Columns
Legalese — Roe v. Wade
In light of the recent signing of Georgia House Bill 481, otherwise known as the “Heartbeat Bill,” it is likely that lawsuits will be filed to challenge that bill. You can read a copy of […]
Legalese
Legalese
Legalese — Standards of Proof
Judging (no pun intended) from some of the conversations I’ve had with friends lately, the difference between the standards of proof between civil and criminal trials is something that is confusing to people who don’t […]
Legalese
Up In Smoke
For the most part – and I get that this makes me fortunate and privileged – I am well insured enough that a well-placed lightning bolt to a particularly flammable place on the roof of […]
Columns
Legalese — Grandma’s Last Social Security Check
Spring brings, along with pollen and warmer weather, the end of the Georgia legislative season. I always like to paw through the legislative summaries to see if anything interesting has been enacted that didn’t make […]
Legalese
Legalese — Source Documents and Fake News
The internet is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, we have access to unlimited information from literally wherever we sit. On the other hand, we have access to unlimited opinion from literally wherever we […]
Legalese
Legalese — How Long Should I Hold On To Documents?
I spent a large chunk of today (and a large chunk of money) sorting through old files and financial records and getting a professional shredding company to destroy them. This is something we do here […]
Legalese
Legalese — Defamation of Character
When people put negative reviews on Google or Yelp or other internet review services, or even go on Facebook rants about people or businesses, is that defamation? What is defamation? Can you get sued for […]
Legalese
Legalese — New Implied Consent Law
In the legal community, there has been much buzz lately about the case Elliott v. The State, which came out of the Georgia Supreme Court on February 18, 2019. If you really want to read […]
Legalese
LEGALESE — Dangerous and Vicious Dogs
In my last column, I talked about what the law required of responsible dog owners. In this column, I’m going to talk about what the law has to say about dangerous and vicious dogs. According […]
Legalese
LEGALESE — Responsible Dog Ownership
My family recently got a dog for the first time. We love our dog, Lincoln, tremendously. While the rest of the family is researching how to ensure he has the proper nutrition and veterinary care, […]
Legalese
Legalese — Rule of Law
“The rule of law” is another one of those phrases that gets thrown around on social media a lot these days by a lot of folks, some of whom seem to understand what it is, […]
Legalese
LEGALESE — Decriminalization of Marijuana
There is some talk about certain municipalities decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana. And it is true to a limited extent – some cities in the state of Georgia have elected to make […]
Legalese
Legalese — Debtor’s Prison
A Court’s judgment, it is sometimes said, is worth no more than the paper it is written on. Indeed, I have a bookcase full of judgments which, if I could collect on them, I could […]
Columns
Legalese — Driver’s Services, the Courts, and DUI
Many people think that the Georgia Department of Drivers’ Services and the Municipal or Traffic Courts are related, since they both deal with traffic tickets and drivers’ licensing. This is not true. Neither agency has […]
Legalese
Legalese – ‘Presumption of Innocence’ what does it mean?
The phrase “presumption of innocence” has come across my social media feed quite a bit lately, and like many legal phrases which come across my social media feed from time to time, the lay understanding […]
Legalese
Legalese — Ambulance Chasers
There are any number of unpleasant nicknames that people have for lawyers, and one of the most common and easily recognized is “ambulance chaser.” Ambulance chasing refers to the practice of lawyers, or their employees […]
Legalese
Legalese — Stopping for a School Bus
There seems to be some basic confusion about when you do and don’t have to stop for a school bus, and, considering the law changed somewhat in Georgia this year, I thought I’d take this […]
Legalese
Legalese – Violation of Probation
In my last column, I wrote about the trend towards misdemeanor bail reform in the American Criminal Justice System. Relatedly, there has been a lot of focus on misdemeanor probation. This is not so much […]
Legalese
Legalese — Bail Reform
There is a movement across the country as well as in Georgia regarding misdemeanor bail reform. The Judicial Council of Georgia recently put out a report from its Ad Hoc committee on the subject. A […]
Legalese
Legalese — Home is where the Picture of Mom is
Where do you live? It seems like a simple question for most people, but it isn’t for everyone. And, when you are talking about the law, it matters. You sue someone where they live. You […]
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