(Oraivej v. Court Services Institute) Stabbing in anger management class prompts lawsuit

KING 5 NEWS

December 5, 2011

Perhaps the last place you'd expect a person to fly into an angry, violent fit would be in a class designed to curb those exact behaviors -- anger management class. After a woman was attacked in a Bellevue classroom, she's filed a lawsuit.

ISSAQUAH, Wash. -- Luna Oraivej, 37, admits she got angry and broke a DVD player during an argument at home.

I was wrong, I did something wrong, Oraivej said. I was being honest with police. I said Yes, I stepped on it, but nobody touched each other, there was no physical violence.

Because it was a domestic violence dispute, Issaquah Police arrested Oraivej for malicious mischief.

When he [the officer] told me I had to go to jail for that, it really took me by surprise, Oraivej said.

Oraivej was booked into the city jail and charged with a criminal misdemeanor. Her attorney and the prosecutor worked out a deal and when she got to court, the judge informed Oraivej that there was a way to make the criminal charge go away -- pay a fine and attend anger management classes.

Oraivej said on her way out of court, she picked up paperwork from a judicial clerk directing her to Court Services Institute. She said she thought it was a court sponsored program and she wasn't given any other options.

Andrew Ackley