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HARMONSON HEADLINES YOUR GUIDE TO PERSONAL INJURY IN THE BORDERLAND SEPTEMBER 2025
What the Constitution Protects RIGHTS WE CAN’T AFFORD TO LOSE
September 17 is National Constitution Day, and I’ll be honest, that’s not something I’ve spent much time discussing in the past. But this year, I’ve been thinking about it more. It feels like the Constitution is being tested in ways we haven’t seen in a long time, and sometimes we forget what’s actually written in it. This isn’t about one party over the other. It doesn’t matter whether you lean left or right. What worries me is how quickly some of our most basic rights are being overlooked. Due process and free speech are two of the biggest ones on my mind. Everybody deserves their day in court. That’s not a political idea. It’s a foundational part of our legal system. It shouldn’t matter what your background is, what language you speak, or how you vote. You have the right to know what you’re being accused of. You have the right to be heard before your freedom or property is taken away. That’s what due process means. The Fifth Amendment guarantees this at the federal level. The Fourteenth Amendment extends it to state governments. Both say the same thing: No one can be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. That’s not a guideline or a suggestion. It’s a promise. And if we don’t protect that promise now, we may regret it when the roles are reversed. Immigration policy tends to dominate this conversation. It’s a topic that brings out strong opinions, but the bigger issue is what happens when we allow rights to be stripped from one group. Because if we allow it there, we open the door for it to happen to anyone. I get why people are frustrated. We want secure borders. We want rules that make sense. But if we start brushing aside due process just because it feels slow or messy, we’re playing with fire. Maybe it doesn’t touch your life today, but that kind of shortcut never stops where it starts. Sooner or later, someone in power will decide it’s okay to use that same shortcut on you or someone you care about. Then what? That’s why we have to stay alert. We don’t protect these rights just for ourselves. We protect them for everyone. That’s the whole idea, and it’s exactly why the Constitution splits power between three branches. No one person should be able to pull all the strings. That’s not how a healthy democracy holds together.
a chance to be heard. Whether someone’s standing up to an insurance company or something bigger, that courtroom is often the only level playing field they get. I’m also uneasy about where free speech is headed. The First Amendment is there for a reason. It’s foundational. People have to be able to speak up, especially when they disagree with the government. You don’t have to agree with what they say, but they still get to say it. Using force or intimidation to silence voices we don’t like? That’s a problem — a big one. The First Amendment also guarantees the freedom of the press, ensuring that the government cannot restrict the publication or dissemination of information. These freedoms are cornerstones of a free democracy. It is a slippery slope to curtail these essential rights. So when Constitution Day comes around, I think it’s worth asking what we’re really willing to speak up for. And if we want to protect our rights, we can’t just speak up when it’s convenient. We have to speak up all the time. That’s how this country was built, and that’s how we keep it strong.
From my side of things as a civil trial lawyer, I’ve seen what real access to justice can do. It’s not about verdicts. It’s about fairness and having
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WHO’S REALLY
SUNDAY HABITS THAT SET YOU UP FOR THE WEEK After a long week of work, many Americans relax, participate in their hobbies, and try to avoid increased responsibilities during the weekend. While this can be beneficial for your mental health, have you ever felt like your week was off to a rough start as soon as Monday rolled around? There’s nothing wrong with relaxing on the weekend, but putting aside your responsibilities for a few days can put you behind the eight ball. You don’t need to set aside your Sunday to deep- clean the house from top to bottom, but adding beneficial habits to the final day of the weekend can ensure every week starts on the right foot.
WHEN ACCIDENTS GE
If you’ve ever been in a car accident, you know it’s rarely as simple as one person clearly being to blame. That gets even trickier when more than two vehicles are involved. Who hit who first? Who had time to react? Whose version of the story holds up? These questions are exactly why Texas uses something called comparative negligence to sort things out. In basic terms, comparative negligence means that fault can be divided among multiple people. The court or the jury looks at the facts and decides how much responsibility each party holds. In Texas, you can still recover damages if you were partially at fault, as long as you weren’t more than 50% responsible. That’s where the modified part comes in. Let’s say you were in a crash and a jury finds you 30% responsible. If the total damages are $100,000, you could still recover $70,000. But if you were found more than 50% responsible, even if it’s just 51%, you wouldn’t be able to recover anything. That cutoff can make or break a case.
DECLUTTER Decluttering and clearing your space will
directly impact your mental state. This can be an overwhelming task at times, especially if you have a house full of kids, but you can make it manageable by keeping up with it every week. It might be easier once the kids go to bed, but take a few minutes every Sunday to walk through your house and pick up any items off the floor, on furniture, and anywhere else they may be lying. PLAN AHEAD Nothing will better prepare you for the week ahead than planning. Look through your work schedule and your kids’ calendars to make sure you’re aware of upcoming events, games, or practices. You could also consider meal prepping if the upcoming week looks busier than usual. To take it a step further, prepack your kids’ lunches, lay out clothes for the workweek, and write down additional responsibilities you’ll have throughout the week. LIGHT CLEANING As stated earlier, you don’t need to deep-clean every week, but your home will look much better if you establish weekly light cleaning behaviors. Wipe down the surfaces in your kitchen, clean the windows, and give your floor some love by mopping, vacuuming, or sweeping. If you have the time and energy, consider doing a load of laundry or two. These little tasks will add up, making your house consistently sparkle.
