58 min
Closing statements and survivor response testimony Native Women Rising: Montana voices
-
- Mental Health
This episode includes the conclusion of testimony in the trial of domestic violence/Partner Family Member Assault charges against Edmond Juneau. This includes a rebuttal testimony by the survivor in the case which includes questioning by both the prosecuting and defense attorney.
Mr. Juneau admitted to causing physical injury, but claims that it was both self-defense and accidental. Neither were true defenses. It is important to note that domestic violence can happen to anyone. The patterns of abuse often reflect attempts to assert power and control over another person. The prosecution clarifies several erroneous statements and assists in clarifying the lack of malicious motive for the survivor in the case.
Commentary by survivor is provided to help explain the process of serving as a witness in a PFMA case in Montana and the experience of navigating the judicial setting. Challenges are frequently encountered by survivors seeking to comply with PFMA prosecution. There are many factors that can represent a challenge (lack of familiarity in the process, anxiety speaking in public about personal experiences, cultural differences, hypervigilance associated with seeing the abuser in court, and the presence of "flying monkeys" or friends/family who seek to help intimidate the witness and influence the jurors.
Experiencing cross examination by the defense council can also be very difficult. While some areas are irrelevant to the case, it is the job of the defense council to question the credibility of the survivor and even to attempt to provoke or cause distress to survivors. This can be particularly true in cases where defendants attempt to claim self defense. In this case, all of the aforementioned factors were present and created a difficult experience for the survivor testifying.
If you need help, reach out to resources in your area such as domestic violence resource centers or national resources listed in episodes of this podcast.
Abuse is not acceptable in relationships, it is in fact a criminal act in the US. It is not the fault of the survivor. The testimony will include many attempts to discredit the witness and phrases like "It goes both ways" or "it takes two" are often tactics employed to diminish and marginalize victims.
Violence is a choice and most survivors choose not to engage in violence within relationships. Unfortunately, this is not always the case as is demonstrated in this case study.
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/annie-belcourt17/support
This episode includes the conclusion of testimony in the trial of domestic violence/Partner Family Member Assault charges against Edmond Juneau. This includes a rebuttal testimony by the survivor in the case which includes questioning by both the prosecuting and defense attorney.
Mr. Juneau admitted to causing physical injury, but claims that it was both self-defense and accidental. Neither were true defenses. It is important to note that domestic violence can happen to anyone. The patterns of abuse often reflect attempts to assert power and control over another person. The prosecution clarifies several erroneous statements and assists in clarifying the lack of malicious motive for the survivor in the case.
Commentary by survivor is provided to help explain the process of serving as a witness in a PFMA case in Montana and the experience of navigating the judicial setting. Challenges are frequently encountered by survivors seeking to comply with PFMA prosecution. There are many factors that can represent a challenge (lack of familiarity in the process, anxiety speaking in public about personal experiences, cultural differences, hypervigilance associated with seeing the abuser in court, and the presence of "flying monkeys" or friends/family who seek to help intimidate the witness and influence the jurors.
Experiencing cross examination by the defense council can also be very difficult. While some areas are irrelevant to the case, it is the job of the defense council to question the credibility of the survivor and even to attempt to provoke or cause distress to survivors. This can be particularly true in cases where defendants attempt to claim self defense. In this case, all of the aforementioned factors were present and created a difficult experience for the survivor testifying.
If you need help, reach out to resources in your area such as domestic violence resource centers or national resources listed in episodes of this podcast.
Abuse is not acceptable in relationships, it is in fact a criminal act in the US. It is not the fault of the survivor. The testimony will include many attempts to discredit the witness and phrases like "It goes both ways" or "it takes two" are often tactics employed to diminish and marginalize victims.
Violence is a choice and most survivors choose not to engage in violence within relationships. Unfortunately, this is not always the case as is demonstrated in this case study.
---
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/annie-belcourt17/support
58 min