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THE Defender
JANUARY 2019
770-919-9525 • FRYELAWGROUP.COM
WHAT THE LAST 10 YEARS HAVE MEANT TO ME
MY EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH KIM AND FRYE LAW GROUP
Most people have a mentor or someone they look up to who offers them advice, guides them through difficult times, and supports them while they dodge the inevitable curveballs associated with mere human existence. Fortunately for me, I met my mentor, Kim Frye, 10 years ago, and she had — and continues to have — a major effect on my life. I started working with Kim approximately six months after she opened Frye Law Group in 2008. I was a 17-year-old high school student at the time. Her eldest son joined a Boy Scout troop in the area, where I was finishing my Eagle Scout rank. When I met Kim there, she mentioned that she was opening up a firm and needed someone to help. I started a part-time position there answering phones, organizing paperwork, and running files down to the courthouse. It didn’t take long for Kim to notice how much I enjoyed the job and observe that I could complete my work competently. My part-time role quickly grew into a full-time position. As a kid working on his high school diploma with zero legal experience, I knew that Kim was taking a chance on me. But I also knew that I was a quick learner and could discover everything I needed to know to help ensure that operations ran smoothly for her new business. “Getting to meet the real people who are Trampled by the system and hearing their true stories of unfair or biased treatment has made me wholeheartedly believe in the work I do.” I worked as Kim’s paralegal through my senior year up until I left for college. While I was at Georgia Tech, I went from studying chemical engineering to environmental engineering. Then I landed on a chemistry degree, which I pursued until the constant classes, homework, tests, and stress left me feeling a bit burned out. At this point, I knew I needed to take a short hiatus from school. Fortunately, Kim and I had stayed in touch. We even went skydiving for her birthday when I was home visiting from school! So when I told her my plan, she didn’t hesitate to hire me back. Ever since my first day back in 2008, I’ve learned so much from this job and from Kim. All most people know about criminal law stems from the fictional depictions they see on TV, but the actual process is so much different than what is shown to the masses. Getting to meet the real people who are trampled by the system and hearing their true stories of unfair or biased treatment has
made me wholeheartedly believe in the work I do. In the last decade, I have watched Kim help thousands of people. After being exposed to that kind of immense impact, it’s almost impossible to opt out of helping Kim assist more people in similar predicaments. I believe in what we do because I’ve seen the inspiring and life-altering results. As Kim has continued to expand her practice to help more people, I have taken on more responsibilities at the firm. Together, we understand that you need more than ample legal experience to run a successful law firm; you have to be able to manage a business as well. With my focus on human resources, information technology, finances, and other operational processes, Kim has been able to do more of what she does best: help her clients in the courtroom. It’s almost as if the two of us have grown symbiotically. Through Kim’s support and encouragement, I’ve found a way to combine my technical skills with my love of helping people. When I think about all the people we’ve helped in the last decade, it’s fascinating for me to look back knowing that I was there at the beginning as her very first employee.