SUDOKU
SOLUTION ON PG. 4
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Y AT FAULT? ET COMPLICATED
Fall doesn’t come rushing to El Paso — it sneaks in. One day, you catch a breeze that doesn’t feel like a blow dryer, and the next, you realize it’s been days since you last ran the AC full blast. EMBRACING FALL IN EL PASO Skip the Chaos This Season
I’m handling a case right now in which someone was rear-ended, spun, and then hit by a second vehicle. That kind of domino crash raises a lot of questions. Was the second driver paying attention? Could they have avoided the second impact? Who caused the most harm? A jury could decide the first driver
was 70% at fault, the second 30%, and my client not at fault at all. Each party would be responsible for paying their share of the damages. These situations get complicated fast. It’s not something you can figure out on your own, and insurance companies are counting on that. They’ll do everything they can to shift blame and reduce what they owe. If you’ve been in a crash involving more than one vehicle, don’t assume it’s clear-cut. You deserve a fair look at what happened.
September is when I start to think about how to enjoy the season. And for me, it’s never about joining a crowd.
Before the fall calendar starts filling up, our neighbors over in Hatch start celebrating the Hatch green chile season. Around Labor Day, the Hatch Green Chile Festival draws people from all over, but I like to visit later and do things on my
Call our office if you’re unsure where you stand. We can help make sense of it and walk you through your options.
own terms. I drive up to Hatch and grab a green chile cheeseburger without the rush or the crowds. I’ll also buy a box of fresh-roasted chiles to throw in the freezer and use whenever I want. It makes for a great day trip this time of year. Another thing worth checking out is the El Paso Film Festival. It takes place at the end of September. A lot of people know about the Plaza Classic Film Festival that happens in the summer, but this one is different. It focuses on new and emerging filmmakers, and you can catch some great independent shows. Fall’s also a great time to explore parts of the city you might usually overlook. El Paso has a mural scene that’s easy to take for granted if you live here. Drive down Dyer Street or around Segundo Barrio, and you’ll see what I mean. There’s some talent on those walls, and you don’t need a ticket or a schedule to take it in. Of course, fall is also perfect for enjoying the outdoors. There’s cooler weather, clearer skies, and just enough breeze to make a hike feel like a treat instead of a chore. No matter what you do, you don’t have to chase the season to enjoy it. Around here,
Grilled Teriyaki Flank Steak
INGREDIENTS Marinade • 2/3 cup red wine •
• • •
1/4 tsp black pepper 1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• • • •
1/3 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup sesame oil 1 tbsp sesame seeds 1 tsp minced garlic
Meat •
1 1/2 lbs flank steak
1. In a large bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients. 2. Place the flank steak in a large, rimmed dish. Pour the marinade over the meat. 3. Refrigerate and allow to marinate for 15 minutes. Flip and let marinate for another 15 minutes. 4. Preheat grill to 400 F. 5. Add the meat to the grill and cook for 3–5 minutes on each side. Leave the grill lid open to avoid overcooking. 6. For a medium-rare steak, remove from grill at 130 F internally, and for medium, remove at 140 F. 7. Let the meat rest on a cutting board for 5–10 minutes. Then, slice against the grain into thin pieces and enjoy! DIRECTIONS
fall isn’t about sweaters and pumpkin spice. It’s about slowing down, appreciating what’s around you, and skipping the chaos.
Inspired by TheShortOrderCook.com
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Holding the Line on the Constitution
Turn Lazy Sundays Into Your Productivity Power Hour The Blame Game After a Crash Sudoku
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Grilled Teriyaki Flank Steak Fall Without the Fuss
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Amazing Facts About the Sun
The Science Behind Our Favorite Star Sun-believable!
THE SUN IS VERY HOT.
That big ball of fire in the sky plays a significant role in our lives. Most of us don’t give the sun a second thought unless it gets in our eyes when driving or we need to apply sunscreen before going outside. Without the sun, our planet would be
Learning that the sun is hot is not a groundbreaking discovery; even our youngest children understand this concept, but many people don’t realize just
plunged into darkness and frigid temperatures, making life impossible for us, plants, and all the animals that call Earth home. In honor of Sun Day on Sept. 21, let’s explore three lesser-known facts about the star at the center of our solar system. THE SUN WON’T EXTINGUISH ITSELF ANYTIME SOON. Thanks to science fiction, some people
how hot the sun is. At its core, the sun burns at 27,000,000 F. The surface is much cooler, sitting at 10,000 F. For reference, lava erupting from a volcano will only reach around 2,200 F at its hottest. The sun’s surface burns so hot that you could boil diamonds on it!
WE’RE LEARNING MORE EVERY DAY. Many details about the sun remain unknown. Astrophysicists have spent decades trying to predict and better understand solar storms, which disperse plasma across the solar system, often disrupting energy grids and spacecraft. In recent years, NASA has made a dedicated effort to learn more. They sent the Parker Solar Probe to the sun, where it studies solar wind and the corona from within 4 million miles of the star’s surface. Ideally, this information will make predicting future solar storms and space weather events easier.
believe that once the sun uses up its energy, it will dim or explode and end all life in our solar system. However, that’s not a real concern. First, you must consider the age and lifespan of our sun. It’s already been around for 4.5 billion years, and scientists predict it will survive for another 6.5 billion. When that time comes, the sun will grow to a red giant, consuming Mercury, Venus, and potentially Earth before becoming a white dwarf. Thankfully, none of us will be around to experience that phenomenon.
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