tonight on "nightline" -- emergency landing. the powerful storm that unleashed tornadoes across the south. they are still causing havoc tonight. turbulence on a plane, injuring five passengers, grounding flights. and we meet the grandmother who stopped her grandson from being sucked away as her house is torn to pieces. and he is guilty, she is charged. why is she ordered to pay

alimony as they waited for the trial. we all watched the explosions from mel gibson to halle berry. now, she makes it her mission to fix the problems of the powerful and the famous. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," april 4th, 2012. good evening. i'm cynthia mcfadden. tonight, terror in the skies as severe storms cause turbulence at 30,000 feet. the same storm demolished dallas-ft.worth yesterday. tonight, we bring you one amazing story from out of the rubble. a grandmother who hung on to her infant grandson for dear life as the winds tore down the house

about them. >> reporter: the same storm system that spawned 13 tornadoes in the dallas area tuesday caused more chaos today. this time, at 30,000 feet. a united airlines flight was jolted by turbulence this morning. the plane, originated in tampa, made a mergely landing in houston. at least three people had to go to a hospital, including this flight aten dent in a neck brace. >> you can hit turbulence and everything goes that is not strapped down. >> reporter: in dallas, planes are being inspected by damage. american airlines canceled 400 flights today alone, after almost 15,000 passengers were stranded at dfw last night.

>> just laying on the floor, cots, everywhere. >> reporter: still, it could have been worse. at one point tuesday, it appeared twin tornadoes were headed for dallas and ft. worth. home to nearly 7 million people. gary was in the air. he shot this astounding video of semitrailers being tossed through the air. >> the trailers are being lifted right up. >> once i saw them pick up the 18 wheelers and toss them around, you realize, this is a serious storm. >> no all, 650 storms. it defies all logic but in all of this destruction, no one is killed. sherry survey what is is left of her home. >> that chair is supposed to be on the back patio. >> reporter: what this grandmother did saved her life

and those of three toddler, including her bear grandson ifshlgts went and got the children and got a comforter off the bed and got in the bathtub here. and it hit. >> you say this home here. because -- >> there's nothing there. >> reporter: the twist their hit her house was an ef-3 with winds of 150 miles an hour. this texas grandmother played tug of war with the storm, struggling to keep lane in her lap. >> the pressure of the storm was pulling him from me, and i was just trying to grab him, you know, to keep him in my lap, and i had a hard time doing that. you know, i didn't think i was going to make it, honestly, it was that bad. >> reporter: as terrifying as it was for her in the bathtub, as the house collapsed around her, imagine what her daughter lindsey was going through.

>> i started praying and. said, god, please, one time, let me son and my mom be okay. >> reporter: the 22-year-old was at work and rushed home when she heard the tornado hit her mom's house. >> i start counting, one, two, three, our house is the fourth house. i see three homes standing and the fourth house wasn't there. >> she counted the houses and she said -- she didn't know if we were alive. >> i saw a bunch of the firemen there and i asked if there was anybody left in the house or if anybody was alive or what happened and they told me everyone in the house, they were completely fine. >> they were in my care and i had to do what i had to do to help them survive. >> reporter: he family is in tact, but like so many here, her home is gone. thap is her husband, mike, trying to find anything that can

be salvaged. >> this was the living room, right back there. there's my cat. come here, haley. >> goodness. >> reporter: suddenly, something found them. >> come here, hailey. come here, baby. come here. oh, there she is. she made it out. >> reporter: the final member of this family of survivors emerged from the rubble. oh, and they actually did discover one more thing they could save, one of lane's little books entitled "one rainy day," a rainy day this city will not soon forget. i'm ryan owens for "nightline" in texas. >> thank goodness everyone is all right. up next, her husband was convicted of assaults her. so why she was ordered to pay him alimony as he waited for the trail? last season was the gulf's best tourism season in years. in florida we had more suntans...

