Justice was served..

Here is the whole story for anyone else who has to go to court and doesn't know what might happen to them.

My Dad and I arrived at the magistrate office. He went through the metal detector first and they found a...

wait for it...


bullet in his pocket! LOL

My Dad had gone hunting last YEAR and he had this bullet for one of those tiny little guns in his pocket. For some reason he carried that around all the time in his pocket. He forgot it was in there. The look on the security guard's face when he found it was priceless. I am really surprised that he let him in after that LOL It was nice to laugh though, it helped lighten the mood.

Then they told us to go to a window with the summons. When we turned the corner I saw the AssHat. He was sitting at a table with his parents. I let a "oh Jesus" slip and immediately turned my eyes towards the clerk. I did not actually *look* at the AH. Not at all, really, just saw the side of his head and turned my eyes. I did not even know who was sitting with him until my Dad told me later. She told us to sit down and I turned the corner again so I did not have to see him. There were no seats left that were not in his line of sight. Frankly, he doesn't deserve to share the same air that I breathe, let alone the luxury of seeing me for the entire waiting time. So I just stood behind the wall.

There were a few other people there with my last name *it is pretty common here* so I was listening to people argue with each other about water lines. Then finally some people got up so I was able to sit. My Dad, however, wanted the AssHat to see him, so he sat directly in his line of sight. I think he was trying to make sure that he knew he was there and was ready to protect me if need be.

Maybe five minutes later a man called my name. He was the prosecutor. He took me down a hallway with my Dad and asked me if I had talked to the AssHat since then, and if I was trying to work it out with him. I told him no, that I had spoken to him a couple of times about settling the bills and that I was going to file for divorce as soon as I had the money. He asked if the AH was working and I told him what I knew about him being laid off and that I had not talked to him so I wasn't sure if he was or not at that time.

Then the prosecutor told me that he was charging my AssHat with battery, 60 days suspended sentence and one year's probation. Did I think that was good?

I know from the years of working for the shelter that that is REALLY good! I couldn't believe it!

Most of my client's abusers didn't get even THAT. So I was shocked.

I told him that my main concern was that the AH was going to my church and that I would like to be able to go without seeing him there. The Prosecutor asked me how long I attended and how long the AH came- I told him the specifics and mentioned that the AH claims to be an athiest and I think he only goes because I am there.

The prosecutor walked away, talked to the AH's lawyer and said that if AH shows up at my church all I have to do is call him, he will be arrested and spend the entire 60 days in jail.

Try to take my church from me? Don't think so!

So that was my victory. I was tired of being intimidated out of going to church. I won it, it is mine.

It is a small victory, but darn it, I wasn't going to let that jerk walk all over me anymore

The prosecutor told me that was it, I could go home.

Then some lady came up to me, asked me how many miles did I drive to get there today. I said maybe 4 miles, tops. She handed me a slip and told me to take it downstairs. I took it downstairs and they paid me $10.90 for being there for the 20 minutes. Ironically enough that is way more money than I would get for a half hour's work LOL

So although I didn't actually do much today, I feel like I won. I finally, after 8 long years of his abuse, STOOD UP FOR MYSELF!!!

I remember back in December of 2008 telling him that if he ever, EVER, hit me again that I would call the police. He didn't think I had the balls. He was wrong. As soon as his fist hit the side of my head, I knew that I had to follow through with my promise. I knew that he was like one of the children that I teach. That he was never going to learn unless I followed through with what I say. My 4 and 5 year olds know that when Miss J tells you you had better not do something, or X will happen, that X is 100% going to happen if you do it! I had to treat him like the child that he is.

I want to scream "WHO IS THE IDIOT NOW?" at him!

Every name he called me. Every slap, every kick. All of it. I won. I did what I said I was going to do. I finally followed it through the end, no matter how many threats he issued. I did what I said for once, not what HE said. He bullied me out of my house, he bullied me out of keeping the cats, but I am not going to be bullied out of my church. And I am NOT going to be bullied out of my half of what is MINE. I am calling the divorce attorney today to set up a consultation. Yay for me.