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NEWS & LETTERS,
January-February 2002
Purple Berets hit back
Purple Berets is a women's
rights group established in 1991 to advocate for victims of domestic violence
with police and the district attorney. They have made a difference in many cases
in Sonoma County.--Editor Santa Rosa, Cal.–On Jan. 7,
Judge Elliot Daum handed down a 21-year sentence to Debi Zuver, a domestic
violence victim who pled guilty to manslaughter in the shooting death of Kim
Garloff, Zuver's ex-boyfriend who repeatedly beat, terrorized and threatened to
kill her over a two-year period. In handing down his stunning
decision to give Zuver the maximum penalty (11 years for manslaughter plus 10
years for using a gun), Judge Daum ignored the determination by one of the
nation's foremost experts that Debi Zuver suffered from "battered women's
syndrome" and acted to defend her own life. Judge Daum also disregarded the
fact that only minutes before the shooting, Kim Garloff came into Debi's house,
locked the door, threw her against the wall and made repeated threats to kill.
Despite compelling testimonies, Judge Daum determined the evidence of battered
women's syndrome was not convincing; refused to accept that the victim (Garloff)
had precipitated and been the aggressor in the incident; determined she was not
acting under duress or in defense of her own life. This sentence is particularly
chilling in light of the recent dismissal of all charges against Petaluma doctor
Louis Pelfini, charged with homicide and domestic violence in the smothering
death of Janet Pelfini. Louis was Janet's husband of more than 30 years. Because
of double jeopardy, Louis Pelfini cannot be charged again for criminal behavior
in Janet's death. As women's rights activists we
are extremely concerned about the messages these two cases send to the
community– messages like, "If you kill your wife you'll get away with
it" and "If you're a battered woman you better shut up and take it
because the cops won't protect you and if you dare protect yourself, we'll rip
your life away." Purple Berets are currently organizing to overturn
this incredibly unjust sentence. —Tanya Brannan For more information, to send
letters of support to Debi, or to offer donations of funds or legal help for her
appeal, contact PURPLE BERETS, Women Defending Women, PO Box 3064 Santa Rosa, CA
95402, or http://www.purpleberets.org. |
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