District Attorney Michael Jackson refuses to do the right thing for a survivor of domestic abuse.
Send a letter to the DA's office today -- Demand District Attorney Michael Jackson drop the charges against Jacqueline Dixon.
At this very moment, Jacqueline Dixon should be living safely in a stable home with her children. But Alabama District Attorney Michael Jackson is punishing her for surviving abuse, and her life continues to remain in limbo as murder charges and the possibility of being taken away from her children looms over her head. In July, a 38-year-old Black woman Jacqueline Dixon was arrested and charged with murder for killing her husband Carl Omar Dixon. He attempted to attack her in the driveway of her home and she was forced to defend herself. Since then, law enforcement has failed to protect her -- from overlooking the order of protection and history of violence to arresting her and issuing the murder-domestic violence charge.
DA Michael Jackson has been leaving the office phones off the hook and ignoring phone calls from hundreds of Color of Change members. He should care about our demands and protecting survivors. As an elected prosecutor, DA Jackson has the responsibility to represent and listen to the people. Now we must keep the pressure going and demand real accountability from District Attorney Michael Jackson. If he won’t take our calls, sending him a letter will get his attention. We can influence DA Jackson’s influence on this case by making it clear : “Protect survivors of abuse.”
Elected prosecutors have full discretion to decide when, how and if to charge someone with a crime as well as use other alternatives to help survivors of domestic violence. Alabama is a “Stand Your Ground” state but the law still punishes survivors who are forced to use dangerous choices to defend themselves when no other choice is accessible to them. Time and time again, Black women survivors of domestic abuse especially are criminalized and punished. Women are becoming the fastest growing segment of the U.S. prison population. According to data, as many as 90 percent of women behind bars who are incarcerated for killing a man, were abused by that same person.1 Data from the Center for Disease Control noted that last year homicide was the leading cause of death for women age 44 and under.2 Unfortunately, Jacqueline Dixon is a part of a long list of survivors who not only experienced abuse by a partner but is now experiencing abuse by the state.
District Attorney Michael Jackson cannot afford to allow Jacqueline Dixon to be tormented by the system. He holds immense power in dropping the charges against Jacqueline Dixon. DA Jackson could have chosen to not pursue charges against Jacqueline Dixon -- but he did it anyways even with clear evidence of abuse. He has a full understanding of the need to protect survivors. This is the same prosecutor that is a Board member of SABRA Sanctuary of Dallas County, a non-profit organization serving clients of domestic violence and sexual assault in Dallas, Perry, and Wilcox counties of Alabama.3 Jacqueline deserves fair treatment and protection. DA Jackson must proactively advocate for Jacqueline’s well-being. If he makes the right decision and drops the charges now against Jacqueline, it will set a huge precedent in pushing prosecutors to show real leadership and protect survivors of abuse.
Until justice is real,
Clarise, Rashad, Arisha, Scott, Anay, Kristen, Marena, and the rest of the Color Of Change team
References :
- "Who’s In Prison in America ?" OpenInvest. 21 February 2018. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/96316?t=9&akid=19242%2E1942551%2EYWvjVt
- "Most female homicide victims are killed by husbands or other intimate partners, new report" Washington Post. 20 July 2017. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/96317?t=11&akid=19242%2E1942551%2EYWvjVt
- "SABRA Sanctuary, Inc." https://act.colorofchange.org/go/96318?t=13&akid=19242%2E1942551%2EYWvjVt</l
Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Help keep our movement strong.
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