It's a new year!

Well- here is to 2012- first day back in the office since the new year and I am thinking there is a lot to be done. First and foremost thank God for a successful first year in business, I can't believe it has been a year! I made it! Thank you to all of my friends and family for their support and their referrals, I could not have made it without the word of mouth referrals from all of you.
In my second year I hope to reach out and become more involved in the community and the local bar association. I hope to keep my desk more organized and and stay on a good schedule. Here's to 2012!

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!!