My Mil Attacked Me Twice And Was Arrested , Now She’s Suing Me For Costs Associated With Her Arrest As Well As Other Things

Location: Texas

A few years ago my husband, my kids and myself moved into my MIL’s home because we were living paycheck to paycheck and drowning financially.

Things did not go well obviously and 6 months in she shoved me hard twice, the second time she grabbed my arms from above my head ( I was bending down) and when she shoved me back she tore my shoulders rotor cuff. I left for my mom’s to leave the situation for the weekend, dropped my kids off with her and went to the hospital. The hospital asked if I would like to call the police and I said yes.

That Sunday we went back since my kids go to school there and my moms’ is over an hour away from their school. The next day she had busted in my door, I called the police and while I was on the phone she bit my hand. She was arrested and I was given an Emergency Protection Order. We stayed for 6 weeks while we secured and saved for a new place.

She took us to tenant court and asked for rent money. We had sometimes sent her money through Venmo, sometimes cash, and sometimes we verbally agreed to pay for other things like groceries for her in place of rent but never did we not pay her something and we always agreed on how we payed rent until she got arrested. The judge ordered us to leave but did not award her any money.

Now she is suing my husband and I for $20,000 and claiming through small claims court that my police reports were false. She was convicted but only for disorderly conduct because the District Attorney said they didn’t have enough evidence even though the police took pictures of my bloody hand and I had a hospital report turned in with the detective. She is wanting $16,000 for her hotel fees, utility fees from when she wasn’t home, food and clothing from that time as well, her jail bond fees, attorney fees, rent that she is saying she didn’t receive, and $300 that she gave my husband years ago that she is claiming was a loan even though it absolutely was not. She also is asking for another $4000 because she says this hurt her earning capabilities even though she lost her job before any of this happened. She does not have a lawyer for this case.

My questions are..

Could she ask for rent and utilities even though we went to tenant court already and they did not grant that? I’m worried that since we did cash or bought groceries instead that it would be hard to show what we’ve actually paid. We also continued to pay her when she was not in the home through Venmo.

Is there anyway she could actually be awarded any of the expenses she had from being arrested and having to stay in a motel? None of my police reports were false and I have never been contacted by police for falsifying my reports.

What evidence should I bring to court? I have a recording of the first incident but I don’t know if that’s necessary since she now has a conviction.The police listened to the audio recording of the second incident so I also don’t know if I can/should get the body cam footage and 911 recording.

Would I be able to get another protection order since the last one expired? She knows my address now which is extremely scary for me.

Lastly could she get awarded the money she gave my husband years ago even though it definitely was not a loan and has been years since?

Any help would be appreciated.