The R&B singer’s attorney has confirmed that his client was served and will face Brown in court.

Donald Etra, Rihanna’s attorney, told “Entertainment Tonight” that the 21-year-old will appear at the preliminary hearing if the case goes forward and she will answer all questions “posed to her by the District Attorney and Mark Geragos, Chris Brown’s lawyer.”

In April, Brown, 20, pleaded not guilty to one count of assault and one count of making criminal threats related to an alleged domestic violence incident involving Rihanna in February.

Geragos did ask a California appeals court to stall Brown’s preliminary hearing to allow for more time to prepare, but the judge refused.

Domestic Violence in Los Angeles County

As stated above, domestic violence has been elevated to big news because of this case. As laws change and consequences of domestic violence become harsher, what can our society do to protect the victims? One that that may help is for abusers to realize that domestic violence is against the law.

Penal Code Section 243(e)(1) makes it a crime to commit a battery against a spouse, cohabitant, parent, former spouse, fiance(e), or girlfriend/boyfriend. This type of battery is punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or up to a $2,000 fine.

Rihanna To Face Brown In Court, SFGate.com, June 11, 2009

Photo by Victoria Craven

Schimmel, 59, was arrested early May 2 following an argument with his wife, Melissa. Police booked him for domestic violence and spousal assault and held him on $50,000 bail.

According to the papers filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney, there was not enough evidence to move forward and Schimmel’s wife “indicated she did not want charges filed.”

Schimmel’s representative told TMZ, “We are very gratified the D.A. reviewed the case and determined that the filing of criminal charges is not warranted.”

However, Melissa filed divorce papers less than a week after the incident. Schimmel’s wife is asking for spousal support and sole physical custody of their two minor children. She’s also asking for child support.

Domestic Violence in Los Angeles County

Domestic violence is a serious issue as the above article shows. It endangers women and children in these situations. As laws change and consequences of domestic violence become harsher, what can our society do to protect the victims? Is it too difficult for victims to get help and justice?

Penal Code Section 243(e)(1) makes it a crime to commit a battery against a spouse, cohabitant, parent, former spouse, fiance(e), or girlfriend/boyfriend. This type of battery is punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or up to a $2,000 fine.

Domestic Violence Charge Against Comedian Robert Schimmel Dropped, GantDaily.com, May 22, 2009

Photo by Publik16

Alvarez-Guerrero, who was arrested in a tiny California town 175 miles north of Los Angeles, was charged last week with second-degree murder in the slaying of his longtime friend, Arturo Guillen Ramirez, 36. He is being held in lieu of $1 million bail in the Fresno County, California Jail, awaiting an extradition hearing sometime in June, said Dan Donohoe, spokesman for King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg.

Federal officials in San Francisco have placed an immigration hold on Alvarez-Guerrero, 40, said Lorie Dankers, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office. As is routine, Dankers could not comment on Alvarez-Guerrero's immigration status, but said that generally a hold is issued when "ICE believes that a person is removable from the country.

"Once the criminal case has run its course, he'll come into ICE custody," Dankers said.

Alvarez-Guerrero, who had been sleeping on Ramirez's couch since March, was arrested in April on suspicion of a domestic violence assault following a fight over female visitors to the third-floor apartment the two men shared in the 7400 block of Rainier Avenue South in Seattle, said the police report.

But instead of being booked into the King County Jail, Alvarez-Guerrero was released from the Police Department's South Precinct just after 1 a.m. Thursday, the report says. He was scheduled to have surgery on his left hand later that day, and officers let him go because they figured jail officials wouldn't allow him to be booked because of his pre-existing injury, the report says.

That decision — by two officers and a sergeant — has prompted an internal investigation by the department's Office of Professional Accountability, Assistant Police Chief Nick Metz said Thursday. All three were pulled off patrol duty and placed on administrative reassignment.

Under state law, anyone arrested on suspicion of domestic violence assault is to be booked into jail, Metz said, explaining that fights between roommates — even those not romantically involved — are considered domestic violence.

Two hours after his arrest, Alvarez-Guerrero returned to the apartment building and asked a woman if she'd seen "the other bigger Hispanic male" — an apparent reference to Ramirez, charging documents say. The woman said "no" and watched Alvarez-Guerrero climb the stairs to the third floor.

She then heard a loud thump and saw Alvarez-Guerrero run from the building with something concealed in his hand and drive away, the documents say.

