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This story was reported by NH 1. It was a story about New Hampshire's Crime Victim's Rights Week. I used this article because I think events like this raise awareness for survivors of family violence. It shows that there are organizations in society who are looking out for the people who have been abused. I think this event is a great way for people to come together to talk about their experiences and raise awareness to the situations going on in the community. This event is similar to the book "Surviving Domestic Violence" because the book is about sharing experiences and stories to dispel some myths and empower survivors. If I am a social worker working in this field, I think an event like this would be something that I would like to plan.

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This article was reported by the Concord Patch. This article was fairly short, but I thought it was important to put in my scrapbook. The police finally caught this man who had warrants out for sexual assault and other things for 12 years. It just shows how long people can escape from the police. It must be terrifying to know if the police don't catch the abuser, that they could be lurking around. It would be very unsettling to know that your abuser is out there because you wouldn't know when they might try to come after you. This was a common feeling in many of the stories that I read for our course. Many of the women did not feel at ease until their abuser was in jail, dead, or they moved away. If I was a social worker working with a victim whose abuser was still free I would try to make sure she had a safe place to go, and hopefully that would be able to ease some of her feelings about the abuser coming after them.

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CONCORD, NH - A New Hampshire fugitive who eluded police for more than 12 years and was wanted on numerous charges has been captured by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, according to an alert. Justin Randall, 29, of Effingham, was arrested on April 3, 2017, was wanted on numerous warrants, according to Deputy Marshal Jeffrey White.
Editor's Note: This post was derived from information supplied by the U.S. Marshals Service. It does not indicate a conviction. explains the name removal request process for NH Patch police reports.
"Since 2004, Randall has amassed other warrants, including a 2009 Carroll County arrest warrant for failing to appear on a child neglect case, a 2010 Carroll County arrest warrant for sexual assault-forcible fondling, and most recently a 2017 arrest warrant for a Wakefield NH burglary," White stated, as well as a parole violation warrant.

Marshals, White noted, were requested to assist in the investigation due to the "elusiveness" of Randall. This morning, members of the task force conducted surveillance in the area of AMS Way in Effingham.

"It was during this surveillance that a male was approached for questioning, and he fled on foot into the woods, which was filled with a lot of deep snow," White stated. "Task force officers were able to quickly apprehend this man and learned that he was Justin Randall."

Randall was transported to the Wakefield Police Department for processing and will be transported later to the Carroll County Jail.

"The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force takes great pride in locating and arresting dangerous fugitives every day and I am happy to see that after 12 years on the run, we were able to arrest Mr. Randall without incident and bring him to face justice." U.S. Marshal David Cargill in a statement. "I am also thankful to our task force partners from the Strafford and Hillsborough County Sheriff's Offices, the Greenfield Police Department & the Federal Protective Service that were able to safely make this arrest today."

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NH Fugitive Caught After 12 Years on the Lam

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CONCORD, NH - A New Hampshire fugitive who eluded police for more than 12 years and was wanted on numerous charges has been captured by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, according to an alert. Justin Randall, 29, of Effingham, was arrested on April 3, 2017, was wanted on numerous warrants, according to Deputy Marshal Jeffrey White.

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This article was written by the Concord monitor newspaper. It is stated in the article that the Trump administration plans will cut the budget for the Legal Services Corp. This was devastating news to a victim of domestic violence. She said that she was about to be evicted from her house before she got the free legal help she needed. Her abuser left her with the apartment to pay for that she couldn't afford, and her 11 year-old adopted daughter. This is just an example of how many things can be affected by an abuser. It's bad enough that she was being abused, and then on top of that he left her with all of those payments so that she would have no where to live. It shows our societal views that people can show no sympathy for people in these situations sometimes. If it wasn't for the legal help she received, she probably would have been evicted with no where to go with her 11-year-old. As a social worker I think I can help link people in these situations up with the right people to help them. If I were to have met this woman before she found the legal help, I would search out who would be able to help her.

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Served an eviction notice on Jan. 26, Mae Bilodeau had all but resigned herself to getting kicked out of her Franklin apartment.

Following a domestic violence incident a year earlier, the 61-year-old said she was abandoned by her partner and left to pay for the two-bedroom unit herself. She subsequently suffered a stroke and continued to care for her 11-year-old adopted daughter, Megan.

Unsure of what to do with the eviction paperwork, Bilodeau went to her computer and asked Google, "Can the landlord evict me?"

She saw among the search results a promising website: New Hampshire Legal Assistance. She contacted the affiliated Legal Advice and Referral Center, and that's when she first talked to paralegal Steve McGilvary.

