Domestic Violence Victim Condemns Broward Judge's Steak Talk With Accused Abuser in Bond Court

A domestic abuse victim in Broward County is speaking out after a video of a judge chatting about cooking with the man accused of battering her spread widely on social media. She says the exchange left her feeling that her suffering was treated as a joke.

According to an arrest report, the defendant, Christopher Johnson, allegedly pulled the woman's hair and punched her in the mouth, busting her lip. After his arrest, he appeared in bond court, where Judge Allison Gilman learned that he worked as a chef.

The judge then asked where he worked and followed up with questions about his cooking. "What's your specialty? What do you cook? If you were gonna cook me a dish, what would it be?" she asked. Johnson answered, "I'm a steak guy, the grill man."

Gilman responded by describing her own trouble with steak, saying she either burns the outside and leaves the inside undercooked. Johnson used his hands to demonstrate a turning technique, saying "10 o'clock, 2 o'clock, 10 o'clock, 2 o'clock." The judge asked if he meant turning the steak. Video shows her smiling during the talk and laughing when he repeated his tip.

The bond court discussion aired on 7News on Oct. 22 and has since gone viral. The victim and her mother spoke with the station but asked to remain anonymous. They said the judge showed poor judgment. The victim said it was social media that prompted her to contact 7News.

"The last thing you wanted to be able to see is your abuser on TV, laughing with the judge," the victim said. "Talking about cooking steaks." She has a child with the man she accuses, and she said her family had already been through enough before the video surfaced. Now, she said, people are commenting on it and sending her clips.

She said the judge went off topic and appeared to make light of the case. "She got off topic and went about cooking steak and laughing, making him feel like what he did was just OK," she said. When she first heard the conversation, she recalled being in shock. "I was really, really shocked. I was like 'OMG,' I was like 'No!'"

The victim's mother, who stood beside her daughter throughout the interview, also criticized the judge. "I don't think this is professional. As a mother, I was hurt," she said. "But don't sit up there and take my daughter and her situation as a mockery. You went to school. I know you was taught. Be a judge."

The victim said the moment has left her in pain and worried about the message it sends to other people who have survived domestic violence. "This is not a joke, this is a serious matter!" she said. "For the judge, as a woman, to just think it's okay. I don't find that fair at all."

7News has asked court officials in Broward County for a response to the viral video and the victim's statements.