Susan Still (Women's rights activist)
Encyclopedia
Susan Still is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 women's rights activist who escaped a decade-long abusive
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...

 relationship with former husband Ulner Lee Still in 2003.

Life and domestic abuse

Susan Still was born in 1964 in a New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 middle-class family. She attended college in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

 where she met blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...

 guitarist Ulner Lee Still and fell in love. They married a few years later while Susan supported the family financially by working at a health insurance
Health insurance
Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...

 company. At first, Ulner was controlling but not particularly violent or abusive. According to Susan, he had a will to dominate and the power to brainwash. Her husband eventually isolated Susan from talking to her parents or friends. However, due to her husband's proficiency at manipulation and control, and its gradual increase, Susan was slow to realize the high level of danger in which her husband's domineering behaviors placed her. After giving birth to their oldest children, a boy and a girl, Susan had to quit work and stay home to take care of them. As the family's financial situations deteriorated, Ulner became more physically abusive
Physical abuse
Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause feelings of intimidation, injury, or other physical suffering or bodily harm.-Forms of physical abuse:*Striking*Punching*Belting*Pushing, pulling*Slapping*Whipping*Striking with an object...

. It came to a head in 1992 when Ulner struck his wife after she forgot an item when grocery shopping.

In 2002, the family's financial situation continued to worsen as they had another child and their careers became less stable. Susan began working again to singlehandedly support the family while Ulner became increasingly abusive. As Susan found a new confidant in her new employer Lynn Jasper, Ulner became more distrustful. The long-term marriage became shaky and Ulner began to threaten Susan more frequently. Ulner instructed his sons and daughter to call their mother "white slut" (though she is in fact biracial) and on one occasion ordered his son to tape him beating her. He would later play the video tapes to the family during dinner, occasionally pausing, pointing out Susan's flaws, mocking her while justifying his brutal behavior. Employer Jasper soon noticed bruises on Susan's face that she disguised as accidental injuries. Finally in May 2003, Lynn encouraged Susan to escape the household with her two sons after discovering a farewell letter at her office drawer containing words like "If anything should happen to me or if I should turn up missing, it is possible my husband was involved".

Escape and court case

Susan and her two sons sought protection from the police in May 2003 and reported her husband for domestic abuse. Lisa Bloch Rodwin
Lisa Bloch Rodwin
Lisa Bloch Rodwin is a Family Court Judge in Erie County, New York. She was nominated to the bench by New York State Governor David A. Paterson on April 11, 2008 and was unanimously confirmed by the New York State Senate on May 6, 2008. Bloch Rodwin assumed the seat held by Justice James A. Dillon...

, assistant district attorney for Erie County
Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...

, N.Y. gathered evidence and prosecuted the case. Susan took custody of her two sons, then 13 and 8. However, her daughter (21 years old at the time) chose to take the side of the father and testify on his behalf.

Aftermath

In December 2004, New York State Supreme Court Justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...

 John F. O'Donnell handed Ulner Still a 36-year prison sentence. The grounds were assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...

, in the second degree (six counts), assault in the third degree (six counts), and endangering the welfare of a child (two counts), making it the longest sentence given to the crime of domestic violence that didn't result in the death of the victim. On May 7, 2007 Susan Still appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....

 to bring awareness to 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...

against women. The show aired home videos recorded by the Stills' 13-year-old son of a 51 minute long beating of Susan by her husband. Still has gained recognition among groups that campaign against violence against women, served as keynote speaker in Houston for the National College of District Attorneys and shared her story with Diane Sawyer on “20/20” in October.
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