Ramirez's body was found about a few hours later in the hallway outside his apartment. A preliminary exam by death investigators showed that Ramirez had been stabbed in the chest and possibly the back, and had significant injuries to his head and face.

Detectives said Alvarez-Guerrero phoned Ramirez's sister in California around 5 a.m. that same morning, told her that he'd shot her brother and asked if she knew whether Ramirez was still alive. She then tried to phone her brother, but he didn't answer, the charging documents say.

Around 3 p.m. that same day, officers spotted a vehicle matching the description sent down by Seattle police. Unmarked units followed the vehicle for 21 miles before pulling it over in Kettleman City, a town of 1,700 people in the San Joaquin Valley, Hiebert said.

Domestic Violence in Los Angeles County

As stated above, domestic violence includes fights between roommates, whether or not romantically linked or not. As laws change and consequences of domestic violence become harsher, what can our society do to protect the victims? One that that may help is for abusers to realize that domestic violence is against the law.

Penal Code Section 243(e)(1) makes it a crime to commit a battery against a spouse, cohabitant, parent, former spouse, fiance(e), or girlfriend/boyfriend. This type of battery is punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or up to a $2,000 fine.

Slaying suspect charged in murder of roommate, Seattle-Times.com, May 30, 2009

Photo by Clarity25

Police say 40-year-old Ho Chun Kang was taken into custody after he drove the dead body of his ex-girlfriend, 47-year-old Caroline Kim, to a hospital in Los Angeles on Monday. Doctors say Kim had been dead for “quite a while” before Kang arrived with her body in his van.

Investigators report Kang called family members to tell them he had "done something bad."

Kang is being held without bail on suspicion of murder and domestic violence charges, reported the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. He was scheduled to appear in court on June 8, the day of his arrest, to face previous domestic violence charges.

No motive for the crime has been established. Investigators do say, however, that Kang was charged in February for a domestic violence incident that included assault with a deadly weapon, inflicting injury on and threatening a cohabitant. That person is believed to be Kim.

Detectives say he recently moved out of Kim's house and into his brother's home in Diamond Bar.

Redlands city spokesman Carl Baker says the couple was last seen together at church the previous night, where officials later discovered Kim's car.

Police say Kim was likely killed in Redlands or taken against her will and then slain. Kang told "conflicting stories" when questioned by police, according to Baker.

Domestic Violence in Los Angeles County

Domestic violence is a serious issue in California as a result of the recent Chris Brown and Rihanna case. As laws change and consequences of domestic violence become harsher, what can our society do to protect the victims? One that that may help is for abusers to realize that domestic violence is against the law.

Penal Code Section 243(e)(1) makes it a crime to commit a battery against a spouse, cohabitant, parent, former spouse, fiance(e), or girlfriend/boyfriend. This type of battery is punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or up to a $2,000 fine.

Man Arrested for Murder after Driving Ex-Girlfriend's Body to Hospital, www.KTLA.com, June 10, 2009

On April 20, 2009, Mark Vansimaeys, 30, was believed to be defending his mother or himself when he fatally stabbed his stepfather, 48-year-old Dean Franklin Ybarra, said West Covina Lt. Ron Mitchell.

"It was a horrible altercation," Mitchell said. The investigation remains ongoing, but "At this point, we don't plan to arrest (Vansimaeys)," Mitchell said.

Another man, Vansimaeys' brother and stepson to Ybarra, was present at the home that Monday, Mitchell said. Police are still investigating what role he may have played in the incident.

The dead man, who was listed with coroner's officials Wednesday as Dean Franklin, apparently died from "multiple stab wounds," Ed Winter, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner's Assistant Chief of Operations, said.

The stabbing was reported shortly before 7 p.m. Monday when neighbors called police to report domestic violence at a home in the 700 block of East Merced shared by a husband, wife and stepson, West Covina police Cpl. Rudy Lopez said.

Detectives determined that Vansimaeys got involved when Ybarra attacked his wife and Vansimaeys' mother, a 53-year-old cancer patient. Her name was not released, Mitchell said.

Domestic Violence in Los Angeles County

Domestic violence is now seen as more of a major issue in California as a result of the Rihanna/Chris Brown incident. As laws change and consequences of domestic violence become harsher, what can our society do to protect the victims? One that that may help is for abusers to realize that domestic violence is against the law.

