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Paralegal Perspective: Carbon Dioxide is a Necessary Thing

The feature article on the front page of the May 29 Tennessean is entitled, "A cluster of emissions," and the first sentence proclaims, "Tennessee's four largest cities rank among the worst of the nation's carbon emitters."

As is normal in newspapers, a news photo accompanies the article, in this case a shot of downtown Nashville obscured in a thick haze with an electronic sign proclaiming "Air Quality Alert."

But wait … what's wrong with this picture? The article is about carbon dioxide emissions, and carbon dioxide is an invisible gas. Whatever was fouling the air in the Nashville skyline in that June 2007 photo was most certainly not carbon dioxide.

Carbon dioxide is a perfectly natural component of the atmosphere, and life could not exist without it. Plants could not grow without carbon dioxide, and without plant life there could be no animal life. In fact, if it were not for carbon dioxide and the other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the earth would be too cold to support all but the most primitive species. Those particulates that are dirtying the Nashville air in the picture, whatever they are, are not a product of carbon emissions.

Climate change is natural

The ordinary reader would logically assume if carbon emissions were cut, the air quality would improve, and people could breathe better. This is not true. Smog, ozone, haze, etc., are not caused by carbon emissions. Nashville is located in a basin, and when atmospheric inversions (when warmer air aloft traps particulates beneath it) occur, particularly in the summer, there will be dirty air at times. But it undoubtedly was worse decades ago, when pre-catalytic converter automobile engines were less efficient and people burned coal for heat.

Oh, and the article was continued on Page 8A of the newspaper. And once again there is an accompanying photo, with downtown Nashville again experiencing a Los Angeles-like smog, this time a 2004 file photo. I guess in case readers did not get the point from the first picture.

Climate change has happened throughout history, the earth has been much warmer in the past and much cooler in the past, as well. All scientists agree that human activity only accounts for a tiny fraction of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. In fact, a big volcanic eruption can produce more greenhouse gases than all of human activity throughout history combined.

Human activity has added additional carbon dioxide to the atmosphere since 1998, and yet the earth has actually cooled since then, and this is not consistent with the original greenhouse theory. This is a serious subject worthy of serious debate, one that should not be clouded by inappropriate use of pictures that could be interpreted as sensationalizing the carbon emission debate. Carbon dioxide emissions did not cause the smoggy air in the photos, and that's what's wrong with this picture.

John Fox is a paralegal who works in downtown Nashville.  (Source >>>)

Paralegal Firm Fights Speeding Tickets

When I was given a speeding ticket several years ago, I did what many drivers do — I 'fessed up to the police officer and quickly paid the fine. The circumstances of my apprehension were dubious at best (I wasn't going very fast; no speed limit was posted nearby), but pleading guilty seemed like the least painful way to clear up the matter.

Turns out, I'm an idiot. Speeding tickets are easy to fight and the fight can be well worth the effort. "In many cases, speeding tickets are nothing more than an arbitrary tax," says Ian Tootill, executive director of SENSE, an anti-photo radar group based in Vancouver. "It's probably everybody's duty to fight them in whatever way they can."

You're not just dealing with the annoying cost of the ticket, which averages about $150. You're also dealing with the impact on your insurance premiums, which can be painful and long-lasting. The Insurance Bureau of Canada estimates your premiums will rise about 25% if you have four speeding tickets on your driving record. You can find out the exact damage with a quick visit to www.InsuranceHotline.com.  There, I discovered that if I received three tickets a year for three years, my annual premiums would rise a horrifying $5,000.

"Insurance companies are absolutely brutal," says Brian Lawrie, founder and president of POINTTS, a Toronto-based paralegal firm that employs former police officers to help drivers fight tickets. "Insurance companies take absolutely no notice of demerit points. What they look at is convictions. If you plead guilty [and receive no demerit points], it still counts as a conviction on the books of the insurance company." Your record remains on those books for five years.

