A Florida Congressman noted for his provocative rhetoric, particularly regarding his political opponents and women’s issues, scored a legal victory when his estranged wife chose to file a voluntary dismissal of her domestic violence injunction petition. Police officials previously announced that they would not pursue criminal charges against the Congressman for the incident, WESH-TV reported.
The dismissal likely brings to an end any potential legal troubles for Rep. Alan Grayson of Orlando with regard to a recent dispute between the Congressman and his estranged wife. The Congressman and his wife of 24 years, Lolita Carson-Grayson, are separated and pursuing a divorce. The discord erupted when the Congressman returned home to pick up his mail, his medications and to visit the couple’s children. During the visit, the couple became embroiled in a verbal altercation. In her initial 911 call, the Congressman’s wife told a dispatcher that Grayson had not struck her but was threatening her.
The next day, she traveled to the emergency room at an Orlando-area hospital, claiming that Grayson pushed her against a door, bruising her. Grayson later countered his wife’s assertions in a statement to reporters. According to a Miami Herald report, the Congressman claimed that the encounter “simply isn’t the way she described it. She hit me and I retreated. That’s what happened.”
Orlando law enforcement officers investigated the incident. In a release, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department stated that it interviewed the couple and reviewed the evidence in the case and determined that it lacked probable cause to arrest the Congressman. The wife, however, followed up by filing a petition for a domestic violence injunction. Grayson’s wife later chose to drop the injunction request after a video surfaced, shot by one of Grayson’s Congressional staffers, appeared to show the wife was the aggressive party in the altercation.
In Florida, you may petition for a domestic violence injunction against anyone who lives with you, or lived with you in the past, as a “family,” meaning related by blood or marriage. This can include spouses, ex-spouses, unmarried partners, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, adopted children, step-parents and step-children. If a court issues an injunction, that order can contain several provisions. In addition to restraining the named person from committing future acts of domestic violence, the court may also award the petitioning family member temporary exclusive use of the family home, make rulings regarding spousal support, child support, child custody and timesharing, order the named person to participate in a domestic violence intervention class and also surrender his/her weapons to law enforcement officers.
Grayson is known in political circles for his strong rhetoric. In a 2012 debate, Grayson said of his Republication opponent, “If you’re going to ask anyone, ‘are you still beating your wife,’ that kind of question, ask him.” Grayson also accused the Republican party of waging a “war on women.”
Domestic violence is a serious issue that everyone should take very seriously. However, not all allegations of domestic violence are black-and-white in terms of their facts. Whether you are a victim of domestic violence, or have been accused of domestic violence, you should reach out to experienced Florida legal counsel to assist you with your case. The South Florida family law attorneys of Sandy T. Fox, P.A. have the experience and knowledge necessary to get you the protection you need or to defend you against a wrongful allegation of domestic violence.
Contact us online or by calling (800) 596-0579 to schedule your confidential consultation.
More Blog Posts:
Court Vacates Protective Injunction Due to Insufficient Proof of Violence, Threats, Fort Lauderdale Divorce Lawyer Blog, Dec. 19, 2013
Domestic Violence in Florida, Fort Lauderdale Divorce Lawyer Blog, June 20, 2013