No apology from lawmaker charged with punching wife in face

[beschizza]

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/05/28/no-apology-from-lawmaker-charg.html

…

[gracchus]

The way Michele McLeod’s much longer and more elaborate statement accepts some blame—“While Doug nor I claim to be perfect, the twisting of information has misrepresented me and the truth”—is especially creepy.

I guess that’s a big “no” on her taking this opportunity to DTMFA.

Republican lawmaker "punched wife in the face" for not getting undressed fast enough when he wanted sex

Sounds like he’s destined for great things in the GOP, maybe a posting in the current White House. McLeod’s wife said her husband was drunk and “just snapped,” as he often does when under the influence of alcohol, the report said. I hope she’s in a position to leave that abusive boozehound.

[Faffenreffer]

Unfuck this guy and unfuck Mississippi for charging him with misdemeanor domestic violence instead of attempted rape with battery.

[chgoliz]

I would like to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to the friends, family and neighbors who have reached out in support and have offered their thoughts and prayers in this matter.

Notice who he didn’t offer appreciation and gratitude to? His wife, who took a (metaphorical) punch to the gut rather than press charges against him. Yet again.

[grp000]

Indeed, Trump and the GOP: Apologies are for losers!

[Brainspore]

@chgoliz

Notice who he didn’t offer appreciation and gratitude to? His wife

What, after she bruised up his knuckles like that?

[PugsBuddy]

Thoughts and prayers, baby. Been solving the world’s ills since…

[DIVIDE BY ZERO]

[teknocholer]

Mrs. Michele McLeod, NP:
“We are not the people who have recently been displayed in certain stories.”

Representative Doug McLeod:
“Our family… ask[s] that our privacy be respected until such time as the facts are known.”

In a joint statement, the McLeods announced that they have employed a private detective to find out the identities of these people, where they live, and what, if anything, they did.

[KathyPartdeux]

I don’t care if she’s not perfect while he’s in jail.

[GulliverFoyle]

@Faffenreffer

Unfuck this guy and unfuck Mississippi for charging him with misdemeanor domestic violence instead of attempted rape with battery.

It’s a tragically common feature of domestic abuse that the victim often covers for the abuser, interfering with prosecution of the predator until it’s too late to protect them or someone else.

[Melizmatic]

He complains of “fabrications and misrepresentations”, but doesn’t deny what he’s accused of:

[angusm]

Does the statement say anything about Jesus forgiving him? Or are we expected to take that as read?

[Shuck]

@GulliverFoyle

It’s a tragically common feature of domestic abuse that the victim often covers for the abuser, interfering with prosecution of the predator until it’s too late to protect them or someone else.

Yeah, which is why a really good argument has been made that domestic violence prosecution shouldn’t be contingent on the subject of abuse wanting to press charges; the state should do so regardless. The number of cases where women were murdered by men against whom they previously declined to press charges when there was violence…

@Melizmatic I’m kind of surprised by this, at least. I mean, not surprised by his complaints, but that he didn’t take the perfectly Trumpian route of denying the basic reality of a situation that we know about only because of his own self-incriminating words.

[chgoliz]

Surely there’s nothing to forgive, right?

/headdesk

[sdmikev]

@PugsBuddy

Thoughts and prayers, baby. Been solving the world’s ills since…

[DIVIDE BY ZERO]

[Faffenreffer]

@Shuck

domestic violence prosecution shouldn’t be contingent on the subject of abuse wanting to press charges; the state should do so regardless

I am totally with you on this.

At the very least, you’d think the state would appoint a guardian ad litem to advocate for victims of domestic abuse whose circumstances prevent them from advocating for themselves. Then I see how willing states like Georgia, Alabama, and Missouri are to infantilize women and deny them basic civil rights, and I know exactly where the guardian ad litem idea would end up.

[Bemopolis]

“I want to be clear, I had a perfectly good reason to punch my wife in the face. Sadly, this joint statement is too short to contain them because lib’ruls I guess.”

[Dug_Rusin]

As a Douglas I would like to point out that this Douglas does not in any way accurately portray the rest of us. Thank you.

Just felt a need to get some distance between me and that POS.

[lasermike026]

To people who use violence and domination, you are sick, and you have no excuses. Remove yourself and get treatment.

To the legislator, law enforcement, and judges who enable these actions, you are guilty.

Stop drinking alcohol. Drinking alcohol has enabled countless mistakes, injuries, and deaths.

[ejeffrey]

@Shuck

Yeah, which is why a really good argument has been made that domestic violence prosecution shouldn’t be contingent on the subject of abuse wanting to press charges;

I get the intent, but I am not sure how that could actually work. Forcing domestic abuse victims to submit to medical examination? Compelling testimony of the victim or the victims trusted friends? I’m all for giving victims every opportunity and protection to encourage them to demand justice, and making damn sure that we teach kids that “he hits you because he likes you” is not OK, but ultimately victims are people and have to be free to make choices, even self destructive ones.

If you can produce an evidence backed legal case against someone without the assistance of the victim, by all means go for it. That is going to be very difficult in 99% of cases.