Category Archives: Opinion

Hattiesburg’s Most Wanted

06/30/2025 BowTieLawyer 1 Comment

Attorney, Corey Ferraez is being pursued by law enforcement and has a warrant for his arrest for Civil Contempt. This is circulating the blogosphere in Hattiesburg and the Jackson area.

This all stemmed from a wrongful death matter and the corresponding estate matter. See Weatherford, Stephen Ray “Fuzzy” 56CH1:22-pr-00021-SM

Ferraez was the attorney for the estate and settled the wrongful death claim for $450,000.00. These sums were to be held in trust until the Court approved the settlement, attorney fees, disbursement and liens were handled.

Delays for various reasons caused the matter to drag on. Eventually the Court set a hearing and required Ferraez to attend. He did not.

Thereafter, the Court entered a Show Cause Order requiring Ferraez to attend, explain why he should not be held in contempt and to tender all of the $450,000.00 into the registry of the Court.

Ferraez did not attend this hearing and did not pay any sums by the date of the hearing.

In a surprising turn of events however, he did file a response with the Court, indicated he had been ill, and eventually tendered about $215,000.00 of the $450,000.00, claiming the difference in the value was due to attorneys fees and liens (or loans) that the client took out against the settlement. This was surprising because the attorney filed a response with the Court despite not appearing.

It also came to light that he had previously written a $25,000.00 check to the client that bounced for insufficient funds.

Regardless of anything else, this does not end well for Mr. Ferraez.

He will have to answer to the Court for the handling of the proceeds, the Mississippi Bar about concerns of unethical conduct and very likely criminal ramifications…Mr. Ferraez should turn himself in as time is not on his side.

*In criminal courts a defendant enjoys a presumption of innocence. Civil Courts have a differing standard. Refusal to appear, answer, cooperate can and will be used against you.

All lawyers that handle “unearned fees” are required to have Trust accounts with banks. These Trust account records are relatively easy to obtain and determine when monies came in, when they went out, where they went and what is left, if anything…

Matthew Thompson is a family law/civil law attorney in Mississippi and acknowledges unethical and illegal conduct when it needs to be; whether it’s a Judge, a party or a lawyer.

humor, Opinion

The Adventure Begins…Rinker Buck a modern-day “Indiana Jones,” but the trip is the treasure.

05/26/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

“My last thought before falling asleep was that we are all a lot more capable of conquering obstacles and fears than we think.”
― Rinker Buck, The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey

As the trek begins, NYT best seller Rinker Buck is living the “research” for his next book. The yet-to-be-titled selection will be a historical non-fiction tome about little known facts of the Civil War. The beginning of this adventure was not without its obstacles…

A steep climb on day one, along with heavy rain, limited the distance to less than a 10K. But despite the slow beginnings, spirits are high for Rinker and his student intern, Will Thompson.

Narrow, winding, hilly roads were traversed as they departed from an Amish farm outside of Hartsville, TN, just south of the Kentucky border. Joined by friends along the way, Mike Binkley, of Life on the Mississippi acclaim, directed traffic as the mule team of Sox and Boots lumbered up the steep inclines and gingerly descended the other side.

A wagon cannot stop on a dime.

A late afternoon end to the day allowed for a good rest for all, as the rain drop’s patter lulled mule and man to slumber.

“Seeing America slowly was, in a way, like eating slow food-I wasn’t covering much ground in a single day, but I was digesting a lot more.”
― Rinker Buck, The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey

Next stop Portland, TN or thereabouts. There is no exacting precision with the starts, stops and distances traveled. The terrain, the mules, and Mother Nature will have more to say about that than any itinerary.

#SheepCamp2025

Matthew Thompson is a family law practitioner living vicariously through Rinker & Will’s adventure. Both parts jealousy and relief, that while he can visit and drop-in, he can also go home!

humor, Opinion

Coming Soon: #SheepCamp2025, A Summer like no Other…

05/22/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Soon, you can live vicariously through NY Times best selling author Rinker Buck, and his trusted sidekick and student intern, Will Thompson, as they tour Civil War battlefields throughout the South by mule-drawn wagon!

Rinker, acclaimed journalist and author of multiple NY Times best sellers, is researching and gathering information and inspiration for his next, yet-to-be-titled, Historical non-fiction novel on little known facts about the Civil War. Random House Publishing will be the publisher.

Will, a rising Electrical Engineering-major sophomore at Mississippi State University, is serving as a research assistant, navigator, mule-tender and “MacGyver” for any issues that may arise.