–Mark Petell
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SPONTANEOUSLY EJECTING CORK CAUSES LAWSUIT PUTTING THE ‘PAIN’ IN CHAMPAGNE
For many people, preparing for the New Year’s countdown is the most exhilarating part of the holiday season. You tune your TV to the Times Square ball drop, hand out party hats, confetti, and noisemakers, and meticulously line up some champagne flutes. What’s left to do? Pop open the champagne! There are many partiers who pop the cork with enthusiastic and careless abandon, while others point the bottle away from their faces and anxiously twist the cork until they hear those bubbles surge to the surface. Turns out, while the latter practice may be slightly less fun, it’s certainly the safer approach. On April 8, 1978, Charles J. Murray was injured when a natural cork stopper spontaneously ejected from a bottle of previously unopened Almaden Blanc de Blancs champagne and struck him in the left eye. He was preparing to serve the bubbly to a party of 40 people, so he placed 12 bottles on a rolling cart and removed the foil and wire retainer from three or four bottles — including the one that eventually injured him. Once he started to roll the cart toward the guests, the cork shot out of the bottle all on its own. Due to the severity of his injury, Murray sued Almaden Vineyards, Inc., National Distillers and Chemical Corporation, and Carbo, Inc., alleging that they were responsible because they failed to include a proper warning label on the bottle. The defendants, however, argued that the cork stopper did not and could not spontaneously eject unless Murray had handled the bottle improperly. The case was argued by both sides for two years, but eventually, Murray won. Almaden
Vineyards now prints the following on its bottles: “WARNING: THIS BOTTLE IS UNDER PRESSURE. THE STOPPER WILL EJECT SOON AFTER THE WIRE HOOD REMOVAL. TO PROTECT AGAINST INJURY TO FACE AND EYES, POINT AWAY FROM SELF AND OTHERS WHEN OPENING.” When it comes to bubbly-induced mayhem, the greatest potential trouble lies in the eye of the beholder — literally. With an estimated velocity of 60 miles per hour, uncontrolled corks do in fact fly faster than the blink of an eye. To avoid having to explain a not-so-fashionable eye patch at work on Monday, handle those fizzy drinks with care.
NATIONAL THANK YOU MONTH!
CHRISTINE KOEHLER OF KOEHLER AND RIDDICK, LLC
but she realized early on that she didn’t truly enjoy the work. She then moved on to work for AIDS Legal Project, an organization that gave her the opportunity to litigate on behalf of people who were HIV positive or had AIDS. Working with these clients is one of the most rewarding experiences of Christine’s career, yet she still felt she could make the biggest difference in the courtroom. After attending a criminal defense seminar, Christine decided that she wanted to be a public defender. But, after struggling to find a job in the public sector, she opted to work at a large DUI firm to learn from the best teachers she could find. Ironically, Christine is now a judge in the same county she tried to find a job in as a public defender. Regarding this jocose turn of events, Christine explains, “Often, when you aren’t getting the job that you desperately want, it’s easy to get frustrated. But my not getting a job as a public defender in DeKalb County at first and becoming a judge years later in that same county goes to show that your initial plans often don’t work out for a reason.” In addition to serving as an associate part-time magistrate judge and a partner at Koehler and Riddick, LLC, Christine likes to periodically shift her legal focus. While she still loves to take on criminal defense cases, she also does ethics representation for other attorneys and has recently started to represent victims in both criminal and civil cases. With her wealth of experience and her innate desire to learn, Christine’s reputation as one of the best attorneys in the state precedes her. If you or someone you know needs any advice, information, or representation, we highly recommend giving Christine a call at 770-513-0113.
Because January is National Thank You Month, our team wanted to highlight someone we are particularly grateful for this year: Christine Koehler. As a partner at Koehler and Riddick, LLC, Christine is considered one of Georgia’s premier criminal defense attorneys. While she has been practicing criminal defense for 23 years, her journey to get to this role is quite fascinating.
Following her graduation from Georgia State College of Law in 1995, Christine started working for an insurance defense firm,
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ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION SPIKES OVER THE HOLIDAY SEASON
HOW KIM CAN HELP WITH MINOR IN POSSESSION CHARGES
The holiday season is a time for celebrating, and with the festivities often comes alcohol consumption. In fact, according to a report published by the International Business Times, 25 percent of all champagne bottles sold in the U.S. are purchased during the week from Christmas to New Year’s Day. Because they are out on winter break, young college students in particular often find that this time of year lends itself to opportunities for house parties and drinking games. Social media makes it easy for teens to find out about these events, and then small gatherings can quickly turn into huge, out-of-control parties. Often, the police get noise complaints from neighbors and end up coming to the house to break up the celebration. There can be serious consequences if police find out that people under the age of 21 are drinking. When officers broke up house parties or small get-togethers in the past, they rarely arrested teens, even if they were underage and drinking or smoking weed. In some cases, officers would just pour out their alcohol, take away the marijuana, and order them to turn the music down. That’s not the case currently. More and more young people are getting permanent criminal records from offenses like minor in possession of alcohol and possession of marijuana. One of the things that Kim does in her law office is help young people who have been charged with these kinds of offenses, and she does her best to get their records clean. In many cases, Kim and her team work to get their young clients out of a conviction for these offenses. Often, she can get the offense dismissed and their arrest expunged.
