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INYOUR DEFENSE
JANUARY 2022
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A BASIC PIECE OF COMMON SENSE The Importance of the Golden Rule
B ack in January 1776, one of the an instant bestseller and helped persuade the American public to rise up against England and fight for their independence. In the 47- page pamphlet, Paine argued for two main points. The first was for America to declare its independence from England. The second was for America to create a democratic republic after gaining its independence. “Common Sense” escalated colonial most influential pieces of writing in American history was published. Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” was patriotism to new levels while also stating that the desire for these two points was basic common sense. The phrase “common sense” is still used fairly regularly to this day, but what people think is common sense differs from person to person. For me, the most basic piece of common sense is the golden rule. Most people are
probably familiar with the golden rule even if they’ve never heard it called that before. It simply states that we should treat others how we would like to be treated. We should all try to be good to our fellow man. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. We currently live in the era of me; people often have an attitude of “What have you done for me lately?” before making any type of decision involving another individual. People focus on themselves rather than their community or the common good. It’s a toxic ideology that has greatly picked up steam over the past few decades. Personally, I gain a lot of pleasure when I’m able to help someone. That pleasure outweighs nearly any other kind, even going on a dream vacation. It’s not in our nature to be selfish. We are meant to help others so that we can thrive as a community and civilization. The golden rule has become very rare in the world of law. Too many lawyers treat each other poorly because they feel that kindness and niceties are a sign of weakness. And many clients want their lawyers to be mean and aggressive because they think it will help their case. They don’t want to see lawyers shaking hands or exchanging pleasantries because they feel it will hurt their case or that their lawyer is not really fighting for them.
It’s an unfortunate reality that has developed over the past few decades.
In our rather small community, there are many benefits that can be gained by taking a step back and treating each other how we would want to be treated. I’ve certainly had my moments where I did not follow the golden rule. Hey, nobody’s perfect. If you’re trying to find ways to be better to your fellow man or woman and put the golden rule into effect, try to understand how someone else will perceive you or react to your comments before you speak. Think about how you would feel if somebody said something similar to you. If it makes you angry or sad, you should probably avoid saying it. Treating others with kindness and respect costs absolutely nothing. I implore you to do something nice for someone else. It will make you feel better, and you certainly won’t feel weak afterward. It’s simply common sense to treat others how you want to be treated. – Daniel J. Miller
“In our rather small community, there are many benefits that can be gained by taking a step back and treating each other how we would want to be treated.”
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G aining the A dvantage in a F amily L aw C ase WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CHARGES AND PROTECTIVE ORDERS
abuse or have a protective order out against your spouse or former spouse. Past actions from a spouse will hurt their case, and you can use it to your advantage. Domestic violence charges and convictions can greatly alter the outcome of a child custody case. When a court makes a decision regarding a child’s custody, its primary focus is to keep the
other parent or a previous romantic partner. They will check for a history of abusing children they’re related to or taking care of. If your spouse has a history of domestic abuse, the odds are in your favor. In addition, any violence that takes place in the home can sway a judge in a divorce case to enact immediate restraining orders, remove custody of children, and even strip any visitation rights from the abuser. It can also lead to higher child support payments. In many cases, a judge will issue an order for protection that will grant some measure of safety. If your spouse has been charged with domestic violence in the past or you have a protective order in place, it can help you in your family law case. If you’re facing a similar scenario, give our office a call and we will find ways to help you.
Being thrust into a family law case can be uncomfortable, unsettling, and unnerving. Whether it’s starting the divorce proceedings, deciding child custody, or working through a number of other scenarios, these situations are difficult for just about anyone. It becomes even more difficult if you’ve been a victim of domestic
child out of harm’s way and keep their best interests in mind. Courts will take domestic violence and abuse charges very seriously. When a court makes a child custody determination, they look back and consider any history or allegations of abuse — not just to see if there’s a history of abusing the
G ladiators : T he O riginal C elebrity A thletes ?
January is a big month for sports. The College Football Playoff takes place, the NFL playoffs begin, and the NBA and NHL seasons are fully underway. Stars from each of these leagues have cultivated a global fan base and become celebrities. While this might seem like something that could only happen in the present day thanks to international media and the internet, historically, many gladiators reached untold levels of fame thousands of years ago. For the most part, gladiators were not born into wealth and never saw much money during their careers. In most cases, they were originally slaves who became so indebted that they had nothing left to sell but their bodies. For a variety of reasons, slaves were chosen and sent to gladiatorial schools, where they trained to become the best at their craft. When we think of gladiators, we often picture giant arenas and lots of death, but that was rarely the case. It’s estimated that anywhere from 1 in 5 to 1 in 8 matches ended with a combatant’s death. While the gladiators themselves did not have much money, they were very expensive to train and not easily replaced.
Promotions for gladiator fights were very similar to what you see when traveling to a professional sports stadium today. Instead of paper posters to promote athletes or upcoming games, the ancient Romans painted their posters directly on walls. These painted posters often gave dates and times for upcoming matches and included gladiators’ names and sometimes even their records. For a better understanding of gladiators and the popularity of their matches, take a look at the Colosseum in Rome. This massive amphitheater was built almost 2,000 years ago and could seat up to 75,000 people. For comparison, the biggest stadiums in America hold a little over 100,000 people. Back then, there were no Jumbotrons or screens to see from far away. Tens of thousands of people would go to watch gladiator fights with nothing but their own two eyes. While they might not have had the luxuries or money our current athletes have, gladiators still had quite a bit of fame. If anything, gladiators prove that athletes are and always have been incredibly influential in society.
