No one should have to put up with domestic violence. For many Colorado couples, it can be grounds for divorce. It’s not very often that such violence takes place in divorce court, but that’s exactly what happened with a couple from Florida recently. Now, the man who beat his wife in front of a divorce judge has been denied bond and must remain in jail.
The incident of public domestic violence occurred in mid-April at a Broward County divorce hearing. The 28-year-old man apparently flew into a rage, apparently over having to pay child support. He reportedly attacked his soon-to-be ex-wife from behind, leaving her with such serious injuries, she had to be hospitalized in the intensive care unit.
The man had to be shocked with a stun gun by a sheriff’s deputy in the judge’s chambers in order to be subdued. His estranged wife’s injuries included a broken nose, a fractured jaw bone and a hematoma on the right side of her brain. She apparently had to have a rod inserted so she could chew again.
A judge denied the man bond earlier this week after the woman said she continued to fear for her safety. The couple had both served in the Marines at one point and lived in Fort Lauderdale. They have two children.
The 23-year-old woman does not remember the courtroom attack, and apparently, neither does her ex-companion.
This divorce battle may seem extreme, but it does illustrate how prevalent domestic violence can be. If this man would do this in front of a judge and dozens of witnesses, there’s no telling what he would do in the privacy of his own home.
Source: Orlando Sentinel, “Divorced couple does not recall courthouse assault,” Linda Trischitta, 2 June 2011