Jesse's Legal Defense Fund

Jesse is a diehard unionist, working at SEIU for over four years. They are a staunch advocate for home care workers as well as their union brothers and sisters. They started a small art business as therapy through COVID and to supplement their income through the rising tide of inflation. Based out of Vancouver, Washington, Jesse is also a visual artist who provides arresting imagery with a unique style in their mixed-media pieces. Many pieces are also drenched in their political and social activism. Jesse also happens to be a single mother of three kids with absolutely no support. Going it alone, they are the matriarch of their family that people come to for advice and support. Jesse now needs that same level of support as they face their crises.

While COVID had just started, Jesse had their house flooded and was forced to live in a motel for an extensive period of time. The only housing available was out of their price range. They were forced to move into housing they couldn't afford due to the insurance money for the motel running out. Throughout this time, COVID hit the household more than once, causing gaps in income and issues with their oldest son’s employment. This left Jesse as the sole support of a family of four, trying to outrace raging inflation. During this time they were struggling as a victim of an extreme domestic violence situation at the hands of their ex-partner. After a major assault that led to a five-year no-contact order, the abuse then ramped up into stalking and unrelenting harassment.

Jesse has now been the victim of a three-year-long harassment campaign leading to a trial coming up in January. This has caused tremendous psychological, physical and mental trauma for not only themselves, their children. This harassment has forced Jesse to take time away from work as well as their small business and led to multiple stays away from home for safety. It was also a requirement to purchase security measures such as cameras, alarms and a new phone due to fear of hacking by their ex. This has caused extreme monetary strain at the worst time. Being too fearful of leaving their home or taking extended stays away, Jesse has also been unable to table at markets and events--which are bread and butter for artists like themselves.

Unfortunately, the laws are stretched thin by new bureaucratic loopholes and failings, leading the victim advocacy programs to not be available in the same capacity as before COVID. The laws also now lean heavily for the accused, and the requirements for an arrest even while violating the restraining order, have been raised to physically violent altercations. Meaning the ongoing harassment is being allowed to take place and the perpetrator is free until trial, wearing a GPS locator that can be tampered with and that has a reporting delay. Without a lawyer of their own, this case will likely fall through the cracks. The investigation work the police and advocacy groups used to do, no longer happens for cases such as these and the cost/burden of proof is on the victim. Their abuser is well off, living from a trust fund and always prepared with a high-priced lawyer. They have been bonded out of jail in cash after each arrest and are fully supported by their own family that flies in from other states. They have also assisted in the harassment campaigns and have attempted coercion to get Jesse to drop the charges. This has led to a cycle of fear in which Jesse has not felt safe or supported enough to risk reporting sooner. Each time Jesse has reported, it leads to further harassment, danger, alienation and loss of support, whereas the opposite is true for the perpetrator of the abuse. It finally got to be too much when the abuser made contact with their minor child at the place of residence while Jesse was away from home.

This startling boldness of their abuser proved to be the last straw. Jesse is fighting to get proper protections in place by the state in the form of their abuser being sent to jail, which would allow Jesse time to find safe and hidden living arrangements as well as come up with the large amount of money needed for the moving costs. As of right now, their abuser moved less than nine miles from Jesse, to have quick and immediate access. This puts Jess in great danger as the court proceedings wear on. The need for legal representation is glaringly apparent given the lack of support without one, which adds more stress and fears that this will continue to go on and on unless they can come up with the retainer fees before the trial in January.

Given the current recession/inflation crisis, they are struggling to provide all that is being asked of them, and they need help. Jesse has been unable to make steady advancements to their income due to circumstances outside their control and has been trying to do this with only the support of their friends and colleagues from work. Please consider lending a helping hand and donating any amount to help get Jesse back on the path they had started on. To continue to be the fearless activist and advocate they are truly capable of being.

Also--they're an artist. Perhaps buy a piece of art from them, or commission an original!

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Funds raised will go to the following: