Madison County Judge FINALLY Gets Fired after Being Punished THREE TIMES Previously By Indiana Judicial Commission

"Spencer had been disciplined by the commission three times in prior cases that resulted in a 30-day suspension without pay, a public reprimand and a public admonition."

Pretty pathetic. Disciplined THREE TIMES. (How many times was Danielle Gregory punished before she was fired?)...is there special protection for corrupt male judges over corrupt female judges in Indiana? Why are any of them around (including those on the Hall of Shame)...disregard for the law should be a one-way ticket off the bench. After all, most of these corrupt judges take children from mothers and give them to abusers, to the detriment of our children.

From WRTV-6:

Judge Resigns Amid Investigation Into Murder Case

Disciplinary Investigation Dropped


MADISON COUNTY, Ind. -- A Madison County judge will resign amid an investigation into his handling of a murder case.Circuit Court Judge Fredrick Spencer, 71, was the subject of a probe by the Judicial Qualifications Commission regarding the case of State v. Ward, 6News' Derrik Thomas reported.

Spencer had been disciplined by the commission three times in prior cases that resulted in a 30-day suspension without pay, a public reprimand and a public admonition.

His resignation will halt the current investigation."For his actions related to a murder case, Judge Spencer has tendered his resignation to the Judicial Qualifications Commission. In light of his resignation, the commission is no longer investigating the case," said Indiana Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathryn Dolan.

Former Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings tried more than 30 cases in front of Spencer. While he had many public disagreements with the judge, he said he wished him well."Careers come to an end. I hope for Judge Spencer's sake, it is a happy day for him," he said. "I hope, even though there have been issues that have drawn media attention, I hope it doesn't get overshadowed by some of the other things that he did."

Friday will be the final day of Spencer's 26-year career as a judge.The Indiana Supreme Court will appoint a temporary judge to fill his position. His successor will be appointed by Gov. Mitch Daniels.

Another Crooked Marion County Judge Caught: Adios Muchacha!

From WTHR:

Judge loses job over texting during hearings

Updated: Sep 21, 2009 5:08 PM EDT

Sandra Chapman/13 Investigates

Indianapolis - Teens are warned every day not to text anything inappropriate, and definitely not while behind the wheel or in the classroom.

But it's a message that escaped a Marion County Juvenile Magistrate. She was fired for texting violations while hearing cases.

Most assume unrestrained texting is a juvenile problem. At the Marion County Juvenile Court, where camera phones are banned, it isn't just troubled teens with busy fingers but a magistrate caught breaking the rules.

According to a court disciplinary record obtained by 13 Investigates, Magistrate Danielle Gregory engaged in inappropriate conduct, texting a married male employee in the middle of more than one juvenile hearing.

Outside the court, visitors couldn't believe it.

"Really?" questioned one mom while another man chimed in, "That's crazy."

Ashley Wingler, who was told she couldn't bring in a cell phone because it would interrupt proceedings, found it just as troubling. "The judge should be more interested in the hearing instead of texting on the phone," she said.

In fact, Gregory's supervisor writes in the disciplinary record that "Multiple text messages were sent from [Gregory's] cell phone number to [the male employee's] cell phone during court hours including times [she] was on the bench conducting court sessions."

"Text messages were sent from your phone...on August 7th during a court session...and the messages included sending three pictures of yourself," the report read.

"That's inappropriate. You on your phone and texting, sending pictures while you're having court, that's inappropriate," said Robert Lasley as he awaited a hearing Monday afternoon.

Within less than an hour outside the facility at 2451 North Keystone Avenue, nearly a dozen parents were turned away from the juvenile court because of camera phones. But it might surprise some to learn that the Marion Superior Court does not have a policy against texting from the bench.

Instead, Gregory was terminated for violating court policies, including: "committing any act while off duty that would discredit the Court," and for "immoral, unprofessional, or disruptive behavior while on duty."

According to the disciplinary report, the male employee on the receiving end was assigned to mentor families in the court.

Indiana Supreme Court Spokeswoman Kathryn Dolan told 13 Investigates, "Behavior for judicial officers, including judges and magistrates, is guided by the Indiana Code of Judicial Conduct. And while the code does not specifically deal with new media, it does provide specific and detailed information on how judicial officers are required to behave."

"She should have been fired, you know. Definitely shouldn't have been doing that. Especially being a judge...she should have definitely known better," said Jim, the father of an incarcerated teen being held at the center, agreeing with the decision to fire Gregory.

