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Florida Judge's Decision To Jail Alleged Domestic Violence Victim Has Some Sounding Off

STUDIO CITY (CBSLA.com) — A Florida judge's decision to sentence the alleged victim in a domestic violence case for failing to appear in court back in July has some sounding off.

The incident unfolded in the courtroom of Seminole County Judge Jerri Collins after Collins asked the woman to tell her why she didn't show up to court.

Unidentified woman: "My anxiety and I just … "

Judge Collins: "You think you're going to have anxiety now? You haven't even seen anxiety. We had a jury. Six people there."

After listening to the victim talk about struggling with anxiety and depression, the judge decided to send a message:

"I hereby find you in contempt of court. I sentenced you to three days in the county jail."

"I have a 1-year-old son," the woman pleaded. "And I'm trying to take care of him by myself. I begging you please, please don't."

"I couldn't believe it at first when I saw it, saw the video," said a woman named "Samantha," who has survived physical and emotional abuse allegedly by her husband for seven years.

"Samantha" is outraged by the judge's behavior and knows what the victim is going through.

"That poor woman. I completely understand," she said. "The anxiety that she was feeling not being able to face the perpetrator."

"Samantha" is a mother of three and believes the woman in the video is being abused all over again.

"I felt she had no empathy and no compassion," "Samantha" said of the judge.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

By sharing her story, "Samantha" hopes other women will find help and healing like she has at Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission.

"After going through what I had gone through, I'm starting all over," "Samantha" said.

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