The solution? If you feel that you have been wrongly accused, contest your ticket. According to U.S. estimates, only about 3% to 5% of ticketed drivers take their case to court. Yet about half of drivers who do fight back emerge from court victorious. Canadian statistics, though unavailable, are probably similar. But to ensure you're among the winning half of defendants, you have to know what you're doing.

The first step to keeping your record clean is making nice with the police officer who pulled you over. You want him or her to approach you in a good frame of mind, so stay in your car and put your hands where the officer can see them, preferably on your steering wheel. Think of it as damage control. By being polite and considerate, you stand a better chance of getting off with a warning or at least having the charges reduced.

Never — and I mean, never — admit any guilt. Police officers often ask potentially damaging questions, such as, "Do you know why I have pulled you over?" or "Do you know how fast you were driving?" Answer "Yes, I was speeding," or "I think I was doing about 120" and your case is cooked. "Anything the officer can do to make you admit your guilt makes his life at lot easier," says Eric Skrum, communications director at the National Motorists Association, a lobby group based in Waunakee, Wis. Skrum recommends politely turning the questions back on the officer: "Why have you pulled me over?" "How fast was I going?" Alternatively, just keep mum and profess ignorance as to why you've been stopped.

If the officer still issues you a ticket, inspect it. If you see a minor error, such as a misspelling of your name or a licence plate number that's off by a single digit, a judge probably won't dismiss your ticket. However, if the officer has forgotten to enter your name entirely or failed to sign the ticket, that's considered a "fatal error" and you're off the hook.

If you haven't been blessed with a big slip-up, don't worry. Make a careful note of your surroundings, especially the traffic and weather conditions at the time of the incident, and any obstructions that could interfere with a radar reading, such as bridges, railway tracks and power lines. Pick out precisely where you are on a map and, if you have a camera handy, snap some photos. They could be useful backup for your upcoming court appearance, and they will help refresh your memory.

Next, transform yourself into an indignant victim. On your ticket, you'll be given a choice of three ways to plead: guilty (you pay the fine); guilty with an explanation (you explain your situation to a justice of the peace in hopes that he or she will reduce your fine); or not guilty. Not guilty is the one to choose if you feel that you weren't speeding, the officer got the wrong car, or the evidence against you is flimsy.

Send in the ticket and wait for notice of your court date. If you don't mind being sneaky, here's a tip. As soon as you receive notice of your court appearance, ask to have the date changed. A police officer's court appearances are often lumped together on one day, a date that is convenient for him or her. Change the date and it's less likely the officer will show up. (And yes, when an officer doesn't show up, the charges against you are usually dismissed.)

However, never assume that the officer will be a no-show; their track record is actually pretty good. Also, don't bother drawing up a list of excuses for your court appearance. Excuses like "all the cars were speeding" and "my speedometer was broken" are words uttered only by the guilty-with-an-explanation crowd — and you're not guilty.

Instead, request full disclosure of the prosecution's evidence by sending a letter to the relevant police station. Be precise with your request. At a minimum, ask for the officer's copy of the ticket, the kind of speed measurement device used to nab you and the officer's training record for that device. Radar devices are not infallible, with potential interference coming from highways and railway lines. Police officers can also make errors in spotting a speeding car in a group of vehicles, especially if their training is substandard. "Radar is an extremely accurate device," says Lawrie, who pulled over many a speeder during his 10 years with the Metro Toronto police before becoming a paralegal. "But what it tells you is something out there is moving at, say, 80 km/hr. It could be a train or it could be another car on the highway."

Ask the officer why he thinks your car was the vehicle picked up on his radar. The officer must demonstrate that he had a visual estimation of your speed before he used the radar to confirm it. That's not always easy to prove, especially if you're armed with traffic and weather conditions and the officer's training record. "Radar is used to corroborate a visual estimate of speed," says Tootill. "In other words, a police officer is supposed to look at you and say, 'I think the driver is doing such-and-such a speed. I'm going to use this device to determine if that is the case.' But often what they're doing is setting themselves up two km away on straight stretches of road and firing at people with the devices [without estimating their speeds beforehand]." That's a no-no.

