(Visual: A thin purple line stretches horizontally across the screen.)
Female Narrator: Safety Note: Computer security.
(Visual: From beneath the line, a red shield with a white exclamation point in it appears and sits above it. Beneath the line, text:)
SAFETY NOTE: Computer security.
(Visual: A grey rectangular computer window with a purple bar at the top appears. The red shield moves to the top left side of the window and sits in front of it. Inside the computer window, the web address vtlawhelp.org in a search bar. A cell phone moves into the forefront from behind the computer window, also with the web address vtlawhelp.org in a search bar on its face.)
Female Narrator: Can your abuser access the computer or mobile device you’re using right now?
(Visual: The search bar on the computer screen folds into a blue recycling bin. The words "Clear Browsing History" appear above it in purple, as though typed. A purple mouse arrow pointer flies in from the right, with motion trails, clicks on the recycling bin and moves to rest in the bottom left of the computer screen.)
Female Narrator: Consider clearing your browsing history after you’re done or using a device they can’t access.
(Visual: The images slide out to the left. The thin purple line stretches horizontally across the screen. A beige scroll unfurls from above, and its bottom rests, curled, on the line. The capitalized letters "RFA" appear at the top in purple, with several horizontal lines down the page. Beneath the purple line, purple text: Relief From Abuse Order.)
Female Narrator: In Vermont, a Relief from Abuse order, also called an RFA, can protect you and your children from an abuser.
(Visual: The scroll shifts left, and a person in a red shirt, arms folded, pops from the line.)
Female Narrator: An abuser is a person who has hurt you or someone you’re afraid of.
(Visual: A Roman-style courthouse, white, with six columns, and a peaked roof, pops up from the center of the line, and separates the person from the RFA document.)
Female Narrator: This video will show you how to get a Relief from Abuse order from the court.
(Visual: The images sink beneath the line, and a computer window pops up in their place. Inside the computer window, a purple list of steps appears - Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, Step 4, Step 5, Step 6. A red arrow moves down the list of steps, and highlights each step in a darker shade of purple as it descends. Above the window, the URL vtlawhelp.org appears in purple, as though being typed.)
Female Narrator: You can find more details in the RFA Roadmap on the Legal Services Vermont website at vtlawhelp.org.
(Visual: The thin purple line stretches horizontally across the screen. Above it, purple text appears:)
Step 1: Know your rights.
Female Narrator: Step 1: Know your rights.
(Visual: The text disappears beneath the line, replaced by the white, six-columned court house.)
Female Narrator: You can ask a judge for an RFA that will order your abuser to do any or all of the following:
(Visual: The RFA document unfurls like a long scroll from behind the court house and drapes down over top of it. A brown, one-story house with a peaked brown roof, and two windows placed on either side of the centered, beige front door.)
Female Narrator: Leave your home;
(Visual: The house shrinks and shifts into a white circle on the far left, and a person in a pink collared shirt and blue vest pops up from the purple line; they face to the right, and a young person in a pink tank-top and yellow headband with a bag over their shoulder pops up beside them on their right.)
Female Narrator: Stay away from you and your children;
(Visual: The duo become small and move into a circle that rests 45 degrees above the house. An open laptop and cell phone appear from beneath the line.)
Female Narrator: Not contact you by phone, online, or through other people;
(Visual: The devices shrink and move to a circle on the upper-right of the couple. Two disembodied arms appear from beneath the line; the hand of the right arm tightly grips the wrist of the left.)
Female Narrator: Not abuse or harass you;
(Visual: The arms move to a circle to the right of the devices. A gun pops up from beneath the line.)
Female Narrator: Turn over their guns to law enforcement;
(Visual: The gun moves to a circle to the right of the arms. The images are beginning to form an arch. A young person in a yellow shirt, blue pants and a backpack appears. A beagle-like white dog with brown spots and markings sits waist-high to the person on their left.)
Female Narrator: Give you temporary custody of your children or pets;
(Visual: The young person and dog move to a white circle on the downturn of the arch of images that now extends to the middle-right of the screen, next to the gun. Three green dollars and six yellow coins appear. The coins stack in columns of two, three and one in front of the bills on the purple line.)
Female Narrator: And pay your expenses for a period of time.
(Visual: The images slide off to the left.)
Female Narrator: In order to get an RFA--
(Visual: Two perople appear on the screen and stand facing one another, as though in opposition. The person on the left wears a red T-shirt, with a hand on their hip; the person on the right wears an orange T-shirt with arms folded just above their stomach. Both wear black pants.)
Female Narrator:--the person abusing you must be a family member;
(Visual: The people slide to the left. A brown, double bed appears on the right side of the screen, separated from the people by a vertical purple line.)
Female Narrator: A current or former sexual partner;
(Visual: The images move up and a purple line stretches horizontally across the screen beneath them. Below the line, a purple smartphone with two messaged hearts - one yellow, one red - in text boxes on its face.)