Penal Code Section 243(e)(1) makes it a crime to commit a battery against a spouse, cohabitant, parent, former spouse, fiance(e), or girlfriend/boyfriend. This type of battery is punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or up to a $2,000 fine.

No Arrests Planned in West Covina Stepfather Stabbing, SGVTribune.com, April 22, 2009

"Abortion may play a vital role in understanding the aetiology [cause] of relationship problems," the authors stated. The study said that abortion within a current relationship causes 116% more arguing when discussing future children, and 196% more domestic violence.

The researchers found that abortion affected future relationships as well.

"For both men and women the experience of an abortion in a previous relationship was related to negative outcomes in the current relationship," they wrote.

"Men whose current partners had an abortion were more likely to report jealousy (96% greater risk) and conflict about drugs (385% greater risk).

"These results suggest that abortion may play a vital role in understanding the aetiology of some relationship problems," the study's authors wrote.

Dr. Priscilla Coleman, a professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Bowling Green State University headed up the study with Vincent Rue of the Florida-based Institute for Pregnancy Loss and post-abortion researcher Catherine Coyle.

Domestic Violence in Los Angeles County

Domestic violence in California is in the news more lately after the Rihanna/Chris Brown case. As laws change and consequences of domestic violence become harsher, what can our society do to protect the victims? The first step is to understand that domestic violence is against the law in California.

Penal Code Section 243(e)(1) makes it a crime to commit a battery against a spouse, cohabitant, parent, former spouse, fiance(e), or girlfriend/boyfriend. This type of battery is punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or up to a $2,000 fine.

Abortion Linked to Higher Rates of Domestic Violence, Catholic.org, April 21, 2009

Assemblymember John A. Pérez, D-Los Angeles, introduced the bill last month hoping to expand services to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) victims of domestic violence, according to a news release.

“There is a shortage of adequate care for our community,” Pérez said in the statement. “We must take whatever steps we can to ensure that all LGBT survivors of domestic violence have access to culturally competent services and resources.”

Domestic violence rates in same-sex relationships mirror those of opposite-sex relationships but with fewer support services, the news release said.

The LGBT Domestic Violence Services Bill plans to enlarge access for LGBT service providers to a state fund subsidized by a $23 fee on domestic partnership registrations while eliminating requirements to offer shelter.

“This new bill will help us expand innovative and proven program models already being pioneered by LGBT centers and organizations across the state,” Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California, said in a news release.

“Now more people will have more access to the services they need. After all, we all deserve a place where we feel comfortable and safe.”

The bill, which now heads to the appropriations committee, was sponsored by Equality California, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that works for equality and legal protections for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender, LGBT, people.

Domestic Violence in Los Angeles County

Domestic violence in California is a major issue. As laws change and consequences of domestic violence become harsher, what can our society do to protect the victim? What can we provide as support to the abuser? It may seem two-sided, but often abusers need as much help as the victims. They may have been abused as children and need counseling or other treatment. However, everyone should realize that domestic violence in any form is against the law.

Penal Code Section 243(e)(1) makes it a crime to commit a battery against a spouse, cohabitant, parent, former spouse, fiance(e), or girlfriend/boyfriend. This type of battery is punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or up to a $2,000 fine.

Gay domestic violence bill going through legislature, The Desert Sun, April 22, 2009

Deputes responded to a call at a home in the 900 block of N. Eastman Avenue in the City Terrace area about 3 p.m. on April 2, 2009 after neighbors heard a young woman screaming, Sgt. Diane Hecht said in a statement. The man met them at the front door holding a knife to his throat.

Deputies ordered the man to drop the knife but he slit his throat, Hecht said. He was transported to a nearby hospital. However, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Her name was not released, pending notification of her family. Authorities say the couple, who previously lived together had been involved in an argument, and deputies had been by the house earlier that same afternoon to take a domestic violence report.

Domestic Violence in Los Angeles County

Domestic violence in California is a serious issue. As laws change and consequences of domestic violence become harsher, what can our society do to protect both the victim and the abuser? It may seem two-sided to observe, but often abusers need as much help as the victims. They may have been abused as children and need counseling or treatment.

Penal Code Section 243(e)(1) makes it a crime to commit a battery against a spouse, cohabitant, parent, former spouse, fiance(e), or girlfriend/boyfriend. This type of battery is punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or up to a $2,000 fine.

Man fatally stabs girlfriend, wounds self in East L.A., police say, LATimesblogs.com, April 3, 2009

The law is being promoted by a group known as the STOParazzi, now regarded as a celebrity rights advocacy group.