Less than a month later, her eviction was dismissed in Franklin District Court.

"I didn't even know there was any help out there," she said.

This help, which LARC provided to roughly 5,200 low-income Granite Staters in 2016 alone, is now under threat. The Trump administration's budget plan proposes to eliminate the Legal Services Corp. - the federal dollars that fund about 70 percent of LARC's work.

"I honestly don't know how LARC would survive at all if that money went away," Executive Director Breckie Hayes-Snow said.

And Bilodeau - who voted for Trump - doesn't want that to happen. She said she elected her president precisely because she thought he would help the poor people of America who need services like LARC.

"He seems to be taking away from them more than helping them at this point," Bilodeau said.

Legal trouble

It started out as a difficult year. Suddenly a single person paying $1,100 a month for an apartment, Bilodeau - a retired chef and baker who lives on Social Security disability benefits - began dipping into her savings.

After suffering a stroke the week before Father's Day, Bilodeau said she has since struggled with short-term memory.

In the fall, according to LARC, Bilodeau got her first eviction notice - much to her surprise and embarrassment. She had forgotten the rent payment, LARC said, and texted her landlord that she had a check for him.

Before the second eviction notice in January, Bilodeau said she had texted her Florida landlord, Carl Swoyer, again. She couldn't find a copy of her lease with the instructions for how exactly to make the payment.

But Swoyer wasn't willing to help her fix the problem, Bilodeau said. "He wouldn't tell me where to send it or put it or anything."

(Reached by phone, Swoyer and his wife, Christine, declined a Monitor interview request).

Court documents show that the lease required an automatic bank transfer to a Franklin Savings Bank account. According to a handwritten note pasted to the lease, Bilodeau had to make the payment in person due to "fraudulent withdrawal" in the past.

Bilodeau said this was actually a one-time, accidental mix-up in bank account numbers when she went to make a car payment by phone - she's since changed banks.

When Bilodeau called McGilvary at LARC and later sent him the court documents, he saw several legal problems with the landlord's actions. The paperwork shows Swoyer asked for an $1,150 payment from Bilodeau, more than the lease amount - and more than he was supposed to.

He also had her pay a safety deposit twice the amount of the monthly rent cost, which isn't allowed in New Hampshire, McGilvary said.

Bilodeau filed a motion to dismiss the eviction due to these issues, and in a hearing on Feb. 27, Judge Edward Gordon granted it.

At the beginning of the process, Bilodeau said, "I was a nervous wreck when I called" McGilvary.

But that anxiety eventually turned into confidence, and then, when it was all over, relief, she said.

Bilodeau decided shortly afterward to move out of the apartment to Tilton. She found a smaller, cheaper place there, she said, and expected her daughter to do better in a different school system.

Nearing the end of her packing and cleaning, Bilodeau looked through her empty bedroom window for one of the last times Friday. She said she would miss the view - trees and an opening leading down to the Merrimack River - but not the drama.

"I didn't want to have to go through all this again," she said. "It feels like a big weight had been lifted off me, leaving here."

Budget threat

When you enter the LARC front door in downtown Concord, there's a modest reception area with a few chairs, a computer and several frames hanging on the wall. One holds a photograph of a bright, blue bird, and the other an organization mission statement of sorts.

The bluebird, the framed paper says, is a symbol of hope, confidence and happiness.

"At LARC, we provide HOPE to so many in desperate need of legal advice," it reads.

Then: "We instill CONFIDENCE in our clients, empowering them to represent themselves in court."

And finally: "Assisting clients to resolve their legal problems contributes to their HAPPINESS and ours."

That, in essence, is why Hayes-Snow said she's been working at LARC for two decades. The executive director started her employment shortly after the referral center was formed in 1995 as a complementary service to New Hampshire Legal Assistance and the New Hampshire Bar Association's pro bono referral program.

"We're the 'teach-them-to-fish department,' " Hayes-Snow said in an interview Friday. "It's remarkable how successful people can be when they have the right tools. There's so much more demand for the services we provide than we can do."

Hayes-Snow said LARC gives legal advice to callers on situations involving eviction, foreclosure, family disputes, and public and disability benefits. For other issues, LARC refers applicants to both New Hampshire Legal Assistance and the pro bono program.

"What we're really in the business of doing is providing equal access to justice for everybody," Hayes-Snow said.

LARC in particular is focused on the low-income population. To qualify for aid, applicants must be living at least 125 percent below poverty level - a stipulation of the federal Legal Services Corp. money LARC gets, Hayes-Snow said.