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The New Laws Designed to Eliminate Racial Targeting
neck. This essentially means that an officer cannot use a chokehold or apply any pressure to someone’s neck unless it is immediately necessary to protect themselves or another person. Additionally, Virginia Senate Bill 5030 requires any sheriff, chief of police, or agency administrator to notify the Criminal Justice Services Board in writing within 48 hours of finding that an officer, deputy, or jail guard has engaged in serious, misconduct. The board can initiate decertification processes for any officer who has engaged in serious misconduct, as stated in the newly adopted statewide professional standards of conduct. This bill also created a duty for officers to intervene, report, and render medical aid if necessary if they notice another officer using excessive force.
In May 2020, George Floyd was killed by a police officer during an arrest after he was suspected of paying a store clerk with a counterfeit $20 bill. A few months earlier, Breonna Taylor was killed in her Louisville home when police officers executed a no-knock warrant and shot her five times. Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired a shot after officers broke the door off its hinges and hit an officer in the thigh. There have been many other instances before and after these events in which police officers used excessive force toward Black people. In response, many states across the country enacted one or more statewide policing reforms, and some addressed areas directly related to the killing of George Floyd. Last year, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has signed into law new regulations to address racial bias targeting. Virginia House Bill 5069 prohibits officers from using any part of their body or an object to control or disable someone by applying pressure to their
These new laws were put in place in an attempt to level the playing field. They are not specific to certain situations or demographics, and it calls for police officers to act in the best interest of those they are meant to serve. These laws are a stepping stone toward creating equality and removing any racial bias.
CHICKEN WITHLEMON HERBSAUCE
Inspired by FoodNetwork.com
SUDOKU
Healthy eating doesn’t have to be bland with this citrusy chicken!
INGREDIENTS
• 1/3 cup and 2 tbsp olive oil, divided • 4 boneless chicken breasts • 1 clove of garlic, minced • 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped • 1/3 cup mint, chopped • 1 1/2 tsp pepper • 1 lemon, for juice and zest
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 450 F. 2. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper if desired and sear it in the skillet for 3 minutes on each side. Bake chicken until its internal temperature is 165 F. 4. In a blender, add 1/3 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, parsley, mint, pepper, and lemon zest and juice and blend ingredients until coarsely mixed. 5. Top chicken with sauce and serve!
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THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GOLDEN RULE PAGE 1 GAINING THE ADVANTAGE IN A FAMILY LAW CASE THE ORIGINAL ‘CELEBRITY’ ATHLETES PAGE 2 THE NEW LAWS DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE RACIAL TARGETING CHICKEN WITH LEMON HERB SAUCE PAGE 3 ALTERNATIVE SEARCH ENGINES — ARE THEY WORTH TRYING? PAGE 4 INSIDETHIS ISSUE
HOW 2 ALTERNATIVE SEARCH ENGINES MEASURE UP CAN YOU REALLY GIVE UP GOOGLE?
Ecosia: Plant Trees While You Search (Ecosia.org)
Only one search engine has become a verb since its founding: Google. According to StatCounter, more than 86% of internet users worldwide depend on Google to answer everyday questions. But the tech company’s Big Brother-like data collection (it stores personal data for many users indefinitely, including what you buy online, your search history, and your real-life location) and privacy breaches have started to raise red flags. In 2013, techies and journalists launched a grassroots “DeGoogle” movement consisting of folks eager to quit the platform. If you want to DeGoogle, the easiest place to start is with your search engine (it’s tougher to quit Gmail, Chrome, or Android). Bing and Yahoo! have the biggest market share after Google (about 6.8% and 2.3%, respectively) but are chips off the same money-making block. To really take a step toward DeGoogling, try one of these two
alternative engines with very different missions. Either one can be downloaded as a Chrome extension.
Last August, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report predicting more natural disasters, rapid sea level changes, and crop-killing droughts if nations don’t take action on climate change. One way to cool the planet is to plant trees, and 15 million internet users have now turned to Ecosia — a green search engine — to do just that. Ecosia was founded in Germany in 2009. A B-Corp, the company runs on solar energy and plants seedlings with its search revenue. Like DuckDuckGo, it guarantees anonymous searches, but Ecosia runs through Bing, so it does have a Google-like risk of data breaches.
DuckDuckGo: Put Privacy First (DuckDuckGo.com)
Since its launch in 2008, DuckDuckGo has pitched itself as a privacy-focused alternative to Google. “We don’t store your personal information. Ever,” it promises, and offers private searching, tracker blocking, and site encryption. Fast Company named DuckDuckGo one of its top picks in the 2021 article “Bye Google: 7 privacy-first search engines everyone should try,” noting that it’s “the most polished [read: most Google- like] private search engine available, with dedicated results carousels for videos, recipes, and shopping.” The biggest downside to DuckDuckGo is that it’s search results aren’t quite as complete as Google’s.
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