LAWRENCE — A local woman was acquitted in a domestic violence case that captured the attention of CourtTV.
A jury on Friday found Lucy Medina, 58, not guilty of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury.
Medina audibly wept and put her head down as a court clerk read the verdict in Salem Superior Court.
She was charged after a July 17, 2020, incident at the Lawrence apartment on Kress Street she and husband Luis Medina shared
Judge John Fraser presided over the trial that CourtTV entitled “MA V. Lucy Medina: Reluctant Victim Assault Trial.”
CourtTV is a broadcast network “devoted to live gavel-to-gavel coverage, in-depth legal reporting, and expert analysis of the nation’s most important and compelling trials,” according to its website.
Lucy Medina was charged after police were called to her apartment and found a trail of blood leading to Luis Medina who was covered in blood, according to a police report.
A prosecutor said Lucy Medina retrieved a knife from their kitchen and stabbed her husband after a night of drinking beer and tequila on their patio.
Defense attorney Hank Brennan said the woman was beaten and abused by Luis Medina for years and acted in self-defense.
Several of Lucy Medina’s coworkers, a neighbor, numerous Lawrence police officers and a paramedic testified during the four-day trial.
Brennan said in his opening statement that Luis Medina repeatedly beat Lucy for years.
“He beat her. He beat her up. He beat her down,” Brennan said.
“He beat her into submission. He beat her constantly…He beat her for 28 years. He did it constantly and he did it proudly.”
Lucy’s act of self-defense was “28 years in the making,” Brennan said.
“This is a lifetime of abuse.”
Follow staff reporter Jill Harmacinski on Twitter/X @EagleTribJill and on Threads at jillyharma.