Another condition that comes with the federal dollars is an inability to lobby. So while LARC knows that President Donald Trump is asking Congress to cut the Legal Services Corp. out of the next budget year - a "devastating" blow to LARC - Hayes-Snow said she can't do much about it.

"I remain hopeful and cautiously optimistic," she said. "I believe the support we have in the Senate will keep legal services in this country alive."

Apart from the few programs like New Hampshire Legal Assistance, Hayes-Snow added, "There isn't anybody out there lobbying for poor people because there's no money in it."

Bilodeau thought Trump was going to be the champion of the poor and the middle class, at least more than Hillary Clinton would have been. That's why she voted for him on Nov. 8.

"It did sound like he wanted America great again," she said. "I don't see that happening right now, and I think it should be a priority."

Bilodeau is especially unhappy about the real-life consequences of Trump's recommendation to eliminate the legal aid program and other services for low-income Americans.

"They're struggling enough and to lose good services like legal aid and community access - (fuel assistance) - it's sad," she said. The Home Energy Assistance Program is another proposed cut in Trump's budget plan.

"The little people of the world need help," Bilodeau said.

Of course, this voter knows Trump is new to politics. So she's willing to give him a chance.

"I give him a year," Bilodeau said. He might get better she said, or, "he might stink."

And that's when the real-life consequences might lead to real political consequences. Bilodeau said she plans to help fight for programs like LARC as Congress considers their value to the nation.

"I'll protest if I have to," she said. "At the Concord State House."

(Elodie Reed can be reached at 369-3306, ereed@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @elodie_reed.)
Editor's note: This story has been updated to indicate that even if LARC's federal funding were to go away, New Hampshire Legal Assistance would continue its work.

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Trump budget puts legal assistance on the chopping block for low-income Granite Staters

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Served an eviction notice on Jan. 26, Mae Bilodeau had all but resigned herself to getting kicked out of her Franklin apartment.Following a domestic violence incident a year earlier, the 61-year-old said she was abandoned by her partner and left to...

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This story was reported by NH 1. This article was about a man who locked himself in a bedroom after domestic violence call. Although it was a short article I found it interesting. It said that there was a shelter set up for residences in the area to go to. I did not know that sometimes temporary shelters are set up for people who are affected by situations like these. I think this could be a good idea as long as the perpetrator is unable to find where that shelter is, and it is certain that he won't be able to show up there. As a social worker involved in something like this, I would be interested to talk to the team that set up the shelter and how they go about that.

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This article was written by the newspaper, the Union Leader. This article is about a case that ruled against a psychotherapist who was on trial for sexual assault of a 12-year-old boy. The ruling was over turned because the 2 jurors did not reveal that they had been victims of sexual assault as children and therefore they said they are bias. This article made me so upset for the little boy because he was trying to do the right thing and tell someone, and it must be so terrifying and frustrating to know that this abuser's trial was overturned. In the article it said that the psychotherapist's supporters were in the court room with shirts that said "Justice for Foad" (the psychotherapist). It makes it so hard for people to testify when they have people in court supporting the other person and when something happens like this, it makes it seem like there is no justice. I know the justice system fails people of assault all the time. In one of the stories in "Surviving Domestic Violence", one of the women lost the custody battle for her children because her abuser made it seem like she had abandoned her children and the court ruled in his favor. This would be a very difficult part of being a social worker in these situations. It would be hard to tell people that I am sorry, but the justice system failed them.

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By PAT GROSSMITH
New Hampshire Union Leader
March 29. 2017 9:53PM

CONCORD - Merrimack County prosecutors are deciding whether to ask a judge to reconsider her order that threw out sexual-assault convictions against a Bow psychotherapist, based on juror misconduct.

On Tuesday, Judge Diane Nicolosi vacated the convictions of Dr. Foad Afshar, 56, accused of molesting a 12-year-old patient in 2015, and reinstated his personal recognizance bail. That night, he was freed from the Massachusetts Correctional Institute in South Walpole, Mass., where he was serving a three- to six-year sentence.

"He's just feeling joyous to be home," said his attorney, Ted Lothstein. "I think his family's feeling relieved."

Lothstein said he, too, is happy with the ruling, which he believes is the correct one.

"It's really a big deal to overturn a jury verdict in a case of this magnitude," he said.

After the trial, an investigation determined that two jurors had failed to disclose that they were sexually abused as children, even when asked by the judge during jury selection. The defense filed a motion for a new trial, which Nicolosi granted, ruling that the jurors were biased against Afshar and could not be impartial in reaching the guilty verdict.

