Board

The leaders of JTS are people intimately aware of domestic violence and its consequences. They are experts who seek to educate about domestic violence and who advocate for its victims especially women incarcerated for acting in self-defense against their abusers.

Kelle Lynn who is a survivor of domestic violence founded JTS in 2016 to advocate formally for victims of domestic violence and to help give them a voice. She is board president.

A psychologist who was formerly with the Michigan Department of Corrections
Nels Thompson is an expert on domestic violence. He is featured in several of Justice Thru Storytelling’s educational and supportive videos.

Former Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Jack McDonald reversed the verdict of Nancy Seaman a victim of domestic violence who was imprisoned for killing her husband. He took the important step after learning about Battered Women’s Syndrome from Dr. Lenore Walker a nationally recognized expert on domestic violence.

Joan Grillo was employed more than 20 years as a victim advocate in two prosecutors’ offices.

Gilbert D. A. Padula, MD is Professor and Associate Chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Prior to that, he was system medical director for Summa Health Cancer Institute in Northeast Ohio. A Michigan native he keeps a residence in Grand Haven. Raised by a strong independent mother Dr. Padula works to end domestic violence for women and men and to diminish the use of false accusations of domestic violence as it pertains to divorce and custody battles. While in Michigan he was the Principal Investigator of the Cancer Research Consortium of West Michigan and Medical Director of Technology and Innovation at the Mercy Health Lacks Cancer Center.

Janene became involved with advocating for victims of intimate partner violence in 2018 after her dear childhood friend, Tina Talbot, shot and killed her husband to save her son and herself after decades of abuse.  Tina was in a kill or be-killed situation after a week-long tirade by Tina’s husband, which almost killed her due to her extensive injuries.  The injustice that Tina received by the court leads me to a personal discovery of how widespread women are faced with further trauma by court proceedings and then incarcerated for defending themselves.

Linda Michelle Marquardt is a forty-eight-year-old mother of three sons. She is a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree in English from Pennsylvania State University. She’s a published author and a former prisoner where she spent 17-years with the Michigan Department of Corrections on a 15-year sentence regardless of exemplary behavior. Linda was incarcerated due to an abusive domestic violence relationship that ended in tragedy. Currently, she is living with family, appreciating the unconditional support of all her family and friends as she regains her independence. She looks forward to sharing her story to help other women… and to use her advocacy efforts for the ones left behind serving long prison sentences due to intimate partner violence.

Tina Talbot is a survivor of intimate partner violence from a 25-year relationship. She was sentenced to 20 months to 15 years in prison for her husband’s death that occurred when she was defending herself against escalating beatings and threats to kill her and her son. When she called the police and was arrested, she had extensive visible injuries that documented the ongoing, brutal physical violence she had endured. Her case generated nationwide support with over 265k signatures asking Michigan Governor Whitmer to commute her sentence. Tina understands firsthand how the courts desperately need a better understanding of the complex issues experienced by survivors of domestic violence. Since her release on November 17, 2020, Tina has stated that she is willing to share her tragic experience with other survivors, prosecutors, law enforcement, judges, and parole boards to educate and empower progressive change.