There will be regular updates on their travels on social media, along with photos and videos of the trail ahead.

Tune in for learning, excitement and hijinks!

A trip certain to go viral!

#SheepCamp2025

Review of the Raymond Jail…NOT recommended.

04/19/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

The Raymond Detention Center serves as the jail for Hinds County.

Plagued by problems since its construction, it has an unsafe reputation and is considered a dangerous place.

My review is below.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/6SXnxBCQkrZ3YdAN9?g_st=ic

Divorce, humor, Opinion

Some “Crazy” Mississippi Laws…Polygamy

03/28/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Polygamy is one person married to multiple spouses. There’s actually some biblical precedent for such…

It’s actually illegal in every State in the United States and Mississippi takes it one step further.

Per MS Code § 97-29-43, It is ILLEGAL for any person to teach another the doctrines, principles, or tenets of polygamy; or induce or persuade another to embrace or adopt polygamy, or to emigrate to any other state, territory, district, or country for the purpose of embracing or practicing polygamy.

Upon conviction the person shall be fined not less than $25.00 dollars nor more than $500.00, or imprisoned in jail not less than 1 month nor more than 6 months, or both.

This law is not about the actual practice of polygamy it outlaws the teaching about Polygamy!

Polygamy (bigamy) is also a basis for divorce grounds and annulment grounds as you can only have one legal, valid marriage at a time.

Matthew Thompson is a divorce and annulment lawyer in Mississippi and is specifically NOT educating you about Polygamy.

Divorce, General Legal, humor, Opinion

Some “Crazy” Mississippi Laws…Setting Aside Your Divorce

03/26/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Just one in a series of posts of some State Laws that are on the Books in Mississippi. In Mississippi you can undo your Divorce!

In Mississippi, you can legally UNDIVORCE! Yes, you can have your judgment of divorce revoked by the Court that granted it. This is not a remarriage, but rather judicially undoing the legal divorce. Why, you ask?

Well, just like sometimes people marry the wrong person, sometimes you divorced the wrong person…

MCA 93-5-31, provides that a judgment of divorce may be revoked at any time by the Court that granted it. The Court may require “satisfactory proof of reconciliation,” as well as “such regulation as it may deem proper.” It requires a joint application of both parties. The process can be fairly simple and quick.

Upon approval by the Court, you can have your divorce erased and it’s as if you were never legally divorced. You get “credit” for being married those years you were not, so 25 years still equals 25 years.

This is a very unique quirk in MS law and not widely known. In fact, a few judges, I have heard, have questioned whether they had the authority to do an undivorce and if it was legal. They do and it is.

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi and whether you marriage was a mistake or your divorce was a mistake, I can help!

General Legal, humor, Opinion

Some “Crazy” Mississippi Laws…Poison Edition.

03/19/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Just one in a series of posts of some State Laws that are on the Books in Mississippi.

It’s a crime to sell or give poison to a child.

MCA § 97-27-31 A druggist, apothecary, or other person shall not sell or give away any poison to any minor, and for so doing he shall be punished as for a misdemeanor.

Don’t send Jr. to the ACE Hardware to get Rat Poison!!

Matthew Thompson is a child custody attorney in Mississippi and does not send his children to the hardware store for poison.

Adoption, General Legal, Opinion

Adoption Law Tweak – Why WORDS Matter!?

03/14/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Basic Adoption Statutory law is being amended by legislation. The change is replacing essentially one word with another.

MCA 93-17-3 requires a certificate by a doctor or nurse practitioner stating the adoptive child’s health and mental condition. This provision does not require the adoptive child be healthy, but is instead required so the adoptive parent knows IF there are any health concerns; mental or physical.

The statutory change is replacing “doctor” with “physician.”

The word “physician” in the section means a person licensed under Chapter 25, Title 73, Mississippi Code of 1972.

MCA 25-73-1 holds that “Every person who desires to practice medicine must first obtain a license to do so from the state board of medical licensure…”,

So the law change requires the child be evaluated by a licensed physician or nurse practitioner. This change eliminates “doctors” that are not licensed physicians from doing these certificates.

So Ph.D.s and J.D.s, like myself, are now excluded, by law.

I wonder what happened to prompt this change. It seems common sense as to what the statute meant and required…

Matthew Thompson and Chad King are Adoption and Child Welfare attorneys in the State of Mississippi and have never contemplated submitting a Doctor’s Certificate merely because they hold a Juris Doctorate (Doctor of Jurisprudence). And, don’t call us Doctor!