If the idea of cross-examining a police officer sounds daunting, there are ways to boost your confidence. You could hire a lawyer, if you don't mind racking up expenses that will likely dwarf the cost of your speeding ticket. Or you could turn to a paralegal firm that specializes in traffic tickets. POINTTS, for instance, has offices in Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta, and it offers you a free consultation to find out if your case is worth pursuing. Once a case gets to court, the firm claims a 90% success rate. It charges a flat rate, in the range of $250 to $500, depending upon the complexity of the matter. Other firms, such as X-Copper, guarantee their results: if you lose your case, the $300-plus fee will be either refunded or absorbed into the cost of the ticket.

There are cheaper ways to fight your speeding ticket. The NMA Web site contains useful information, most of which is applicable to Canadian drivers. Also check out the SENSE Web site. Better yet, simply drop in on a court session to see how the system works. You might be pleasantly surprised by the informal nature of these courts. You might even pick up some tips if a seasoned pro is fighting a ticket that same day. And who knows, after you fight your first ticket, you may emerge a seasoned pro yourself. (Source >>>)

Paralegal's Murder Trial Delayed

SANDPOINT — The discovery phase of Keith Allen Brown’s murder case is pushing his 10-day trial into the month of December.

Attorneys on both sides of the case filed a joint motion calling for Brown’s trial in July to be rescheduled because discovery, the process by which the prosecution and defense exchange information for their respective cases, has been fraught with unexpected delays and is “more complex than anticipated.”

Brown, 47, is charged with first-degree murder and grand theft by possession of stolen property in connection with the shooting death of Leslie Carlton Breaw at Priest Lake last year.

Brown is pleading not guilty to the charges and has suggested in court filings Breaw’s killing was an act of self defense. He also accused of taking a $56,000 escrow check belonging to the victim, but Brown has stated he was owed the money for doing paralegal work on Breaw’s behalf.

Brown’s 26-year-old wife and alleged accomplice in the case, Tyrah Brea Brown, is also charged with murder and grand theft. She has also pleaded innocent and her trial remains set for August.

Breaw, 48, was shot in the face with a .22-caliber rifle in January 2007, according to sheriff’s officials. The shooting happened while the Browns were living in one of the homes on Breaw’s property in Coolin.

The couple allegedly fled to Florida after the slaying. They were arrested the day after Breaw’s body was discovered in the woods near his home the following March.

A district judge is scheduled to hear a series of defense motions this month which aim to dismiss the charges against Keith Brown and thwart the presentation of evidence at trial.

Keith Brown’s defense team, Chief Public Defender Isabella Robertson and Chief Deputy Public Defender Janet Whitney, argue in the filings that there was insufficient evidence at a preliminary hearing to justify trying him. They further contend valuable exculpatory evidence was lost when the home the Browns were living in was razed and other evidence was improperly obtained. (Source >>>)

Paralegal Successfully Transitioned from Legal World to Hospitality Industry

Shirley Wick was nearly born in a police car, and she’s been speeding along ever since.

After a high school teacher said he wouldn’t waste time helping her because she was a girl, Wick was even more determined. By age 18, she was the administrative secretary for six criminal attorneys. Later she owned a paralegal company for 23 years.

A member of Executive Women International, Wick knows the benefits of relationships and networking.

She recently took time to tell CSBJ about herself and her company.

Company: Old Town GuestHouse

Position: Senior partner and president

Hometown: St. Paul, Minn.

How long have you lived in Colorado Springs: It will be 3 years July 1.

Education: Bachelor’s degree, with paralegal certification from the University of Minnesota.

A few words about your company: Old Town GuestHouse is a AAA 4-Diamond Bed and Breakfast. It has eight soundproof rooms, with seven balconies that overlook Pikes Peak and/or Garden of the Gods. One room is Americans with Disabilities Act-approved, four have private outdoor hot tubs and three have steam showers. We serve three-course hot-plated gourmet breakfasts, plus afternoon beverages and light appetizers. We also have conference, library and dining rooms.

