Recent Bossier Parish Arrests

Rocket Scientist

A Bossier City teenager was arrested Tuesday afternoon for witness intimidation, according to Bossier Parish Sheriff Larry Deen. Jacob Marvin Husser, 18, of the 5200 block of John Wilson Drive, was taken into custody after he intentionally intimidated a witness who was sitting in the back seat of a Bossier Sheriff’s investigator’s vehicle. The investigator was interviewing a witness regarding a number of crimes Husser has committed. While the interview was in progress, Husser pulled up to the investigator’s vehicle and told the witness he better not talk.
The investigator told Husser to leave, but he circled the block and came back a second time. He gave the witness a very intimidating look and again told him he better not talk. This was done in a very aggressive manner, making the witness fear for his safety.
Husser was transported to the Bossier Maximum Security Facility and booked. His bond is pending.

Also from the Bossier Parish Sheriff

A Princeton man was arrested early Sunday morning for false imprisonment, domestic abuse battery/child endangerment, domestic abuse battery/strangulation, battery and aggravated assault, said Bossier Sheriff Larry Deen.
Daniel Kenneth Raleigh Randall, 21, of Acorn Hill Loop, was taken into custody after he choked his girlfriend in the presence of two minor children, threatened his girlfriend’s mom with a gun, refused to let his girlfriend leave and choked his neighbor. The neighbor told Bossier Sheriff’s deputies Randall attacked him because he let Randall’s girlfriend call the Bossier Sheriff’s Office from his residence.
Randall’s girlfriend told deputies she and Randall have been living together for about two years. She said Randall came to the residence drunk, started yelling at her and choking her. She was able to get away and go to the neighbor’s house, but eventually, she went back to her house where Randall grabbed a gun and threatened to kill her and her mother. The girlfriend told Randall she just wanted to leave, but Randall said no one was going anywhere. She said Randall was waving the gun around while he was saying this.
Randall was transported to the Bossier Maximum Security Facility and booked. His bond was set at $21,500.

Randall has a history in Bossier Parish of violent behavior and drug possession and has been charged several times. Here is that record. The Domestic Abuse Battery charges and the Simple Battery charge were all committed against the same female. In a number of domestic abuse cases, the injured party asks that the charges be dropped. I don’t know if that is what happened here, but I wouldn’t be surprised.

RANDALL, DANIEL
SIMPLE BATTERY M W C 137684 08/22/2005
Disposition: $250 fine and costs

POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA M W B C 139355 11/07/2005
POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA M W C 139356 11/07/2005
POSSESSION MARIJUANA M W B C 141379 02/22/2006
POSSESSION DRUG PARAPHERNALIA M W C 141380 02/22/2006
Disposition: 60 days, suspended. Defendant is placed on active probation for 6 months with the special conditions: (1) Pay a fine of $500.00 and cost or serve 60 days, through probation. (2) No criminal activity. (3) Report as directed. (4) Be evaluated for Substance Abuse within 60 days. (5) Perform 4 eight-hour days of community service within 60 days. (6) Pay $125.00 to the Witness Fund within 10 days. (7) No alcohol or drugs and submit to drug screens. (8) Pay $55.00 per month for supervision fees.

DOMESTIC ABUSE BATTERY M W C 148876 11/02/2006
Disposition: Nol-prossed

DOMESTIC ABUSE BATTERY M W C 157127 09/11/2007
Disposition: Nol-prossed

SIMPLE BATTERY M W C 159547 12/21/2007
Disposition: 60 days, suspended and placed on 1 year probation with the following conditions: no criminal activity; report; $250.00 and cost or 25 days; $150.00 to the Court Criminal Witness Fund; Anger Management; no alcohol or drugs; drug screens; $55.00 monthly supervision fee.

