25 Focused on What Matters “Sandra”was at work one day when she received a frantic phone call from her preteen daughter, “Paula.” Sandra’s boyfriend, “Alexander,” who lived with them, was drinking and watching porn while Paula was getting ready for school. He approached Paula, suggesting she dress sexy like the women in the film, and he touched her inappropriately. She told him to stop, but he didn’t. Paula eventually got away. She headed to the bathroom, locked the door, and called her mom for help. Sandra called the police, but by the time they arrived, Alexander had disappeared. The police tried to track him down so they could charge him criminally, but couldn’t find him. Sandra and her daughter haven’t seen or heard from Alexander since the police were called, and that’s how they want to keep it. Their case was referred to Mintz Levin through inMotion, an organization that provides free legal assistance to low-income women in New York City on immigration and family law matters. Attorney Andowah Newton, with guidance from attorney John Delehanty and assistance from former Mintz Levin Project Analyst Carly Newhouse, worked with Sandra to gather evidence, prepare an affidavit on her behalf, and prepare her to give credible testimony at her hearing. All their hard work paid off when the judge issued a five-year order of protection against Alexander. “Typically, judges are reluctant to grant orders of protection for periods longer than two years, especially when the respondent has not appeared in the action. So when the judge granted Sandra and her daughter an order of protection for five years, we were satisfied with the result of theapplicationforrelief,”Andowahsays.“Ourclienttoldusthatshefeltsomuchmorecomfortable and confident going into court and seeking the appropriate relief with her attorneys by her side.” Combatting Domestic Violence (continued) Protecting a Daughter from Harm