Recent accomplishments: I served on the board of the 1,500-member Minnesota State Paralegal’s Professional Organization for 12 years — two as national representative and two as president. The most current accomplishment has been starting a successful business in a brand new town with my husband as my business partner.

Biggest career break: Starting my own freelance probate paralegal business Jan. 1, 1983, and being successful with it for 23 years — all without even a hint of a lawsuit. It allowed me to be home for my two sons, much more so than working in a law firm would have allowed.

The toughest part of your job: Finding good employees — honesty, loyalty and timeliness are my most important requirements. The next most difficult thing is letting businesses know we have facilities for their conference/video conference needs.

Someone you admire: My mom. Even though she had only an eighth-grade education when my dad died, she went to business school, got a decent-paying secretarial job and kept both of us off the street. She taught me to be very independent.

About your family: My husband, Donald, and I have two sons, Matthew and Jeffrey. We also have one grandson, Matthew Lee.

Something else you’d like to accomplish: I’d love to volunteer — maybe in the line of helping adults learn to read or tutoring of some kind.

How your business will change during the next decade: I see our business growing in video conferencing, becoming more and more green (even though we do a lot of recycling and special lighting now) and becoming more of a small-specialized retreat center.

What book are you currently reading? “Life Support” by Tess Gerritsen.

What is the one thing you would change about Colorado Springs? I’d like to expand other small business owners’ understanding of how to treat customers, how to focus a store on one line of items, how many hours you need to be open to capitalize on vacationers, and that bringing in other beneficial businesses, whether permanent or seasonal, to an area will enhance your bottom line, not detract from it. (more >>>)

Alicia Keys' Paralegal Mom Helped Her Get Her Start

Most music fans know Grammy-winning musician/vocalist Alicia Keys for a string of hits that includes “Fallin,” “You Don’t Know My Name,” “If I Ain’t Got You,” “My Boo,” “No One” and “Like You’ll Never See Me Again.” But despite the fact that she’s done hundreds of interviews since the release of her debut album, Songs in A Minor, in 2001, Keys admits that it wasn’t until recently that she allowed anyone other than those closest to her to really know her.

The 27-year-old New York native performs this Saturday, May 31, at the Trump Taj Mahal’s Etess Arena. Ne-Yo and Jordin Sparks open.

“Ever since I was little, I always felt like if people knew about me, they’d be able to use it against me,” Keys said in a 2007 interview with Entertainment Weekly. “So, moving into a career where people are always prying, my instinct has always been to close up.”

Keys was born Alicia Augello-Cook in Harlem to an Irish-Italian mother and a Jamaican father. She was raised by her mom, a retired paralegal and part-time actress, who landed Keys a bit part on The Cosby Show when she was 4, and signed her up to study piano by the time she was 7.

From an early age Keys proved to be a bright, serious student, and a bit of a perfectionist. She accelerated through school and graduated from New York’s Professional Performing Arts School at age 16. In 1997, she enrolled at Columbia University but dropped out after one semester to sign with Columbia Records.

Her song “Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing)” was included on the soundtrack to the 1997 blockbuster, Men in Black, but Columbia eventually shelved her album project. She met Clive Davis, who was impressed by her retro-soul sound and signed her to his label. In 2001, J Records released Songs in A Minor.

Since then, Keys has released three more multi-platinum albums — 2003’s The Diary of Alicia Keys, 2005’s Unplugged, and last year’s As I Am — and has won numerous awards including eleven Grammys. She also began an acting career, appearing in the films Smokin’ Aces, The Nanny Diaries, and the upcoming The Secret Life of Bees.

It appeared that her career was sailing along smoothly. But last year Keys revealed that in 2006 she nearly suffered a nervous breakdown. She had been recording and touring since 2001 without much time off, and her driven personality compelled her to meet unrealistic expectations on a nearly nonstop schedule.

