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The Medl in News
JULY 2021
HOWA CREATIVE SPARK CAN AID YOUR CASE
point in favor of the client. Through investigation, however, we can almost always find missed details.
Remember when we thought the Olympics would be here by July 2021? As of this writing, we now know they are going to happen! But I’ll tell you another interesting, nearly forgotten Olympic fact, though: Did you know that for nearly four decades, the modern Olympics used to have categories for artistic achievement? You could get a gold medal for art, sculpture, literature, and even architecture.
For example, in one murder case, my client was accused of helping a shooter. My client explained that he’d gone into the convenience store to purchase a scratch-off ticket, and it was a winner. As he was waiting for the cashier to give him money, a robber came in with a gun, and as the clerk was giving the robber his money, he was shot. Then, the robber pointed the gun at my client and said, “You’re coming with me.” My client clearlywasn’t there to hurt or kill anyone, but the police apprehended him anyway. So, we decided to search through the collected evidence ourselves. The police, luckily, had collected everything on the countertop that day, and we found a winning scratch-off ticket, supporting my client’s story. We won that case. Putting in the time commitment to your cases and investigating them yourself can make all the difference. In another case, my client was identified as a person who sold drugs through a particular window of a house. By going to the scene and looking through the same window where the police had claimed to observe events, we found that there was no physically possible way the officer could have seen our client through that window. By being a little creative and looking at the home ourselves, we prevented an innocent person from being charged. We’ve had incredible breakthroughs just from interviewing witnesses as well, such as finding out that an actor was white when the person accused is Black. It just goes to show that, no matter what you do in life, creativity can have a significant role.
I ALMOST PURSUED A CREATIVE-FOCUSED CAREERMYSELF. BEFORE LAW, I USED TO DREAM OF BEING AN ARCHITECT.
However, it was never a highly popular aspect of the Olympics — all art had to relate to sports, and no gold medals were awarded if the judges didn’t like any of the submissions. Eventually, the competition was abandoned and quickly forgotten thereafter. I almost pursued a creative-focused career myself. Before law, I used to dream of being an architect. One of my biggest goals was always to design the home that I’d live in. Although it couldn’t compete in the Olympics since it’s not sports-related, my biggest artistic achievement was designing my home that my wife and I currently live in. She loves Mediterranean-styled homes, so I created a basic foreplan based on those inspirations. Then, I had an architect fully develop the rest of the plans. The results were truly a dream come true for both of us. Even though I didn’t end up going to architecture school, creativity remains a key tool in my toolbox. We have to get creative with individual cases because the evidence gathered does not always
Thanks for joining me, friends — stay cool out there, and I’ll catch you next month.
– Gary L. Medlin, Esq.
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GET YOUR TRAIN OF THOUGHT BACK ON TRACK
Recovery Hacks
Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation, presentation, or debate, stringing together thoughts in a way you hope is coherent and
don’t want to be bogged down by a chorus of “ums” escaping from your mouth.
insightful when — poof! — you lose your train of thought? It’s frustrating. You just want to make yourself understood, but your brain has other plans. What if there were a way to keep your train of thought on track? Well, the good news is that recovering your train of thought is easy with the following hacks in mind.
Write it all down. This hack works well when you know beforehand that you’ll be speaking with someone or in front of people. Even if you never refer to your notes while speaking, simply writing down a road map for your train of thought can help you recover from a detour and speak more confidently. Remember your overall point. The easiest way to drive your train of thought into the weeds is to forget your overall point — or not to have an overriding point at all. Always have a short, overarching point you can use to recenter yourself
Repeat, repeat, repeat yourself. Paraphrasing your last few thoughts out loud can help you remember where you were going. Think of it as retracing your steps: You go back to the last words you remember saying, and more often than not, you’ll find your direction again.
and get back on track.
With these hacks, your brain will have to work a lot harder to make you lose your train of thought! Now you’ll be more prepared to tackle any subject matter, no matter how deep or technical, that comes your way.
Take a short pause. Pausing briefly is a great way to make recovering your train of thought seem natural. This hack works really well if you’re answering a question and you need time to think, and you also
THIS SUMMER, PACK LIGHT
The Most Common Reason Texans Are Arrested at Airports
Be wary on your travels this summer! If a person is found carrying a weapon at an airport, they may be found guilty of the prohibited places weapons offense — and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport confiscates more guns than any other airport in the nation. It is not uncommon, however, for people to honestly forget they have their weapon with themwhen they go to an airport. For instance, consider a person who uses the same suitcase to go on different business trips. They may have packed their legally owned weapon with them to drive to a business meeting and, months later, forget that it is still in that suitcase as they head off to the airport for their next business meeting. In order to be guilty of unlawfully carrying a weapon, a person must intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carry that weapon. Therefore, we are able to get a lot of these cases dismissed if we can show that they did not knowingly bring their weapon to the airport. In that case, they cannot be guilty of unlawfully carrying a weapon. Sometimes we can even demonstrate this with a polygraph test. If a person is arrested for unlawfully carrying a weapon at an airport, they could be fined a civil penalty by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of up to
several thousand dollars. They could also be placed on a no-fly list. An expert attorney, however, can handle the collateral TSA proceeding and frequently get the fine reduced to a very low amount. In addition, we can secure an agreement with the TSA that the person will not be placed on a no-fly list. If a person is arrested at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport for a weapon offense, they will be taken to the Dallas/Fort Worth DPS facility, which is on the premises of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and houses a jail. The person will be put in jail without the ability to have a bond set for up to two or three days. In those situations, we are able to do what is called a writ of habeas corpus, which secures that person’s immediate release. Then, once a case is filed against them, we can defend them and attempt to have the case dismissed. Since airports prohibit weapons, having a concealed handgun license (CHL) or a license to carry (LTC) does not stop a person from being charged with committing a crime.