STOParazzi developed “Rihanna’s Law” in order to prevent the release of photographs or specific information that exploits victims of crimes. Their efforts are a result of the constant media coverage of the Rihanna and Chris Brown alleged domestic violence case, specifically regarding the lack of privacy that Rihanna, the victim, was provided with in the immediate aftermath of the incident. The disturbing photograph of Rihanna’s battered face after she was brutally assaulted was allegedly sold to TMZ.

The proposed law is is enjoying tremendous momentum as a result of the fact that the Los Angeles Police Department is still in the process of pursuing individuals whom they believe sold the controversial photos in the first place.

Terry Ahem, the STOParazzi president, provided a statement in response to the measures that his group is currently taking to gather support for “Rihanna’s Law.” He told the media, "We can no longer tolerate the leaking of private information when an interest turns into stalking."

Domestic Violence in Los Angeles County

Domestic violence among teens needs to be addressed differently than among adults. As laws change and consequences of teen dating violence become harsher, what can our society do to protect both the victim and the abuser? It may seem two-sided to observe, but often abusers need as much help as the victims. They may have been abused as children and need help as well.

Penal Code Section 243(e)(1) makes it a crime to commit a battery against a spouse, cohabitant, parent, former spouse, fiance(e), or girlfriend/boyfriend. This type of battery is punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or up to a $2,000 fine.

Proposed “Rihanna’s Law” Gaining Momentum From Victims Rights Movement, CelebrityCafe.com, March 26, 2009

According to the California Attorney General's office, every year, almost 6% of California's women suffer physical injuries from domestic violence.

In California, in 2007, 101 women were killed in the state by their husbands, ex-husbands or boyfriends. Also in that year, California law enforcement received a staggering 174,649 domestic violence calls; 69,422 of those calls involved weapons such as firearms, knives, hands, fists or feet.

Although domestic violence affects all parts of society, experts report that undocumented women are among the most vulnerable because their immigration status is often tied to their abusers, which prevents them from seeking help. Immigrant women also tend to stay in abusive relationships longer than other abused women because they feel trapped in an unfamiliar country where they may not know the language, laws and where to go for help.

"Many husbands do not arrange (immigration) papers for their (undocumented) wives. It's another form of abuse because if they want to leave, they can threaten them with immigration authorities or with taking their children away," said Gloria Saucedo, director of the immigrant rights' organization.

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), signed into law by president Bill Clinton in 1994, allows the abused women, especially those women who rely on their abuser to stay in the country, to obtain a working permit and even permanent resident status for themselves and any of their children under 21 years of age, if they can prove they were victims of abuse perpetrated by their permanent resident or U.S. citizen spouses. They must prove their claim with photos showing the effects of physical abuse, police reports and restraining orders as well as testimonies from children and other witnesses of the abuse. They also must be legally married to the abuser.

Domestic Violence in Los Angeles County

Domestic violence in California, especially Los Angeles county is a serious issue. What can our society do to protect the victim? How can we stop the abuse? Often abusers need as much help as the victims. They may have been abused as children and need counseling and treatment. They need to know domestic violence is not acceptable behavior.

Penal Code Section 243(e)(1) makes it a crime to commit a battery against a spouse, cohabitant, parent, former spouse, fiance(e), or girlfriend/boyfriend. This type of battery is punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or up to a $2,000 fine.

Wrestling Against Domestic Violence, SanFernandoSun.com, April 1, 2009

Twenty-three states received sub-par grades in the report, with only California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma receiving As. Nine other states received Bs, while eleven of those 23 sub-par performers received Fs.

The state-by-state report measure how each state treats teen victims of dating violence in comparison with the treatment of adult domestic violence victims.

"I think what the state report cards are telling us is that states have a long way to go before they are protecting minors in abusive relationships," Marjorie Gilberg, Break the Cycle's executive director, told CNN Radio.

The report focuses on how easy it is for a teen to obtain a protective order in the event of abuse, including whether state law allows a minor to take out an order, if adult permission is required and whether an order can be issued against another minor.

New Hampshire, which got an A, is the only state where the law specifically allows minors to apply for a protection order, according to the report. Missouri, which got an F, makes such orders available only to adults.

Only nine states allow minors to obtain protective orders without adult approval if they meet certain criteria, such as being a minimum age, often 16, or having a specific relationship with the abuser, such as having a child together.