"I think that's terrible," added Tavia Norman, in disbelief. "Of course I would want them paying attention to what's going on. Shouldn't no judge or nobody should be texting on the cell phones," she said.

Attention Indiana Judges and Lawyers: Ethics Counseling Available For You

Hey Indiana Judges and Lawyers, Look Here at This

A lot of you have a problem with ethics and ethical decisions. Well, on the Indiana Bar Association, I found this that may help you all:

Ethics counseling for lawyers & judges available by phone

The telephone advisory panel of the ISBA Legal Ethics Committee has fielded hundreds of calls from attorneys since establishment of the panel more than 10 years ago. This little-known service was made available to lawyers and judges by the Association to provide a "hotline" for obtaining ethical counseling for members who have, or believe they have, an ethical dilemma, and who typically do not have the time to await a formal opinion by the full committee. Or, more often, the caller has preliminarily decided upon a course of conduct that is thought to conform to the Rules of Professional Conduct, but needs to discuss that course with a committee member for reassurance.

The dedicated members of the advisory panel welcome such calls, provided the caller first has carefully reviewed the seemingly implicated rule or rules and any cases that appear in the annotations to such rule, and has been unable to arrive at a comfortable solution to the dilemma.To obtain counseling on a matter of legal ethics, click here for a roster of the telephone advisory panel. (The panel will not respond to inquiries by nonmembers of the Association.)

In responding to a call, the advisory panel member likely will not provide an opinion, authority for which is reserved to the committee as a whole. Rather, the advisor will discuss with the inquirer the effect of particular rules upon the proposed conduct, and perhaps make a recommendation as to how to avoid a particular ethical pitfall.

SO, PLEASE USE THIS SERVICE BEFORE DESTROYING ANYMORE FAMILIES IN INDIANA

Evan Bayh is Not His Father's Son

I heard this comment in a meeting yesterday, and how true it is. Evan Bayh just is not his father's son.

In Birch Bayh's eyes, women should be given the same chances that men have. Women deserved equality and this was evident in his legislation.

'Father' Of Title IX Honored

By Richard Veilleux

Former U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh of Indiana, considered the "father" of Title IX, the landmark federal legislation created more than 30 years ago that greatly expanded educational and athletics opportunities for girls and women, was honored during half-time of the women's basketball game between UConn and Rutgers on Martin Luther King Day.

Former U.S. Senator Birch Bayh

"Thanks to Title IX, women have taken their rightful place in American education - as students, teachers, administrators, and athletes," said U.S. Sen. Christopher R. Dodd, in joining University President Philip Austin to present the award. "Sen. Bayh's leadership as original author of this legislation has directly impacted the millions of young women whose lives have been touched and bettered through equality in education, collegiate athletics, and opportunities for success in virtually every aspect of American life."

Although UConn began admitting women in 1893, many publicly funded universities did not admit women, and many women who did enter universities were discouraged from studying math, science, law, or medicine, before Title IX became law in 1972, Dodd said. Perhaps the most profound change came in the area of athletics, however; and participation by women in virtually every sport has boomed since passage of the act.

"Title IX represented a major advance not just for women, but for all Americans and for higher education," said University President Philip E. Austin. "I'm proud that UConn has a long and worthy tradition in making a university education accessible to women, and I'm especially proud of our efforts to encourage women to pursue their aspirations in fields in which they have been historically underrepresented.

"And of course, the success of our women's sports programs and what that means for all the people of Connecticut speaks for itself," Austin added.

Sen. Bayh also played a leadership role in many other areas and in framing two Constitutional amendments: the 26th Amendment, which lowered the legal voting age to 18, and the Equal Rights Amendment, a proposed Constitutional amendment guaranteeing equal rights to women, which has been ratified by 35 states, including Connecticut.

Bayh, who also served in the Indiana House of Representatives, represented Indiana in the U.S. Senate from 1963 to 1981.

But for Evan Bayh, this apple has fallen far from the tree...

Senator Bayh sent out this wonderful message for fathers on Father’s Day to the Hoosiers he represents. He missed sending out a message for mothers…tells you a lot, doesn’t it. He is up for re-election next year….Hoosiers mothers, are you paying attention?

Watch out for these bill just introduced:

S. 1309, introduced by Sen. Evan Bayh, (D-IN) and two co-sponsors.

H.R. 2979, introduced by Rep. Danny K. Davis (IL-7) and 27 co-sponsors.

President Obama told Senator Bayh last year he would sign the bill when he gets it.