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT M W C 159548 12/21/2007
Disposition: Nol-prossed

FALSE IMPRISONMENT/ARMED; DOMESTIC ABUSE/CHILD ENDANGERMENT; DOMESTIC ABUSE/STRANGULATION; AGG ASSAULT; SIMP BATTERY F U 35615 05/03/2010

On Dealing with Abusive Relationships

I received this email from a reader in another part of the state. He had read a couple of blog posts in My Bossier dealing with domestic abuse and child abuse. I am printing this first hand account of dealing with abusive people with his permission. If you have any questions for the writer, he will be glad to answer them, just leave a comment with your question.

By 'John Q':
My daughter from my first marriage began to like someone we disapproved of and she knew it and kept it hidden. I finally caught up with them and after a chase exceeding 100 mph I came to my senses when I saw he was headed into an area that I knew I didn't need to follow and he was on his cell and I figured he was calling for backup. I thought, now what am I going to do if I catch him? Probably get the crap beat out of me or worse.
I went back to my sister in laws house where I saw my daughter headed and she moved out for a couple weeks. It broke my wife's heart.
Eventually that relationship finally faded and another boy came along that grabbed her attention. We figured he was ok, especially since he was constantly keeping track of her, the same thing we had been doing. Now we could take a break, because if she was headed back into the other relationship, he would find out and we would know.
The blessing of this all is that during this time, I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior and He has been the most important thing in my life since.
But this boy turned out to be abusive. One of the signs of an abusive person is that they are possessive. Remember I said he kept constant track of her. He also hid his temper rather well from us, for a while, it always comes out eventually. I caught him verbally abusing her one evening and told him I would go to jail for my daughter. He proceeded to tell her that I threatened to kill him. An abusive person will always try to alienate them from the parents and friends so he is her world.
Eventually a small incident involving the breaking of a $5 vase he had gotten her by my son and someone else wrestling brought out his anger. He threatened to kill my son. I ushered him out of the house and on the way out he got in my face and said, I will take your daughter away and you will never see her again. At which point I told him to leave and never come back.
My sister showed up after church that morning and wanted to talk with me. She told me she only met the boy once and noticed the interaction between my daughter and him and said, this is an abusive relationship. How'd she know? She had been in one. He showed back up that afternoon and we had a discussion in the living room. I told him I believed he was an abusive person and told my daughter if she wanted to leave him I would support her. A few weeks later she had the guts to break it off and said it was because of what I said. But during this whole relationship, she came to me and wanted me to lead her to the Lord in salvation. Wow!!! You just don't know. She is married to a good man now.
Since then though, I have had to deal with young girls in my church youth group who had fallen into these relationships. It is amazing how fast they advance from not knowing each other to it looks like they were married. It usually occurs in less than a week. It will blow your mind. My pastor and I were able to stop one rather quickly and the boy went straight to another girl. I couldn't stop that one and was threatened by him. The boy was just out of jail for violence and was still married with a child. I spent many nights on the couch just waiting for him to show up with a gun, especially since his brother had moved in with us and the last time he had talked with his brother was years before and was told he would kill him the next time he saw him. He was also over 21 and the first girl was just 14 and the girl we were unsuccessful with was 16. She moved in with him and from time to time show up with certain injuries at the hospital. Eventually she got out of that relationship.
This boy always went after the girls who were not the most attractive and have a weight problem. Another words they have a self esteem problem. That is why it is important for the father to compliment his daughter and affirm her.
This is not just contained to the guys. I saw also at least 2 relationships where the girl was the abuser. There form mostly was the possessive type. Being called 21 times a day and telling the boy that the parents don't want them to see her and have fun, and the parents just want to control them.
Now I am gonna get religious if you don't mind. We need to teach kids to see others as God sees us. That takes a true understanding of how God sees us. We also need to change our view of dating. This involves not stirring the flames of desire until the wedding night.
Hint: the first time you hold hands those flames are stirred. If it occurs at the age of 13, that is a long way until you are able to marry. But we need to be open with our kids and teach them that there are predators out there and they deserve to be treated as God would treat them.