If you or someone you know received a minor in possession charge for alcohol or marijuana this holiday season, please don’t hesitate to give the office a call at 770-919-9525 to see how Kim can help you today.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE WITH SOME MOVIE TRIVIA
PEANUT BUTTER AND BERRY FRENCH TOAST
INGREDIENTS • 8 slices brioche, 1/2-inch thick • 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter • 2 large eggs • 1/8 cup heavy cream • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Even the best of students hates taking tests, but here at Frye Law Group, we love a good trivia question. Check out the following film quote below: “Our lives are not fully lived if we’re not willing to die for those we love, for what we believe.” Do you know the movie this quote is from? If so, send an email to news@fryelawgroup. com as soon as possible, including your phone and the title of the film. The first three responders to answer correctly will win a free gift card to Jack’s New Yorker Deli!
• 2 cups cornflakes • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter • 2 cups mixed berries • Powdered sugar, to sprinkle • Maple syrup, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS 1. On a large baking sheet lined with wax paper, place 4 slices of brioche and spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter on each. Cover with remaining slices, creating sandwiches. 2. In a pie plate, beat eggs with cream and vanilla. In another, coarsely crush the cornflakes. 3. Lightly soak sandwiches in the egg mixture, then dredge in cornflakes, pressing to adhere. Return to baking sheet. 4. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Once melted and up to temperature, add sandwiches, cooking on one side until golden and crisp, about 2–3 minutes. 5. Return sandwiches to baking sheet, add remaining butter, and repeat on other side. 6. Top sandwiches with berries, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve with maple syrup. Inspired by Delish
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170 Anderson Street Marietta, GA 30060 770-919-9525 FryeLawGroup.com
Inside this Issue
What the Last 10 Years Have Meant to Me page 1
Watch Out for Rogue Champagne Corks This Year National Thank You Month: Christine Koehler! page 2 Party Crashers Peanut Butter and Berry French Toast page 3 The Best Skiing Destinations in the World page 4
3 OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST WINTER SPORT DESTINATIONS
WHO’S READY FOR SOME POWDER?
The sound of the first carve through fresh powder is the anthem of all winter sports enthusiasts. Here are three of the world’s best places to experience that powder you’ve been craving all year.
BRECKENRIDGE, COLORADO
your stimulating experience, because every curve of fresh powder makes your pupils dilate. Once you’re done flying down the hill where Bode Miller took the bronze, head over to the winter wonderland of the old Olympic Village for a cozy night in a picturesque town.
John Denver’s anthem “Rocky Mountain High” is about the freedom he felt here. Where there are great mountains, there’s even better snow. The ski resort boasts five peaks, 187 trails, 34 lifts, four terrain parks, and a renowned cross-country trail. After a day on the slopes, head into the town of Breckenridge for dining and activities that ditch the glitz and glamour of Vail or Aspen and take you straight to the heart of fun.
ST. ANTON, AUSTRIA
If you want a great location for next year’s Christmas card photo, there’s no better place than the Tyrolean Alps. Nestled in a valley between perfectly molded mountains, the Austrian landscape provides a beautiful backdrop for your winter excursions. The densely wooded areas and the bright reflection of the snow frame the vibrant town that’s just waiting to be explored. When you’re ready for world- class runs, hop in one of the 11 gondolas and zip down the hills that hosted the 2001 Alpine World Ski Championships.
WHISTLER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
A destination that looks like a cross between a Nordic paradise and Olympic-level runs, Whistler is filled with true magic, winter activities, and a town that captivates the senses. When you see the mountains of British Columbia, you’ll understand why they hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics. The location’s beauty is only part of
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