Assistant County Attorney Kristin I. Vartanian said prosecutors have 10 days to file a motion to reconsider. If the judge denies that request, prosecutors would then have the option of asking the Attorney General's Office to review the case for an appeal.

If the attorney general declines to appeal the ruling, prosecutors could proceed to retry Afshar or they could drop the case entirely. Vartanian said prosecutors are consulting with the boy and his family and keeping them apprised of the situation.

She would not comment on how the child or his family felt about the judge's ruling.

Amanda Grady Sexton, director of public policy for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, said it is difficult for any sexual assault survivor when a conviction is overturned, but particularly more so for a child. The criminal justice system is not designed for children, she said.

What is most unfortunate, she said, is that a young man absolutely did the right thing by telling an adult about an alleged assault and by testifying at trial. It's important, she said, for people to understand that every step of the process is re-victimization.

"It's just how our criminal justice system works," Sexton said.

Nicolosi, in granting a motion for a new trial, ruled that the two jurors' bias "went to the heart of the matter in dispute, the credibility of the complainant. Such a bias necessarily produced the jurors' verdicts and deprived the defendant of an impartial jury. Court concludes that justice was not done, and the equities require a new trial."

Afshar, who came to this country from Iran at age 17 to escape the oppressive Islamic regime, became a licensed psychotherapist after earning a master's degree at Harvard and a doctorate of psychology from California Coast University. The father of three was elected president of the New Hampshire Psychological Association and was professor of psychology and philosophy at the New Hampshire Institute of Art.

Dozens of his supporters wore "Justice for Foad " stickers with Afshar 's picture on them at various court hearings.

Lothstein said many of those individuals were prior patients or family members of Afshar's, or colleagues and friends.

"They all believed in his innocence and continued to believe in him and his cause, even after the jury verdict and sentence," Lothstein said. "We are very grateful to the 'Supporters of Foad.' We are touched by their devotion to Dr. Afshar, and inspired by their belief that our justice system, although imperfect, will ultimately produce justice."

pgrossmith@unionleader.com

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Male student's suit against Dartmouth trustees claims double standard on sexual violence

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By PAT GROSSMITHNew Hampshire Union Leader March 29. 2017 9:53PM CONCORD - Merrimack County prosecutors are deciding whether to ask a judge to reconsider her order that threw out sexual-assault convictions against a Bow psychotherapist, based on juror misconduct.

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This article was reported by the Merrimack Patch. This is another example of another article I chose to highlight the bail price. This man's bail was only set at $5,000. Someone could bail him out, and then he would be mad and potentially do more harm to his girlfriend that he just assaulted. If I was a social worker working in this field I would figure out what happens to the victim when they call the police on the abuser. Do the police make sure they have somewhere safe to go? Are they told what the perpetrator's bond is at, or if they are getting out of jail. I will have to learn about the process about what happens when situations like these happen.

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MERRIMACK, NH - A local man was arrested after a domestic disturbance at a local home earlier this month, according to police. Tyrel Welch, 24, of Flintlock Lane in Merrimack, was arrested on March 11, 2017, for domestic violence-simple assault and three counts of criminal mischief.
Editor's Note: This post was derived from information supplied by the Merrimack Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction. This link explains the name removal request process for NH Patch police reports.
Police were sent to the home at just after 2:30 p.m. for a report of a dispute between a man and a woman, according to Officer William Gudzinowicz of the Merrimack Police Department.

"Upon arrival officers spoke with both parties and determined that the male, Tyrel Welch, assaulted the female, and damaged several items within the residence," he alleged.

Welch was arrested, processed, and released on $5,000 personal recognizance bail, and was arraigned in Merrimack District Court on March 16.

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Merrimack Man Arrested on Domestic Violence Charge

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MERRIMACK, NH - A local man was arrested after a domestic disturbance at a local home earlier this month, according to police. Tyrel Welch, 24, of Flintlock Lane in Merrimack, was arrested on March 11, 2017, for domestic violence-simple assault and three counts of criminal mischief.

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This article was reported by the Union Leader newspaper. Although this article was about an assault case in which the people didn't know each other, I chose it for a specific reason. I chose it because of the picture that the article put up of the perpetrator. It is such a goofy looking picture. It reminds me of a class clown yearbook picture. It made me angry because once again, I feel like the reporting of the incident is seen as a joke. I don't understand why they would put up a picture of the man when clearly people will not take it seriously when they see it. I think a lot of times society sees assault as not a big deal in some situations. For example, in the video that we watched where the woman was hitting the man because he "cheated on her". People were laughing at the situation, and even video taping it. I think society tries to make fun of some of these situations in order to avoid how terrible they are.

