Texting and Driving Prevention: Fountain

Minors and Municipal Court

Municipal Courts in Texas have the opportunity to positively impact youth in our state. Offenses that are "common" to teens in municipal court include Minor in Possession of Alcohol, Consumption of Alcohol by a minor, Possession of Tobacco by a minor, theft, violation of license restrictions among others. When these youth come to our Court it is often their first experience with the Judicial system.  This first appearance is the time for the  Court to make an impression on the minor, impress upon them that they are criminally responsible for their behavior and deter them from making these mistakes again. Often minors are under the belief that their parents can get them out of whatever trouble they are in, and this first encounter with the Court is the opportunity for the minor to realize they must be responsible for the choices they make.
Municipal Courts play an important role in our community by holding minors responsible for their behavior/choices thereby deterring future criminal conduct.

What is Municipal Court?

It is my experience that the work done in Municipal Court often goes unnoticed as it is a Court is not as well known as the higher level courts. Often when Municipal Court is mentioned people think one thing- traffic ticket- well there is more to it than that.
Stay tuned for daily tidbits about Texas Municipal Courts and their role in our community as next week is Municipal Courts Week in Texas!!!! Posted below is Texas House Resolution 1486 recognizing Municipal Courts for their important work. :

H.R.ANo.A1486

RESOLUTION WHEREAS, Municipal courts provide citizens of the Lone Star State with a local forum where questions of law and fact can be resolved in regard to alleged violations of state law and municipal ordinances;and

 WHEREAS, Because citizens come into contact with municipal courts more than any other courts, the public impression of the Texas judicial system is largely dependent on their experience there;and

   WHEREAS, Judges of the municipal courts function also as  magistrates for the State of Texas, and in that role they perform such duties as issuing search and arrest warrants, giving  magistrate warnings, and setting bail for offenses ranging from  pettythefttomurder;and

  WHEREAS, Pledging to be impartial and to conform to the  standards set by the Canons of Judicial Conduct, the estimated  6,000 employees of municipal courts work diligently to ensure the fair administration of justice while upholding the rigorous  standardsofprofessionalism;and  

WHEREAS, Municipal judges, clerks, court administrators, bailiffs, and warrant officers continually strive to improve the  administration of justice through participation in judicial  educationprograms,seminars,workshops,and the annual meetings of  their state and local professional organizations;and

WHEREAS, Municipal courts in Texas play a vital role in

1H.R.ANo.A1486 1 preserving public safety, protecting the quality of life for area residents,and deterring future criminal behavior,and it is indeed  fitting to recognize municipal judges and court support personnel  for their exemplary dedication to the communities they serve;now,

therefore,be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby recognize November 7-11, 2011, as Municipal Courts Week and take special note of the important work performed by  all those associated with the state’s municipal courts.

Don't Text and Drive

I have said it before, I will say it again TEXTING AND DRIVING KILLS. Yes, it is super tempting to look down when we hear the phone ding and we think- it's okay this once. Well, it's not, if you can't ensure that you won't text and drive then consider an app which blocks it. You can check out several available apps by googling stop texting and driving apps- one which looks good is http://www.textecution.com/ but keep in mind this is good for adults as well as teens. It is extremely important for teens not text and drive but the same holds true for adults- set the example so they will follow. Put the phone down and drive.

IT'S UP TO THE JURY

I did not follow the Anthony case- I heard things off and on and read bits here and there but I did not by any means "follow the case". That being said, if you had asked me what I thought, I likely would have said the mom probably did it. Maybe she did, maybe she didn't but the fact is she has been tried and found not guilty. The job of returning the verdict lied with the jury, not us, and we have to respect and believe in our justice system for without it where would we be?
I will not make comments about the jury and some that I have read truly bother me. Regardless of whether or not I think the mother was guilty, that was not my burden to determine, it was that of the jury. If the general public is angry at the not guilty verdict then that anger or frustration should be directed at the State, if the State had proven their case then the jury would have found the mother guilty. 
We are all human, to serve on a jury is to hear the case, evaluate the facts and evidence and determine guilt or innocence. All the jury had to deal with is what was presented to them, when the mother was found not guilty it was because the State failed to prove their case. Be frustrated with the state, the prosecutors or the lack of evidence, the jurors should be thanked for their service and left alone.

Got your seat belt on?

