Chapter 16 - Criminal cases do not fix families
Rachel faced a misdemeanor assault charge related to the shove.
Dad faced more serious scrutiny because he struck me with an object while I was already on the floor.
The exact charge shifted during negotiations.
No attempted murder.
No child-abuse charge because children witnessed adults fighting.
No ridiculous twenty-year sentence.
The scalp cut required three staples.
Shoulder bruising.
Aggravated ankle pain.
Serious enough.
Not catastrophic.
Rachel eventually entered a diversionary resolution for the physical assault portion.
Anger-management programming.
Community service.
No-contact condition with me for a period.
Record consequences depending completion and local procedure.
Dad’s case took longer.
He eventually accepted a plea reflecting assaultive conduct with the crutch.
Probation.
A suspended jail component.
Mandatory counseling.
No contact with me except through counsel until I changed that years later.
Some relatives called it light.
I did not need my father imprisoned for a decade.
I needed the record to say:
He hit his adult daughter with her crutch.
Not:
Family argument.
Not:
Cake accident.
Not:
May you like
Rebecca made everyone emotional.
Language mattered.