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By MELISSA PROULX
Union Leader Correspondent
March 26. 2017 3:19PM

William O'Reilly (Courtesy)

LONDONDERRY - A Manchester man who is a convicted sex offender was arrested early Sunday morning after allegedly kicking down a door, trying to steal a jacket and fighting with the owner of a home in town, police said.

William O'Reilly, 26, now faces three charges: burglary, simple assault and marijuana possession.

Sometime after midnight, the owners of the Wheelwright Circle home woke to noise downstairs. The male homeowner went to investigate and saw a man leaning against the kicked-in door, according to Londonderry police Detective Chris Olson.

Neither the homeowner nor the intruder, whom police later determined to be O'Reilly, knew each other, Olson said.

O'Reilly then tried to take a jacket from the home, claiming it was his, Olson said. The homeowner and O'Reilly had a brief physical altercation, and O'Reilly fled from the house, the detective said.

Neither man was injured.

Responding police arrived moments later and found O'Reilly intoxicated in the driveway and he was taken into custody.

Police identified O'Reilly as a convicted sex offender with two counts of sexual assault out of Hillsborough County in 2010.

O'Reilly also has several other convictions, according to the state police's online database, including a simple assault in 2008, failing to register as a sex offender in 2011, disorderly conduct in 2014 and stalking (domestic violence) last April.

Court and bail information for the most recent set of charges was not immediately available.

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GPS system to track Mass. State Police cruisers to reduce corruption

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By MELISSA PROULXUnion Leader Correspondent March 26. 2017 3:19PM William O'Reilly (Courtesy) LONDONDERRY - A Manchester man who is a convicted sex offender was arrested early Sunday morning after allegedly kicking down a door, trying to steal a jacket and fighting with the owner of a home in town, police said.

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This article was written by the newspaper, the Union Leader. This article describes and man who pushed his gift friend and choked her so that she could not breath. It said that his bail is set at $10,000. I always find it interested to read about what the bail is set at in different situations. I would like to know how these are determined. It seems so sad when I read that because it is saying that this person can get out on this amount of money, but the victim cannot pay a certain amount of money to make that terrible experience or the abuse go away. When I read about a certain amount of bail I think about how terrified the victims of the abuse must be if they post bail. Going to jail would probably only make them angrier, and if they get out they could come after the victim. In these situations I would make sure the victim had a safe place to go for awhile where the perpetrator couldn't find them even if they got out of jail.

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March 26. 2017 3:23PM

HOOKSETT - A local man faces three charges stemming from a domestic dispute over the weekend.

Nathaniel Sharman, 42, was arrested for second-degree assault and two counts of domestic violence simple assault, police said Sunday.

Police went to 26 Castle Drive about 9:25 p.m. Saturday for a reported domestic disturbance. A woman told police that she and Sharman, her boyfriend, argued and it got physical. Police say they determined Sharman pushed the woman twice and choked her, which impeded her breathing.

Sharman was released on $10,000 personal recognizance bond and is slated to appear Thursday in Merrimack County Superior Court.

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GPS system to track Mass. State Police cruisers to reduce corruption

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March 26. 2017 3:23PM HOOKSETT - A local man faces three charges stemming from a domestic dispute over the weekend. Nathaniel Sharman, 42, was arrested for second-degree assault and two counts of domestic violence simple assault, police said Sunday. Police went to 26 Castle Drive about 9:25 p.m.

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This article was written by the newspaper, the Union Leader. This article was about a man who physically assaulted his ex-girlfriend with a sharp object after a fight between them. Although I understand that articles have to be concise, I feel like articles such as this are very insensitive to the situation. It was written as though it was no big deal that this woman had to go to the hospital because of the assault. I don't think that these news articles are necessarily written like this on purpose, but it makes domestic violence seem not as big of a deal as it really is. Society tries to downplay domestic violence and articles and stories reported like this. I keep referring to Beth's story, but I think it had a lot of good examples. A lot of people that Beth encountered just turned the other cheek and didn't help her because they didn't think it was their business or that big of a deal what was going on. As a social worker I am going to try to shed light on the fact that media skews domestic violence situations.

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NASHUA - A city man was arrested minutes before midnight Thursday, charged with felony assault and domestic violence and misdemeanor criminal trespass after police said he seriously injured his ex-girlfriend during an argument.

According to police, Carlos Albarran, 33, of 23 Elm St., Apt. 8, was charged after assaulting the woman with a sharp object.

