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. 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...

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tonight, a case that has created outrage and controversy in california. despite domestic abuse, a woman was ordered to pay alimony while he husband awaited trial. now she is awaiting to change an unjust law. here is juju chang. >> reporter: crystal and shawn ice story began complicated enough. they married in 1996. >> he was smart, athletic. very big, 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. i thought it was a house of horrors. >> reporter: it culminated in this attack which she caught on tape. >> oh, my neck. my neck! >> reporter: that is crystal screaming while he sexually attacked her, while the two children were upstairs. she said she hid her college tape recorder in the drawer. instead -- >> i don't want to be raped. >> i made a mental note where the record button was. and i was talking and i just shut the door. >> reporter: and they managed to

get the audio out of that tape recorder? >> yes. he jumped over the end of the bed and just grabbed me and started -- >> 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 -- >> reporter: he was found guilty of forced oral sex. >> just a way to get her adrenaline pumping in sex. >> reporter: if you hadn't had the tape recording, would you will basketball tote. >> gary: convictiget the convic? >> i know i wouldn't have. >> reporter: and now, it may change california law forever. despite his record for domestic

violence, she was ordered to pay him alimony. she also agreed to pay $50,000 of his legal expenses. >> this man has raped me and he is making he pay him money every month? that is crazy. >> reporter: the family court judge ordered crystal to pay him each month because she was the breadwinner, while he husband stayed at home with the kids. if the judge said 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 many 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 is a stay at home dad. how can you say there is no support? the judge said he should get more money because he is

unhirable. he is out on rape charges and i'm not sure that a car salesman would hire that. >> 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 here by tetherring her to the abuser. what is happening is that batterers are using family courts. >> they came up with a number of $3,000 a month that i should pay shawn. but the judge lowered it to $1,000 a month. and that is what i call a rape discount. >> the first instinct is we have so make sure no victim is a victim again. >> reporter: why there is no law

banning alimony for those convicted of trying to murder their spouse, shut be also be for those conflicted of sex. >> shut change. >> i come before you today -- >> rape victims are almost always shielded from public view, but crystal is an advocate. >> four years ago, my husband rapd, sodomized and forced me to perform oral sex and he beat me and threatened to kill me. it takes a real victim to show her face and bob lee 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. but the case can be reopened when shawn gets out in 10 20 14.

a day that fills crystal with bred. i'm juju chang for "nightline." >> thanks to juju chang for that. just ahead, her finals included 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.

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>> 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 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