For more information, get a free case consultation at Medlin Law Firm and call our expert legal team today!
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memorize plenty of animals and shapes to impress people at home or at dinner parties.
5 EASY AND CREATIVE HOBBIES FOR ADULTS
Model Cars, Planes, Trains, or Ships If you want to craft and paint, look no further than miniature models. There are models for nearly everything, but transportation vehicles are by far the most popular. Construct a miniature model while watching a TV episode and enjoy creating a display of your work! Terrariums Love planting or want to get started? Create your own mini garden by creating a terrarium! There are plenty of guides online to turn your favorite jar or vase into a beautiful mini landscape of small ornaments, rocks, and plants. Putting together and taking care of your terrarium is not only affordable but also rewarding. Needle Felting This unique way of creating plush animal figures is quickly gaining popularity, as it’s very easy to learn and relatively cheap. Just take a needle and move it through a piece of wool to tighten it and sculpt!
Creativity is a wonderful tool for adults to explore their own authenticity, self-expression, and stress relief. Of course, there’s no “one size fits all,” so we’ve brought along five easy, fun, and creative hobbies we think you’ll love! Whether you like to be outdoors or cozy at home, relieve the pressures of being perfect with a relaxed, creative hobby. Urban Sketching Buy a sketchbook that appeals to you and sketch the architecture or people you see around you. The sketches don’t have to be super realistic or even very good — they can be a great way of passing time and enjoying the natural world around you (especially in our nearly post-pandemic times). Also, it feels satisfying to use up a sketchbook and keep all your work in one place. Origami Want something more hands-on? You may want to learn origami! All you have to do is find square origami paper you like and follow some tutorials. With enough practice, you’ll
Thanks for reading! From everyone at Medlin Law, stay creative and have a wonderful summer!
The Best Texas-Style Smoked Brisket
PUZZLE TIME
Impress guests at your next barbecue with this perfectly smoked brisket. Plus, you’ll have plenty of leftovers!
Ingredients
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Wood chips
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1/4 cup chili powder
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1/4 cup paprika
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1/4 cup garlic powder
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1/4 cup white sugar
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1/4 cup onion powder
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1/4 cup ground cumin
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1/4 cup salt
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1/4 cup cayenne pepper
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1/4 cup pepper
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1/4 cup brown sugar
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10 lbs brisket
Directions
1. In a bowl, soak wood chips in water overnight. 2. In a large bowl, mix paprika, white sugar, cumin, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. 3. Rub spice mixture on the brisket and refrigerate for 24 hours.
4. Preheat smoker to 230 F. Drain wood chips and place them in the smoker. 5. Smoke brisket until it has an internal temperature of 165 F. 6. Remove brisket and wrap it in aluminum foil. 7. Smoke brisket further until it reaches an internal temperature of 185 F.
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Inspired by AllRecipes.com
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1. How a Creative Spark Can Aid Your Case
2. Life Hack: How to Recover Your Train of Thought
The Most Common Reason Texans Are Arrested at Airports
3. Having Trouble Staying Creative as an Adult?
The Best Texas-Style Smoked Brisket
4. The Miraculous Mountain Cat
THE MEOWAT 10,000 FEET
High on the slopes of Bristen, a mountain in the Glarus Alps in central Switzerland, a pair of skiers discovered something unexpected. At 4:30 a.m., the skiers climbed toward the summit of Bristen when they realized theyweren’t alone. They were being followed by a cat — not a lynx or a wildcat, but a little mewling house cat. How does a house cat end up on the slopes of a snow-covered, 10,000-foot mountain? This was an answer the skiers wouldn’t get. They weren’t even sure what to do with a cat in general. It’s likely that it simplywandered away from one of the nearby towns or villages near the base of the mountain, but even for a human, that’s a major undertaking.
Lost, the cat followed the only sign of civilization it could find: the skiers, Cyril and Erik Rohrer. “She started to shiver, and her paws began to bleed from the hard snow,” Cyril noted. “We picked her up and carried her when she was too exhausted to walk uphill anymore. We were definitely confused. I felt really sorry for the cat. She was really exhausted on the ridge underneath the summit.” The cat stayed with them for some time before they met up with another group of hikers who were headed down the mountain. The cat joined them for what would hopefully be a journey back home. And it was! Remarkably, the cat’s owners were found. They revealed that their cat had vanished four days earlier and apparently followed yet another group of hikers up Bristen. “Animals do weird things. And they are way tougher than humans. They’ll never give up. Even though they are hurting really, really bad,” Cyril said of his feline hiking companion. Hopefully, that will be the little feline’s last trip up for some time!
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