J.C. v. J.M.In J.C. v. J.M., Brian G. Paul successfully represented a victim of domestic violence in the Appellate Division after her former boyfriend filed an appeal of the Trial Court’s entry of a Final Restraining Order in her favor. There, our client and her former boyfriend had a five year dating relationship. After our client ended the relationship, the former boyfriend continued to leave numerous voicemail and email messages to which she did not respond. Subsequently, the former boyfriend appeared twice uninvited at our client’s place of employment. The first time, he handed her a written note. The second time he persuaded her to talk to him at a local diner down the street where she proceeded to tell him that she read the note, and she still wanted nothing to do with him.
The conversation did not deter the boyfriend who again appeared, uninvited, at her place of employment. When our client saw the Plaintiff she immediately sped away, only to be pursued by the former boyfriend in a car chase from her place of employment in Princeton all the way to Bordentown. The boyfriend’s pursuit was only interrupted when a police officer intervened. The next day, the former boyfriend left a note on our client’s car consisting of name calling and vulgar language. Our client then sought, and obtained, a temporary restraining order prohibiting the former boyfriend from having any contact with her. After a trial, the Judge found that the Plaintiff had harassed our client in violation of the domestic violence statute, and entered a Final Restraining Order. The former boyfriend appealed, and the Appellate Division affirmed. In so doing, the Appellate Division agreed with Brian’s arguments that the Trial Court’s determination that the former boyfriend had harassed our client through his course of conduct was based upon substantial credible evidence and should not be disturbed on appeal. The former boyfriend was also required to pay Brian’s legal fees associated with his successfully defending the appeal for our client.
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