When the System Stops Looking for the Truth
Brandy Ann Fonzi
TikTok: @Ms.Cabrera222
Brandy Ann Fonzi shared this account with Prison Project after a conversation about arrest and charging practices. She authorized Prison Project to use both her real name and TikTok username.
The account below is Brandy's own story, lightly edited for spelling, punctuation, and readability. The events and allegations described are her account and have not been independently verified by Prison Project.
That's how I got a charge.
The police didn't really investigate. They questioned people, made an arrest, and moved forward. They had pieces of evidence, but they never took the time to find out the entire story or address the underlying issue.
I honestly don't believe in the law the same way I used to in certain counties because sometimes it feels like the police are just too lazy to do the work necessary to actually seek justice.
When you tell the truth, sometimes it feels like nobody cares about the reason behind what happened. They charge you because they can, and the system moves forward.
That's when you realize sometimes the system isn't looking at the person or the circumstances. It's looking at the charge.
And then people wonder why citizens don't trust law enforcement.
Prosecutors should care about fairness and justice.
In my situation, Warren County didn't have all the facts, and charges were eventually dropped. Yet the state still picked things up. I believe I know why the other party dropped their side, but regardless, the bigger issue remains.
I was locked inside a house.
I was trying to leave a toxic relationship. My phone and keys were taken and hidden in two separate places, and the police actually had to go retrieve them.
If someone takes your phone and your keys so you cannot leave, how is that supposed to be ignored?
I was also physically attacked. I was cornered against a wall and choked.
And somehow I was expected to just let a man beat me and lay there and die?
I'm sorry, but I will always believe a woman has the right to protect herself when she is physically threatened.
I was told that locking someone inside a house can be against the law. Yet in my situation, I couldn't leave because my belongings were taken from me.
This is why I'm disappointed in the justice system.
Police can do the work, write the reports, collect pieces of evidence, and still not have the whole truth. Judges and prosecutors can make decisions based on what is presented to them while important facts and circumstances never get properly investigated.
That can ruin lives.
I grew up believing police were supposed to serve and protect. I wanted to believe the justice system was about finding the truth and protecting people.
But when you try to leave a toxic relationship and end up arrested yourself, while the person you say hurt you walks away believing they can get away with it, it changes the way you look at the law.
People are losing trust for a reason.
I'm not saying laws don't matter.
I'm saying the truth should matter just as much.
Don't judge someone solely by their background or by a charge on paper.
Because when the system stops looking for the truth, people stop believing the system is there to protect them.
And that's a dangerous place for society to be.
Why We Are Sharing Brandy's Story
Brandy told us her mother encouraged her to speak about what she experienced because telling her story might help someone else.
That is exactly why In Their Own Words exists.
Behind every arrest record, court docket, and case number is a human being with a story that may never appear in the official paperwork.
Prison Project does not ask readers to accept every allegation without evidence. We ask something more basic:
Investigate.
Preserve the records.
Ask what is missing.
If you have lived through the criminal justice system and believe your experience could help another family understand what happens behind the paperwork, we want to hear from you.
Your experience matters.
Your documents matter.
Your voice matters.
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