Tag Archives: WLBT

Crime, General Legal, Opinion

Mississippi Senate Bill 2319: It’s a Crime to Discharge Genetic Material Without Intent to Fertilize!

1 Comment

Mississippi Legislators are in the news again!

Senator Bradford Blackmon introduced a bill, known as the “Contraception Begins at Erection Act.”

This proposal makes it a crime “for a person to discharge genetic materials without the intent to fertilize an embryo”

Penalties escalate from a first offense warranting a $1,000.00 fine to the third and subsequent offenses warranting a $10,000.00 fine, per (dis)charge.

The law excepts donations/sales to facilities for future fertilization and for discharges with the use of contraceptive measures…

Blackmon provided WLBT News a statement, “All across the country, especially here in Mississippi, the vast majority of bills relating to contraception and/or abortion focus on the woman’s role when men are fifty percent of the equation. This bill highlights that fact and brings the man’s role into the conversation. People can get up in arms and call it absurd but I can’t say that bothers me.”

Senate Bill 2319

AN ACT TO ENACT THE CONTRACEPTION BEGINS AT ERECTION ACT; TO DEFINE TERMS; TO PROVIDE THAT IT SHALL BE UNLAWFUL FOR A PERSON TO DISCHARGE GENETIC MATERIAL WITHOUT THE INTENT TO FERTILIZE AN EMBRYO; TO PROVIDE FOR CRIMINAL PENALTIES; TO PROVIDE CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

     SECTION 1.  (1)  This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Contraception Begins at Erection Act.”

     (2)  It shall be unlawful for a person to discharge genetic material without the intent to fertilize an embryo.

     (3)  Upon conviction of a violation of this section, a person shall be fined:

          (a)  One Thousand Dollars ($1000.00) for a first offense;
          (b)  Five Thousand Dollars ($5000.00) for a second offense; and

          (c)  Ten Thousand Dollars (10,000.00) for a third or subsequent offense.

     (4)  This section shall not apply to the discharge of genetic material:

          (a)  Donated or sold to a facility for the purpose of future procedures to fertilize an embryo; and

          (b)  Discharged with the use of a contraceptive or contraceptive method intended to prevent fertilization of an embryo.

     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2025.

Clearly, this is not a serious bill and was done to generate discussion.

Matthew Thompson is a family law and civil litigation attorney in Mississippi and keeping an eye on the 2025 Legislative session.

Bow Tie, Child Support, General Legal, Grandparent Visitation, Modifications, Opinion

Behind the Scenes; LawCall, TV, Radio & Speaking)

Leave a comment

Recently I was invited to be on the TV show LawCall.  I decided to write about that experience; the good, the challenges, and the behind the scenes “secrets.

LawCall is a live, weekly, thirty-minute call-in show hosted by local personal injury attorneys Rocky Wilkins and Tim Porter of the law firms, Morgan & Morgan and Porter Malouf, respectively.   The show features guests attorneys from across the state of Mississippi.  Every show highlights usually an area law.  The attorneys take live phone calls from viewers pertaining to that topic. My appearance was the Valentine’s edition; Love & the Law – Family Law in Mississippi.

This was not my first time on television discussing legal themes. I was previously a guest on the Local 98 TV Show The Reel Deal with Cole Berry discussing legal movies.  I have also been on the radio discussing Father’s Rights on WLEZ, in preparation for the then upcoming Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project’s free family law seminar.  I also routinely speak at CLEs (continuing legal education seminars) on Family Law.  I really enjoy these opportunities to talk about what I do.

On LawCall the usual hosts were out-of-town so Ben Wilson, an attorney with Rocky Wilkins Firm, filled in for Rocky.  Ben and I discussed general family law topics prior to the show.  I also met and spoke with the moderator/ TV facilitator Tamica Smith.  Tamica is a pro.  She has been on the news and TV for over 15 years in various markets and was as cool as a cucumber.

When I arrived, I received my instructions from Charley Jones and his wife Angela.  They produce LawCall.  I received an ear piece where I could hear the control room and the callers.  We did a run down, which is just a practice run of the show.  I was told where I would be sitting, how the show would open, when to expect commercial breaks and generally where to look.  This was the toughest part for me.  There were 3 cameras.  The one to my right I was never to look at.  When the shot showed the whole panel I was to look into the middle camera and when I was speaking directly to the caller I was to look to the left camera.  It took some practice and just as I was getting the hang of it the show was over!

There were 4-5 callers with some really good questions.  There was a question about whether a new spouse would be responsible for the husband’s support obligation from a prior relationship. She would not be.  There was a question about Grandparent’s rights.  Grandparents have rights guaranteed by law in Mississippi.  A caller asked about whether his alimony obligations could be changed.  Based on what he described he could seek to modify his obligations.

Behind the scenes.  One of the newscasters had on jeans.  You only saw him from the waist up on TV so it did not matter…  It made me think of the old joke showing all the newscasters in their “heart boxers” and suits up top.  It was only water in the coffee mugs.  I got to keep the mug.  Also, I had one call to my office within one minute of the show ending and had another call at 9:05 a.m. Monday morning.  How is that for marketing results!

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney that has appeared on Local 98 TV, WLBT’s Law Call, WLEZ on the radio and at numerous speaking engagements.  If you need a speaker or TV personality at your next Family Law Seminar/Banquet please contact Matthew about his low, low “Celebrity Appearance Fee!”

Follow the blog: BowTieLawyer    Visit the website: Thompson Law Firm

You may also contact Matthew with your family law case, question or concern at (601) 850-8000