NEWS
Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012
Jefferson County Leader
13
Violence: Ehlen family says community support lifted them after tragedy Continued from Page 12
illness. “He’s also talking about starting his own foundation,” she said. Christopher could not be reached for comment. Vincent “Joey” Cochran of Imperial was Alyssa and Autumn’s father. Alyssa was a sixth-grader at Antonia Middle School and Autumn was in the fifth grade at Antonia Elementary School, both in the Fox School District. However, they had started the school year for a few days at Vineland Elementary in De Soto before changing schools when their mother moved with her children to Imperial to stay with her parents, authorities said.
Daniels family continues work on women’s shelter Reaching out and helping others is the best way to deal with a tragic loss, said Sylvia Daniels of Hillsboro, whose daughter, Mary, was murdered in 2010. Mary’s estranged husband, Christopher Paul Colletta, was convicted of first-degree murder in 2011 for stabbing
“Mary’s Hope gives us a goal, turning our tragedy into something hopeful. If one family doesn’t have to go through what we have, we’ve succeeded.”
Sylvia Daniels Mother of Mary Daniels, murder victim
her to death in a parking garage at Mercy Hospital St. Louis in Creve Coeur, where she worked. Since then, Sylvia has been working to raise money to build a new shelter for abused women and children. Comtrea, the county’s primary mental health agency, also is working on the project, called Mary’s House of Hope. Sylvia said the project has given her something to focus on, rather than her daughter’s death. “Mary’s Hope gives us a goal, turning our tragedy into something hopeful,” she said. “If one family doesn’t have to go through what we have, we’ve succeeded.” So far, the group has raised about $27,000 for the shelter, Sylvia said. “If
we can get to $80,000, we should be doing good.” A fundraising dinner and dance will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at Hillsboro Community Civic Club, 10349 Business 21. Tickets are $25. To buy tickets, call Kristy Neuman, 314-974-4477 or 636-937-2700, ext. 1060. Sylvia said she also is focused on helping Mary’s two children deal with their loss. “With God’s help, we’re doing good,” she said. “Our goal is to take care of them. We want the children to learn you can turn tragedy to hope, that life can be OK. We’re going to make sure they have a good life. If we fall apart and the kids don’t have a good life, he took even more.”
Mary Daniels had a protective order against her husband. “I know the night he was served (with the order), he got very angry,” Syliva said. “But, in my daughter’s case, it wasn’t going to matter; he was going to do what he did no matter what. “In some cases they (protective orders) can be good because you’re not dealing with real irrational cases, but I think the person trying to protect themselves can get too comfortable; they think they have that and the person’s going to stay away from them. So, I think in some cases they work, but women or men, whoever’s trying to protect themselves, they need to not get too comfortable because they have a piece of paper.” Cardona, who also issued the order in the Daniels case, agreed. “(After an order is issued) caution needs to be heightened,” he said. “Like in her case, if you have one, make sure a security guard at the hospital walks you to your car.” Cardona said it’s difficult when a case he’s heard turns out tragically, like both the Cochran and Daniels cases. “Those things are hard to deal with.”
Ex parte: Circuit Judge Cardona hears three ex parte dockets each week Continued from Page 1
cases on Monday mornings and on Tuesday mornings and afternoons, with about 40 cases on each of the three dockets. He said he enjoys trying to help the parties work out resolutions. “I love the docket, and I love people,” Cardona said. “Maybe I can reach them and reason with them. Every case is psychology.” Cardona said he doesn’t know why requests for orders of protection are on the rise, but he said many cases involve alcohol or drug abuse. “If it’s an order against a man, usually it’s because of alcohol, and if it’s against a woman, it’s usually drugs,” he said. Cardona offered several points about protective orders, which he said people typically seek when they feel threatened by someone else and want
“If it’s an order against a man, usually it’s because of alcohol, and if it’s against a woman, it’s usually drugs.”
Troy Cardona Div. 6 circuit judge
to keep that person away. ■ When a person requests an order of protection, it can be denied, granted or a hearing can be set to later determine whether one should be granted, Cardona said. ■ If an order is filed at the time it’s requested, it’s called an ex parte order, because it’s based on just one person’s testimony. Also, it’s a temporary order. Once an ex parte order is issued, a hearing is set, usually within 30 days,
so the respondent can give his or her side of the story, Cardona said. At that time, the judge may either dismiss the ex parte order or grant a full protection order, which may be in effect up to a year. After that year, the order can be extended for one more, Cardona said. ■ In Jefferson County, a person applies for a protective order during regular business hours at the County Courthouse, 300 Main St., in Hills-
boro. It is handled by the ex parte office, which is on the first floor and is a division of the Circuit Clerk’s Office, Cusick said. Regular business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. After hours, if there’s an urgent need for a protective order, a petitioner may go to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, 510 First St., Hillsboro, and request one, and an on-call judge will be contacted, Cardona said. ■ The petitioner is not charged any cost for the protective order, but the respondent may be assessed $130.50 or more, according to a bookkeeper in the Circuit Clerk’s office. When orders of protection involve children, a guardian ad litem is appointed to look out for the minor’s best interest, and that can range from $75 to See EX PARTE, Page 14
Saturday, October 20th 8am -12pm
St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church, 1004 Rock Rd.
Produce Baked Goods Eggs Jam & Jellies Artisans Value Added Products Woodcrafter Beef Honey
Apple Pie Contest 9 AM
Customer Appreciation Day! son Maxine Jinker AM from 9:00-11:30 JC Treble Singers from 10-10:30 AM www.gethealthydesoto.org
We Accept EBT & Debit
Sponsors:
De Soto Rotary