Let's talk stalkingFollow

Ya good ol' San Francisco. Just don't let them catch you J-walking. They will throw the book at you.

Unfortunately, there is such a web of interlocking facts, attitudes and people that have to be in place for one of these cases to work out... Even though there is a clear victimization, many judges want to see a certain fearless attitude from the person suffering the abuse. They want a woman who will come to court and testify and provide hard facts, and this isn't always the case. Sad to say, but her no-shows at court probably provided an avenue for leniency towards her abuser. It's such a difficult situation. It's not the easiest thing to stand up to abuse, much less follow it through months and sometimes even years of litigation, people questioning your desicions throughout your relationship and even your intelligence, and lving in fear of your abuser for as long as all this takes. Most people think that a restraining order keeps these women safe and should enable them to testify and live freely, but most RO's are temporary and have to be renewed in court.