Category Archives: Divorce

A sheep in wolf’s clothing; Representing client’s positions.

Lawyers are a hated bunch. However, sometimes it is not deserved.

Illustration by Factory43.

Lawyers are hired to represent clients. Sometimes those clients have done or do things the lawyer did not advise. As a lawyer you represent your client zealously.

Sometimes you even represent clients you don’t agree with, but you still represent your clients.

A lawyer taking a position for litigation is not a personal endorsement for that position. To suggest otherwise is improper.

Sometimes we are just a sheep in wolf’s clothing…

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi and encourages clients, lawyers and voters to be informed.

Judicial Election Winners & Run-off(s)

HINDS COUNTY 

Chancery Judges Unopposed

Dewayne Thomas

Denise Owens 

Winner

Crystal Wise Martin defeating Reginald Harrion

Runoff

Tiffany Grove  vs.  Monique Brown-Barrett

 

RANKIN COUNTY

Chancery Judges Unopposed

John C. McLaurin, Jr.

Haydn J. Roberts

Runoff

Mel Coxwell vs. Troy Odom

 

CHANCERY CT. DIST 14 Place 1 (Starkville, Columbus, et. al.)

Runoff

Lee Ann Turner vs. Rodney Faver 

Runoff

CARRIE JOURDAN vs. JOE STUDDARD

CHANCERY CT. DIST 14 PLACE 3 –

Winner

PAULA DRUNGOLE-ELLIS  

 

LAUDERDALE COUNTY, et. al.

Winners

Charles E. “Charlie” Smith Chancery 21-2

Judge Larry Primeaux. Unopposed.

 

LEFLORE COUNTY  (includes additional Delta counties)

Runoff

Katherine Tackett Mills vs. Willie J. Perkins, Sr. 

SIMPSON COUNTY

Winner

David Shoemake

 

THE COAST Chancery Court Judge 8, 3 

Runoff

Margaret Alfonso vs. Sanford R. (Sandy) Steckler 

This race is exciting because of the candidates. Judge Steckler is the incumbent.Judge Alfonso is a former Chancellor who left Chancery for Youth Court (County Court) and is now running.This makes a very recent former Chancellor against a current Chancellor and they actually served together.

Chancery Court District 16 Place 2, SW Coastal Counties

Runoff

 Tanya Hasbrouck vs. Ashlee Trehern.

Harrison County Court/Youth Court

Runoff

Mike Dickinson vs.  Anna Ward Sukmann

 

District 6: Attala, Carroll, Choctaw, Kemper, Neshoba, Winston 

Winner

Kiley Kirk

…more to come.

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The Rain is Coming…Go VOTE

We’re about to get drenched. No, not for Halloween trick-or-treating, as the weather predictors have moved the rain coming in to late this evening and tomorrow. But, with an election on Tuesday, Nov. 6, the onslaught of adds, information, misinformation, and rhetoric.

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There are numerous interesting campaigns throughout the state.

Hinds County Chancery Court (aka Family Court) has 2 contested elections.

Chancery Court Judge Sub 5-2

Patricia Wise – Current Chancellor – is retiring.

The candidates are;

Reginald Harrion 

Born in Jackson, Mississippi, at the former Hinds General Hospital, Reginald Harrion is an attorney proudly residing in Jackson, Mississippi.  He has active licenses to practice law in Arizona, Georgia, and Mississippi, as well as multiple federal district and bankruptcy courts.  He is presently employed as the “Chancery Attorney” at Richard Schwartz & Associates, P.A., and is charged with handling minors’ settlements, estates, conservatorships, and guardianships.  His work has afforded him the benefit of entering appearances in all 20 Chancery Court districts in the State of Mississippi.

Reginald is a former Specially Appointed Judge for the Hinds County Chancery Court.  He served as a Special Master to hear civil commitment cases and recommend courses of action and services for persons needing inpatient and outpatient mental treatment.  He also served as a Family Master to hear cases and recommended judgments establishing, modifying, and enforcing paternity and child support actions filed by the Mississippi Department of Human Services.