I was at an outing last night with several ladies and one was telling us how she got a ticket for not wearing her seat belt. My gut reaction, which I voiced out loud was "wow that is great, I am so glad to know the cops are out ticketing for that". Later a I felt a little guilty for being so excited about what was obviously not a happy situation for another. So, I feel I need to explain.  First of all, you should always wear your seatbelt, not doing so not only puts your life in danger but it also potentially will affect many other lives. Imagine an accident from which you could have walked away, but you were not wearing your seatbelt. So instead of walking away, you flew away, literally being ejected from the vehicle and seriously inured or killed. Now think about what would have happened if you had your seatbelt on- the cops show up, maybe your car is towed, maybe you get a ticket, no big deal. But with no seatbelt imagine the outflow of catastrophe- the first responders show up and are dealing with a tragic, emotional scene, families must be notified and deal with the tragedy. The ripple effect goes far....it's not worth it....buckle up.  Forget the fact that you may get a ticket if you don't, buckle up because you want to live and and you don't want your family to lose you.  
So....get excited about officers doing their jobs and ticketing those who are breaking the law...after all the  law is there for us to follow. 
Increased seat belt use over the past ten years in the state of Texas has saved 2843 lives....imagine that...be a part of life and remember CLICK IT OR TICKET!!

Red Light Cameras

Tip: In the era of every increasing red light cameras the days of coasting stops should be coming to an end. Good rule of thumb is to wait until your car fully stops and you feel it rock backward- this is a full stop. Forget your rush or the horn pumper behind you, do the full stop and save yourself 75.00.

FAMILY LAW AND MEDIATION

A friend asked me the other day what I though of family law mediation so I thought I would share my view. For those of you who don't know mediation generally works as follows: each party is in their own room with their attorney and the mediator goes back and forth between the rooms to try and facilitate an agreement between the parties. 
Mediation is not necessarily about everyone getting what they want but it is about getting a deal that everyone can live with. That being said, I think it is great in a lot of family law cases. That is not to say it always works, but I believe it is better to try mediation before going to trial, especially where children are involved. 
Parents going through a divorce are under a great deal of stress and it is imperative that they be able to move forward so that they can successfully co parent their children for the rest of their lives. A heated trial where "all the dirty laundry is aired" can take a long time for parties to recover from. In the alternative, in mediation the parties don't have to bring all of this out in open court, instead they stay in their own room, they don't even have to face the other party during negotiations. 
In my opinion, in the majority of family law cases mediation should be tried before trial- it is worth it to try and protect the emotions and families to the fullest extent possible while still achieving a result that everyone can live with. 

Testing out mobile blogging....

I found a Judge!

And that was no easy task in Denton County this afternoon. Filing a Petition and needing a Judge's signature on an order was on the list to do today, but after filing I discovered the courthouse was largely vacant. Come to find out most of the Judge's are at the Denton County Bench/Bar conference out at Lake Texoma (not great weather for that today!) So I set out on my task of finding someone to sign my order, I thought I had found one only to discover I just missed him- gone for the day. Two more....nope at the conference. As I was beginning to ponder having to wait on this till next week (which I really did not want to do) I hit jackpot! The 158th Judge was on the bench and sign he did! My lucky day, got to visit with the "new" (in January) Judge and really enjoyed getting to know him a bit and I sure am thankful he was working on Friday afternoon! 
So here is to a great start to the weekend. Have a great one everyone!

Headed to Child Support Court

So I am in an interesting position. I worked for the Office of the Attorney General for over a year establishing and enforcing child support on behalf of the State of Texas and I loved my job, I loved the work.
 Now I am on the other side of the fence. Tomorrow will be my first visit to child support court (IVD court in Texas) as an attorney for the "other side" i.e. the one who owes the child support. 
I have been blessed to be court appointed to represent individuals who owe child support and have fallen behind in doing so. At first glance one may think this is an awkward position being as though I used to be on the other side but I have to say, having gotten the chance to know my clients and hear their side of the story I can see that I love this side of it also. Come to think of it this is no different than the criminal district attorney who turns defense attorney and we all know there are plenty of those out there. 
Also I can say having worked for the OAG gives me a unique perspective in IVD court. I know many attorneys who would not touch IVD court with a ten foot pole, they want nothing to do with it. Not the case for me, I love this work and would do it every day of the week. 
So, no problem switching sides for me, can't wait to see some of my colleagues tomorrow and jump into my new role with both feet! 

Be grateful!

