Check out our March newsletter!
949-565-2993
CaseBarnettLaw.com
MARCH 2018
Our family members are often the first people we lean on during hard times. A recent case we took on at the firm involved the wrongful death of a 20-year-old man. While working on the case, I saw how this young man’s family members supported each other during their difficult time. It was heartbreaking to watch the pain these people were in. You could clearly see how important family was to them. They shared many stories about himwith me, wanting to honor his memory. This young man had a large family with roots in Mexico. Whenever they got together, he would cook up all the food. Many of my clients have taught me how important preparing and sharing food is to their cultural tradition. It’s a pillar of both the current family dynamic and a connection to past family members. Losing a loved one left a mark on the family, and in addition to leaning on each other, this family utilized their cultural traditions to help in the mourning process. With St. Patrick’s Day quickly approaching, I have been thinking about family heritage and how our origin influences who we are today. My mother-in-law’s side of the family hails from Italy and Norway. Meanwhile, ancestors on my father-in-law’s side and my own came to the United States from Ireland. For a long time, the most we did to celebrate our Irish heritage was eat corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day. But while I was in college, my momwent back to school to get her Ph.D in Irish studies at University College Dublin. CULTURAL TRADITIONS CELEBRATE OUR HERITAGE WHO WE ARE
of hospitality in Ireland. The people we met in Dublin were incredibly welcoming and friendly. They have even come to visit us in the years since our first visit.
I also loved the pub culture of Ireland. There’s a sense of community in an Irish pub that you don’t often find in American bars. People in Ireland aren’t holed up at home every night. They go out to the pub to engage with their neighbors over a drink and to talk about government, life, and sports. While in Ireland, we stopped by a pub in this tiny town in the middle of nowhere. It was full of people from the surrounding farms, gathering to decompress after a long day and connect with each other through stories. We can learn a lot about a person by listening to their cultural traditions, from the food they enjoy to how they mourn the loss of a loved one. There is something completely beautiful about the traditions we inherit from our family. They are so integrated into who we are as human beings. Our traditions keep us
My mom always had an interest in her Irish heritage, and I thought it was amazing of her to become fully committed to the subject. Her passion inspired
connected to the family who came before us and to the family who will come after we’re gone. Shared values and traditions remind us we’re part of something greater, and whatever culture you come from, that’s worth celebrating. –Case Barnett
the rest of our family to embrace our roots a little more. While in Ireland, my mom got to know a lot of wonderful people, and we were able to meet some of themwhen we visited. I was blown away by the tradition
PAGE 2 949-565-2993 SPRING CLEANING The Importance of
CaseBarnettLaw.com
Your Utility Room
Family homes (three or more occupants) with no pets or allergies: 3 to 6 months.
The start of spring brings everyone’s favorite seasonal chore — spring cleaning! As you dust, vacuum, organize, and declutter, don’t forget about the one room that often gets neglected. This year, give special attention to the utility closet. The utility closet houses your furnace, boiler, water heater, A/C junction, and other similar large appliances. Homeowners often forget about these appliances because they are out of sight and out of mind, and this can cost a lot in the long run. Like all the other rooms in your home, this space needs to be kept clean. Dust, for instance, can be hard on HVAC systems. Over time, it accumulates in the HVAC intake and clogs the air filter, reducing its effectiveness and efficiency. This results in a short lifespan for your system, higher power bills, and a poorly heated or cooled home.
Family homes with at least one pet or minor allergies: 2 to 3 months.
Family homes with multiple pets or allergies: 1 to 2 months.
In addition to changing the air filter, it’s important to schedule a routine inspection of your home’s HVAC system. This includes an inspection of the appliances themselves and any connecting ducts. Dust, dander, and mold can accumulate in the ducts and spread throughout the home, which can lead to health issues, including respiratory problems. A routine inspection will identify potential problems in your HVAC system. On top of that, you can get these systems professionally cleaned and maintained. These are simple steps that will keep your home’s air systems running smoothly for years to come. Plus, you’ll be ready for the summer months ahead!
How Often Should You Replace Your Air Filter?
Homes with minimal foot traffic (single or double occupancy) and no pets or allergies: 6 to 12 months.
OPENING OUR HEARTS
This charity also works hard to offer disaster relief around the world. In 2013, volunteers with Giving Children Hope were some of the first responders after Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines. Last year, they aided communities devastated by Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, and Hurricane Maria. Giving Children Hope is a charity we truly believe in at Case Barnett Law. Once a month, our firm goes out to their warehouse to help prep backpacks for WGYB. Additionally, last Christmas, we hosted a toy drive on behalf of this charity. Our team and a number of our clients donated gifts to help make sure children in our community had presents to open during the holidays. We want to thank everyone who opened their hearts and supported the toy drive, and an extra big thank-you to Patty Barnett and the Huntley family! For decades, Giving Children Hope has aimed to enrich the lives of needy children and their families in our community and around the globe, fully living up to their motto, “Across the street and around the world.”
During the week, thousands of children living in poverty across Orange and Los Angeles counties are able to eat thanks to free and reduced-cost meal programs at their schools. However, during the weekend, they do not have access to this source of nutrition. To fill this need, the charity Giving Children Hope founded their We’ve Got Your Back (WGYB) program almost 10 years ago.
