Woman Wins Abuse Lawsuit Jewett To Receive $125,000 From Dead Spouse’s Estate

In what may be considered a landmark lawsuit, an Airway Heights woman is getting $125,000 for enduring years of terror from her abusive former husband.

Teresa Jewett’s unusual damages suit against her deceased ex-spouse was scheduled to go to trial Monday, but instead the case settled late this week.

A domestic violence expert heralded the out-of-court agreement Friday as a much-needed coup for battered women everywhere.

“I think it’s great news,” said Carolyn Morrison, who runs the YMCA Domestic Violence Safe Shelter. “We have to make it very expensive for batterers.”

Morrison said she won’t hesitate to now inform battered women that they have the right to sue their abusive husbands - and also the ability to win.

“If a woman is fleeing a batterer that is financially able to pay damages, we will encourage them,” she said.

Over the five years of their relationship, Teresa Jewett, 48, had her face busted, her neck permanently damaged and other assorted injuries at the hands of Michael Jewett, explained her attorney Lynn McKinney.

Michael Jewett also psychologically tormented his wife, McKinney said, noting the violent man delivered on his promise to beat Teresa Jewett’s father when she left her husband for the refuge of a shelter for battered women.

“It’s much akin to what a prisoner of war goes through,” McKinney said, calling it the “battered women syndrome.”

Michael Jewett insisted he was innocent when the suit was first filed in 1993, but never officially responded to it before dying of a heart attack in Costa Rica.

Jewett’s brother took over defense of the lawsuit, and control of the accused man’s $210,000 estate.

The Jewett suit has been considered significant ever since Superior Court Judge Tari Eitzen reviewed the charges and became the first Washington judge to allow battered women to sue their abusers based on allegations dating back beyond the conventional two-year statute of limitations.

Her June 1994 decision allowed Teresa Jewett to enter evidence up beatings dating back to 1989.

Strict application of time limits, Eitzen decided, makes it difficult for victims because it often takes women years to escape traumatizing love-hate relationships.

McKinney said he believes Jewett’s brother and his attorney opted not to go to trial for fear of losing the entire estate.

Efforts to reach the brother, or his attorney, were unsuccessful.

Morrison, who sees about 500 battered women and children at the YMCA shelter every year, said it’s good for Teresa Jewett that her ex-husband isn’t around to mull over her suit.

“She’d be looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life.”

, DataTimes