“I was so tired and so exhausted for so long,” she said in a February 2008 interview with Britian’s The Sunday Times. “I was finishing my tour and they came to me about doing my first film, Smokin’ Aces, right after the tour. It made sense to me at the time. But I was so beat up. Yet everything was phenomenally successful. So I thought, I can do this. I can rejuvenate myself later. But there was no rest. I thought, I have to fix this. I can see how people have breakdowns.”

In 2006 her grandmother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and her eventual death nearly pushed Keys over the brink. Instead, Keys took a much needed sabbatical. On the spur of the moment she embarked on a month-long journey to Egypt, accompanied only by a local tour guide.

She returned after the trip refreshed with a new attitude, and also with new personal rules. For example, she now limits the length of tours and the number of dates she’ll perform without a day off.

The formula seems to have worked wonders. In a recent telephone interview with Atlantic City Weekly and other media outlets, Keys came across as gracious, candid, and finally comfortable in her professional life. That comfort level was apparent in the emotionally revealing songs of the appropriately titled As I Am, and in her willingness to talk openly about herself and her songs.

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Alicia Keys Speaks:

On the personal nature of her songs:

“The majority of my songs are definitely a reflection of my life, of my experience, because that’s what drives me to write. It has to be something that I understand personally, because then I can give it the truth that I understand.

“But there have been times when another person’s experience has affected me so greatly to the point where I can understand how they feel, and write from their perspective, or even as an observer.”

On the inspiration for the song, “Like You’ll Never See Me Again”:

“That song means a lot to me — just realizing the way that life is so friggin’ short and we just get so caught up in so many frivolous, miscellaneous, really unnecessary things.

“I called my partner [longtime boyfriend and co-producer Kerry “Krucial” Brothers] and we started kind of talking and feeling about these last minutes that you have, like if this was your last chance, you would do it so differently? You know we say goodbye to people all day in our lives and we figure we’ll speak to them again later, but in the event that we wouldn’t, how would we want to say goodbye or how would we want to spend that moment that we did have with them?”

On the song “Go Ahead”:

“It is a song that is about time for renewal and time for change. And I think that reflects many parts of one’s life, and definitely my life. So I think that the state of the world, as we’re in it now, definitely it’s obvious that we’re all very hungry for change and we’re all very ready for a newness and a renewal in that way.

“I wanted to take that thought and I wanted to create a song about it that really gave you the option to relate to it as you saw fit, be it a relationship that was ending or be it in a more political way about the ending of an era, so to speak.”

On collaborating with John Mayer on the song “Lesson Learned”:

“I loved it, it was amazing. He’s a beautiful, beautiful person and an incredible writer. It’s not often that you have like a true connection with a person whom you’re just getting to know, and sitting there writing songs with them. But it was so enjoyable, we just sat there and vibed for like hours the first day. We came up with just tons of songs and then we just kind of picked the one that really spoke to us and then developed that.

“I realized where I am at this time in my life, it is really important for me to be able to be free and open to experimenting, trying different collaborations, and really just allowing that to flow.”

On her “virtual duet” performance with Frank Sinatra at the 2008 Grammy Awards:

“You know, it was really incredible. We went through all of these different edits of the video, and then passing off the lines, and who would sing what, and when he would appear, and how it would look and playing the piano for him. … I thought it was a really exciting idea.

“My grandfather was a huge Frank Sinatra fan, so that really kind of brought me back to my childhood in a lot of ways, and also the respect that I have for him as an artist. One of my favorite songs of his is his version of ‘Someone to Watch Over Me.’ I love his phrasing, his style, the way that he just takes the words and brings them up and down; it is just beautiful.

“Although it was, to me, a little bit strange in the beginning, just wrapping my head around how does this all make sense, it really came together so beautifully. And to see it back and to see how it was just a celebration of the way that music is so diverse and it will always be that way. That’s what makes it so wonderful, and made me really proud to do that.” (Source >>>)

Paralegal Alleged to Have Burned Documents in Race Bias Case

After causing delays that have stalled a racial discrimination case for years, the Secret Service could be hit with a "default" judgment at a U.S. District Court hearing today in favor of the black agents who brought the suit.

