Domestic violence victims in Orange County have found they are prisoners of a system that rewards batterers.

The latest trend in the Red OC is to try domestic violence victims in absentia.

We are hearing about a horrendous case where a batterer is using the system to obtain access to women outside his wife’s case for the purpose of expanding the abuse to others. Judges like James Waltz are cooperative in allowing batterers to do just that.

We have learned about nightmare in absentia trials of domestic violence victims. In one case the victim was in the hospital in danger of dying from complications of her injures. She already had a restraining order but the batterer was allowed to ignore it and continue harassing the victim. Waltz learned the victim was in the hospital and held a hearing in absentia in which he took away all the victim’s legal rights, awarding everything to the abuser. The victim did not learn that a hearing took place until weeks afterwards.

The victim may still die of her injuries. She has no insurance and no attorney. Orange County family law attorneys are a cold lot, completely unwilling to save lives. All they care about is thousands up front. Now the victim doesn’t even have the right to make any motions without the acquiescence of her batterer's representative. She is not alone. Orange County is a black hole for domestic violence victims.

Victims are learning that if they can’t get out of Orange they are safer staying in abusive relationships.