Two years ago — on April 27, 2024 — Mica Francis was found dead in a North Carolina swamp after diverting from her normal routine to purchase a pawnshop firearm. Her ex-husband JP Miller is charged with federal counts of cyberstalking and lying to investigators which may head to trial this June.

On this episode, investigative journalists ⁠⁠Mandy Matney⁠⁠ and ⁠Liz Farrell⁠⁠ are joined by attorney Mandy Powers Norrell (MPN), a former South Carolina state legislator who helped write the state's 2015 domestic violence statute and now prosecutes those cases out of the Lancaster County Solicitor's Office.

MPN walks us through why "Mica's Law," the coercive control bill named in Francis's memory, was rushed through a Senate subcommittee for the fourth session in a row — and what it actually takes to move a victims' bill in a legislature where paid lobbyists set the tone.

The conversation dives deep on strangulation as a predictor of homicide, why DV charges still get pleaded down to assault and battery, DARVO, sleep deprivation as psychological warfare, and how Hollywood's age-gap fairy tales primed a generation of girls to mistake control for love.

Lots to discuss… ☕ Cups Up! ⚖️

Episode References

The inimitable Mandy Powers Norrell

Chart of four levels of domestic violence in South Carolina

The Post and Courier “Till death do us part” 2014 Series

Mandy’s Thread Post about Straight Party Line voting

Explaining DARVO: Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim & Offender - Domestic Shelters
Leading voice raising awareness of coercive control: Laura Richards

Stay Tuned, Stay Pesky and Stay in the Sunlight...☀️

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*The views expressed on the Cup of Justice episodes do not constitute legal advice. Listeners desiring legal advice for any particular legal matter are urged to consult an attorney of their choosing who can provide legal advice based upon a full understanding of the facts and circumstances of their claim. The views expressed on the Cup of Justice episodes also do not express the views or opinions of Bland Richter, LLP, or its attorneys.

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