I had my hearing for a restraining order, and it was both anticlimactic and annoying. I went to the Magistrate Court on Monday (the first day it was open following the events depicted in the previous post) to get a restraining order. I filed the application, and had a hearing scheduled for really early today. The ex-boyfriend did not show up. I explained in detail everything that had happened, from the day I kicked him out through the events the other evening.
Then the judge told me that the ex-boyfriend's mother, the oh-so-honest-and-reliable ex-boss sent a letter to the court, telling them that the ex-boyfriend had left the state and "would not be back for a long time, if ever" - I explained to the judge that his mother was under investigation for theft and embezzlement, was known to lie, and had made threatening statements against me, but that was discounted. I was told that since his mother said he was no longer in the state, they would hold the case in a certain open status for 180 days... basically making it so that if he showed up and/or bothered me during that time frame, they would re-consider issuing the restraining order.
Now, I went home and immediately googled the type of open status that I was told the case was placed in. (If you're my facebook friend, you've seen the term that was used.) Apparently this is not a real legal term. I am not even using it here because if you google the two word term in quotes, you only get TWO pages of results... only ONE result has anything to do with the law... and it is a link to my local county's Magistrate Court website!
I was feeling OK about the whole thing when I left, thinking they'll keep it open, so if he bothers me again I can get a restraining order.... although I was annoyed that I have to wait for him to leap out of my bushes at me AGAIN in order for this to happen. But the more I think about it, the more it just pisses me off. I came in and was placed under oath, and yet the ex-boss wasn't placed under oath or even there, and they took her word that he is no longer in the state! Must be nice to have mommy write you a note to get you out of trouble. And then I find out that the alleged legal status of my case isn't a real legal status, it's just something that exists in my weird, uneducated, southern county. I really feel like cussing a lot right now.
1 comment:
I know you are a pacifist, but I'd really feel better if you had a gun and practiced using it from time to time at the local range.
This court crap goes to further show that nobody is going to protect you but you. When seconds count, the police are minutes away. (And restraining orders are months away, it seems!) Considering you aren't the most physically imposing person in the world and you have a psycho ex stalking you, I'd say you need an equalizer in this situation.
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