I am grateful for so many things, too many to list really. Today I met with a beautiful young man who is disabled and unable to care for himself. I am blessed to be his attorney in guardianship proceedings and meeting with him today reminded me to be thankful for all that I have. This may sound silly to some, but the reality is with our busy everyday lives, the hectic schedule and the constant demands, we can forget to be grateful for the things that we take for granted. So today, I am reminded to be grateful, for all things but especially for the health of my beautiful children and for the opportunity to serve for those children who are  disabled or incapacitated and to be an advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves. So today, just slow down a little and think about it!

BOY DID THEY PROVE ME WRONG....

So I went into mock trial thinking the kids would find the defendant guilty, hands down. Boy was I wrong!! First vote of the jury only one believed the defendant was guilty, all the rest not guilty! You know what...they were right. They completely changed my mind because of the way the statute was worded- and the seventh graders picked up on it. These kids were great, they had fun and did a great job. 
Many thanks to Texas Municipal Courts Education Center, The State Bar of Texas and Texas Department of Transportation for the grants that make the Driving on the Right Side of the Road curriculum possible. It is so important that we reach our youth with the message of being good, safe citizens, stay safe everyone!

Mock Trial is Coming!

I really enjoyed working with seventh graders on Monday to prepare them for mock trial. The facts of the case are a 17 year old was driving, his 14 year old passenger put her shoulder belt behind her back and was subsequently injured when the driver braked to avoid hitting a dog. The driver was ticketed for failing to ensure his passengers were properly restrained. Most of the kids think the driver should not have received a ticket- that is at first read of the facts. 
I explained to the students that the jury will get to decide whether or not the driver broke the law, not if the law is a valid one. I think once they actually do the trial and hear all the facts/evidence that the jury will have no choice but to find him guilty.....but you never know! Stay tuned....trial is Wednesday!

Kind Words

Well, it was kind of funny how today ended up- let me explain. I had to go to Court in a small town and the Judge was quite unfriendly- unfortunate but not entirely uncommon. However it had me thinking, as a Judge myself (albeit of a lower court) I believe in treating everyone impartially and not being outright unkind and I find it very disappointing when other Judges don't live up to the standards I think they should have. So I was thinking....
And then it was bedtime for my girls, as I was tucking in my seven year old she was telling of a friend who had hurt her feelings by rolling her eyes at her today, twice no less.  My twelve year old chimed in and said you know what you do when someone acts like that...you just be as kind as you can and they will learn from your example. What great advice....
So that is what I will continue to do, be mean, be nice, whatever your mood floats my way- I am going to do my very best to be nice to you.  
Thanks girls for keeping mom on her toes!!!! 

Out of the mouths of babes....

Well who would believe it? I spent an hour and a half talking to a great group of middle school kids yesterday. I talked to them about all sorts of issues they may be facing as the get older and go to high school. We talked about how they need to listen to their "internal monitor" and have a gut check when they get into a questionable situation.  
So one of these "questionable situations" would be in an environment where there is alcohol around, a party or some similar situation. I explained the ramifications of minor in possession and minor in consumption citations etc. We covered a lot. So imagine my surprise when I ran into a couple of the moms tonight and they say "guess what our kids took away from the talk, that you can drink with your parents". Oh my goodness....seriously! Yes, if you are under 21 and in the presence of an adult you can legally drink alcohol but my dear.....kids....this was not the point of the talk!!

Well, I made it through the middle school class! They were great and I may even be going back to do a mock trial....super fun!

Getting ready for the classroom!

So tomorrow I have the task of teaching 7th and 8th graders about the law. When I asked the principal what topics she would like me to discuss, her only guidance was "you have kids this age- what do you think is relevant?" Mmmmm- guess I am taking this in a direction that is interesting to me, sure hope I can keep the kids attention! 

Another Stormy Day

It looks like another stormy day here in Denton.  I woke to the phone ringing (too early I might add) and on the other end was the emergency alert system-severe thunderstorm watch. It sure has been a crazy weather week in North Texas!  here we go...working on the new webpage to fine tune and get all the kinks out. So excited to be getting "up and running"! I know it will be great.

Because "It's Personal"

Sallas Law, PLLC is a law firm located in Denton, Texas dedicated to personal service for each and every client. At Sallas Law we believe that clients should be treated with the utmost respect and personal service. In furtherance of this business philosophy each client will have direct access to their attorney, including email and direct dial. Clients are not filtered through secretaries or paralegals. We believe if you hire an attorney, you should get an attorney. Your legal problem is our legal problem; we treat you right because it’s personal to us.

At Sallas Law, PLLC we can help you with your civil law needs including family law, child support, probate, guardianship, cps cases, business law and general civil law.