The judge presiding over the case, Deborah A. Robinson, has already sanctioned the agency three times for dragging its feet in handing over racially charged e-mails shared by white Secret Service supervisors and for failing to search for documents as ordered by the court. She has also verbally reprimanded government lawyers after they revealed that a paralegal may have burned some documents that were ordered by the court.

Robinson could use stronger sanctions to punish the Secret Service at today's hearing, lawyers said. She could issue a summary judgment on behalf of the plaintiffs that would probably cost taxpayers millions of dollars, she could limit the amount of evidence the agency could use to defend itself against the allegations -- that supervisors routinely harassed black agents and refused to promote them to management positions -- or she could grant a request by the plaintiffs to try their case without any interference from the Secret Service's lawyers. The black agents sued the agency in 2000.

"In all the years I have been involved in big civil litigation," said Melissa N. Henke, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys, "I have never seen such egregious conduct by a party in the discovery phase of a case . . . to avoid providing the evidence that the other side is entitled to."

Robinson has been critical of some of the Secret Service's behavior, according to transcripts. During one court session, a government lawyer revealed that a paralegal had placed documents related to the case in a "burn bag" to be destroyed.

The lawyer was not certain which documents were burned.

"Isn't that something that she should have been asked?" Robinson asked. ". . . You have to be concerned that the witness . . . you offered as the person coordinating the production of documents pursuant to a court order, unbeknownst to you, burned the originals."

Eric Zahren, a spokesman for the Secret Service, said the plaintiffs requested an extraordinary amount of information, taxing the agency's ability to produce it.

"We have turned over 300,000 paper documents and 20 million electronic documents that span a 16-year period," Zahren said. "You have to think about what's a reasonable demand upon the agency. In very simple terms, they have asked us for a ridiculous thing, and the magistrate has asked us to get it back in a ridiculous period of time."

Secret Service supervisors took two years to produce e-mails that were due in the summer of 2006. And at one point in the proceedings, a Secret Service inspector revealed that he had not searched for relevant documents as the court had ordered, but simply tagged information as he came across it.

The e-mails, which were widely circulated inside the agency, were revealed earlier this year. They included jokes about black men's genitalia, a missile shooting down a plane bearing the Rev. Jesse Jackson and a "Harlem spelling bee" in which black people completed sentences using street slang and poor English. Most of the e-mails are too crude to be detailed in The Washington Post.

Black agents claim that white supervisors who distributed and read the e-mails created a "glass ceiling" that stunted their advancement. Ten agents are listed as representatives of a group of up to 250 plaintiffs, Henke said. (more >>>)

Paralegal Perspective: Old Movies Lead to New Conversations

By Joanne Haffly: I’m not really a film buff. In fact, my kids lament that I neglect my cultural education by missing the latest and greatest movies.

Since I haven’t even seen “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy from start to finish, I admit they may have a point. It’s just that I prefer to read books rather than spend almost three hours waiting for the hero of a movie to save the world, only to find out part two is in the works.

So, normally, I limit myself to an occasional Disney release or lighthearted comedy. But recently, I viewed an old classic film, “12 Angry Men,” for my college class.

Released more than 50 years ago, this black-and-white motion picture stars Henry Fonda and other notable actors from the era, like Lee J. Cobb, Ed Begley and a young Jack Klugman.

The plot revolves around jury deliberations in a first-degree murder trial. A seemingly open-and-shut case against a young Puerto Rican kid, who was accused of murdering his father, begins to unravel when juror No. 8 (Fonda) confesses his indecisiveness in the jury room. He persuades the room full of impatient jurors to look at the problems with the evidence in the case.

Filled with inconsistencies that a good defense attorney should have caught, the case hinted of racially motivated undertones. Watching it now, the message seems as relevant today as 50 years ago.

I was required to view the film as part of my paralegal class, so we looked at it from a legal professional’s perspective, noting the judge and jury behaviors and the lack of diligence on the part of the boy’s defense attorney.

Aside from the political undercurrents that the film expressed of the judicial system, it also made me realize how much I miss the old black-and-white movies.