in louisiana we had more fun on the water. last season we broke all kinds of records on the gulf. this year we are out to do even better... and now is a great time to start. our beatches are even more relaxing... the fishing's great. so pick your favorite spot on the gulf... and come on down. brought to you by bp and all of us who call the gulf home. great news! the video call went very very well.

asia is on board. too bad you couldn't participate. probably you were worried about overages on that limited data plan you use. perhaps you shouldn't have uploaded so many vacation photos. ooh. ah. ♪ these shorts are for a younger person, wouldn't you say. [ male announcer ] switch to sprint, the only network with truly unlimited data. why you fell in love with her in the first place. and why you still feel the same. but your erectile dysfunction -- that could be a question of blood flow. cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment's right. you can be more confident in your ability to be ready. and the same cialis is the only daily ed tablet approved to treat ed and symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently or urgently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medications, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sexual activity. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis.

side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long term injury, seek immediate medical help for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, or if you have any allergic reactions such as rash, hives, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away. ask your doctor about cialis for daily use and a 30-tablet free trial.

0 today, a case that has created outrage and controversy in california. when, despite claims of domestic abuse, a woman was ordered to pay her husband alimony as he waited to be tried. now she's trying to change what she sees as an unjust law. here's abc's juju chang. >> reporter: crystal and shawn's story began complicated enough. they married in 1996. >> he was smart, athletic. he had just come home from playing baseball on a scholarship in college. >> reporter: beefy. >> very good, athletic. >> reporter: it was hard to predict how the marriage would unravel with domestic violence. she said that he repeatedly

threatened to kill her. did you believe the threats? >> i did believe his threats. i started living in this weird world that just felt like -- i called it like the house of horror. >> reporter: and it all cal my nated in this horrible attack when she caught on tape. >> oh, that hurt hads. that's my neck! >> reporter: that is crystal screaming while he sexually attacked her, all while her two sons were upstairs. she said she hid her college tape recorder in the drawer. in hopes of capturing one of his death threats. instead -- >> i don't want to be raped. i made a mental note where the record button was. i was just talking to shawn and i just hit that and i shut the door. >> reporter: and they managed to get the audio out of that tape recorder, even though the door

was closed. >> yes. why are you doing this? he jumped over the end of the bed and just grabbed me and started pulling me to the bed. >> i don't want to be lied to. >> i don't want to be raped. >> reporter: while he maintained in court the sex was consensual -- >> it was rough sex, but at no time i forced her had to do anything again her will. >> reporter: -- he was found guilty of forced oral sex. >> just another opportunity to yell and scream and get our adrenaline pumping during sex. >> who yelled and screamed? >> both of us. >> reporter: if you hadn't had the tape recording, would you have been able to get a conviction? >> i know i wouldn't have. we wouldn't have gotten a prosecution without it. i probably would be dead today. >> reporter: and now, it may change california law forever. despite his record for domestic vie lengs and he was awaiting trial for raping his wife, she was ordered to pay him alimony.

she also agreed to a settlement to pay nearly $50,000 of his legal expenses. >> this man has raped me and he is now making me pay him money every month? that is crazy. >> reporter: the family court judge ordered crystal to pay him $1,000 a month because she was the family breadwinner making about $120,000 a year while her husband stayed at home with the kids. when the judge said, if the gender roles were reversed and you were making $400 and he was making $11,000 a month, people would say it's sexist. >> it's not a matter of how much anybody makes. it's a matter of being a crime victim. >> reporter: but the judge didn't see it that way. it's a long term marriage. he's a stay-at-home dad. how can you say there's no support without being sexist? the judge said he should get money since he's unhirable. he is out on bail on rape charges and i'm not sure that even a car salesman would hire

anyone like that. he rejected speaking to "nightline." he says he cannot discuss the case. >> i would say the judge, you are flat out wrong. >> reporter: michelle huggin is a legal analyst who has prosecuted domestic violence cases. >> this is further traumatizing her by tethering her to the abuser. and having to pay him money. what's happening is that batterers are using family court to further harass their victims. >> the computer came up with a number of $3,000 a month that i should pay shawn, but the judge did lower that down to $1,000 a month. and that is what i call a rape discount, because he thought he was doing me this big favor. >> the first instinct was, we've got to make sure no victim is revictimized again. >> reporter: bonny is the district attorney in san diego.

