Posts

Faith, Family and a Return to Brown County

Image
It was the spring of 1995. I was a twenty-four-year-old seminary student driving up Route 68 through Paris and Maysville, Kentucky, headed for Brown County and an interview to become the Pastor of Decatur and Mount Olivet United Methodist Churches. Growing up in the shadows of Atlantic City, the Big Red Machine was all I knew about the area. When I first turned my car onto Russellville-Winchester Road, those who have become so dear to me and I, myself, had no idea that the first meeting would be so important.  That night my destination was Richard “Butch” Arn’s house. Butch had agreed to be the head of the search committee for the new pastor. I was to meet with him and his family before we headed to meet the rest of the gathered faithful.  Butch is one of the greatest men I have ever met. Still, I wonder if he would have even opened the door on that night if he knew that only three years later, in June of 1998, I would marry his daughter and leave with her to return to my n
Post a Comment
Read more

Domestic Violence from a Former Prosecutor’s Perspective

Image
  Domestic Violence calls are some of the most dangerous to carry out in an officer’s commitment to protect and serve. Early in my career, I served as a prosecutor for several towns in New Jersey and regularly would have to handle domestic violence cases.  Many times, by the time they came to see me the parties had calmed down and one or both, wanted to drop the charges against the other and “forget the whole thing”. I would think to myself that I was getting a very well-behaved version of the two or more people in front of me.  They had time to process whatever made emotional to the point of lunacy in some cases.  They had time to ponder the issue and the result of the police being called.  Now they were scared and wanted to sweep it under the rug. But when people act irrationally and violently, even if they get the chance to calm down later, there is a price to pay.  That price is often unanticipated. I remember a young New Jersey trooper five years ago who wa
Post a Comment
Read more

I Was Called as a Juror, Now What?

Image
You might look back on childhood and fondly remember how exciting it was to receive mail. Well, as an adult, the correspondences you receive are typically not that thrilling. One of the most dreaded pieces of mail you might get is a summons for jury duty. This is when you are called to serve on the jury of an upcoming trial. If this is the case for you, don’t panic. There are simple steps to ensure that your experience is successful or that your excuse for not attending is submitted effectively. You need to respond to your summons in an expedient manner. Failing to reply can result in jail time. If you have a conflict that prevents you from serving during the specified dates, you can request your service to be postponed or explain why you do not have the availability to serve at all. Excusable reasons include, but are not limited to, lack of childcare, medical issues, student status, military conflict, or financial hardship. Fill out the proper forms that have arrived with your s
Post a Comment
Read more

Ohio Landlords: What to Know

Image
Congratulations! You’ve saved and invested. You’ve bought a rental property, cleaned and painted, and you are ready to lease a property to your first tenant. Before you begin to meet and interview tenants, you should be aware of the laws that will affect your relationship with your new tenants. Remember these are general facts about what a landlord needs to do.  Every case is different.  This is one key area of the law where you need an attorney to help you or you will likely pay a dear price later on!   The Fair Housing Act The Fair Housing Act states that you cannot discriminate against any potential tenants based on race, color, sex, the nation of origin, religion, handicap, or family status. States and local governments may also add other categories, such as the tenant’s source of income. The Fair Housing Act lists out that based on the above categories, a landlord cannot refuse to rent a house, set different terms of the lease, provide various landlord services or faciliti
Post a Comment
Read more

Tenants: What You Need to Know

Image
Renting a space to live can be an exciting milestone in life. However, difficult landlords in the rental market are not uncommon. In the rental market, knowledge is power. Knowing your rights as a tenant can save you from bad leases and some major headaches. Envision the apartment of your dreams. Hardwood floors, natural lighting, stainless steel appliances, en suite bathrooms, complete with a laundry room in your unit. You’ve toured it. You love it. It’s yours for the leasing. Move-in day arrives, you move in your last box, sit down on your couch, and that’s when you hear it. You moved in next door to a loud heavy metal band with what sounds like a wolf howling nonstop. What do you do? Who do you call? You just signed a one-year lease (we hope you read it before signing). What are your rights? Your rights are dependent on federal laws, state laws, and local laws, but here are the basics of tenant rights: The Right to Fair Treatment & No Discrimination A federal law call
Post a Comment
Read more