The 2006 attempt at this bill (with U.S. Senator Barack Obama as one of the two co-sponsors) died:

The list below shows legislation in this and previous sessions of Congress that had the same title as this bill. Often bills are incorporated into other omnibus bills, and you may be able to track the status of provisions of this bill by looking for an omnibus bill below. Note that bills may have multiple titles.

109^th Congress: S. 3607: Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Act Dead

This one needs to die too.

Is it fair for our government tax dollars to go help take children from mothers, to help fund a custody battle in court, help that is only available to fathers? These funds pay for dads to do this. All dads are not good (see Dastardly Dads) Why should we help abusers take children from their moms. The American Judge's Association knows this is a problem, why do you want to fund abusers to take custody of the children?

Yes, Evan, your dad took time to be with you. He didn't seek to take your mother out of your life though, did he? Yes, this apple has fallen very far from the tree.

Parental Alienation Syndrome: Just How Gullible Do They Think We Are?

From RightsForMothers.com:

August 22, 2009
Parental Alienation Syndrome: How Gullible Are We?

Up for inclusion in the new DMS (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the most widely used psychiatric reference in the world) is the so-called “Parental Alienation Syndrome,” a syndrome invented by the pedophile-loving psychologist Dr. Richard Gardner, who committed suicide eventually. Also up for inclusion again is making women’s menstral cycles a pyschiatric syndrome.

Money-grubbing nutcase lawyers and/or psychologists (in some cases they have both degrees!) work to get these so-called syndromes included so they can use them as a basis for taking children from protective parents (and make more money). They use this twisted science as a basis for their claims…just how gullible do they think we all are? Apparently many judges are, and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges are trying to correct this: see Family Courts are Warned They Should Not Accept So-called “Parental Alienation Syndrome”.


Here is a good example of how gullible people can be when you start throwing out so-called “scientific claims”:

A student at Eagle Rock Junior High won first prize at the Greater Idaho Falls Science Fair, April 26. He was attempting to show how conditioned we have become to alarmists practicing junk science and spreading fear of everything in our environment. In his project he urged people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical “dihydrogen monoxide.”

And for plenty of good reasons, since:

1. it can cause excessive sweating and vomiting 2. it is a major component in acid rain 3. it can cause severe burns in its gaseous state 4. accidental inhalation can kill you 5. it contributes to erosion 6. it decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes 7. it has been found in tumors of terminal cancer patients

He asked 50 people if they supported a ban of the chemical.

Forty-three (43) said yes, six (6) were undecided, and only one (1) knew that the chemical was actually just plain old water.

The title of his prize winning project was, “How Gullible Are We?”

He feels the conclusion is obvious. http://www.snopes.com/science/dhmo.asp

Ending the Culture of Violence Against Women

Will you judges and state legislators read this, PLEASE?

From The Huffington Post:

Ending The Culture of Violence Against Women: A Critical Healthcare Issue
RJ Eskow Consultant, Writer, Health Analyst

Posted: August 13, 2009 06:33 PM

I was walking down the street in Berkeley many years ago when I saw a man with a knife holding a woman by her hair. He would release her, hit her, then grab her again, using the knife to make sure she didn’t run. A small crowd was gathering around them.

“It’s okay,” he said to the onlookers. “She’s my girlfriend.”

That seemed to stop everybody in their tracks.

We never know how we’ll react in situations like these until they happen. I stepped forward, as I would have hoped I’d do, and told him to let her go. That seemed to break the spell, and several men came forward to stand beside me. “You don’t get it,” the attacker said in a whining voice. “You’re interfering. This is between us, it’s personal.” The police arrived in what seemed like seconds and persuaded him to surrender peacefully.

This story’s been on my mind lately. Last week a man shot up a room filled with women taking a gym class, killing three and wounding several more. Why? Because he couldn’t get a date. Murderer George Sodini was a devout follower of “seduction guru” R. Don Steele, a prime example of America’s culture of objectifying women.

“Who Is R. Don Steele?” asks his Web site, “Steel Balls.” (Pathetic …) It says he’s a dating expert and former Republican National Committee operative who has “a deep, abiding hatred for hypocrites, bureaucrats, poverty pimps and nearly all politicians.” But who is R. Don Steele, really? He’s a creep, a parasite, a sleazebag self-promoter who claims to specialize in teaching older men how to pick up much younger women.

He also must be lousy at his profession. For all his effort and investment in the “Steele” program, George Sodini never did get a date. The lonely, twisted man that fired that gun in the gym might — just might — have had a better life if he hadn’t tried to find that young babe R. Don Steele told him he could have, and had looked for someone appropriate to his age and lifestyle.

