My Summer Post about Gun Control – Redux

This past summer I wrote a blog post about gun control. It was August, 15th. This was just after the movie theater shooting in Colorado, and the Sikh mosque shooting in Wisconsin by a white supremacist (do you even remember that one?). My conclusion was that the issue of gun control would never gain a foot-hold in an election year since the GOP is firmly on the side of the NRA and democrats don’t like the issue since it polls badly – many democrats are Read More +

President Jimmy Carter: My Former Law Professor and the Value of Mediations

When I was a law student at Emory Law School in Atlanta, we had a very distinguished professor teach us about this newly developed process to settle serious disputes: Former President Jimmy Carter stood at the head of our classroom that semester in front of maybe 25 of us and spoke to us about Mediation. At the time, President Carter was out of office a number of years and his main accomplishment in the White House was peace in the Middle East through the Camp Read More +

Dog Bites Man – Man Fights Back

We all love our pets, but we occasionally hear of something that went terribly wrong when a dog cannot control its behavior and a bite occurs resulting in an ugly injury. A few years ago a young mother from New Port Richey brought her beautiful 5 year old daughter to my office. With long blond hair and blue eyes, it was like she fell out of a Pottery Barn for Kids catalogue. But I immediately saw the problem. Besides an innate sadness not usually seen Read More +

The Very Serious Subject of “Statutory Rape” in Florida

As an attorney I am often asked why some people in Florida are arrested after having consensual sexual relations with a minor and some aren’t, and it’s a very good question. There is an article in the Tampa Bay Times this week about a 30 year old New Port Richey woman who was arrested for statutory rape with a minor. This relationship was not only consensual, this woman was actively living with her 17 year old boyfriend in a committed relationship and she is currently pregnant Read More +

Sylvester – Our Law Firm Mascot

We want our clients to feel comfortable, peaceful and at home while visiting our Palm Harbor law office. Since we mainly represent seriously injured people, the last thing clients want to see when they come to a firm is an uptight, starched formal setting full of dark mahogany, law books and oversized leather furniture. When people are in pain or not feeling well, you want them relaxed and at ease. “You’re welcome here”, should be the ambiance. One thing that definitely adds to the color Read More +

Are You Safe in Your Hotel? Maybe Not….

One of the most interesting cases I’ve ever handled as a lawyer is the case of “Betty Darlington”. Because of the very personal nature of her case, I’ve changed a few facts for privacy, but it is still true to the spirit of the claim. Betty was a widow and an early retiree, barely minted as an entry level senior citizen. While she retired somewhat young she wasn’t rich by anyone’s standards. She had a very simple lifestyle, lived inexpensively and she decided to pool Read More +