I was falsely accused of domestic violence, and had an order of protection placed on me. I was not allowed to subpoena witnesses, share the police report, or submit any evidence during my trial; and subsequently lost. After the false order of protection was issued, on my birthday weekend, the woman had her family and friends, assault, and threaten me with murder, and it was caught on video. She even tried to go for my jugular during court, tried to send me to jail.

I went to appeal the order with a lawyer, and it has failed. Even though she had no attorney herself, and no brief or paperwork filed, no defense whatsoever; ----- I STILL LOST.

All resulting in $10,000 of attorney and hospital bills.

All in what I think is done to:

A. Get revenge on me for breaking up with her in front of many people

B. To get out of her lease obligations to the apartment

C. Cover up what she herself and her family actually did to me and onto others; and to shut me up from asking further questions about some very serious wrongdoings.

I now know what she meant when she tilted her head, smiled, and said "You will regret this.".

A psychiatrist told me he thinks Munchausen Syndrome and Malingering are involved here by the woman.

The police asked if I wanted to press charges and even warned that the Judge will grant her wishes for an 'Order of Protection' regardless of the facts.

What do I do? Do I press criminal charges? If so, do I need to do civil as well? Or would criminal cover civil?

I'm afraid of pressing charges, and they go bonkers and follow through with killing me.

I am traumatized and lost. Feeling so hopeless. I feel as if the justice system failed me.

Currently, I no longer have the resources to try and obtain justice on a civil court level, so criminal court is the only option. That or to just cut my losses and walk away.

Thank you all immensely for the replies, thoughts, and suggestions.