Bossier Murder trials continued until next year

Charles Rodgers Pilkinton
A motion for continuance was filed yesterday on behalf of Charles Rodgers Pilkinton, who was scheduled to be in court on September 28th to begin trial. The motion asks for the case to be continued until January.
Pilkinton is accused of killing 66 year old Raymond Tobin. Investigators said that Tobin was seeing Pilkinton’s estranged wife. Officers were called to a disturbance on Inda Street in November of last year and found Tobin shot in the head and slumped over in the driver’s seat of his car. Pilkinton was arrested at the scene and charged with 1st degree murder, a charge which was later reduced to 2nd degree.
Pilkinton’s son-in-law was a supporter of and a contributor to DA Schuyler Marvin, so Marvin asked the State Attorney General to take over the case, which he agreed to do.
Lance David Thamm
In another case, Lance David Thamm (pictured here) was also set to go to trial on September 28th, but due to a scheduling conflict his attorney, Pam Smart, asked the court to reschedule. The trial is now set for March 1st.
DA Marvin has filed a notice of intent to seek death penalty with the court.
Thamm is accused of killing his 17 month old daughter, Isabella, by jamming her head into a door jamb.
The baby was crying and fussing and it apparently got on Thamm’s drug-riddled nerves. Thamm and his wife, Vanessa Ferris, both had a history of domestic abuse. Thamm’s son by a previous marriage was taken away from him by a Texas court a couple of years ago.

· Killed by Her Protector
· Thamm Charged Twice for Domestic Violence
· Mother of Murdered Child on Probation
· Guest Blog from Isabella's Mother

Domestic Violence Cases will be prosecuted (or nol-prossed)

The Times has an interesting article about Domestic Violence cases in today’s paper.

Excerpt:

Domestic abuse has not decreased, but the number of victims who report the crime is increasing, according to Shreveport domestic violence detectives.

On average each month, Shreveport police make 95 domestic abuse arrests, Bossier City police make 66 arrests and Bossier sheriff's deputies make between 10 and 15 arrests, the law enforcement agencies reported.

………

But some victims get cold feet after the report is made.

At least half of all victims in domestic abuse cases request — to no avail — the charges against their partners be dropped, according to the Caddo district attorney's office.

Since 1985, those who are abused do not have the option of dropping charges.

But the District Attorney does

Consider this individual:

· Arrested May 14, 1991 in Caddo Parish for issuing worthless checks. Sentenced to probation.

· Arrested February 28, 1992 in Caddo Parish for possession of Stolen things. Sentenced to probation.

· Arrested August 28,1992 in Caddo Parish for Carnal Knowledge of a Juvenile. Sentenced to prison with mandatory probation to follow.

· *Arrested July 29, 2003 in Caddo Parish for unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling.

· *Arrested August 22, 2007 in Caddo Parish for aggravated flight from an officer.

· *Arrested August 26, 2008 in Caddo Parish for DWI & resisting an officer.

*Unsure of conviction or sentence in these cases.

Meanwhile, in Bossier Parish

These are just the criminal charges – they do not include several applications for domestic abuse protection filed against him and by him.

· May 5, 2003 Stalking – Nol Prossed

· October 22, 2003 Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle - Nol Prossed

· February 6, 2004 Aggravated Battery – 4 counts Nol Prossed (In this case, the victims signed an affidavit of non-prosecution. It is still the DA's option).

· February 13, 2004 Domestic abuse violence Nol Prossed

· May 12, 2004 Domestic abuse violence Nol Prossed

· May 12, 2004 Domestic abuse violence combined with April 14, 2005 Domestic abuse violence $250 fine, 18 months probation

· February 10, 2005 Harassing phone calls Nol Prossed

· February 10, 2005 Harassing phone calls $250 fine

· February 22, 2005 Domestic abuse violence Nol Prossed

· May, 23, 2005 Criminal property damage $300 fine 1 yr probation, make restitution, fees suspended. After numerous appearances and re-settings for probation violation, probation was terminated unsatisfactorily – on May 12, 2009

· May, 23, 2005 Disturb the Peace intoxicated Nol-prossed

· May 23, 2005 Resisting an officer Nol-prossed

· July 15, 2005 Stalking Nol-prossed

· August 8, 2005 Failure to Register as sex offender 5 yrs – serve 2, suspend 3, 2 yrs probation

Other than hearings on probation violations throughout 2006, 2007 and 2008, he had no more arrests (at least in Caddo or Bossier – I don’t have access to his entire record).