Two things immediately struck me as I watched first few scenes of the film. First of all, it is an all-male cast, and the actors looked liked regular men. Their naturally lined faces reflected the emotions of their dilemma and the maturity of age. The broad shoulders and thick waists of some of the middle-aged men allowed the audience to identify with the normal-looking men, not the slender, adolescent, pretty boys of today’s movies.

The second thing that I noted was the entire film — minus three minutes — was filmed in a narrow jury room. This low-budget movie was originally a remake of a screenplay adapted for television.

Further research revealed that the director used camera angles and a telephoto lens, shortening the depth of field to give the viewers an intimate snapshot into each actor’s expression. The feelings of claustrophobia are palatable as arguments fly across the jury table, until the exasperation peaks and the tempers explode.

My 17-year-old son, Sam, watched the movie with me for his History of American Film class. Reading through his analysis, I was impressed with two points he made.

Sam wrote, “The clothing the jurors wore was as diverse as their personalities and matched them. Juror 8 (Henry Fonda) wore an all white suit, whereas everyone else had darker jackets and/or pants. The white caused him stand out, and made him look somewhat like a guardian angel for the boy on trial.”

He also noted, “I found it interesting how the filmmakers showed how a person’s own prejudices and past experiences could blind them to the point of sending someone to death regardless of any evidence or reasonable doubt. For instance, Juror 10 (Ed Begley) wanted to kill the boy because the kid grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, saying ‘they’re all the same over there,’ or ‘they’re born that way,’ or my personal favorite, ‘He don’t even speak good English.’

If you’re looking for a good film worthy of a deep discussion, I’d recommend borrowing this movie from the library. (Source >>>)

Paralegal's Killer Receives Life Sentence

FORT PIERCE — Edwina Jackson's co-workers say they have a hard time sitting at her old desk.

Her name is still labeled on her stapler and other office supplies at the Brandt & Gufford law firm in Stuart, where she worked for four years. Her number is still programmed in their cell phones.

Several of her co-workers Thursday said they can't bear to remove those reminders of Jackson, whom they remembered as a warm-hearted friend who sang beautiful songs around the office and sometimes liked to play pranks.

"She was a character and always fun to be around," said her boss, attorney Joseph Gufford.

Several of her co-workers joined Jackson's family in a St. Lucie County courtroom Thursday afternoon to watch as the man convicted of second-degree murder in her death was sentenced to two consecutive life terms.

Circuit Judge Cynthia Cox ordered the maximum possible sentence for Alden Benjamin White, 17, of Port St. Lucie. A jury in April found White guilty of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder in a brash drive-by shooting last spring that killed 30-year-old Jackson and injured her boyfriend Ricardo Thomas.

After Thursday's sentencing, Jackson's father said the family was relieved White's trial is over and satisfied with the jury's verdict.

White and his family did not speak during his sentencing hearing, but several women yelled "I love you" as they led him out of the courtroom.

White was 16 and a resident of Cocoa when the shooting occurred near 29th Street and Avenue B in Fort Pierce on May 26, 2007. During his trial, prosecutors offered no motive for the crime, but speculated outside the courtroom that White may have encountered Thomas at a rap concert in Cocoa.

They argued a time-stamped Burger King receipt and White's DNA found on a chewed straw in the attackers' car linked him and an accomplice to the couple's shooting.

Police began investigating White after discovering he was friends with the man who borrowed the car before the attacks. An assault rifle was found under White's mattress that matched one of the two types used in the shootings.

The second alleged shooter and two men who reportedly drove vehicles for the attackers also have been arrested in connection with the shootings and are awaiting trial.

Jackson's co-workers said Thursday they hope all charged in the case also get the maximum sentenced allowed. They said Jackson, who worked her way up from file clerk to paralegal, did every job in their office expect that of an attorney, and always with a smile and cheerful attitude.

"The word I'd use to describe her is joyous," attorney Arthur Brandt said.

