Legalese
Legalese — Executive Orders
If you’ve lived in the United States in the past 12 months, and you’ve been paying the least bit of attention, it is difficult to imagine you haven’t heard the phrase “executive order.” So what […]
Columns
Legalese
LEGALESE — Funeral Processions
It is sadly true what they say – the only things inevitable in this life are death and taxes. When death occurs, it is generally our custom to have a funeral, and along with a […]
Columns
Open for Business
Washington, D.C. – Over the past few years, the State of Georgia has distinguished itself as a powerhouse for business with its growth of its manufacturing, film, and tourism industries. Among others, these trades are spurring […]
Legalese
Legalese — Judges and the 1st Amendment
He was a local judge, but he made national headlines last week. Judge Jim Hinkle was a Gwinnett County Magistrate Court. He was suspended (and then resigned) from the bench based on what he said […]
Legalese
Legalese — Free Speech and the Public Schools
It is the beginning of the school year, and so the age old argument about school clothes is repeating itself in many households across the nation, including my own. What is and isn’t appropriate? What […]
Legalese
Legalese — The Official State Dog
Georgia Laws are put together in a series of books called the “Official Code of Georgia Annotated,” or O.C.G.A. for short. Turns out that within the O.C.G.A. there are a number of other designations for […]
Legalese
Legalese — Involuntary Intoxication
There are a lot of criminal offenses that require mens rea. Mens rea is a Latin term that literally means, “guilty mind.” It is used in law to describe a state of mind in which you knew what you were doing. […]
Legalese
Legalese — Fighting Words
Georgia is not alone in that it has a statute which prohibits people from using “fighting words.” But what are fighting words, exactly? It is defined in O.C.G.A. §16-11-39(3) under ‘disorderly conduct’ this way: “A […]
Legalese
Legalese — Citizens Arrest!
“Citizen’s Arrest!” We’ve all heard that term on TV and in the movies – but is it really a thing? In Georgia it is. O.C.G.A. §17-4-60 says that a “private person may arrest an offender […]
Legalese
Legalese — Stop Signs
A stop sign is so familiar looking that even a child who is too young to read can recognize the red octagon for what it is. However, my experience as a Municipal Court Judge tells […]
Legalese
Legalese — Jaywalking
Jaywalking is another of those legal terms that people bandy about without knowing the technical definition. It goes hand in hand with the phrase “pedestrians have the right of way.” So when do pedestrians really […]
Legalese
Legalese — Habeas Corpus
Habeas Corpus is one of those legal terms that most people seem to have heard of at some point, but can’t quite define. They know it has something to do with someone being arrested, and […]
Legalese
Legalese — Emojis and the Law
Last week I wrote about how spouting off on Facebook could be a potential felony. This week, I’d like to get into another odd subject dealing with social media and emails – emojis. It’s hard […]
Legalese
LEGALESE — Felonious Facebook Posts
I spend a lot of time warning my children about the dangers of posting things that can be misunderstood on social media. Every time I hear of someone getting arrested or otherwise in trouble for […]
Columns
Bees: The rest of the story
The Spring/Summer issue of Walton Living Magazine 2017 features a story about honey bees. In this issue we are familiarized with a basic understanding of the whys and the wherefores of these incredible little creatures and the […]
Legalese
Legalese — Separation of Powers
“Separation of Powers.” It’s a phrase that you may or may not remember from your 7th grade social studies class when you (hopefully) learned basic civics. But what does it really mean, and how does […]
Legalese
Legalese — Why Do Traffic Tickets Cost So Much?
No one wants a traffic ticket. In addition to the heart stopping process that is being pulled over with blue lights and sirens behind you, there is the cost of paying the ticket, and the […]
Legalese
Legalese — Limited Driving Permits
Living in the state of Georgia, where a comprehensive public transportation isn’t generally found (or desired), losing one’s driver’s license can be devastating. If you don’t have a driver’s license, you may very well have […]
Legalese
Legalese — Missing Persons
How many times have you seen it on TV? Where someone is missing, but then there’s that ‘rule’ that you can’t call the police until they have been missing for 24, or maybe 48 hours. […]
Legalese
Legalese — Notaries
Often, when you have to sign a document, you will be requested to do so in front of a notary. What does that mean exactly? Well, in the first place, it means that the notary […]
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