Category Archives: General Legal

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.

When do YOU get to Keep the Ring?

I have written about when you do NOT get to keep the ring. The Mississippi Supreme Court has affirmed a time when you do…

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In the case of Cummins v. Goolsby, the Mississippi Supreme Court affirmed the “fiancee”  keeping the ring even though the parties did not get married. However, there was a catch.  The groom-to-be was married to another at the time of the engagement!

In fact at the time of the appeal, the groom-to-be was still married. The Court’s rationale was that conditioning a gift on marriage when one cannot lawfully marry violates public policy and constitutes unclean hands. Thus, the chancellor did not err when awarding the ring to the now “ex-fiancee.”

Also, the Court ruled that the groom-to-be now father, was not entitled to a credit of the value of the ring against child support owed for the child he had with his “ex-fiancee.”

There are several lessons to be learned from this case…

Matthew Thompson is a child custody and matrimonial lawyer in Mississippi.

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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Call Your Parents…

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http://www.BowtieLawyer.ms

(601)850-8000

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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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.

16 questions used to ID domestic abuse victims likely to be killed

Research has found that men who choked their partners were 10 times more likely to eventually kill them.

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A CBS News article reported that the Oklahoma City Police Department is among the forces using the 16-question checklist, which is designed to help officers identify victims who are likely to be killed.

By answering the below questions, the more times a victim answers “Yes” to the questions, the more likely domestic violence may lead to a victim’s death. The checklist will be used across the state of Oklahoma. Authorities in Maryland say fatalities have dropped 30 percent since they started using it.

 

Below are the 16 questions contained in the “Domestic Violence Risk Assessment” checklist:

1. Has he/she ever used a weapon against you/threatened you with a weapon?

2. Has he/she ever threatened to kill you or your children?

3. Do you think he/she might try to kill you?

4. Does he/she have a gun or can he/she get one easily?

5. Has he/she ever tried to choke you?

6. Is he/she violent or constantly jealous or does he/she control most of your daily activities?

7. Does he/she follow or spy on you or leave threatening messages?

8. Have you left him/her or separated after living together or being married?

9. Is he/she unemployed?

10. Has he/she ever tried to kill himself/herself?

11. Do you have a child/children together?

12. Do you have a child that he/she knows is not his/hers?

13. Has he/she been physical toward the child(ren) in a way that concerns you?

14. Does he/she have an alcohol/substance abuse problem?

15. Has he/she interfered with a 911 call?

16. Is there anything else that worries you about your safety?

 

If you are in Mississippi and need help please do one or all of the following by contacting the Mississippi Coalition Against Domestic Violence;

If you are in danger, call 911.

If you need immediate assistance after hours: Call 1-800-799-SAFE(7233).

Local to the metro area may call 601-981-9196

If you wish to be connected with someone in your area regarding domestic violence, volunteering or making a donation, call 1-800-898-3234.

Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney in Mississippi and encourages victims of domestic violence to have an emergency plan and seek immediate help.