In April of 2009 he did get three tickets in Bossier Parish:

• Speeding 55 in a 45
• No MVI Nol-prossed
• Window Tint Nol-prossed

The deputy who wrote the tickets noted on all three “Poor Attitude”. Imagine.

The speeding 55 in a 45?

· Defendant xxxxxx xxxxxxx present in open Court, entered a plea of guilty, and was duly and legally sentenced by the Court to pay a fine of $30 and Court cost or serve 5 days in jail, to be paid within 30 days. (Craig)

Want more details? Email me at the link at the top of the right sidebar.

Criminal Justice: Who Deserves a Break?

Nolle Prosequi (Nol Pross): A decision by the prosecuting attorney, filed with the court, that a case will not be further prosecuted.
This will be the first of a series that will take a look at the criminal justice system in Bossier Parish. There will be some good things to report and some that are questionable.

From the outside looking in, it’s easy to say that the DA should be tough on crime and not plead so many cases. Realistically, there aren’t enough courtrooms, enough judges, enough prisons or enough time in the day to prosecute every case to its fullest. The DA has to make selective decisions; the question is, are they always the right ones?
The most serious charges such as murder or aggravated rape are certain to be prosecuted and most go to trial. We have written about the case of Lance Thamm, who will be on trial later this year for the murder of his 18 month old daughter. This case, I am sure, will be vigorously prosecuted.
On less serious charges, discretion comes into play. This is where we are concentrating.
I don’t think anyone objects to diversion programs for young first offenders. Everyone believes that young people deserve a second chance, and the courts have good programs to offer that opportunity. Some take advantage of it to change their lives, other don’t.
In a lot of cases, charges are pled by dropping a minor charge or two and accepting a guilty plea on a more serious charge. This allows the court to deal with an offender without going through a long trial.
In some cases, the law probably needs to be tweaked in order to properly prosecute cases. Domestic violence is one instance. Lance Thamm, who we mentioned above, was charged with domestic violence in February of 2007. Nothing at all was done on the case for a year. In January of 2008 he was charged again with domestic violence as well as a drug charge. He entered a plea of not guilty. In February he killed his daughter by slamming her head against a door jamb. Would vigorous prosecution of the 2007 charge have made a difference? Probably not, it was a first time misdemeanor. If the laws were toughened, would it make a difference? We will be asking the District Attorney’s office a couple of these questions and get their response.
Coming up next week, should a repeat offender, someone who served multiple jail terms and still faced multiple charges, have been given the advantage of having several of those charges, including five felonies, dropped so one conviction could be obtained?

Cyber Bullying on the Rise

Reprinted with permission from Louisiana Divorce & Family Law Blog
by M. Samantha McAllister