Officers were called to a local hospital about 8:30 p.m., where the woman was being treated for injuries to her neck and hand, police said. She told them she had been in an argument with Albarran outside his residence, during which he had armed himself and assaulted her. The woman fled to the hospital and Albarran fled the area, police said.

Albarran was found later at an address where he had criminally trespassed in the past and from which he was prohibited from returning, police said, and was arrested.

The assault charge against Albarran is a Class A felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison, police said, while the domestic violence charge is a Class B felony.

The criminal trespass charge is a Class A misdemeanor.

Police ask anyone with information regarding the incident to call them at 594-3500, or anonymously at 589-1665.

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GPS system to track Mass. State Police cruisers to reduce corruption

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NASHUA - A city man was arrested minutes before midnight Thursday, charged with felony assault and domestic violence and misdemeanor criminal trespass after police said he seriously injured his ex-girlfriend during an argument. According to police, Carlos Albarran, 33, of 23 Elm St., Apt. 8, was charged after assaulting the woman with a sharp object.

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This story was reported by NH 1. It describes a police officer who is on trial for sexual assault, and how he is also being brought up for charges of wiretapping. The whole article focused on the wiretapping and if he did that. It made me so mad because the article barely talked about how he sexually assaulted a woman while being a police officer. It was like the article was trying to focus on something that he didn't do that he was being charged for. This showed me how society can spin stories to make it's readers focus on something other than the assault because it makes the police department look bad. This reminds me of Beth's story and how the police would focus on the wrong things. They would try to spin that the children weren't well taken care of on her. If I was the social worker in a case like this I would fight hard for the trial to be focused on the main problem of the sexual assault.

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This article was written by the Eagle-Tribune newspaper. It is about how a boy assaulted his mother by spitting in her face, and then ran away. The K-9 unit came and found the boy in the woods up a tree, where he surrendered. I thought it was an interesting article because it described how they used the dogs to find the boy. I thought, depending on how old the boy is, this experience could have been very traumatic for him for spitting in his mom's face. Although I don't think it is okay at all that he spit in his mom's face, I'm not sure bringing in a K-9 team to come find him up a tree was the best way to handle it. Sometimes I think society is too quick to jump to conclusions and be harsh on young kids, when those situations could just cause worse harm than if it were dealt with another way. For example, Beth's boys were getting into trouble a lot, but it was because of all the abuse they saw at home. If I was a social worker I would look to the whole family to see what else might be going on in the home.

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SALEM, N.H. - Police K9 officer Trigger earned the title of "good boy" Sunday after tracking down a domestic disturbance suspect near Main Street.

Keith Beal, 22, was apprehended just after 9 p.m. after allegedly spitting on his mother's face during an argument over a laptop. Beal fled the scene before police arrived and was eventually caught by Trigger, according to police.

Trigger tracked the suspect through the woods, swampy areas, backyards, down north Main Street and eventually located Beal hiding 10-15 feet up in a tree, police say.

Beal immediately surrendered upon seeing the police K9 and was taken into custody without incident. Police charged him with domestic violence/simple assault. Beal refused bail and was arraigned at Salem Circuit Court on Monday.

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Salem police K9 apprehends domestic violence suspect

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SALEM, N.H. - Police K9 officer Trigger earned the title of "good boy" Sunday after tracking down a domestic disturbance suspect near Main Street. Keith Beal, 22, was apprehended just after 9 p.m. after allegedly spitting on his mother's face during an argument over a laptop.

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This article was reported by the Union Leader newspaper. It is about a man who assaulted his dad. I choose this article because I found it intriguing because you don't see many cases of a man abusing his father. I found that a new perspective was important to put in here. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in family violence that it is just a man being an abuse to his wife or children, but in this case it was not. I think it is going to be important as a social worker to not assume anything because although something might look a certain way, it could be different. Many times in our readings the perpetrators would try to spin the situation around on their victim, and say that they are abusive, crazy, an alcoholic, etc.

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KINGSTON - A Kensington man accused of assaulting his father was arrested Sunday night after a brief search by police.

Michael Tolvanen Jr., 20, was charged with simple assault and violating a domestic violence protective order.

Police Chief Donald Briggs said Tolvanen surrendered about 8:30 p.m., approximately an hour after officers arrived at the 29 Hunt Road residence for a reported fight involving a father and son.

Shortly before their arrival, Kingston police learned Tolvanen had fled into woods behind the residence, Briggs said.

Danville and Fremont police officers assist Kingston in a search, as did a New Hampshire State Police canine unit.

The chief said police established a perimeter and were eventually able to contact Tolvanen on his cellphone. Tolvanen surrendered after a conversation with police and arrested without incident, Briggs said.

