For years, Alana lived in fear of Brett, the father of her two children. Before he went to prison, Brett’s physical and emotional abuse cast a long, dark shadow over their lives. Even after he was locked up, the harassment didn’t end. Brett still called and threatened her, always trying to keep control through fear.
As Brett’s release date got closer, Alana’s fear turned into determination. She knew she had to protect herself and her kids before he got out. That’s when she reached out to Legal Aid.
Her Legal Aid team jumped into action right away. A paralegal spent hours listening to and summarizing Brett’s calls from prison — time-consuming work that ended up being crucial in court. At the hearing, the judge listened to one of Brett’s threatening voicemails. Realizing the danger Alana faced, the judge issued a 10-year order of protection.
Because of Legal Aid’s advocacy, Brett was charged with felony harassment for those voicemails. Alana’s attorney also connected her with Citizens Against Domestic Violence, which helped her and her kids move to safe housing in an undisclosed location.
All the hard work and support from Legal Aid led to the best possible outcome — Alana and her daughters are finally free to heal and start rebuilding their lives.