she says there's a law banning alimony for those convicted of trying to murder their spouse, she says it should also include sexual assault. >> i come before you today representing all victims of domestic violence. >> reporter: rape victims are almost always shielded from public view, but crystal is a vocal advocate, speaking out in hopes of getting the law passed. >> four years ago, my husband raped, sodomized and forced me to perform oral sex. he also choked me, beat me and threatened to kill me. it takes a real victim to show her face and lobby and get the law passed one step at a time. it could happen to another woman. >> reporter: the judge ruled for the alimony payments to stop once shawn went to prison for six years. but the judge says the case can be reopened when shawn gets out

in 2014, a day that fills crystal with dread. i'm juju chang for "nightline." >> thanks to juju chang for that. and just ahead, her clients have included michael vick and monica lewinsky. meet the woman who handles high-profile scandals. michael vick and monica lewinsky. meet the woman who handles the high profile scandals. then the world changed... and the common sense of retirement planning became anything but common. fortunately, td ameritrade's investment consultants can help you build a plan that fits your life. take control by opening a new account or rolling over an old 401(k) today, and we'll throw in up to $600. how's that for common sense? [ sirens ] ...tv dramas... or whatever else, then you'll love netflix. watch unlimited movies and tv episodes on your pc or tv instantly over the internet for only 8 bucks a month. start your free trial today.

>> well, we have all watched it happen to celebrities like charlie sheen and mel gibson, engulfed in a controversy that just won't go away. so, who do you call when you

don't want your secrets all over the tabloids? here is lara spencer with the answer. >> got the money? >> of course. all 3 million. >> we said 6. >> did we? i have 6. >> we played a win. and we're fierce and bad ass. can i say that on tv? >> reporter: she is a hard charging crisis manager dedicated to keeping her clients clean and out of face. >> we are taking the case. >> reporter: she is a woman who won't take no for an answer. >> just to be clear that was me threatening you. >> reporter: in real life, mel gibson, halle berry, tiger woods, eliot spitzer and rob blagojevich have turned to the celebrity firefighters to keep up their images. scandal is inspired by judy

smith, influential lawyer and client manager whose client list reads like a who's who of scandal. michael vick, the quarterback involved in an illegal dog fighting ring. her most notorious client, monica lewinsky. >> how do you manage the scandal with monica lewinsky and her scandal. >> for her, was trying to keep her from going to prison. >> reporter: was it her idea to hand the dress over to prosecutors. was it your idea? >> i can't say. i can't say. some things have to remain secret. >> reporter: the team in scandal call themes gladiators in suit. >> once we take you on as a client, we will do whatever it takes to you fix your situation.

>> reporter: washington is best known for her work on the big screen. she starred on the big screen in "ray." and turning her attention to tv to play the road role in "scandal" is hard to pass up. >> it's not often that i am challenged to play a woman who is so, so much smarter than i am. and so much more sfis katded than i am and so much more empowered than i am. >> hand in your resignation. >> she has a few rules that she thinks apply to every case. >> you have to want to apologize and you have to mean it. >> it's the brain child of the creator of shows that resonates are audiences. like those and other shows, "private practice" and "grey's

anatomy." characters who love hard and fall hard as well. and at least one sexy scene is in the works for "scandal". >> i said, what you are doing here? and she said, i have been sits in there writing a steamy seen for you. >> reporter: with shocking story lines, "scandal" is as real as the real-life scandal that people can't stay out of? why do smart people do stupid things? >> smart people all have issues and problems and sometimes they make bad choices and exercise bad judge. >> reporter: when that happens, it's time to turn to the gladiators in suits. i'm lar are spencer. >> judy smith's new book is in stores now. "scandal" is on tomorrow night on abc. thanks for wat