Tolvanen was arraigned Monday and is being held in lieu of $2,500 cash bail. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Friday, March 24.

jschreiber@newstote.com

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GPS system to track Mass. State Police cruisers to reduce corruption

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KINGSTON - A Kensington man accused of assaulting his father was arrested Sunday night after a brief search by police. Michael Tolvanen Jr., 20, was charged with simple assault and violating a domestic violence protective order.

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This article is from a local radio station's website. The article is about how a bill to raise the legal age to marry in New Hampshire to 18. The bill did not pass, and left many people worried about sex-trafficing and abuse to children who are wedded too early. The reason why the bill failed was because some argued that there would be reasons, such as pregnancy, where children under 18 would want to get married. This shows societal views in politics that they would put extremely rare circumstances above the safety of children against sex-trafficing and abuse. I think it is ridiculous how a 13-year-old is able to get married, and I don't see why this bill didn't go through. The article made me think about some of our readings, and how the women are a lot of times manipulated into situations. Abusers prey on vulnerable people that they know they can take advantage of. If I was a social worker for a young girl who wanted to get married, I don't know what I would do because I would want to force her not to get married, but I know I wouldn't be able to do that. It will be difficult for me to watch her get married, but I would make sure to keep in contact and see that she is alright.

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The New Hampshire House of Representatives is taking a beating for killing a bill that would have stopped girls as young as 13 and boys as young as 14 from getting married. The bill was killed, however, not because anyone thinks it's a good idea for children this young to get married, but rather because it sought to set the age for marriage at 18, without any room for exceptions.

Rep. Jackie Cilley, D-Barrington, filed the bill on behalf of Dover High School senior Cassandra Levesque, 17, of Barrington, who researched the issue of child marriage for her Girl Scout gold award project and concluded marriage between young teens increases the risk of poverty and domestic violence and is more likely to end in divorce. Globally, child marriage has been used to hide the sexual trafficking of young women.

We applaud Levesque's initiative as well as her statement reported by both The Union Leader and Concord Monitor that she is "going to keep trying for this until this bill gets passed."

We believe Cilley's original bill, HB 499, would have passed this year because it allowed a judge to approve the marriage of a 16 or 17 year old provided there was an unusual circumstance (most often pregnancy) and parental permission.

The House's Children and Family Law Committee, however, opted to strike this language from the bill and created an absolute marriage age of 18, without any room for exceptions. This type of absolutism left the bill open for critics to suggest various scenarios (in most cases farfetched) under which a marriage prohibition might prove detrimental to a young couple.

Fraidy Reiss, founder and executive director of Unchained At Last, a nonprofit that helps women and girls escape arranged and forced marriages, noted in a Washington Post op-ed: "Regardless of whether the union was the child's or the parents' idea, marriage before 18 has catastrophic, lifelong effects on a girl, undermining her health, education and economic opportunities while increasing her risk of experiencing violence."

Reiss notes that nationally, at least 31 percent of child brides who married between 2000 and 2010 wed a man age 21 and older. "Some children were married at an age, or with spousal age difference, that constitutes statutory rape under their state's laws," Reiss wrote.

While child marriage is rare in New Hampshire, it does happen. Cilley said her research found there had been one instance of a 13 year old, three cases of 16 year olds and about 25 cases of 17 year olds getting married in the state in the past five years.

The New Hampshire Sunday News had an excellent story March 11 about the 13-year-old bride. Based on court documents, the story showed in 2013 a 17-year-old Newmarket boy and his pregnant 13-year-old girlfriend petitioned the 7th Circuit Family court for permission to marry to honor their religious belief that a child should be born to wedded parents. Parents of the boy and girl supported the marriage petition. The baby was born in August and by September the girl was asking for a divorce citing "infidelity and domestic abuse," the paper reported.

Cilley makes a practical argument in favor of raising the marriage age. "There is no other type of contract that they could enter into legally. None," she said. ... "And yet what many people consider one of our most solemn contracts that entails, literally, 1,168 different privileges, responsibilities and benefits, somebody at the age of 13 can enter into in the state of New Hampshire."

More compelling to us is the damage child marriage often inflicts on young girls. We encourage Levesque and Cilley to bring the bill forward again. Eventually the political climate will be right for New Hampshire to change its laws to better protect young girls from marriages that are statistically likely to damage their physical and mental health.

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The New Hampshire House of Representatives is taking a beating for killing a bill that would have stopped girls as young as 13 and boys as young as 14 from getting married.

