALL WORKING TOGETHER BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
THAT TIME OF SEPARATION, DIVORCE, AND ALL THAT, THAT'S WHAT THESE SITUATIONS WERE ALL ABOUT RECENTLY.
IT WAS, THEY HAD JUST LEFT ME, WERE ABOUT TO LEAVE ME, UH, THREATENED TO DO IT, THE WHOLE, "IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU, NO ONE CAN." YOU KNOW, ALL THESE KIND OF FACTORS, THOSE ARE ALL RED FLAGS WE HAVE TO BE PUTTING TOGETHER, BUT WE, WE, WE CAN'T SAY, "OH, YOU GOT A PROTECTIVE ORDER.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE FREE FROM VIOLENCE NOW." WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE AWARE OF THAT, BUT THAT WHAT ARE THE CLUES THAT ARE BUILDING UP TO THAT ESCALATION? AGAIN, WAS THERE STRANGULATION BEFORE? HAVING A SCORECARD, NOW THERE'S A MOA.
AND I THINK THERE'S STILL ROOM FOR THE SYSTEM TO IMPROVE.
WE'RE DOING THAT IN HARRIS COUNTY, BUT WE COULD STILL DO BETTER.
AND WORKING WITH THE, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COURT CA - COUNCIL, ALL OUR PARTNERS HERE, WE COULD DO BETTER.
BRINGING YOU TO THE TABLE AND GETTING YOUR FEEDBACK, YOURS AS WELL, UH, UH, TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S THE EXPERIENCE FOR THE VICTIM, THE SURVIVOR, THE THINGS YOU'RE SHARING FOR US IS IMPORTANT INTELLIGENCE FOR US TO SAY WE LEAVE.
I WON'T MENTION WHICH ONE I WAS ON, BUT I WENT AND CHECKED ON THE, ON THE, ON THE, UH, ON THE FEMALE AND SHE, SHE, SHE...
AND, AND HER BABY, AND SHE, UH, THAT PROBABLY GIVES IT AWAY.
BUT, BUT, UH, SHE SAID, "WELL, SHERIFF, LIKE, MY CAR'S AT THE SCENE.
DOES IT NEED TO BE PROCESSED? HOW DO I GET BACK HOME?" THAT'S WHAT SHE WAS WORRIED ABOUT, RIGHT? AND WE'RE DOING HIGH FIVES, "HEY, WE, WE, WE...
EVERYTHING'S FINE." BUT SHE'S WORRIED, "HOW DO I GET BACK HOME?" I SAID, "WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE CARE OF YOUR TRANSPORTATION.
LET ME GET WITH THE LEAD DETECTIVE TO GET YOUR VEHICLE HOPEFULLY RETURNED BACK TO YOU RIGHT NOW AT THE SCENE." BUT IT SHOULDN'T TAKE ME...
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT MY TEAM WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT, BUT I'M JUST SAYING IT SHOULDN'T TAKE ME TO HAVE TO INTERVENE.
LIKE, LIKE WHAT YOU SAID, AND YOU SAID YOU INTERVENED OR HAD TO, TO TROUBLESHOOT FOR WHY DOES A COUNCIL MEMBER OR WHATEVER ROLE YOU WERE IN AT THAT TIME, AND EVEN YOU, WITH ALL THE KNOWLEDGE AND YOU'RE ON THE COUNCIL, IT TOOK YOU HOW MANY PHONE CALLS TO TRY TO FACILITATE? THAT'S HER.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T HAVE INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES, MAY NOT HAVE A LOT OF EDUCATION, ARE DEALING WITH KIDS, ARE DEALING WITH PETS, ARE DEALING ALL KINDS OF DYNAMICS GOING ON.
AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT'S THAT JOURNEY LIKE? AND WE NEED TO TREAT IT AS A SYSTEM, NOT AN INCIDENT, AN, A SYSTEM.
AND THEN LOOKING AT, OKAY, MOAP WAS FILED.
IS LAW ENFORCEMENT NOTIFIED? WHEN THERE'S A...
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE'RE NOT TOLD IMMEDIATELY WHEN THERE'S A, A REVOCATION THAT'S BEEN FILED AS WELL.