As more individuals are being arrested for cyberstalking, law enforcement officials have noticed that this kind of harassment, or "cyber bullying," is on the rise in this country. Teenagers are using social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook to bully their peers on a regular basis. Half of all children have been cyber bullied by a peer according to a 2004 survey by wiredsafety organization online. Sadly, even adults are using the Internet to harass, stalk, bully and threaten. Hiding under the anonymity of the Internet, it is easy for these predators to attack you or your children.
The 2006 death of 13-year-old Megan Meier prompted Missouri lawmakers to update a state harassment law so that it now covers bullying and stalking done through electronic media, like e-mails or text messages. If you are not familiar with Megan's story, a former friend (along with help from other classmates) of Megan Meier created a fake Myspace page for a boy named "Josh" and began messaging Megan regularly, with the intentions of beginning a relationship with her. One day, "Josh" wrote to Megan that "the world would be a better place without you" and other mean-spirited messages. Megan's mother discovered Megan hanging in the closet with a belt around her neck.
Missouri's law prompted several other states to create laws and policies against "cyber bullying." In 2007, the Arkansas legislation passed a law allowing school officials to take action against cyber bullies even if the bullying did not originate or take place on school property. The law gave school administrators much more freedom to punish those individuals who sought to harass their fellow students. The progressive state of Oregon really delves into the details of cyber bullying. The laws passed in recent years in Oregon expand the boundaries of what constitutes cyber bullying to include those actions which “substantially interfere” with the education of the young person. Vermont has added a $500 fine for cyber bullying offenses to their already stringent laws on the matter. There is currently a bill being discussed that would increase the reach of the school’s powers regarding cyber bullying when the action puts the individual’s ability to learn (or health and safety) at risk. Other states with new policies for cyber bullying include New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Iowa and Idaho.
If you or your child are being cyber bullied or cyber stalked, there are several actions you can take:
1) Call your local authorities. Print out all messages, ims, texts, and/or emails and show them to the police. The police can use your complaint to gather any other admissible evidence from your computer, if need be. The police may find enough evidence to issue a warrant for "cyberstalking" and the bully could face jail time.
2) File a complaint. Most cyber bullying behavior -- harassment, threats, invasion of privacy, stalking -- are violations of a web site or Internet service provider's "terms of service."
3) Contact your child's school and/or the child's parents. Many schools are integrating policies to punish students for cyber bullying. Often, a phone call to parents or a certified "cease and desist" letter is enough to end the bullying.
4) Identify the cyber bully and block them -- block email addresses, access to social networking pages, etc. Cut off the cyber bully's avenues to harass you or your child.
And finally, contact an experienced family law attorney. Attorneys are seeing these kinds of cases more and more, and can file a suit against the party for harassment, slander, and other causes. Make sure you keep a good record of all the emails, messages, text messages and other forms of communication for your case. Print everything out and save it.
No matter what action you choose to take, remember, cyber bullying is a serious issue and you can stop a cyber bully before it is too late!

M. Samantha McAllister graduated summa cum laude from LSU-Shreveport, earned a Masters in history from Louisiana Tech and received her Juris Doctorate and Bachelor of Civil Law degree from LSU, Paul M. Hebert School of Law. She practices family law in Bossier City.

CyberCheating: The New Cause For Divorce

Reprinted with permission from Louisiana Divorce & Family Law Blog
by M. Samantha McAllister

The internet is one of the easiest ways to meet people without leaving your home, which, undoubtedly, has opened the door for spouses to commit adultery. Cybercheating has become a common element in divorce cases - whether a spouse is chatting in rooms, in virtual lands, or using a social networking site or dating site to meet paramours.
Many spouses believe it is not cheating if they chat to women or men on the internet. They feel that doing a little flirting is not considered "touching," therefore, is not cheating. They also can remain anonymous, use fake pictures, and believe they can stop anytime they choose -- kind of like having an addiction?
Some websites actually sell survelliance equipment to "catch" your spouse in the act. Infidelity.com offers a program that secretly sends you a copy of every e-mail your spouse sends. There are also programs where you can track the websites your spouse visits. This equipment is obviously not for the happily married couple - once you have reached this stage, you know your relationship is in trouble, or your spouse has been unfaithful to you in the past.
If you suspect your spouse is cheating on you on the Internet, confront him/her about it and seek therapy together, or in the alternative, consult an experienced family law attorney. Where adultery is concerned, there is no middle ground.

M. Samantha McAllister graduated summa cum laude from LSU-Shreveport, earned a Masters in history from Louisiana Tech and received her Juris Doctorate and Bachelor of Civil Law degree from LSU, Paul M. Hebert School of Law. She practices family law in Bossier City.