To be clear, Steele doesn’t advocate violence or anything close to it. But the culture of violence begins with the idea that women are objects — the younger and sexier the better — rather than fellow human beings with as rich an interior life as oneself. In a diseased mind, an object of manipulation can descend into an object of destructive impulses. Culture has a role to play in reversing the desensitization that comes with soulless sexual role-playing.

So when Chris Brown beat up Rihanna — viciously enough to draw blood — it was especially disappointing to see the rest of the hip-hop community act just like that crowd outside the restaurant in Berkeley. With the notable exception of Ghostface Killah, the typical reaction was like Ne-Yo’s: “”I won’t say who was responsible. I won’t pick no sides … I’m praying for the both of them.”

I like Ne-Yo’s musical and sartorial style. But why can’t he do something that takes real guts and admit that domestic violence is always wrong? Isn’t he brave enough? When one human being hurts another, that’s the one who’s responsible. Period. Full stop. Man up and do the right thing, Ne-Yo. It’s not too late.

Domestic violence is a health policy issue. It adds to the cost of medical care while harming the public’s health. Meaningful statistics are hard to come by — which of itself reflects society’s neglect of the topic — but I recently received a compilation of domestic violence statistics from DASH, the District Alliance for Safe Housing in Washington DC, where my daughter was a law clerk this summer.

In the District of Columbia alone, with less than 600,000 inhabitants, the Police Department received 31,215 “domestic-related crime calls.” That’s one call every nineteen minutes, as DASH notes. Most of these incidents (this site estimates 85-95%) involve violence against women.
The last meaningful federal survey took place in 2000, at the end of the Clinton administration. A Department of Justice survey on the “Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence” found that nearly 25% of surveyed women said they had been raped and/or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, partner, or date. That equates to roughly 4.8 million violent attacks against women annually in this country. And many women were the victim of repeat attacks (an average of 6.9 assaults by the same partner).

The study also found that “approximately one-fifth of all rapes, one-quarter of all physical assaults, and one-half of all stalkings” experienced by women will not be reported to the police. That makes DASH’s police figures even more staggering.

It’s curious how blind we become to our own culture. We can criticize tribal Muslim societies for their abuse of women, yet fail to see how ours sometimes does the same thing. What can we do? We can support organizations like DASH, which provides alternate housing for victims of domestic violence. We can press for public policies that address domestic violence. We can speak out against the culture of violence — a culture that’s strengthened every time a women is treated like an object. (I’m talking to you, Mr. “Steel Balls.”)

Oh, and as for the Berkeley attack — she didn’t know the guy. He had seen her through a restaurant window and had become obsessed with her. He just thought people would leave him alone if they believed it was a domestic dispute — and he was almost right.

The police officer who took my statement said they’d picked the man up before for similar crimes against women, but that he was always released with a warning. He said they’d contact me if it ever came to trial, but not to be surprised if I never heard from them again.

I never did.

Police: Man Bought Weapons To Carry Out Judge Killings

From theindychannel.com:

DANVILLE, Ind. -- A man was arrested Thursday after he made threats to kill several people, including two Hendricks County judges, and had bought weapons to carry out that plan, police said. Hendricks County sheriff's Lt. Jim Yetter said Nicholas Suding, 38, of Danville, was angry about a protective order that had been issued against him by Superior Court Judge Stephanie Lemay-Luken. Suding's wife told police that he had purchased weapons and scouted areas from which to shoot.

Armed with a search warrant, police said they found several weapons in Suding's home, including rifles, handguns, a silencer, night vision and ammunition. Officers apprehended Suding as he returned home from work Thursday.

"Suding did admit to purchasing the weapons and making the threats," Yetter said in a news release. " The threats were made against two Hendricks County judges, a local attorney, his ex-wife and her parents, as well as his wife's ex-husband."

Suding was charged with conspiracy to commit murder and was held Friday at the Hendricks County Jail without bond. "We are not going to tolerate this type of behavior by anyone," said Hendricks County Sheriff Dave Galloway.

Suding was convicted of misdemeanor battery in Hendricks County in 2005.

Family Courts are Warned Against Use of So-called "Parental Alienation Syndrome"

From Rights For Mothers:

Here is the new Judicial Guide to Child Safety in Custody Cases from the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Family Violence Department. Again the fake, so-called "Parental Alienation Syndrome" and the use of "parental alienation" is warned against and the Council tells the courts they should not accept this BS.

