A domestic abuse victim is speaking out after a video of a Broward judge asking a man accused of battering her for cooking tips spread widely on social media.
Christopher Johnson, a chef, was arrested after an arrest report said he pulled the victim’s hair and punched her in the mouth, busting her lip. He then appeared in bond court, where Judge Allison Gilman asked about his specialty and what he would cook if he made her a dish. Johnson said he was a steak guy and demonstrated how he turns the meat using the clock positions “10 o’clock, 2 o’clock.” Gilman laughed and repeated the tip back to him.
7News aired the exchange on Oct. 22, and it has since gone viral. The victim, who has a child with Johnson, spoke with the station along with her mother. Both asked to remain anonymous. The victim said seeing her alleged abuser laughing with the judge was painful and made light of what happened to her.
Her mother said she did not think the judge’s conduct was professional. “Be a judge,” she said.
The station said it has asked Broward County court officials to respond to the video and the victim’s statements. The case has raised concerns about the message the exchange sends to domestic violence victims.
