Jennifer Fulton was an alcoholic who was abused and raped by her husband Craig.
Background[]
When Jennifer was a teenager, her mother and father were not involved in her life and she was raised by her grandmother. She had a wild streak, came to school drunk a few times, and eventually got pregnant. When the baby was born, she gave it up for adoption. Eventually, she met Craig Fulton, and they eventually got married and created a restaurant together. However, Craig was abusive, and whenever he got arrested under suspicion of abuse, she would always drop the charges. They eventually got separated but stayed married so they could keep the restaurant, as a divorce would have closed it down. While Jennifer was closing the restaurant one day, Craig came by and they talked about its bad business. During the conversation, Craig discovered that Jennifer was pregnant with their child, and that she was drinking. Craig then became so enraged from the information that he attacked her and tried to rape her, but after she was knocked out, he left.
Choice[]
While a gang member named Leon Ardilles is spray-painting in the restaurant, a patrol officer comes in, sees Jennifer lying on the ground unconscious, and calls for help. When Jennifer wakes up in the hospital, she insists on leaving even though the doctor and Detectives Benson and Stabler tell her she should stay. She also tells the detectives that she just wants to forget about the assault. When Benson and Stabler question her again, she is with Craig; when they show her six photos of potential suspects, she picks out Ardilles. Later, when Benson questions her again, she eventually admits that it was Craig who assaulted her. When she is told that Craig took a plea in which he would serve no jail time but would be given a restraining order to stay away from her, she is upset. When Stabler tells her that she shouldn't be drinking if she is pregnant, she tells them that she is going to get an abortion.
When Craig hears of her plans to abort the baby, he drags her into court with the help of a pro-life attorney named Felicity Bradshaw, but with the help of her own attorney Lorna Scarry, who was recommended to her by A.D.A. Novak, she wins the case, though Judge Mark Seligman asks her not to abort the baby. Outside the courthouse, Craig tries to plead Jennifer to not abort their baby, but Benson makes him leave. She and Scarry then tell Jennifer that terminating the pregnancy is her choice, but she tells them that she changed her mind and she wants to keep the baby. When Benson takes her home, her brother in-law Joshua comes by to give her court papers about Craig wanting to take her to court again, this time claiming that her drinking was endangering their child. While in family court, it is discovered that the child Jennifer gave up for adoption, Lily Longleat, has fetal alcohol syndrome. When Judge Sara Henning learns of this, she gives Jennifer a court order to not drink alcohol during her pregnancy and to get counseling.
When Benson comes to her house to see if she is handling the situation well, she discovers that Jennifer is still drinking and arrests her for defying the court order. At trial, Jennifer and Scarry try to argue that she was only drinking because of the stress Craig put her through. Novak argues that the stress of her pregnancy will not go away and that she must be locked away in a facility to ensure she gets treatment. Jennifer is found not guilty of contempt of court, though she is reminded that the original ruling still stands and she must still receive counseling for her drinking. After the trial, Jennifer goes to the house of her daughter Lily, but remains inside the car, unsure if she can meet her daughter. When Benson is called in by the parents, she comes and encourages Jennifer to meet Lily. Jennifer then goes to do so. (SVU: "Choice")