Father charged in murder of 8 week old child

The charges against Samuel Jordan have been upgraded to first degree murder after his 8 week old child died today of severe head injuries. The name of the child has not been released.

We have been updating you on the case of Lance Thamm, who is charged with murder in Bossier Parish for the death of his 18 month old daughter Isabella last January.


Update: Hospital officials have identified Lyrica T. Kennedy as the 9-week-old who died Monday at WK Pierremont Health Center of head injuries her father is accused of inflicting.

Man Beats 8 week old child

A Shreveport man was arrested Tuesday for beating his 8-week-old child.
Samuel Jordan, 21, faces a charge of second degree battery, according to police.
The infant was taken to WK-Pierremont about 4:10 p.m. on Tuesday for having difficulty breathing. Doctors determined the child was suffering from severe head injuries and notified police.

Jordan was questioned and later booked into jail, according to police. The child remains in critical condition.

Charges against Jordan could be upgraded if the infant’s condition worsens.
Check for updates in The Times

Domestic Violence During the Holiday Season

Reprinted by permission from BellaOnline

By Jeanette Stingley

BellaOnline’s Domestic Violence Editor

During November and December, stress runs high in most families. Finances are stretched to buy gifts or to travel to see family members. Seeing those family members we don’t quite get along with or not being able to see relatives and friends can add even more stress to a relationship. Excessive alcohol consumption is usually an added factor at this time of year. Sometimes our expectations of what should happen compared to what actually happens can give us the holiday blues. Many of us try to out do ourselves during the holidays and arguments happen. But what about abuse during the season? How can it be prevented?

Thanksgiving and Christmas are prime times for abusers who use control over their victims. The abuser knows the victim wants to be with family and friends but many abusers use this to get a tighter grip on their victims causing even more stress. One lady I spoke to about this said, “The look of satisfaction on his face as I cried on Christmas Day because he took the car keys from me so I couldn’t go to my parents house made me sick to my stomach.”

Communication has to be on the top of everyone’s list. Talking your feelings out in a calm manner is the most important thing to remember. If you feel a situation is going to get out of hand, try to excuse yourself from the other person to have a cool down session then agree to come back together when things are calm. Planning ahead can also help tremendously. Set a budget and stick to it. If you have kids, money is always tight.

If you do find yourself in an abusive situation, it is critical that you stand up and get help. Go to a relative or friends house. Using the seasonal stress as an excuse to have to withstand a beating or verbal assault is not right. Abuse is abuse no matter what time of year it happens. So many women will defend their abusers because “the holidays just get to him” as one of my friend’s told me.

There are many resources out there to help especially during the holidays. Churches, shelters, and even you local police department are there to help.

Date Rape

Date Rape is a very close cousin to the domestic violence that we have been discussing. Louisiana blog Liberty and Justice for All has a very informative post on that subject.

When No One Would Listen

M. Samantha McAllister graduated summa cum laude from LSU-Shreveport, earned a Masters in history from Louisiana Tech and received her Juris Doctorate and Bachelor of Civil Law degree from LSU, Paul M. Hebert School of Law. She practices family law in Bossier City and is admitted to practice before all state courts in Louisiana, the U.S. District Court, Western District, and the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
She agreed to share her expert view and to offer advice to victims of domestic violence.

