Sally turned to Legal Aid for protection after a long history of domestic abuse at the hands of her boyfriend, Andy. Andy had both verbally and physically abused Sally, in addition to physically abusing their young daughter Teresa and shattering the jaw of the family cat.

On one occasion Andy assaulted Sally at her workplace, a local video store, by grabbing her purse and then punching her into a glass window.

Andy occasionally spent the weekend alone with Teresa. One such weekend left both Teresa's big toes smashed, and the toenails missing. Any painted her toes in an attempt to hide the damage.

More recently, Sally was relaxing on her porch with some friends when Andy drove up. He climbed out of his truck, a gun in hand, threatening to shoot Sally and "take care of all of them." He eventually climbed back in his truck, firing his gun as he drove away.

Sally's Legal Aid attorney was able to obtain a temporary civil protection order. In a hearing to argue the protection order before a judge, Sally detailed Andy's history of violence. She shared how Teresa would cry and shake in his presence. Although Andy attempted to justify his behavior to the judge, Sally and Teresa were awarded a civil protection order against Andy for the legal maximum duration of five years. Sally and her daughter now live without the daily fear of domestic abuse.

The social worker from Gladden Community house was trying to help Clara obtain a state I.D., but there was a discrepancy in her birth year. According to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, she was born in 1953, but according to the Social Security Administration, she was born in 1933.

Clara is illiterate and has had absolutely no formal education. She has no concept of time or numbers. She has no birth certificate because when she was an infant, both of her parents were killed and she was adopted into a very abusive home.

The social worker is compiling a work history and getting documentation of Clara's true age so that she can receive social security benefits, which she began paying into in 1956. We are working with the social worker to find the appropriate records.

In the meantime, we are also working on her divorce. We are requesting the marital home and spousal support. Unfortunately, at the same time, the house is being foreclosed on and this new case has added to the complexity of the problem.

The story of Clara is not resolved, but we are optimistic that it will have a happy ending.