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Brevard NAACP president back in court over domestic violence case

TITUSVILLE, Fla. — The president of the North Brevard chapter of the NAACP was silent as he left a hearing in his domestic violence case Friday.

William Gary is accused of choking his wife during an argument in their home earlier in June.

Gary's wife called the situation a "misunderstanding" and asked a judge to lift a no-contact order, but the judge did not acquiesce.

Instead the judge reserved his ruling until the couple's next court date.

Gary's wife told the judge she wasn't afraid of her husband.

As head of the NAACP North Brevard chapter Gary is used to being in front of the camera, but not for allegations of domestic violence.

"You're supposed to be upholding the rights of others, but you're accused of abusing your own wife, do you have anything to say about that?" asked Channel 9's Melonie Holt.

Gary didn't have anything to say to WFTV as he left the Titusville courthouse Friday.

He was arrested by Titusville police on June 6, after his wife told them an argument with her husband got out of hand and he choked her.

Gary told police they were arguing and he fell toward her, grabbing her arms.

Friday, the couple was in court in an effort to get a no-contact order lifted.

"Do you want to have contact with Mr. Gary, your husband?" asked Samuel Bookhardt , William Gary's attorney.

"Yes," said Gary's wife.

Gary's wife also told the court she wanted to stay in her marriage and wanted the current charges against her husband dropped.

Kat Kennedy is a domestic violence victims' advocate.

She said she isn't familiar with Gary's case, but said it's not uncommon for women in domestic violence cases not to cooperate with prosecutors.

Kennedy said sometimes they simply don't want to cooperate, sometimes they can't safely cooperate.

"It's certainly a much more difficult case to pursue, and that's why it's so important to have prosecutors who are trained in domestic violence, who are skilled and able to prosecute these types of cases," Kennedy said.

The state attorney's office hasn't made a filing decision in this case.

The Garys will be back in court to revisit the issue next week.