Emerald's Story

Emerald is a middle-aged professional who works in a large office building in a downtown area. Emerald’s parents, who emigrated from Vietnam before Emerald was born, are elderly and live with her. Because her parents are in poor health, Emerald wears a mask when in crowded areas to avoid becoming sick and exposing her parents to health hazards. When walking from the office to her bus after work, an unknown man wielding a baseball bat rushed toward her, yelling something about the “China virus.” He hit her hard on the side of the head with the bat, causing her to lose consciousness. Law enforcement spoke with Emerald while she was in the hospital after the attack, and although Emerald answered all of their questions to the best of her ability, she is reluctant to participate in a criminal investigation for fear of becoming the target of future attacks. Emerald reaches out to an attorney, asking if there is a way to remain anonymous and protect her privacy if she continues to work with law enforcement. The lawyer explains her privacy rights and offers, among other things, to try to help Emerald get the name “Jayden Doe” used instead of her real name in connection with the investigation and any prosecution.