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This story was reported by NH 1. This story is about a woman who hired an undercover cop to kill her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend. At first it seems that this woman is so terrible, and it was her idea. Later in the article it describes how she is pregnant with the man and that he has had multiple domestic violence charges against her. One of them includes choking her until she lost consciousness. After reading this, I though that maybe the man might have had an influence over her decision to hire someone. This story made me think of some of the things that Beth had to do and lie about in regards to her husband. I wonder if the man is manipulating her into doing these things. If I was a social worker trying to help this woman, I would first make sure that she and her 2 children were safe.

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This story is from the news channel, NH 1, about a man who strangled and sexually assaulted his ex- fiancé. I felt so upset for the woman in this story because she wasn't allowed to leave his residence. Since she is his ex- fiancé, she probably still has ties to him somehow. He might have lured her into his house. If I was a social worker helping her I would make sure she had a place to go where she would be safe, and he couldn't find her. I wonder, like in some of the stories from class, if she was not financial able to leave him and had to go back and wound up getting assaulted.

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This article is from a newspaper, the Union Leader. The article describes a man who assaulted his girlfriend. When I was reading the article I kept thinking about women that we have read about. The situation seemed similar to a lot of stories we have read. The woman got away in order to tell the police, but it made me wonder about how many times this might have happened before. If I was a social worker working with the police, I might be able to do an assessment of the woman and her situation to get her some help.

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NASHUA - A local man is being held on $100,000 cash bail, accused of repeatedly choking his former fiancee and physically and sexually assaulting her.

Matthew Martin, 24, of 81½ Kinsley St., is charged with six counts of second-degree assault, domestic violence; six counts of second-degree assault; sexual assault; five counts of domestic violence; three counts of simple assault; criminal threatening; and false imprisonment.

Police said the incident happened about 5:20 p.m. on Monday.

Martin allegedly choked the woman repeatedly, sexually assaulted her, pulled her hair, pushed her, threatened her and stopped her from leaving the residence.

The assault lasted for several minutes until the woman was able to leave, police said.

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GPS system to track Mass. State Police cruisers to reduce corruption

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NASHUA - A local man is being held on $100,000 cash bail, accused of repeatedly choking his former fiancee and physically and sexually assaulting her. Matthew Martin, 24, of 81½ Kinsley St., is charged with six counts of second-degree assault, domestic violence; six counts of second-degree assault; sexual assault; five counts of domestic violence; three counts of simple assault; criminal threatening; and false imprisonment.

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                Week 4: March 30-April 5

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                Week 4: March 30-April 5

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This article is from a New Hampshire newspaper called the Union Leader. The article is about a self-defense class for women over 18. This shows societal views that women need to learn how to protect themselves. I think this article is good because unfortunately I think it is necessary for women to know how to protect themselves, and I love that the community is offering a free class. I wondered if some of the women that we read about for the course had taken this class, if they might have felt more confidence to stand up to their abuser. As a social worker I might be able to set up some of these self-defense classes in a community that I work in.

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PORTSMOUTH - The Portsmouth Police Department, in community partnership with Cindy Naiditch of Steve DeMasco's Shaolin Studios, will present a women's safety clinic from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, at the department, 3 Junkins Ave.

Community Police Officer Detective Rochelle Navelski will give an overview of personal safety, domestic violence, home security, ATM safety, automobile safety and personal safety devices.

Naiditch, with assistance from police instructors, will teach self-defense methods in a hands-on way, including awareness drills, kicks and punches, release from grabs and holds, and defense from knives and clubs.

Naiditch, a fourth degree black belt, has been studying martial arts for more than 20 years.

Both presenters will discuss how to be aware of one's surroundings and what to do to keep safe in threatening situations.

The clinic is open to women 18 and older who live or work in Portsmouth. Participants must be physically and mentally prepared to discuss violence and assaults and be capable of engaging in techniques that aim to prevent these types of attacks. Women should wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing and athletic shoes and no jewelry or strong perfume.

The clinic is free, but space is limited. Preregistration is required by March 23 and a waiver must be signed in advance. To register, contact Navelski at 610-7503 or RNavelski@cityofportsmouth.com.

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Maine teen receiving rabies treatment after bobcat attack at NH border

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PORTSMOUTH - The Portsmouth Police Department, in community partnership with Cindy Naiditch of Steve DeMasco's Shaolin Studios, will present a women's safety clinic from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, at the department, 3 Junkins Ave. Community Police Officer Detective Rochelle Navelski will give an overview of personal safety, domestic violence, home security, ATM safety, automobile safety and personal safety devices.