The only entities that do believe in this fairy tale syndrome is father's rights groups who are fronted by abusive violent men and the Whores of the Court that sustain themselves by use of these false syndromes.

2009: A Judicial Guide to Child Safety in Custody Cases

National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Family Violence Department

Page 12:

C. [§3.3] A Word of Caution about Parental Alienation34

Under relevant evidentiary standards, the court should not accept testimony regarding parental alienation syndrome, or “PAS.” The theory positing the existence of PAS has been discredited by the scientific community.35 In Kumho Tire v. Carmichael, 526 U.S. 137 (1999), the Supreme Court ruled that even expert testimony based in the “soft sciences” must meet the standard set in the Daubert case.36 Daubert, in which the court re-examined the standard it had earlier articulated in the Frye37 case, requires application of a multi-factor test, including peer review, publication, testability, rate of error, and general acceptance. PAS does not pass this test. Any testimony that a party to a custody case suffers from the syndrome or “parental alienation” should therefore be ruled inadmissible and stricken from the evaluation report under both the standard established in Daubert and the earlier Frye standard.38

The discredited “diagnosis” of PAS (or an allegation of “parental alienation”), quite apart from its scientific invalidity, inappropriately asks the court to assume that the child’s behaviors and attitudes toward the parent who claims to be “alienated” have no grounding in reality. It also diverts attention away from the behaviors of the abusive parent, who may have directly influenced the child’s responses by acting in violent, disrespectful, intimidating, humiliating, or discrediting ways toward the child or the other parent. The task for the court is to distinguish between situations in which the child is critical of one parent because they have been inappropriately manipulated by the other (taking care not to rely solely on subtle indications) , and situations in which the child has his or her own legitimate grounds for criticism or fear of a parent, which will likely be the case when that parent has perpetrated domestic violence. Those grounds do not become less legitimate because the abused parent shares them, and seeks to advocate for the child by voicing his or her concerns.

To read the entire report, "A Judicial Guide to Child Safety in Custody Cases (2009)" by National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges Family Violence Department, please click here. This report should be very useful to both moms and dads who are under attack by claims of PAS against them.

Tennessee Murder Suspect Tried to Take Custody of Children From Ex-Wife...Called Her "UNFIT"

If it would have been in Indiana, he would have gotten away with it...court fee paid or not! From The Huntsville Times:

Tuesday, July 21, 2009 By Niki DoyleTimes Staff Writer niki.doyle@htimes.com

The man accused of killing six people, including his wife and her 16-year-old son, once tried to take custody of his two children away from his ex-wife by claiming she was an unfit mother.

According to court records from August 2008, 30-year-old Jacob Shaffer claimed his ex-wife, Elizabeth Shaffer, was "neglectful in the welfare and well-being" of the couple's two children, 9-year-old Arianna and 7-year-old Justin.

The case was promptly dismissed in December when Shaffer failed to pay the $382 in court costs, records show.

Shaffer has been charged with murder in Lincoln County, Tenn., in connection with the brutal slayings of his current wife, 38-year-old Tracie Shaffer, and the woman's father, brother and son, along with the son's friend and a Huntsville man.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation officials said Shaffer spared his own 4-year-old daughter, who was in the home with his wife at the time of the killings. According to court records and family, Shaffer has at least three children - the two from his marriage to Elizabeth Shaffer, and the 4-year-old girl from his marriage to Tracie Shaffer.

Jacob Shaffer claimed less than a year ago that his oldest daughter thrived in his household, earning better grades and showing more involvement in Sunday school than when she lived with her mother.

Shaffer said his ex-wife had been living with her boyfriend and left the children in his sole custody for months, neglecting to pick them up at scheduled times, according to court records.

The claims went unanswered, and the case was closed in December after a Madison County judge denied Shaffer's request for a waiver of fees based on financial hardship.

The 2008 civil case was the second chapter of a custody battle between Shaffer and his ex, who sued him three years earlier for $7,375 in back child support for their two children.

Shaffer teetered on the brink of a 110-day jail sentence for failing to pay 80 child support payments since the couple's divorce in 2003. Shaffer put down a "large good-faith payment" after the civil court claim was filed, causing the judge to withdraw the order that could have sent him to jail.

Do Children Need This Type Of Father?

Read about Holly Collins and her daughter Jennifer, who made this video, here.

Three Mothers Dead, Three Fathers Under Arrest

From The Indianapolis Star:

3 domestic violence deaths prompt questions of what can be done

By Francesca Jarosz
Posted: June 28, 2009

For Angela Warnock, getting a protective order against her abusive husband was a huge step toward freedom. In the weeks after she obtained it May 27, her friends noted the typically soft-spoken woman was more open to talking about her problems.