Female Narrator: Someone you date or used to date;
(Visual: The smartphone slides to the left and a second vertical purple line stretches down from the horizontal line to create a four-box grid. The empty box on the lower right is filled with a grey, three-story building, fronted by eight windows and black double doors, and a person who stands to its right wearing a teal sweater over a white collared shirt and black pants with their hand on their hip.)
Female Narrator: Or someone who lives with you or used to live with you. If the person is not one of these--
(Visual: The images collapse into the computer window that features the purple list of 6 steps which sits above a horizontal purple line. Beneath it, text that reads "Order Against Stalking or Sexual Assault" appears in purple, as though typed.)
Female Narrator:--see the RFA Roadmap about getting an Order Against Stalking or Sexual Assault.
(Visual: The image slides off to the left. The purple line reappears quickly and stretches horizontally across the screen. Text is divided above and below it:)
Step 2: Get help.
Female Narrator: Step 2: Get help.
(Visual: The line moves downward and erases the text. The white, six-columned courthouse rises from beneath the line.)
Female Narrator: Many Vermonters get an RFA order without a lawyer. But you don’t have to do this on your own.
(Visual: The courthouse shifts slightly left. A person in a teal shirt appears to its right.)
Female Narrator: You can get help from an advocate--
(Visual: The grey rectangular computer window with its white, blank, oblong search bar in the center, appears behind the person. In the search bar, the website address is written. Text appears beneath the line and reads "Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence" in purple.
Female Narrator:--with the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence.
(Visual: The person lowers and disappears beneath the line. The purple mouse arrow pointer flies in from the right, with motion trails, and clicks on the empty search bar field.)
Female Narrator: Find your local office at vtnetwork.org or call their hotlines.
(Visual: The arrow fades away and the website populates in the search bar. The search bar disappears and is replaced by the hotline numbers:)
Vermont Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-228-7395
Vermont Sexual Violence Hotline 1-800-489-7273
(Visual: Beneath the purple line, text in purple appears and reads "Legal Services Vermont and Vermont Legal Aid".)
Female Narrator: You can also contact Legal Services Vermont and Vermont Legal Aid for help.
(Visual: The numbers disappear and are replaced by the search bar. It is populated with vtlawhelp.org/vlh-intake. The computer window shifts slightly left as a smartphone pops up from the purple line on its right, with 1-800-889-2047 typed in above the number pad.)
Female Narrator: Call us or fill out our form online.
(Visual: A purple arrow pointer flies in from the right, with motion trails, clicks on the website address in the search bar. The image slides off to the left. The purple line reappears quickly and stretches horizontally across the screen. Text is divided above and below it:)
Step 3: Complete the court forms
Female Narrator: Step 3: Complete the court forms
(Visual: The purple line moves lower, and beneath it, text that reads "Relief From Abuse Order" appears.)
Female Narrator: To ask the court for a Relief from Abuse order--
(Visual: Several pages of non-script scroll unfurls with horizontal, purple lines across it.)
Female Narrator:--you need to complete four forms and give them to your local family court.
(Visual: The scroll shifts slightly to the right. The white, six-columned courthouse appears to its left.)
Female Narrator: You can find all forms and instructions for how to complete them on the RFA Roadmap at vtlawhelp.org.
(Visual: An empty search bar appears above the images. The purple arrow glides in and clicks on the empty field, which populates with vtlawhelp.org.)
Female Narrator: Or you can get them from your local family court.
(Visual: Text below the purple line appears and reads "Family Court". The courthouse and scroll shift to the left, and a short-haired person in a teal shirt pops up on the far left.)
Female Narrator: An advocate can also help you complete the forms.
(Visual: The person and scroll disappear beneath the line. A sign that reads "Closed" hangs cock-eyed from the courthouse's peaked roof and swings until it balances out to hang straight.)
Female Narrator: If the courts are closed--
(Visual: The courthouse shifts to the right, and a white, side-split style building with a blue roof and door, two windows, an attached garage, and a sign that reads "Police" affixed to it pops up to its left.)
Female Narrator:--you can contact your local police or call the Vermont courts’ answering service.
(Visual: A smartphone rises from behind the police building with the number 1-800-540-9990 typed onto its face.)
Female Narrator: Tell them you need help applying for a Relief from Abuse order.
(Visual: All of the images disappear beneath the purple line, except for the courthouse, which shifts back to the center. The “Closed” sign disappears behind it, as though pulled back.)
Female Narrator: When you ask the court for an RFA--
(Visual: A person in a maroon T-shirt appears to the left of the courthouse, with their hand on their hip. The word "“Plaintiff” materializes below them, beneath the purple line.)
Female Narrator:--you are called the “Plaintiff” and the person who abused you--
(Visual: A second person pops up on the right of the courthouse wearing an orange T-shirt and their arms are folded. The word “Defendant” appears below them, beneath the purple line.)
Female Narrator:--or made you afraid, is called the “Defendant”.
(Visual: The image slides off to the left. The purple line reappears quickly and stretches horizontally across the screen. Text is divided above and below it:)
Step 4: Get a Temporary Order
Female Narrator: Step 4: Get a Temporary Order
(Visual: The purple line lowers and erases the text. A sealed, manila envelope with "RFA" printed in red on a white label is stuck to it, and the white, six-columned courthouse appears above it.)
