“Your story has to match your daughters, that way the jury will know that he was equally brutal to you. We need to present the case, as him being a threat to the both of you.” Said the lawyer as he looked at both his clients.

Toni took in a deep breath, as she tried to recount the night in question.

“Well he did seem to be intoxicated when I came home from work. When he was being abrasive to April, I was still at work. By the time I got home she was already in the basement. Mark was irritable and he was upset because he was convinced that she wouldn’t do her homework. I tried to explain to him, that she does it in the afternoon with her friend Judy. He raised his voice, saying that April was lazy and going to get poor grades. There was no getting through to him, he was being as stubborn as an ox.” He continued to raise his voice and shove me around.

“Uh-huh..okay..and where did this altercation take place?” The lawyer asked. As he wrote down notes.

“In the kitchen” Toni recounted.