WE NEED TO KNOW, LIKE, HEY, THIS PERSON HAS A REVOCATION.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE DANGERS TO LAW ENFORCEMENT IN RESPONDING TO THE SCENES.
IT'S ALSO A PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
IS, IS THIS PERSON COMMITTING OTHER CRIMES WHILE ALSO BEING ABUSER? BECAUSE THEN, LIKE, THERE'S AN ESCALATION OF VIOLENCE GOING ON IN THIS PERSON'S LIFE BEYOND JUST THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
SEE, AND WE NEED TO KNOW THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT INTELLIGENCE.
SO IT'S BETTER, GETTING BETTER AT CONNECTING THOSE DOTS, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, WE AS IN GENERAL IN THE PROFESSION HAVE NOT QUITE DONE, NOT ONLY ON THIS ISSUE, BUT WE'VE SEEN IT, LIKE, FOR CHILD ABUSE WHERE THANK GOD WE HAVE THE CH - UH, CHILDREN'S ASSESSMENT CENTER BECAUSE YOU HAVE A ONE-STOP SHOP WHERE...
AND WE DID IT BY DESIGN, UH, WHERE INSTEAD OF...
THAT'S WHAT USED TO HAPPEN BEFORE, UH, IN THE 1990S, BEFORE WE HAD CAC, WAS YOU GOTTA GO HERE, GO TO THE DA'S OFFICE, GO TO THAT, GO, YOU KNOW, E- EVEN NOW TO THIS DAY WITH PROTECTIVE ORDERS, HE'S TRYING TO NOW CHANGE THE SYSTEM TO HAVE SATELLITE LOCATIONS.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS ON THE WEEKENDS, AND, UH, SONYA AND I WERE TALKING, SOMETIMES THEIR SURVIVOR SAYS, "M - MY, MY EMPLOYER, I'VE GOTTA WORK.
I DON'T HAVE AN HOUR OR TWO HOURS TO TAKE OFF TO GO REPORT THIS OR DO WHATEVER I NEED TO DO.
EMPLOYEES MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THAT." ANYWAY, WE COULD TALK ABOUT THIS ALL DAY.
NO, YOU KNOW, BOTTOM LINE IS AWARENESS.
AWARENESS OF RESOURCES, AWARENESS OF PROBLEMS, UH, JUST A, A SYSTEM-WIDE AWARENESS.
AND SOMEBODY SAID, "HOW DO WE, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE KNOW? HOW DO WE...
[02:00:01]
KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW, BUT YOU KEEP EDUCATING YOURSELF, YOU EDUCATE YOUR CLIENTS, YOU EDUCATE YOUR COMMUNITY, AND EDUCATION AWARENESS AND EDUCATION EQUALS PREVENTION.THAT'S BEEN MY LINE FOR YEARS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, EVEN SO MUCH AS WHERE ARE THE RESOURCES UNDER THIS QR CODE? THERE'S SO MUCH OUT THERE THAT WE CAN ALL DO.
AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR DOING YOUR PART.
THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE FOR YOUR COMMUNITY, FOR YOUR CLIENTS, FOR EVERYONE AROUND YOU, BECAUSE IT REALLY DOES TAKE EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT IT.
AND IT SHOULD BE A CONVERSATION THAT WE CAN HAVE, BUT I, I'VE, FOR YEARS, I TALK ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
I WALK IN THE ROOM AND I SAY, "WELL, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBERS RELATED TO BREAST CANCER AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT PROSTATE CANCER." AND AS SOON AS I SAY, "NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE," THE ROOM SITS UP STRAIGHT, PEOPLE SHIFT.
I MEAN, IT'S AN UNCOMFORTABLE TOPIC.
AND, AND YOU ALL KNOW, BUT IT HAS TO BE A TOPIC THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT, RIGHT? THANK YOU ALL FOR, FOR BEING PART OF THIS MORNING'S, WHAT TURNS INTO A TWO-HOUR DISCUSSION.
WE'LL CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION, GRAB A LUNCH, COME BACK, AND SOME OF THE PANELISTS ARE STAYING AND WE'LL CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION.