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January 23, 2020
Most homeowners seldom, if ever, get on the roof of their home. Consequently, problems that may be developing with the roof or the roofing system can go undetected for weeks or months before an unsuspecting homeowner would ever know it. Often the first indication of a problem with a roof will typically appear as one of the following conditions: Dark water stains on a wall or ceiling. Discoloration of paint on a wall or ceiling. Change in the texture of a wall or ceiling. Paint that has peeled or flakes. Appearance of mold. Unfortunately, most people do not normally pay […]
January 14, 2020
After practicing law for well over 15 years now, I’ve seen some clients come in with some ideas about legal issues that just aren’t quite right. So today we bring you some of the top legal myths our clients come in believing and talk briefly about what the law really is. Myth #1: If you are a victim of a crime, you decide whether to “Press Charges” or not. That’s not exactly true. Certainly the willingness of the victim to testify against the criminal is important but the prosecutor’s job is to apply the law on behalf of the victim […]
December 26, 2019
In my 15 years of practicing law, I get lied to a lot: the opposing party, opposing counsel, potential witnesses and sometimes my very own client. I’ve come up with a few techniques to find out if someone is being 100 percent truthful. TONE – BE EMPATHETIC The tone you create is important. When you are trying to spot a liar, you’re not the only one doing the evaluating. They are judging you too. They are gauging whether they are being successful as a liar. A lot of TV lawyers come in guns a blazing showing how tough they are […]
December 9, 2019
Back in 2013, Kanye West got mad at a paparazzi guy and grabbed the camera out of the guys hand and was charged with assault and battery. Last week, I watched 22 grown men try to knock each other’s heads off on a football field – not one arrest or lawsuit. What’s up with that? Ordinarily, when people punch, hit or elbow others, it is criminal, or at least the basis for a civil lawsuit. In the sports context, however, neither prosecutions nor lawsuits generally result from this behavior. Legally, battery is the willful and unlawful touching of another. Period. […]
November 10, 2019
Lawyers create in words – we don’t make a “thing” you can touch other than words on a piece of paper. Legalese is the term used to describe the old-fashioned and technical writing often used by lawyers. Let me tell you where legalese comes from, when to use it (and not use it) and why it might lead to Donald Trump beating Impeachment. Here is an example of legalese found at the end of a deed: In witness whereof the parties hereunto have set their hands to these presents as a deed on the day month and year hereinbefore mentioned. […]
October 21, 2019
Today we pay tribute to Judges who have gotten a little creative in their opinions. Most Judges – especially appellate Judges – are known to be pretty staid. You typically think of them as dour old attorneys with little sense of humor. Take for example the Judge in William T. Moore v. the State of Washington. In the Moore case an inmate filed a civil rights violation action against the State. In fact, the inmate had filed numerous civil rights violation lawsuits against the State and was apparently spending his time in prison drafting strange and unusual lawsuits and motions. […]
October 11, 2019
If you are Hispanic, African-American, a woman, your injury or accident case often absolutely settles for less money. I’m Going to Tell You Why In America, the problems in the criminal justice system are relatively well documented. For example, a recent study found that African Americans are incarcerated at over 5 times the rate of White Americans and they receive longer sentences. These studies are numerous because conviction and incarceration rates are public information and available to the public and researchers. But what about the disparity in Civil lawsuits or personal injury claims? Search for research papers on civil lawsuit […]
September 30, 2019
When I was a kid back in the 90s, I mean the 80s, ok, I mean the 70s, a spanking was a thing done both by parents and even at school where I remember the Principal had a paddle with holes in it in order to make it more aerodynamic and faster – to hurt more. But times have changed and corporal punishment has gone out of style. In fact, many countries – including the ones you’d expect in Europe have banned corporal punishment but also some countries like Mongolia, the Congo, and most of South America have joined in as […]
September 17, 2019
In today’s blog, I answer the top “Is it legal to” Google searches. Here we go: 1. Is it legal to drive barefoot? If that is so important to you, I have good news. It is legal to drive barefoot in all states. 2. Is it legal to burn money? No. It is not legal to burn money. It is a Federal crime and you can go to jail for ten years. So don’t do it. 3. Is it legal to sleep in my car? No. A lot of cities have been making sleeping in your car illegal to manage […]