Friday, November 19, 2010

Teen mom charged with domestic violence

Reader Cham and other readers have pointed out this tidbit on Teen Mom Amber Portwood:

Anna Chan writes:Police in Anderson, Ind., have officially charged "Teen Mom" star Amber Portwood with two felonies and one misdemeanor for domestic battery.

During a September episode of season two of the MTV hit show, Portwood was seen repeatedly slapping, punching and kicking her then-fiance, Gary Shirley. Police said that Portwood is facing felony charges because Portwood and Shirley's young daughter, Leah, was present when the alleged violence occurred.

Portwood faces fines of up to $10,000 and three years in jail if she's convicted.

I wrote about this case in a previous post and how shocked I was that MTV aired the episode showing female on male violence. It looks like at last there might be some consequences for a woman who beats up a man, mostly, it seems because their 1-year-old child was present, but it's a good start. It does seem that a man needs physical evidence to get charges brought against a woman for domestic violence. A woman just needs her word against his.

I wonder if security cameras like this one might be a good purchase for men who are being abused by their spouses or girlfriends? Would the physical evidence be admissible in court? Does anyone out there know specific state laws that would allow or not allow this?

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5 Comments:

Blogger Larry J said...

The laws seem to vary widely by state. Remember the case from Maryland of the motorcycle rider who recorded a police officer following a traffic stop? They tried to prosecute him under the state's wiretap laws. IIRC, the case was ultimately thrown out.

If a man is being battered, he might want to check with an attorney before planting some of those cameras. Would they count as admissible evidence in his state? I've heard of several cases where people have used NannyCams to catch people abusing their children. I don't know if it would work for adults as well. For one thing, there's the argument that the person planting the camera knows it's there so he may change his behavior in a way to provoke a reaction.

1:35 PM, November 19, 2010  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Some states are one-party privacy states; i.e. one party has to approve of a recording. Other states (like California) are two-party, and everyone on the video/audio/whatever has to approve.

A lot of cops are carrying items like this. (I notice that they are buying the $200-$300 good items from people like Smith and Wesson), At $60, the camera you linked is tempting for any CCW holder. OTOH, the "Engrish" in the description is quite disturbing; I would definitely only buy something like this camera in a venue with a 100% return policy.

1:41 PM, November 19, 2010  
Blogger Dr.Alistair said...

if you are at the point of buying a camera....it`s time to leave.

i just recommended a client leave a new relationship because his new girlfreind ripped her blinds down because he kept opening her bedrooom door when the window was open causing her new blinds to rattle around and potentially bend.

she said her actions assured the situation wouldn`t continue.

she told him her ex broke her nose and put her in the hospital.

he`s in jail now.

3:34 PM, November 19, 2010  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

``It looks like at last there might be some consequences for a woman who beats up a man..."

About freakin' time. And could custody of her daughter please, please go to somebody sane? People with those kind of "anger management problems" don't discriminate, and if the kid stays with her mother she'll probably turn up concussed sooner or later.

4:41 PM, November 19, 2010  
Blogger SGT Ted said...

It will take irrefutable evidence like security video to get charges filed on women brutes for the most part I think.

11:15 AM, November 21, 2010  

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