Cops to Domestic Violence victim: We're gonna have you evicted.

From the ACLU website: http://www.aclu.org/blog/womens-rights-lgbt-rights-racial-justice-criminal-law-reform/shut-or-get-out-pa-city-punishes

Quote :

Last year in Norristown, Pa., Lakisha Briggs' boyfriend physically assaulted her, and the police arrested him. But in a cruel turn of events, a police officer then told Ms. Briggs, "You are on three strikes. We're gonna have your landlord evict you."

This is insane. Another quote from the article that describes laws punishing victims of domestic violence:

Quote :

After her first "strike," Ms. Briggs was terrified of calling the police. She did not want to do anything to risk losing her home. So even when her now ex-boyfriend attacked her with a brick, she did not call. And later, when he stabbed her in the neck, she was still too afraid to reach out. But both times, someone else did call the police. Based on these "strikes," the city pressured her landlord to evict. After a housing court refused to order an eviction, the city said it planned to condemn the property and forcibly remove Ms. Briggs from her home. The ACLU intervened, and the city did not carry out its threats, and even agreed to repeal the ordinance. But just two weeks later, Norristown quietly passed a virtually identical ordinance that imposes fines on landlords unless they evict tenants who obtain police assistance, including for domestic violence.

Oh this will not stand. Now that this has hit the news some fancy lawyer is going to come f-up their little whole world, those dirty bastards. Shame on them. The local LEO should first investigate their town lawmakers and see how many of them are wifebeaters, because no man who truly loved women would ever pass this BS.

Little anecdote:

There was a time I rented rooms to people in order to pay my bills.

One of my housemates turned out to be bat-#### crazy. He tried to attack me with a pencil after swiping my glasses off my face and pouring rubbing alcohol into my gas floor heater (it didn't cause a fire, thank goodness.)

I called PPD LEO. As I said, my housemate was bonkers. He grabbed a board and knocked himself in the head. He told me he was going to tell LEO I hit him, and that's exactly what he did.

The PPD officer told me initially he was going to "take us both in", since he "couldn't figure out what happened, and didn't have the time to try."

Ultimately, he didn't take either of us in. He just let the whole thing go, after warning me that he would "have to take me in" if I called LEO again. (I did file a complaint and meet with our then-police chief about that officer's statement to me.)

Several days later, I called PPD LEO again after another episode of violence. Instead of arresting the perp, they told me they would wait while I gathered my belongings so I could go stay somewhere else.

I had to stay at my sister's house for a week, until I could get a repeat violence restraining order and have that housemate escorted off my property for good. ECSO executed the restraining order. ECSO's actions were superb in comparison to the PPD (a PPD officer had told me a restraining order was a waste of time, and would only make the situation worse.)

We don't even go into the damage that perp did to my home while he was there alone. Just think graffiti.

I was so angry at our local legal system. Why should I have had to leave my own home for a week? Guess I'm still angry, eh?

You guys should have been at the hearing for the repeat violence order. My prior housemate told the judge we were lovers. My mouth dropped open so big I could have swallowed the entire courtroom.

The hearing was hilarious. Even the judge had a hard time keeping a straight face, especially when my prior roommate told him he was going to appeal the decision to the United States Supreme Court.

After the conclusion of the hearing, as I was collecting my things from the chair in which I had been sitting, the person beside me whispered, with a small laugh, "What is this, the Jerry Springer show?"

BTW, I got that repeat violence restraining order. It's in effect for life.

Geez, I'm so glad I don't have that sort of drama in my life anymore!

Maybe it's because I am a big dude, but I would have physically thrown this MF out on his ear. If I couldn't do it physically, I would have two or three biker friends come over and "persuade" the roomie to vacate immediately.

There is no way in hell I would leave my house and allow a disgruntled a-hole destroy it.

PB, it is a sad state of affairs when you had to do what you did. I'll bet you didn't feel too safe for a long time afterwards. Sorry you had to go through that.

PBulldog2 wrote:

Little anecdote:

There was a time I rented rooms to people in order to pay my bills.

One of my housemates turned out to be bat-#### crazy. He tried to attack me with a pencil after swiping my glasses off my face and pouring rubbing alcohol into my gas floor heater (it didn't cause a fire, thank goodness.)

I called PPD LEO. As I said, my housemate was bonkers. He grabbed a board and knocked himself in the head. He told me he was going to tell LEO I hit him, and that's exactly what he did.

The PPD officer told me initially he was going to "take us both in", since he "couldn't figure out what happened, and didn't have the time to try."

Ultimately, he didn't take either of us in. He just let the whole thing go, after warning me that he would "have to take me in" if I called LEO again. (I did file a complaint and meet with our then-police chief about that officer's statement to me.)

Several days later, I called PPD LEO again after another episode of violence. Instead of arresting the perp, they told me they would wait while I gathered my belongings so I could go stay somewhere else.

I had to stay at my sister's house for a week, until I could get a repeat violence restraining order and have that housemate escorted off my property for good. ECSO executed the restraining order. ECSO's actions were superb in comparison to the PPD (a PPD officer had told me a restraining order was a waste of time, and would only make the situation worse.)

We don't even go into the damage that perp did to my home while he was there alone. Just think graffiti.

I was so angry at our local legal system. Why should I have had to leave my own home for a week? Guess I'm still angry, eh?

PB, why were you dealing with both the PPD and the ECSO?

I live in the city, Ghost, so PPD had jurisdiction. However, ECSO is responsible for serving the repeat violence orders.

The deputy served the order then told my roomer that he had to leave immediately. The deputy stayed until my roomer packed up what little stuff he had and left. The deputy also warned him he could not come within 500 feet of me or my house or he risked violating the terms of the restraining order.

I remember waiting in my car until the deputy showed up with the order. I had to be there to let the deputy in the house. I couldn't even go in my own house by myself without risking injury or worse.

And yes, Eric, I didn't feel safe for quite some time. That roomer was never seen nor heard from again, so I've always hoped it was over. But who knows in this day and time? Now, though, I have a big, rough, ex-Navy Seal (with some big biker dude friends) to protect me (and I can also protect myself now.)

I stopped renting out rooms after that experience.