(601) 850-8000
Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms
Happy Thanksgiving!
(601) 850-8000
Matthew@bowtielawyer.ms
Pearl Youth Court Update: Still Closed, Help Available…
In what has been the talk of Family Law Town, the Pearl Youth Court was shuttered last week. It has been permanently closed. In the last week more light has been shined on systemic issues within Pearl Youth Court.
The Judge that resigned, John Shirley, issued a statement on November 1, 2017, alleging political games between the City of Pearl Mayor, Jake Windham, and County Court Judge (and Rankin Youth Court Judge) Tom Broome, both conspiring to oust him. The mayor did so due to “political favors” and budget issues and the other Judge to get his case numbers up for additional grant money, according to Shirley. It is quite the read.
The new allegations include similar conduct alleged in the first instance, that is the Judge preventing a parent from having contact with their child due to unpaid fees. The allegations say this went on for well over a year.
Anyone with a Pearl Youth Court case can email Rankin County Youth Court at youthcourt@rankincounty.org or call at 601-824-2545 for a review of their case.
Matthew Thompson is a Youth Court attorney in Mississippi and can assist you in navigating Youth Court proceedings.
Happy Halloween!
Halloween is the #1 overlooked “holiday” in divorce agreements.
Don’t overlook Halloween.
Matthew Thompson is a child custody attorney in Mississippi and wishes you and yours a special and memorable Halloween.
Do Not Answer a Question with “Sure.”
Testifying in Court can be hard. It causes stress, anxiety, and it is seldom a great experience. However, some responses should be eliminated from your vocabulary.
1. free from doubt as to the reliability, character, action, etc., of something:
to be sure of one’s data.
2. confident, as of something expected:
sure of success.
3. convinced, fully persuaded, or positive:
to be sure of a person’s guilt.
(Slang definitions & phrases for sure)
Yes; certainly: Sure, I’ll support you (1842+)
While a slang use for sure could mean yes, it does not sound like it in Court.
NOT GOOD
Q: Mr. Witness, don’t you agree that telling your child that the other parent is a deceitful, hateful train-wreck is inappropriate.
A: Sure.
It sounds dismissive. It could be treated as a “whatever” response. You do not want to create an impression with the Court that you do not take the matter seriously.
BETTER
Q: Mr. Witness, don’t you agree that telling your child that the other parent is a deceitful, hateful train-wreck is inappropriate.
A: Yes, I did. It was wrong. I regret it. I will not discuss grown up things with the child again. I’m sorry for that.
This response is not dismissive. It answers the question. It demonstrates remorse and that the conduct will not repeat itself.
BEST*
Q: Mr. Witness, don’t you agree that telling your child that the other parent is a deceitful, hateful train-wreck is inappropriate.
A: Yes, I agree that would be inappropriate, but I never did that, nor would I.
This response is the best. It answers the question directly and advises the Court you did not do the conduct being complained of. (This response is only possible if it is the truth.*)
Of course you can say the word sure and use it in other responses, but it should likely not be a one-word response.
Matthew Thompson is a Family Law attorney in Mississippi and is sure that you should not answer a question with “sure” most of the time.
Judge gets Benched!
Pearl Youth Court is closed for business.
The City of Pearl’s Youth Court judge, John Shirley, has resigned and Pearl’s Youth Court has been permanently closed. The abrupt closure comes after a complaint was lodged accusing the judge of entering a No Contact Order against a mother from contacting her 4-month-old child until she paid court-imposed fines and this continued for a period of 14-months.
According to The Clarion Ledger, an order was entered on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, reversing Judge Shirley’s earlier decision and returning the child to the moth
“Judge Shirley said Thursday he couldn’t specifically discuss the woman’s case, but said, whenever he issued a no-contact order, it was due to abuse or neglect of a child that hadn’t been corrected. Also, Shirley said he resigned his Pearl Youth Court judge position because of dispute with the city’s mayor.” Id.
” ‘I didn’t resign because of any pressure,’ ” Shirley said. ” ‘I resigned because I got tired of the policies in that administration.’ “
Judge Shirley was no stranger to criticism, though that is not too uncommon for Judges that rule on matters involving Family Law and Custody. While his resignation was abrupt and the closure of the Youth Court a surprise, to many it was a welcome surprise.
The Rankin County Youth Court in Pelahatchie is hearing the Pearl Youth Court matters that are pending.
Matthew Thompson is a family law and child custody attorney in Mississippi and previously practiced in Pearl Youth Court.
Don’t Chew Gum in Court.
Do NOT chew gum in Court.
It does not matter if you are an attorney, party, witness or spectator, do not chew gum in Court.
Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney and advises all persons, from hence forward, do not chew gum in Court.
Don’t Put this on FaceBook…
FaceBook can be used for comparing yourself to others and investigating persons you just met. It can also be used to brag on yourself, your child’s latest, cutest thing and driving up “hits” on your blog. However, it is NOT to air your DIVORCE DRAMA!
“81 percent of divorce attorneys surveyed by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers said they’d seen an increase in the number of cases using social networking evidence in the five years prior. The attorneys said Facebook was the number one source for finding online evidence, with 66 percent admitting they’d found evidence by combing the site.”
What are some of the things NOT to post on FaceBook?
- Don’t put the sordid details of your case.
- Don’t take cheap shots at the other’s parenting ability.
- Don’t post inappropriate pictures of yourself or others.
- Don’t call out the Judge or Court system on your page.
- Don’t put out false information to garner sympathy.
Matthew Thompson is a Family Law Attorney in Mississippi and recommends you not post your business on FaceBook.
BowTieLawyer nominated for Expert Institute’s Best Legal Blog.
It’s an honor just to be nominated.
BowTieLawyer.ms was nominated for The Expert Institute’s third-annual Best Legal Blog Contest! More nominations than ever were received for this year’s competition and included a diverse field of legal blogs that span the full spectrum of the legal landscape.
For Immediate Release: BowTieLawyer.ms has been nominated for The Expert Institute’s Best Legal Blog Contest. Vote here.
From a field of hundreds of potential nominees, BowTieLawyer.ms has received enough nominations to join one of the largest competitions for legal blog writing online today.
Now that the blogs have been nominated and placed into their respective categories, it is up to their readers to select the very best. With an open voting format that allows participants one vote per blog, the competition will be a true test of the dedication of each blog’s existing readers, while also giving up-and-coming players in the legal blogging space exposure to a wider audience.
Each blog will compete for rank within its category, while the three blogs that receive the most votes in any category will be crowned overall winners.
The competition will run from September 25th until the close of voting at 12:00 AM on November 3rd, at which point the votes will be tallied and the winners announced.
The competition can be found at https://www.theexpertinstitute.com/blog-contest/
About The Expert Institute:
Founded in 2011, The Expert Institute is a technology-driven platform for connecting qualified experts in every field with lawyers, investment firms, and journalists looking for technical expertise and guidance. The Expert Institute combines a vast database of pre-screened experts with a talented case management team capable of custom recruiting experts to fit the specific needs of our clients. The Expert Institute also maintains one of the internet’s most visited blogs on expert witnesses, in addition to an extensive case study archive and expert witness resource center.
Matthew Thompson is the BowTie Lawyer, practicing family law throughout Mississippi.
