Now this just ain't right....

mountain_man

Posts: 34,161

Here's the link to the story.

Here's the lead from the story:

Crystal Harris of Carlsbad, Calif., had been financially supporting her unemployed, abusive husband Shawn Harris for years. But after he sexually assaulted her in 2008, she took him to court.

The jury heard a damning audiotape of the attack secretly recorded by Crystal Harris, and her husband was convicted of forced oral copulation.
Even so, in 2010, the year their divorce became finalized, he requested spousal support. The judge awarded him $1,000 a month, and also asked Crystal Harris to pay $47,000 of her ex-husband's legal fees from the divorce proceedings.

He should be in prison for rape and not get one penny from her. I know the judge was following the letter of the law, but there has to be some compassion, some reasoning, involved or it's just going through the motions.

Dave - Just a Man in the Mountains.

I am a Humanist. I believe in a rational philosophy of life, informed by science, inspired by art, and motivated by a desire to do good for its own sake and not by an expectation of a reward or fear of punishment in an afterlife.

mainecaptain

Posts: 20,492

He should be in prison. Not rewarded for being an abusive husband. There has to have been something else the judge could have done.

A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side. Aristotle
Never discourage anyone...who continually makes progress, no matter how slow. Plato..
"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives" Jackie Robinson

mountain_man

Posts: 34,161

Nov 4, 2011 -- 10:09PM, mainecaptain wrote:
He should be in prison. Not rewarded for being an abusive husband. There has to have been something else the judge could have done.

If I think he could have awarded the guy a dollar a month while he is in jail. Then when he gets out he would legally be able to ask for a 10% raise each year for half the length of the marriage.

Dave - Just a Man in the Mountains.

I am a Humanist. I believe in a rational philosophy of life, informed by science, inspired by art, and motivated by a desire to do good for its own sake and not by an expectation of a reward or fear of punishment in an afterlife.

Ed2

Posts: 3,322

Nov 4, 2011 -- 10:02PM, mountain_man wrote:
Here's the link to the story.

Here's the lead from the story:

Crystal Harris of Carlsbad, Calif., had been financially supporting her unemployed, abusive husband Shawn Harris for years. But after he sexually assaulted her in 2008, she took him to court.

The jury heard a damning audiotape of the attack secretly recorded by Crystal Harris, and her husband was convicted of forced oral copulation.

Even so, in 2010, the year their divorce became finalized, he requested spousal support. The judge awarded him $1,000 a month, and also asked Crystal Harris to pay $47,000 of her ex-husband's legal fees from the divorce proceedings.

He should be in prison for rape and not get one penny from her. I know the judge was following the letter of the law, but there has to be some compassion, some reasoning, involved or it's just going through the motions.

I don't mean to sound insensitive, but perhaps because of the length of time that this woman had been "financially supporting her unemployed, abusive husband," may have played a role in the judges decision.

And perhaps if this woman had divorced "her unemployed, abusive husband" years earlier, perhaps the judge would have had less legal grounds to be able to award the husband what he awarded him.

I think that it's pretty sad and pretty unbelievable that there are so many healthy, powerful, and healing foods that I have learned about from watching "The Doctor Oz Show"...but unfortunately, most Americans from their childhood on up, have only learned how to eat what is essentially equivalent to 'garbage'...and are basically in a 'slumber' when it comes to not having a clue as to what that kind of food is doing to their bodies and to their health. It's really sad.

~Ed2

"Hmmm. So you're saying that for Jesus' followers(throughout the centuries) to truly live a 'godly' life, they had to believe that the end of the world was just around the corner?"

~Ed2(See post #53)

"Although, I think that I'll change that to: Also...I liked the way that you dodged what I had said about being 'concerned that the Bible had to use subterfuge as a means to an end' in my post #137."

~Ed2(See post #145)

"It's utterly beyond belief, that the wealthiest country in the history of the world, fails to care for all it's people."

~Dr. Patrick Dowling, MD(From The Doctor Oz Show, which aired on 11/23/11.)

"If I could prescribe any drug on the planet, it would be food [be]cause it works better, faster, and cheaper than any medication. Food is the most powerful medicine we have...to treat chronic disease like diabetes."

~Dr. Mark Hyman, MD(From The Doctor Oz Show, which aired on 01/13/12. Also, go to www.doctoroz.com for more information.)

mountain_man

Posts: 34,161

Nov 4, 2011 -- 10:42PM, Ed2 wrote:
I don't mean to sound insensitive, but perhaps because of the length of time that this woman had been "financially supporting her unemployed, abusive husband," may have played a role in the judges decision.

She was supporting him because of a prior judicial decision.

And perhaps if this woman had divorced "her unemployed, abusive husband" years earlier, perhaps the judge would have had less legal grounds to be able to award the husband what he awarded him.

That should have not made any difference. It makes no sense to punish her for obeying a court decision.

Dave - Just a Man in the Mountains.

I am a Humanist. I believe in a rational philosophy of life, informed by science, inspired by art, and motivated by a desire to do good for its own sake and not by an expectation of a reward or fear of punishment in an afterlife.

DotNotInOz

Posts: 5,610

Here's another "Crystal" that just ain't right at all...

Crystal Cathedral founder wants congregants to feed his ailing wife

I apologize for digressing so unrelatedly, but I'd just come from reading about millionaire minister Schuller's incredible nerve on another forum and then clicked on MM's thread to find this involving a woman of that name. The coincidence was just too striking for me to resist adding this outrage to the thread.

IreneAdler

Posts: 2,827

Regarding the OP case: Appeal!

From article: California family code currently states "the criminal conviction of an abusive spouse shall be considered in making a reduction or elimination of a spousal support award" and it's that language that gives the judge discretion when making a spousal support ruling.

Judge could have eliminated the spousal support-but didn't.

To Shawn Harris- post incarceration- get a job!

While it is reprehensible that Shawn Harris gets to receive spousal support once he finishes his jail time, I wonder if we’d feel the same way of the roles were reversed. Would folks feel the wife, post-incarceration, should be entitled to support?

Thinking Ms Dumanis is on the right track about the change in the law. Violent felony committed results in forfeiting support.

Regarding Schuller’s request- geez, it’d be cheaper to just order take out.

Irene.

mainecaptain

Posts: 20,492

No abuser, male or female should receive support from the person they abused

A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side. Aristotle
Never discourage anyone...who continually makes progress, no matter how slow. Plato..
"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives" Jackie Robinson

TemplarS

Posts: 5,174

Nov 5, 2011 -- 8:47AM, IreneAdler wrote:

To Shawn Harris- post incarceration- get a job!

All that really needs to be said.

As it happens, I have heard that Alabama, with their new immigration law, is in dire need of farm laborers. Maybe she would be willing to pay his bus fare.

Nov 5, 2011 -- 8:47AM, IreneAdler wrote:

While it is reprehensible that Shawn Harris gets to receive spousal support once he finishes his jail time, I wonder if we’d feel the same way of the roles were reversed. Would folks feel the wife, post-incarceration, should be entitled to support?

Same answer- get a job.

Personally, I see no reason why, unless there are children or child care involved, after a divorce one ex-spouse should be responsible for the support of the other.

rangerken

Posts: 13,714

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