Thurman v. City of Torrington
Encyclopedia
Thurman v. City of Torrington, DC
, 595 F.Supp. 1521 (1985) was a court decision concerning Tracey Thurman, a Connecticut
homemaker who sued the city police department in Torrington, Connecticut
, claiming a failure of equal protection under the law against her abusive husband Charles "Buck" Thurman. After Tracey Thurman was attacked, stabbed, and nearly killed by her husband in 1983, a subsequent civil lawsuit judged that the local police had ignored growing signs of domestic violence
and had casually dismissed restraining order
s and other legal bars to keep Buck Thurman away from his wife.
The Thurman lawsuit brought about sweeping national reform of domestic violence laws, including the "Thurman Law" passed in Connecticut, making domestic violence an automatically arrestable offense, even if the victim does not wish to press charges.
Tracy Thurman's story was later made into a 1989 television movie, entitled "A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story
", starring Nancy McKeon
as Tracey, Dale Midkiff
as Buck, Bruce Weitz
as Tracy's lawyer Burton Weinstein, and Philip Baker Hall
as presiding Judge Blumenfeld.
United States District Court for the District of Connecticut
The United States District Court for the District of Connecticut is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Connecticut. The court has offices in Bridgeport, Hartford and New Haven. Appeals from the court are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit...
, 595 F.Supp. 1521 (1985) was a court decision concerning Tracey Thurman, a Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
homemaker who sued the city police department in Torrington, Connecticut
Torrington, Connecticut
Torrington is the largest city in Litchfield County, Connecticut and the northwestern Connecticut region. It is also the core city of the largest micropolitan area in the United States. The city population was 36,383 according to the 2010 census....
, claiming a failure of equal protection under the law against her abusive husband Charles "Buck" Thurman. After Tracey Thurman was attacked, stabbed, and nearly killed by her husband in 1983, a subsequent civil lawsuit judged that the local police had ignored growing signs of domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
and had casually dismissed restraining order
Restraining order
A restraining order or order of protection is a form of legal injunction that requires a party to do, or to refrain from doing, certain acts. A party that refuses to comply with an order faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
s and other legal bars to keep Buck Thurman away from his wife.
The Thurman lawsuit brought about sweeping national reform of domestic violence laws, including the "Thurman Law" passed in Connecticut, making domestic violence an automatically arrestable offense, even if the victim does not wish to press charges.
Tracy Thurman's story was later made into a 1989 television movie, entitled "A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story
A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story
A Cry for Help: The Tracey Thurman Story is a 1989 NBC TV-movie based on the 1984 case Thurman v. City of Torrington. The film stars Nancy McKeon as Tracey; Dale Midkiff as Buck; and Bruce Weitz as Tracey's lawyer, Burton Weinstein.- References :...
", starring Nancy McKeon
Nancy McKeon
Nancy Justine McKeon is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Jo Polniaczek on the NBC sitcom The Facts of Life.-Early life & career:...
as Tracey, Dale Midkiff
Dale Midkiff
Dale Alan Midkiff is an American actor.-Early life:Midkiff was born in Chance, Maryland, the son of Joyce and Thomas Midkiff. He attended Edgewood High School near Baltimore. His first acting experience came playing Jack in a production of Jack and the Beanstalk for a local children's theater. His...
as Buck, Bruce Weitz
Bruce Weitz
Bruce Peter Weitz is an American actor. He is perhaps best-known for his role as Sgt. Michael "Mick" Belker in the 1980s TV series Hill Street Blues for which he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 1984.-Early life:Weitz was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, the son...
as Tracy's lawyer Burton Weinstein, and Philip Baker Hall
Philip Baker Hall
-Early life:Hall was born in Toledo, Ohio, the son of a factory worker father who was from Montgomery, Alabama. He attended the University of Toledo. As a younger man, Hall served in the military, started a family, and became a high school English teacher. In 1961, he decided to become an actor...
as presiding Judge Blumenfeld.