Her co-workers and family have set up a scholarship fund in her name. Those wishing to donate should contact the Brandt & Gufford law firm at 221-1922.  (Source >>>)

At 68, this Future Paralegal is Determined to Graduate

Fifty years ago this month, Lula Mae Johnson dropped out of her rural South Carolina high school.  She was a mediocre student, kept home twice a week to work on her family's farm, spreading manure over the cotton fields with a pitchfork. She was promoted to the 12th grade, but with plans to marry over the summer, she believed she was too grown up for high school.

For decades she regretted leaving and disappointing her parents, sharecroppers who never made it past grade school.

"I always knew I needed an education, because I had a desire to do better in my life," said Johnson, who wanted to pursue a law degree after witnessing her parents fight multiple legal battles to keep their property.

Tonight, the 68-year-old great-grandmother with a silver bob and wire-rimmed spectacles will become the oldest Boston high school graduate. She and more than three dozen students, most in their 20s and 30s, will cross the stage of the historic Faneuil Hall and earn a bona fide diploma from Boston Central Adult High School.

Looking on from rows of wooden chairs will be her husband Leon, the man she married at 19; their four daughters, seven grandchildren, great grandson, and more than a dozen friends.

"I feel I was the first one that caused her to drop out, so it would only be right to see her finish," said Leon Johnson, also a high school dropout who drove his wife from their Mattapan home to class daily. "I'm relieved that she finally got through school."

Lula Mae Johnson has spent the last six years working toward her diploma. Refusing to settle for a GED - "Somehow that didn't ring right with me," she said - she attended classes at adult schools in Roxbury and South Boston.

Her classmates were mostly single mothers and other teenagers who had recently dropped out, youngsters who called her Ms. Lula. They marveled that she never missed class, not even during snowstorms. After juggling school and farmwork as a child, Johnson said that returning to class was a privilege. "Now, no matter what I'm doing, doesn't matter what weather it is, I am there," she said.

She and her husband made sure that all five of their children finished high school. After all, the couple had scrimped to afford one-way bus tickets to Boston in 1959 so their future children would have access to a better education.

Leon Johnson got a job cleaning cars at a Chevy dealer. Lula Mae Johnson worked at a Roxbury laundromat. School weighed on her mind, but she knew she could not take classes, work, and raise a family. She worked nights as a nurse's assistant for nearly 30 years before running her own day-care center for eight. (more >>>)

Paralegal at the Center of a Request for Special Prosecutor

LAS CRUCES — A request for a special prosecutor has been filed in the dog-fighting case against two El Paso men.

Twin brothers Daron and Duryea Scott are facing 23 and 30 felony counts, respectively, for their alleged role in a dog-fighting operation with ties to Doña Ana County.

The Scotts' attorney, Michael Cain of Las Cruces, filed the motion because one of his former employees is now employed with the Doña Ana County District Attorney's office.

According to the filing, the employee, a paralegal, was present when the case was discussed in Cain's office. That presents an "absolute ethical conflict" by the district attorney's office, Cain said Wednesday.

Prosecutor Susan Riedel said she would file a response to Cain's motion by June 20.

"We'll be looking into the legal issue of whether or not we can use what is called a Chinese Wall," she said.

A Chinese Wall is a legal term in which the employee would be partitioned away from being involved in anything involving Cain's office that is before the district attorney's office.

Riedel said a Chinese Wall is commonly used, particularly in small communities. She said it's been implemented before, never with any problems.

Cain's motion is one of a series he recently filed asking for evidence he said is being improperly withheld from him and his clients.

State District Judge Doug Driggers was to hear arguments on the motions Wednesday but Riedel asked for the hearing to be continued. She did not want to discuss any motions until the special prosecutor issue was resolved.

The Scotts, 49, are alleged to have kept dozens of pit bulls in properties in Chaparral. Authorities said the dogs showed evidence of dog fighting in addition to being malnourished and having inadequate shelter.

The Scotts deny the allegations and have pleaded not guilty to all the charges. They say they are legitimate dog breeders and have won awards for their show dogs.

The Scotts were in court Wednesday and remain free on bond.