"What we hope to achieve with this is to call out the states that are not doing a good job protecting minors and help people in those states call on their legislators to make change," Gilberg said.

One in five teens who have been in a "serious relationship" report being hit, slapped or pushed by a partner, according to the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline. Also, one in three girls who have been in such a relationship say they've been concerned about being physically hurt by their partner.

Gilberg said that since the 2008 report cards came out, several states worked hard to change their laws to address the rights of minor victims in domestic violence statutes, and some were more successful than others. Eight states improved their grades from the previous year.

Among them, Florida jumped from a D to a B for making protective orders "relatively accessible" to teen victims without an adult's approval if they are dating the abuser. The process was described as "extremely difficult" the previous year because state law did not specify whether a minor could petition for one alone.

"Even when you have an A grade," Gilberg said, "you still can do things to make the law more protective of minors who are in teen dating violence relationships."

Dating Violence in Los Angeles County

Dating violence among teens needs to be addressed differently than among adults. As laws change and consequences of teen dating violence become harsher, what can our society do to protect both the victim and the abuser? It may seem two-sided to observe, but often abusers need as much help as the victims. They may have been abused as children and need help as well.

Penal Code Section 243(e)(1) makes it a crime to commit a battery against a spouse, cohabitant, parent, former spouse, fiance(e), or girlfriend/boyfriend. This type of battery is punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or up to a $2,000 fine.

Report: Few states responding to teen dating violence, CNN.com, March 24, 2009

Calls to domestic violence hotlines are up, and more than half the callers say their financial situation has changed in recent months and weeks.

These and other signals point to another disturbing effect of the recession: American homes are becoming more violent, and the faltering economic conditions could be partly to blame.

"Our children and families are suffering," said Alane Fagin, who runs a Long Island nonprofit group called Child Abuse Prevention Services. "With more layoffs expected, the threat of foreclosure looming over so many and our savings disappearing, even the best parents can feel stressed out and overwhelmed."

Because government data across the nation will not be available for months, the evidence suggesting an uptick in child abuse and domestic violence has been largely anecdotal.

However, the Child Welfare League of America, a coalition of public and private agencies, has been interviewing state child welfare agencies to see whether the numbers reflect a spike in violence.

"I think a lot of people are very concerned that we are in the early phases of this," said Linda Spears, vice president for policy and public affairs.

Eighty-eight percent of law enforcement officials asked across the country believe the economic crisis has led, or will lead, to more child abuse and neglect, according to top police officials from Los Angeles, Boston, Milwaukee and Philadelphia who recently held a news conference in Washington.

"Those of us on the front lines of law enforcement know that there is a correlation between economic distress and increased child abuse and neglect," said Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton. "We have to get in front of this problem now."

Just as the need appears to be growing, the recession is drying up funding to many agencies that fight domestic violence.

"This period of time may well be our perfect storm: a struggling economy, an increase in stress and a decrease in funding of programs," said Fagin, the Long Island child abuse prevention advocate.

However, not everyone is convinced domestic violence and child abuse are increasing.

"So far from what I've read there is no evidence that is the case," said Ben Tanzer of Chicago-based Prevent Child Abuse. "Certainly we're concerned that certain communities may be in crisis, but we just don't know."

Earlier in April, the U.S. Administration for Children's Services released its annual report on child abuse, which found the number of children being maltreated actually dropped in recent years, from 904,000 victims nationwide in 2006 to 794,000 the following year.

But those figures do not include the worst of the recession, which began in late 2007.

Mindy Perlmutter, spokeswoman for the Nassau County Coalition for Domestic Violence, cautioned that the economy is not the only factor in abuse cases.

"It doesn't cause someone to be abusive," she said. "There are many poor people who never abuse their loved ones. But if you're inclined to be abusive, if you are an abuser, losing a job and being home 24/7 may give you more opportunity."

Domestic Violence in Los Angeles County

The discussion of the economy being a possible factor in increased domestic and family violence brings up the question of how to help these victims and their abusers. If you need help, reach out. There are people who are trained to help in just these situations and the government is offering many incentives to out-of-work employees and hard-hit mortgage payers to help you make ends meet.

Penal Code Section 243(e)(1) makes it a crime to commit a battery against a spouse, cohabitant, parent, former spouse, fiance(e), or girlfriend/boyfriend. This type of battery is punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or up to a $2,000 fine.