Perhaps not one moment in my life was more pivotal than the day my mother took me to the YWCA Family Violence Shelter to volunteer at just eight years of age. Little did I know, my life would become consumed in helping victims of domestic violence; providing the personal commitment to help those without a voice, voices that had been silenced by the threats and violent acts of their abusers. This is my area of expertise. I help women who are victims of abuse, and I do not take any cases in which the spouse is abusive. I believe in my client’s cases and, because domestic violence litigation in still in its “toddler years,” I learn everyday how to better protect my clients and their children.
When I was asked to write a “guest blog,” I had recently been hired to represent a dear friend on a divorce/custody action involving domestic abuse, which unfortunately has spun out of control, causing my friend and client pain beyond belief. Yes, I became personally involved. Yes, I became angry. I realized how, even though we have made great strides in domestic abuse legislation, there is simply not enough protection for those who have been or are being abused. A travesty of injustice remains for victims of abuse, which is why advocates like myself would like to give you information on what you need to know if you are, think you are, or know someone who is being abused.
When the issue of domestic abuse arises in a court proceeding, the obvious question is “Where is the physical evidence?” However, more often than not, the case surrounds emotional and/or verbal abuse, or a repeated pattern of the same, followed by physical abuse. The physical abuse can take many forms other than simply hitting, slapping, or punching; for example, forcing sexual intercourse, grabbing, choking, or threatening bodily harm with a weapon. Verbal abuse and emotional abuse constitutes a pattern of intimidation, humiliation, degradation, belittling, criticizing, control and manipulation. For example, a woman who is controlled by her spouse is often told how and what to eat, what to wear, how to style her hair, what church to attend, that she is to provide sex on demand, clean and cook to the abuser’s expectations, and is belittled, berated, and shamed for not providing such in the manner the abuser expects. Emotional and verbal abuse can be much more exhausting than physical abuse because it leaves a trail of scars that do not go away with time. The scars are very real, harsh and run deep, often affecting the victim’s children.
Here are some of the key warning signs of domestic violence:
· Physical Abuse: Hitting, slapping, kicking, choking, pushing, punching, beating, forcing you to leave and locking you out of the house.
· Verbal Abuse: Constant criticism, making humiliating remarks, using abusive language, not responding to what you are saying, mocking, name-calling, yelling, swearing, interrupting, changing the subject.
· Disrespect: Interrupting, changing topics, not listening or responding, twisting your words, telling you what to think and how you should feel, putting you down in front of other people, saying bad things about your friends and family.
· Minimizing, Denying & Blaming: Making light of behavior and not taking your concerns about it seriously, saying the abuse didn't happen, shifting responsibility for abusive behavior, saying you caused it.
· Sexual Violence: Forcing sex on an unwilling partner; demanding sexual acts that you do not want to perform, degrading treatment.
· Isolation: Preventing or making it hard for you to see friends and relatives, monitoring phone calls, reading mail, controlling where you go, taking your car keys.
· Coercion and Pressure Tactics: Making you feel guilty, pushing you into decisions, sulking, manipulating children and other family members, always insisting on being right, making up impossible rules and punishing you for breaking them, rushing you to make decisions through "guilt-tripping" and other forms of intimidation, sulking, threatening to withhold money, manipulating the children, ordering you around.
· Harassment: Following you, or stalking you, embarrassing you in public; constantly checking up on you, refusing to leave when asked.
· Economic Control: Not paying bills, refusing to give you money, hiding or withholding financial resources, not letting you work if that's what you choose to do, interfering with your job, taking your car keys or otherwise preventing you from using the car, refusing to work and support the family.
· Abusing Trust: Lying, breaking promises, withholding important information, being unfaithful, being overly jealous, not sharing domestic responsibilities.
· Threats and Intimidation: Threatening to harm you, your children, family members and pets; using physical size to intimidate, shouting; standing in the door way during arguments to stop you from leaving; keeping weapons and threatening to use them.
· Emotional Withholding or Neglect: Not expressing feelings, not giving compliments, not taking your concerns seriously, not paying attention, not respecting your feelings, rights and opinions. You never know where your relationship stands. Not spending time with family.
· Abusing Authority: Always claiming to be right (insisting statements are "the truth"); telling you what to do or not to do; making big decisions; using twisted "logic."
· Destruction of Property: Destroying furniture, punching walls/doors, throwing things, breaking dishes, kicking or hurting pets.
· Self-Destructive Behavior: Abusing drugs or alcohol, threatening self-harm or suicide, driving recklessly, deliberately doing things that will cause trouble (like telling off the boss).
If you are a victim of domestic violence/know a victim of domestic violence, I would like to “arm” with you the following advice:
1) Find support, whether it is an attorney, a police officer, a friend, a family member, or a support group. The fight will not be an easy one; you will need someone to stand beside you and be your “rock” so that you simply will not give up making your voice heard.

