Trans assault survivor endures nightmare ordeal after court deadnames her
A transgender woman in Vallejo, California has endured a distressing legal hurdle after being assaulted: The district attorney’s legal paperwork exclusively refers to her by her deadname.
Jeriann Guzmann had her name legally changed in 2012, so she was shocked when her county’s district attorney sent a letter to her son’s home addressed to her deadname. She hasn’t lived at that address for 15 years.
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“I’m frustrated. I’m angry, because deadnaming a trans person, that leads us into depression can lead to suicidality, can lead to anxiety, and this is why we don’t like dealing with authorities,” Guzman told the Vallejo Sun.
The ordeal caused a lot of challenges for her, as she ran into quite a bit of trouble correcting this issue with the DA’s office.
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When she reported the error to the woman at the front desk, the receptionist would not allow her to speak to anyone else. The county system and both the police report listed her deadname. Guzman refused to sign a restitution form under her deadname. Her call was not returned for over a week. Bartee said he would contact the DA’s office on her behalf. Bartee said he would reach out to the DA’s office on her behalf.
She eventually received a call from Solano County Deputy District Attorney Jordan Karmann, who apologized for the delays and for her deadname being present, saying he had no idea how this happened.
Karmann told her that while the police report had the right name, the court documentation and cover letter did not. The receptionist only read the cover letter. He told me that he’d get it addressed in court, with a letter to the judge. No one knows what happened. Guzman is unable to get a copy of the police report as they have not given her the necessary information.
“It’s not just me now, being transgender. Guzman stated that there are more than 250,000 transgender people in California. How many DAs won’t do the extra work and say “No, this is not so and so”? How many people are receiving information at addresses they haven’t visited in 15 years? She said they told her that the information came from the DMV. She was billed twice under Medicaid for the same service, one for her dead name and the other for Jeriann. “I went back with Mel to Social Security and they told me that I didn’t exist.”
She had a problem with unemployment benefits. They said she didn’t exist. After numerous bureaucratic hurdles, it took six weeks to resolve this. She reported spending over $400 to get an original copy for her name change and gender. She has to pay $40 each time she asks for copies of her name and gender change. She struggled to find a job. Deadnaming trans people is disrespectful in death, but also in life, when we fight so hard to be our authentic selves. For something like this to happen, shows me that no matter what I do, I can never be myself. Deadnaming trans people not only disrespects them in death, but in life we fight so hard to be our authentic selves, and for something like this to happen, shows me that no matter what I do, I can never be me.”
Spokesperson for the Vallejo Police Department Rashad Hollis told the Vallejo Sun via email, “Please have Ms. Guzman contact Vallejo PD’s records division or talk to our records clerks in our lobby to correct any discrepancies.”
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