But her fatal stabbing June 21 -- a few days before she was to move to Hawaii with her daughters -- highlights a grim reality: Protective orders can't save those whose abusers intend to kill. In cases such as Warnock's, experts say, preventing such a tragedy requires drastic steps.

"A protective order is just not enough. Going to a friend's house is not enough. You need a shelter," said Ann DeLaney, executive director of the Julian Center in Indianapolis.

Police say Warnock's husband, Joseph Warnock, entered her Brownsburg home on Father's Day and stabbed her multiple times. Their daughters, ages 8 and 12, were present. He has been charged with murder.

The death of Warnock, 38, a devoted mother and hairstylist whom friends remembered for her empathy and thoughtfulness, was the third domestic violence fatality in less than two months in the Indianapolis metro area.

In all three cases, the women recently had broken away from their husbands. Experts say this is a point at which victims are at the greatest risk, because abusers think they are losing control.

In May, four of Amenda Yang's children found the 43-year-old dead in her Lawrence home from blunt-force trauma to the head and strangulation. Her husband, Michael Yang, has been charged with murder and violating the protective order she had filed against him.

A month later, Beth Stayer, 34, was fatally beaten with a hammer and tire iron in her Whitestown home. Her ex-husband, Michael Stayer, faces charges in her death.

The number of protective orders filed in Marion County during the first six months of this year is up more than 15 percent, to 1,911, over the same period last year, when there were 1,649. Some experts say the increase can be explained by an uptick in domestic violence because of added stress brought on by the recession.

Nationwide, about 1,600 victims die from domestic violence each year, said Jacquelyn Campbell, a professor of nursing at Johns Hopkins University who authored a nationwide study of intimate partner femicide. At least 75 percent of those victims are women.

There have been 44 such homicides statewide, including 15 in Marion County, since July 1, 2008, according to the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, which tracks the numbers by fiscal year.

Victims' advocates say protective orders serve as valuable tools that can keep violence from escalating. But their power is limited and depends on how well they are enforced.

Violators of protective orders typically would be charged with a misdemeanor, but in some cases, charges are not filed, said Maria Larrison, executive director at Sheltering Wings in Danville.

Another shortcoming, experts say, is that the system often fails to identify subjects of protective orders who are highly dangerous. That's something Campbell said could be done by evaluating domestic violence offenders or having victims complete a risk assessment.

Some who have protective orders realize their limitations. A domestic abuse victim, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because she fears for her safety, said the protective order she received this month has helped encourage her abuser to stay away but hasn't alleviated her worries.

"I'll live in fear the rest of my life and hope to God that a protective order helps me," she said. "But if the law doesn't reinforce the protective order, it's not going to do any good."

On the day Angela Warnock was granted a temporary protective order, she called the Hendricks County Sheriff's Department to report that Joseph Warnock kept calling and harassing her, according to emergency dispatch records.

A month later, during a hearing to determine whether that protective order should be permanent, Warnock testified that the temporary order hadn't stopped her husband from stalking the family. He had called up to 18 times a day, and sent gifts and cards, text messages and flowers.

In the years before she got her protective order, Warnock was generally private about her husband's behavior but had confided that she was verbally abused, said Sally Shattuck, a massage therapist and Sheltering Wings volunteer who worked with Warnock at a Brownsburg salon.

Shattuck said she occasionally would suggest Warnock visit Sheltering Wings, but Warnock always insisted the abuse hadn't elevated to that level.

Advocates in the Indianapolis area are working to increase awareness about domestic violence in an attempt to prevent future tragedies.

A new state law goes into effect Wednesday, giving courts the authority to require a protective order violator to wear a GPS monitoring unit that also informs victims if their attacker is nearby.
Central Indiana's Domestic Violence Network is leading a three-year effort to improve educational efforts and strengthen the way domestic violence-related cases are handled by the criminal justice system, said Julie Marsh, the group's chief executive officer.

Marsh's group also is holding a rally Thursday to bring attention to the issue, and on July 13, Larrison will host a workshop in Brownsburg.

Warnock's friends, meanwhile, are asking themselves what could have been done to prevent the tragedy. Those questions remain unanswered.

"The questions come up, but we've all admitted we don't get it," Shattuck said. "You don't have any idea what goes on behind closed doors."

Message to Our Family Courts: Do Nothing and You Might as Well Be Lending a Hand