Read more about Reginald Harrion here.

Crystal Wise Martin

Crystal Wise Martin of Jackson, daughter of Mr. Mark and Judge Patricia Wise (current chancellor), received her B.S. in Chemistry from Spelman College, her B.Ch.E. from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1995, and her J.D. from the University of Mississippi in 1998.

She was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in May, 1998, and joined Langston, Frazer, Sweet and Freese, P.A. She taught Legal Writing at the University of Mississippi, worked in the Lafayette County District Attorney’s Office, and the Office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi.

In February 2008, she served as Attorney to the Hinds County Board of Supervisors. In 2014, she begin operating the law firm of Precious Martin, Sr. & Associates, PLLC, the firm started by her late husband, of more than 14 years, Precious T. Martin, Sr.

She has served as a member of Mississippi Supreme Court’s Pro Hac Vice Commission; Magnolia Bar Association, President and Secretary; Mississippi Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division; Capital Area Bar Association; and Mississippi Association for Justice. She is the host of the local radio segment called “Talk of the Town” on 90.1 WMPR. She is the proud mother of four children, Precious, Jr. (age 15), Daniel (age 13), Alyssa (age 10), and Anna (age 8).

Read more about Crystal Wise Martin here.

More posts to follow this week, through next week…

Legal Ad from 1774- Cutting off the “Credit Card”

This is to give notice, that my Wife PHEBE has very much misbehaved herself, and not acted the part of a dutiful Wife: I do forbid all person trusting of her on my account, for I will not pay any debt of her contracting

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Anthony is trying to not be responsible for Phebe’s charges. Oh, Phebe!

Matthew Thompson is a Divorce Attorney in Mississippi and can help you with Phebe’s charges.

Going to Church Doesn’t Make You A Better Person (automatically)

“Holier than thou.” 

“So heavenly focused, you’re no earthly good.”

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I have seen these concepts personified. It is distressing. I have seen and heard of one’s belief in their own moral superiority to justify their wrong behavior; interfering with the parent child relationship, persuading others to not help the “sinner,” and literally causing a scene at church.

STOP. YOU’RE doing it wrong. YOU are hurting others. YOU are part of the problem.

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney and has grown weary of the hypocrisy. He also encourages you to not only go to Church, but also to act like it.

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Divorce, The End of an Error…

The Winner is…

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Sometimes divorces are necessary. Sometimes you need one for your safety; physically, mentally, emotionally, and/or for the safety of your children. Sometimes we marry for the wrong reasons and sometimes we marry the wrong person with the best of intentions.

A divorce does not have to be the end of something wonderful, it could be the new beginning you needed.

A divorce may be the end of an error, that you needed to stop making.

Congrats to Alan L. on winning the YETI Hopper. Also, congrats to the many participants and great suggestions. There were a number of honorable mentions. Stay tuned for the blogs inspired by your suggestions.

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Leave a clever Comment…Win a Yeti.

You do NOT have to Like it, Share it or Tag a Friend, but you do have to leave a clever comment/ family law blog idea to WIN!

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This contest is entirely subjective. My office will compile the comments/ideas and pick a winner. You then can retrieve your YETI Hopper. *(Bow Tie not included).

Examples:

Go! Comments may be left on FaceBook or the Blog comment section.

You Do NOT Have a Right to an (appointed) Attorney…in a Divorce

The 6th Amendment to the Constitution guarantees you the right to an attorney and a speedy trial, but this is concerning Criminal prosecutions…NOT divorce.

In divorce cases and most Family Law cases you do NOT have the right to a court appointed attorney.

The exception, Termination of Parental Rights cases, is only after a showing of financial inability.

The other time there’s a Court-Appointed Attorney, a Guardian Ad Litem, the parties still typically have to pay for that person from their own pockets and they represent the child, or more often are an investigative arm of the Court.

Do you need an attorney? Yes. Will the Court give you one? Probably not.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law attorney in Mississippi.