J. Dayton King, Esq.

Jerrell Dayton King, Esq., M.A., serves as Director of Legal Services and an Attorney at Victims’ Safe Harbor Foundation (VSHF). He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law and his Master of Arts in Women’s Studies from the University of Florida Center for Gender, Sexualities, and Women’s Studies Research. This interdisciplinary foundation informs his understanding of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, coercive control, child abuse, gender, and the systemic inequalities that shape survivors’ experiences within the legal system.

At VSHF, Dayton represents clients in matters involving domestic violence injunctions, dissolution of marriage, and paternity, including complex family law litigation involving coercive control and abuse after separation. He approaches each matter with legal rigor and close attention to the trauma, power imbalances, socioeconomic disparities, and other circumstances that may affect a survivor’s ability to navigate an adversarial legal system.

Dayton is also a published legal scholar. He coauthored A Call for Limiting Absolute Privilege: How Victims of Domestic Violence, Suffering with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Are Discriminated Against by the U.S. Judicial System, which examines how legal processes can perpetuate trauma and disadvantage survivors. His scholarship and advocacy reflect his commitment to improving how the legal system understands and responds to domestic violence and to ensuring that survivors are heard, respected, and effectively represented.

For Dayton, family is at the center of his life, especially his wife and their adult children. Outside of work, he is a musician and the lead singer of a classic rock band, which provides a creative outlet he truly enjoys. His family also includes three dogs and two cats who keep life interesting and are never short on personality. Dayton enjoys traveling to the Smoky Mountains for the small towns, beautiful fall colors, scenic drives, and the opportunity to slow down and relax. He strives to live with sincerity and empathy, valuing meaningful relationships and the simple things that make life enjoyable.