2) If you have not already, LEAVE your abuser. Go to your support system to help. Do not stay in an unsafe situation for you and your children’s sake. Gather clothes for yourself and your children, along with your children’s birth certificates, and store them in a safe place – with a friend, relative, neighbor, or somewhere your abuser cannot find them.

3) Contact a domestic violence shelter and see if there is an opening for you and your children. Bossier City will open its first Family Justice Center in May 2009, at 1513 Doctors Drive, Bossier City, Louisiana. The center promises to bring to domestic violence victims all the services she needs. I am proud of our District Attorney for this accomplishment, and hope our city will band together to make this program a huge success.

4) Find an attorney who is experienced and has successfully fought cases in which women were abused. Your spouse’s attorney will throw up many challenges and will fight much like your spouse, to abuse and bully you and attempt to control the case until you are emotionally defeated. Find an attorney willing to fight for you, and willing to take the appropriate avenues to help your case. This may mean going above and beyond, spending a day at the courthouse, escorting you to a shelter and/or police station, or finding a judge who will listen. You may not have a lot of money to hire an attorney initially. Talk to family, friends, your church and raise funds. Call the bar association and ask if there is a pro bono section of the bar that may help you.

5) Create a paper trail. This is the best way to make the State recognize there is a pattern of abuse. Make a journal of everything that has happened so far. Write down witness’s names, addresses, phone numbers and what they can testify to. Save any emails, text messages, and/or any other correspondence your abuser has sent you. Go to the police and file reports each and every time you are being abused, harassed or stalked, no matter how small a matter you think it was. Even if the reports do not achieve fruition, you have created a trail showing a repetitive pattern of abuse.

6) If you have been physically abused, go to the hospital and have them make a medical record. Tell them you have been abused, and ask for the police. Make sure you have a medical examination and pictures made of the scars, bruises, etc.

7) File a protective order and file for divorce under the domestic violence statutes. Arm yourself for your protective order hearing with witnesses and evidence. If the protective order hearing is unsuccessful, appeal your case to a higher court.
In conclusion, never stay in your home and allow yourself to be abused. There is hope, there are people who care and there are people who are willing to fight. Stay strong, and make your voice heard!
For Further Resources see:
Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, http://www.lcadv.org/
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, http://www.ncadv.org/

Domestic Violence in Bossier Parish

Earlier this year, we featured the story of Isabella Thamm, an 18 month old who lived in an abusive household. Despite various arrests of both her mother and father on domestic violence battery charges, and the arrest of her father for drug charges, Isabella was still in the home.
She was killed by her father when he threw her into a door jamb.
Lance Thamm was charged by DA Schuyler Marvin with 1st degree murder. A status conference is set for December 2. We will let you know the results of that, probably more motions, but perhaps a trial date will be set.
The whereabouts of Isabella's mother, Vanessa Ferris, is unknown. A warrant was issued for her in May for violation of probation in a disturbing the peace conviction that was related to domestic violence.
In the next week or so, we will take an overview of domestic violence in Bossier Parish. We will feature a guest blog by Bossier City Attorney Samantha McAllister, who specializes in family law, and particulary in cases involving victims of violence.
A positive note in all this is the effort by DA Marvin to establish the Family Justice Center, which will provide comprehensive aid to all victims of domestic violence. He deserves our thanks for his work on this crucial project.
If you need to familiarize yourself with Isabella's case, I am providing links to our other blog posts about it, and the video we put up in January.

· Killed by Her Protector
· Thamm Charged Twice for Domestic Violence
· Mother of Murdered Child on Probation
· Guest Blog from Isabella's Mother