Prosecuting Domestic Violence
Today's special guest is my childhood friend and Senior Assistant Solicitor for the 10th Circuit in Anderson, SC, Kristin W. Reeves. Kristin prosecutes domestic violence cases in a state that ranks 6th in the United States for what are called, Criminal Domestic Violence (CDV) cases.
[National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233 or Text START 88788]
Please note that this episode contains subject matter that may be triggering, such as: coercive control, emotional and psychological abuse, sexual assault (rape), murder, and child pornography.
As a CDV solicitor, this is Kristin's world, and I am proud of her for working on CDV cases and putting her heart and drive for justice into her work. My novel, Wild Woman, features these experiences and tells of the women who have survived and are healing from the trauma inherent in abusive relationships. I, too, am a survivor of sexual assault (had experience with the legal system around my case), and I have been in relationships that were not safe.
In my conversation last July with Kristin, she and I talked about why she became a lawyer. It was a lighter conversation, for sure. In this episode, Kristin shares more about why she chose to become a Domestic Violence attorney and the nature of the cases she prosecutes and the reality of the legal system for victims of these horrible circumstances and crimes.
It is a bit like True Crime, in that there is a fascination with the “how” factor, and many times that is from the POV of the perpetrator. Here, we are looking to people like Kristin, to understand how she carries the torch of justice, how she carries the stories of the women, children, and men, and how she carries the commitment she made to serve them.
Please, please, if you are a survivor, seek help and continued support for your healing.
Additional resources for understanding abuse and trauma healing:
www.ingridclayton.com [http://www.ingridclayton.com] — Dr. Ingrid Clayton, Clinical psychologist and author of Believing Me
www.doctor-ramani.com [http://www.doctor-ramani.com] — Dr. Ramani Durvasula, Clinical psychologist and author of It's Not You
-->They both have a LOT of helpful and free content online!
www.racheldrews.com [https://www.racheldrews.com/] | @rachelmdrews
