This week on Legally Us, Rachael Bennett, a certified family law specialist and senior attorney at Sullivan Law & Associates, discusses Tom Sandoval’s request for a domestic violence restraining order against Victoria and her father, J. Will Robinson.
On Thursday, June 24, Sandoval, 44, filed for a restraining order against Victoria and her father, claiming they verbally and physically abused him during a June 3 confrontation.
In his court declaration, the Bravo alum alleged that Will assaulted him and Victoria, 33, hit him in the face during an argument about her possibly recording him without consent.
A video later emerged showing Sandoval pushing Will into a lit fire pit before retreating indoors, with Will following.
On Friday, June 27, Will submitted his own restraining order request against Sandoval, claiming injuries including a ruptured disc, broken thumb and elbow, and a heel wound. The court denied this request initially, stating a need for “more information at a properly noticed hearing” before a final decision could be made.
Tom Sandoval Cindy Ord/Getty Images
“When faced with dueling restraining order requests, the court’s primary task is to determine the dominant aggressor,” Bennett explains to Us. “The video evidence plays a crucial role, but it may not capture the entire story. The judge will want to understand what preceded and followed the video and whether it captures the whole incident or just a fragment.”
Court documents from Us reveal that on June 3, Sandoval claimed Will threatened him through a door, calling him derogatory names. Police later arrested Victoria, with Sandoval admitting to assisting in her bail.
Tom Sandoval‘s ex-girlfriend Victoria Lee Robinson’s father filed a counter restraining order against the Vanderpump Rules alum following an alleged scuffle earlier this month. Victoria’s father, J. Will Robinson, countered Sandoval’s petition for a restraining order by seeking one of his own, per court documents obtained by Us Weekly on June 26. Will contended that he […]
He wrote, “Ms. Robinson was arrested when it became clear that she had attacked me. As I saw her being arrested, in the heat of the moment, I asked the police officers the process by which she could be bailed out. I even foolishly accepted Ms. Robinson’s phone call from jail and lent her mother financial assistance for the bail. In hindsight, I deeply regret that decision.”
Sandoval also accused the Robinsons of ongoing physical and emotional abuse, alleging that Victoria tampered with his devices and placed a GPS tracker on his car.
Vanderpump Rules alum Tom Sandoval broke his silence amid his legal dispute with ex-girlfriend Victoria Lee Robinson and her father. On Saturday, June 27, Sandoval, 42, and Robinson, 33, were both in the company of police at the Los Angeles area residence they both shared as they separately removed items from the home. During one […]
“If there’s already a temporary restraining order in place that keeps the parties away from each other, a judge may decide that another emergency order isn’t necessary because both sides can already come into court and present a full picture of the case at a later time without having to issue duplicative orders. Temporary orders are decided very quickly and with limited time and information. Even when a temporary order is denied, it really doesn’t mean that the case is dead in the water,” Bennett explains. “A judge may deny emergency protection at the very beginning because maybe they don’t have enough information yet, but they can always later grant a restraining order after hearing all the evidence, and I’ve seen the reverse happen too. A temporary order may be granted up front, but then ultimately dissolved after the court gets the full context.”
