Honorable Judge Phillips, I have know Marcus McGinnie for 9 years as a friend and the last year we have been engaged. I am a 100% service connected veteran and have post-traumatic stress disorder due to a sexual trauma I received in the military. Marcus is a very essential person in my support system. He helps with getting me to and from my appointments. I often have panic attacks when in busy places such as the V. A. Hospital and shopping plazas. He is very helpful with all aspects of my mental health issues and helps me to feel safe. He has also be a great father to his children and step-father to mine. His two sons need his guidance as they are young and have had trouble adjusting to his absence. Many younger black men are not active in their children's lives but I have constantly seen him go above and beyond for his. He graduated high school and pushes the children in the same direction. He is also a tremendous help to his little …show more content…
I am not making excuses for his behavior, but in his defense I in all the time I have been with him have never had him put his hands on me in an unacceptable way. I have had two different occasions where his bipolar baby mother has assaulted me. One of those time involved a four way tire iron. It was 4 am and her children were present. She has also assaulted Marcus on different occasions that I have witnessed. She called police on these occasions when she initiated violent physical contact. Without bashing her character I just wanted to point out that it isn't as it seems in every instance. They didn't work well together and it caused friction and pain. She at times would go to extremes to cause trouble for him. She didn't even care if it wasn't the most honest of ways. Then she would cool of and be sorry again. He would then be left with charges and a bad