Female Narrator: Once you give the court your forms--
(Visual: The envelope slides between the courthouse's middle two column and disappears.)
Female Narrator:--a judge will review them and decide whether to give you a temporary order to protect you until the final hearing takes place.
(Visual: Two green, triangular shapes come forward and form a shield with a white checkmark on it, above the top-left side of the courthouse.)
Female Narrator: If you qualify--
(Visual: A calendar with tear-off pages appears to the right of the courthouse. In between purple rectangles, the front of the calendar reads "Same Day or Night" in purple text.)
Female Narrator:--usually the court can give you a temporary order on the same day or night you ask for it. The temporary order goes into effect--
(Visual: The courthouse and calendar drop beneath the purple line, to leave only the green shield. A closed, brown door drops down to rest on the line. A disembodied hand holding the RFA envelope sweeps in from the right and stop in front of the door.)
Female Narrator:--when law enforcement serves the order to the Defendant. Usually, the final hearing happens within two weeks.
(Visual: The calendar reappears to the right of the door. It's first page is torn away and reveals text that reads "2 weeks." The images slide off to the left. The purple line reappears quickly and stretches horizontally across the screen. Text is divided above and below it:)
Step 5: Go to the Final Hearing.
Female Narrator: Step 5: Go to the Final Hearing.
(Visual: The text folds back into the purple line. The courthouse reappears.)
Female Narrator: At the final hearing, both you and the Defendant will have a chance to speak to the court.
(Visual: The person in the maroon T-shirt and the person in the orange T-shirt reappear on either side of the centered courthouse.)
Female Narrator: You can bring a support person with you, such as a friend, family member, or advocate.
(Visual: The short-haired person in the teal top pops up from beneath the line to stand behind the person in maroon.)
After hearing from both you and the Defendant, and from any witnesses--
(Visual: A brown gavel appears above the courthouse. The gavel taps down twice on its sounding board and disappears behind the courthouse.)
Female Narrator:--the court will decide whether you have been abused and are in danger of further abuse from the Defendant.
(Visual: The computer window with the purple list of 6 steps appears, headed with the vtlawhelp.org URL. The red arrow moves down the steps and highlights each, in turn, in a darker shade of purple.)
Female Narrator: The RFA Roadmap includes tips to help you get ready for your final hearing.
(Visual: The image slides off to the left. The purple line reappears quickly and stretches horizontally across the screen. Text is divided above and below it:)
Step 6: After the hearing.
Female Narrator: Step 6: After the hearing
(Visual: The purple line moves down, as though wiping the text away with its motion. The courthouse pops up from beneath the line and sits atop it.)
Female Narrator: At the end of the hearing--
(Visual: The person in the maroon shirt appears to the left of the courthouse.)
Female Narrator:--if the judge agrees with you--
(Visual: The manila RFA envelope pops up between the person and the courthouse.)
Female Narrator:--they will give you a Relief from Abuse order. The court will also give the Defendant a copy of the order.
(Visual: The person in the orange shirt reappears to the right of the courthouse. A second manila envelope labelled "RFA" and a smaller, second label placed over the envelope's seal that reads "Copy" pops up between them and the courthouse. The courthouse disappears beneath the line. In its place, the two sides of the green shield bond together and the checkmark is struck across its face.)
Female Narrator: An RFA order lasts for a fixed amount of time.
(Visual: The calendar with tear-off pages appears in place of the second RFA envelope. It shows the month as JAN. The page tears off, making the next page visible, which says, “FEB.” After that, “MAR,” “APR,” “MAY,” “JUN,” “JUL,” “AUG,” “SEP,” “OCT,” “NOV,” and “DEC” appear in rapid succession. When the pages reach DEC, they stop tearing off.)
Female Narrator: If, during that time, the Defendant does something that violates the order--
(Visual: The first RFA envelope is replaced by a smartphone with the word "Police" on its face, as though ready to call.)
Female Narrator:--contact your local police.
(Visual: The images slide off to the left. A new thin, purple line slides horizontally into the center, and the two sides of the green shield come together above it and the checkmark is struck across it.)
Female Narrator: While the RFA order is in effect, it applies anywhere in the United States--
(Visual: A map of the continental U.S. forms like a puzzle that uses the states as puzzle pieces in various shades of blue. It comes together behind the green shields.)
Female Narrator:--even if you or the Defendant leave Vermont.
(Visual: Four red lines shoot out from Vermont on the map and arc toward different states. The map lowers beneath the purple line, and the computer window with the list of 6 steps, headed with the vtlawhelp.org URL, pops quickly back up in its place.)
Female Narrator: We’ve created other videos that can help you with the RFA process. Visit our RFA Roadmap for details. If you have more questions--
(Visual: The computer screen disappears beneath the line and the logo for Legal Services Vermont rises and sits above the line.)
Female Narrator:--contact Legal Services Vermont.
TEXT: Legal Services Vermont
Working together for justice
1-800-889-2047
vtlawhelp.org
Music ends.
End of transcript.