Economy may contribute to rise in family violence, Google News, April 11, 2009

The Los Angeles Times has led the charge: Use of the photo first posted by the website TMZ amounted to a second victimization of Rihanna. This blog has decided not to post that TMZ photo, but to use another photo that shows Rihanna healing from her wounds (see above).

Is this true?

One of the finest lines in journalism is balancing interests and values—protecting Rihanna from a very public discussion of her injuries or showing the world the devastating impact and effect that domestic violence perpetrators impose on their victims. What’s more important in this case?

Wendy Murphy, a onetime Massachusetts prosecutor, wrote a column supporting publication of the photo. “Actually, it is not embarrassing for Rihanna. It is, however, shameful for the perpetrator. And it isn’t a violation of anyone’s ‘privacy” because crime is not a ‘private’ matter.”

Murphy taught about sexual violence for 10 years at New England Law in Boston and says she’s “from a different camp than other activists on the issue.”

"In the 'movement,' they say to let the victim choose what's public," Murphy said. "I try to turn this on its head and say, 'We don't let an eyewitness to a bank robbery or a witness in the Enron case say what the public should know.' It's a public concern what happens in these cases."

Domestic Violence in Los Angeles County

The discussion of Chris Brown and Rihanna serves a larger purpose than just who did what and how should the law respond to Mr. Brown. The purpose is that domestic violence is something often ignored by both the victims of it and by those who perpetrate it. Often abusers need as much help as the victims.

Penal Code Section 243(e)(1) makes it a crime to commit a battery against a spouse, cohabitant, parent, former spouse, fiance(e), or girlfriend/boyfriend. This type of battery is punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or up to a $2,000 fine.

Rihanna beating photo: Can public handle ugly truth?, LA Times.com, March 11, 2009

Marcus Lavar Lemons, 31, of Los Angeles died February 21 after being shot in the upper body, said Operations Chief Craig Harvey of the Los Angeles County coroner’s office. Lemons and his wife were in the 400 block of Amantha Avenue in Compton when “he became verbally and physically combative,” said Deputy Aura Sierra of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

“She was able to retrieve a firearm and shoot the suspect,” Sierra said.

Lemons was pronounced dead at the scene, and the shooting is being investigated as a domestic violence incident, Sierra said. The officer’s name has not been released, and Sierra said she did not know if the wife was taken into custody.

Domestic Violence in Los Angeles County

Domestic violence occurs more often than we realize. Many victims of domestic violence blame themselves or think that the abuse is just an isolated incident, because of lack of sleep, stress, or alcohol or drug abuse. Any time anyone hits, kicks, pummels, or strikes another person, especially someone they are in a relationship with, it is considered domestic violence. It is not something to be shrugged off or ignored.

Penal Code Section 243(e)(1) makes it a crime to commit a battery against a spouse, cohabitant, parent, former spouse, fiance(e), or girlfriend/boyfriend. This type of battery is punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or up to a $2,000 fine.

Man allegedly killed by wife, a CHP officer, is identified, LA Times Blogs, February 23, 2009

Photo by swanksalot

In 2002, the Bureau of Justice stated that one in three teenage girls will experience some form of domestic violence while dating, and a survey of 500 young women, ages 15 to 24, found that 60 percent were currently involved in an ongoing abusive relationship. These statistics are shocking!

It seems obvious to onlookers of domestic violence that the girl should just leave the relationship. But this ignores emotional and physical ties that the couple has already created. It’s not that easy for a young girl to walk away from someone she loves.

Christy Cardinal, director for HAVEN, a domestic violence abuse center located in Oakland County, says, “The flip side is asking someone if they ever had a job they hated? The same goes for women who are being victimized.”

Cardinal adds, "The question that should be asked is “Why does he hurt her?”

Domestic Violence in Los Angeles County

Since the Chris Brown/Rihanna story broke, many have come to Brown’s defense, insisting that Rihanna must have provoked his reaction, or said something to him while he was drinking to cause him to allegedly hit her. The law looks at it quite differently. Penal Code Section 243(e)(1) makes it a crime to commit a battery against a spouse, cohabitant, parent, former spouse, fiance(e), or girlfriend/boyfriend. This type of battery is punishable by up to one year in county jail and/or up to a $2,000 fine.

Domestic violence hits younger generation through celebrity confrontation
Chris Brown and Rihanna bring conversation to the forefront, South End News.com, March 10, 2009