Partnered with over 60 schools, WGYB provides over 1,200 backpacks of food every week, feeding around 4,000 people each weekend. This is just one of the many ways Giving Children Hope strives to make the world a better place. In addition to providing much-needed nutrition to families in our community, this incredible organization provides medical supplies and equipment as well as basic living needs like towels or home goods to families around the world.
If you would like to learn more about Giving Children Hope, or if you are interested in volunteering, please visit givingchildrenhope.org
Reminder About Our Firm’s Communication Policy: Our promise to you is that we don’t take inbound calls or emails while we are working on your case. Case Barnett takes no inbound unscheduled phone calls whatsoever. It makes him much more productive and helps get your case resolved faster. You can always call the office at 949.861.2990, and schedule an in-person or phone appointment, usually within 24-48 hours. This is a lot better than the endless game of “phone tag” played by most businesses today. Remember, too, that email is “quick,” but is checked no more than twice a day. Replies are then scheduled into the calendar. So if it’s really important, don’t email — call the office instead.
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FROM PROSECUTION TO DEFENSE Brian Gurwitz Defends His Clients’ Rights
F or 13 years, Brian Gurwitz prosecuted criminal cases in Orange County as a senior deputy district attorney. In that time, he played a key role in some of Orange Country’s most high-profile cases, arguing cases before the California Supreme Court and testifying before both houses of the legislature. Gurwitz also saw firsthand how police misconduct, brutality, and corruption can affect the highest levels of law enforcement. While working as a prosecutor, Gurwitz investigated a number of prison inmates’ appeals, discovering new evidence which proved their innocence on more than one occasion. Influenced by his own experiences, Gurwitz has said, “A strong criminal defense is a critical check against the misuse of government power.” Today, Brian Gurwitz is one of Orange County’s best criminal defense attorneys and runs his own firm. From misdemeanors to serious felonies, Gurwitz avidly protects the rights of all his clients. With over 20 years of experience under his belt and ample firsthand knowledge of the strategies used by the prosecution, clients who call Gurwitz find themselves in good hands. Brian Gurwitz is also one of our firm’s referral partner attorneys and has sent us numerous cases over the years. Most recently, he referred us a premises liability case. Gurwitz’s client was being investigated
for potential criminal wrongdoing, but the client ended up having a civil claim against a landowner. We expect this case to settle in a few weeks and we wanted to publicly thank Brian for sending the case our way. We are grateful to Mr. Gurwitz and for all our referral partners. Get to know The Law Office of Brian Gurwitz for yourself at gurwitzlaw.com.
LAUGH! Have a
Zesty Zucchini Enchiladas
For a lighter take on enchiladas, go carb-free by swapping tortillas for zucchini!
Ingredients
• • • •
2 teaspoons cumin
• • • •
4 large zucchini
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon olive oil or ghee
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups shredded cheese
Directions
the zucchini “tortilla” and place on baking sheet. Repeat until all zucchini and chicken is used. 3. Cover the enchiladas with remaining sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Bake 20 minutes, and enjoy!
1. Heat oven to 350 F. In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and salt to taste. Stir to combine. Add chicken and 1 cup enchilada sauce. 2. Use vegetable peeler to thinly slice zucchini.
Lay out three slices, slightly overlapping, and spoon chicken mixture on top. Roll
Adapted from delish.com.
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949-565-2993
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“This publication is intended to educate the general public about personal injury and elder abuse. It is not intended to be legal advice. Every case is different.”
245 Fischer Avenue, Suite B4 Costa Mesa, CA 92626
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Page 1 What Keeps Us Connected
Page 2 Spring CleanYour Utility Room
Page 2 ‘Across the Street and Around theWorld’
Page 3 Defending Clients’Rights
Page 3 Go Carb-Free for Dinner
Page 4 St. Patrick’s Day vs. the Color Green
GREEN DOMINATES ST. PATRICK’S DAY FOR A REASON
WHY GREEN IS THE COLOR OF ST. PATRICK’S DAY
There’s only one day of the year you’ll be scorned for not wearing green: St. Patrick’s Day. If you’ve ever gone the whole holiday wearing any other color, you’ve probably been pinched by your peers, family, spouse, and anyone else decked out head to toe in green. Green has become so deeply associated with the St. Patrick holiday that many people are unaware that green wasn’t always its official color. Blue was the first color to symbolize St. Patrick’s Day, and the saint himself is almost always depicted dressed in what’s known as “St. Patrick’s blue.” What caused the shift from green to blue is more speculation than hard fact. Some have theorized that the change happened sometime in the 17th century, when the symbol for the United Irishmen Rebellion became the clover. St. Patrick used the clover to teach the Irish people about the Holy Trinity, and it eventually became a symbol that represented both the saint and the holiday.
Another theory comes from Ireland’s nickname, “The Emerald Isle,” which was coined because of the plentiful green foliage that adorns the country’s landscape. It also relates to the green in the flag. Each of the three colors in the flag have their own symbolic meaning: green for the Catholics who live in the country, orange for the Protestants, and white for the peace between the two. Of course, you can’t forget leprechauns, the little creatures that have always been affiliated with the holiday. But just like St. Patrick’s original blue garb, these impish tricksters used to wear red instead of green. While green overtook blue as the shade of choice for St. Patrick, leprechauns began putting on their signature green suits. You might wonder where the tradition of pinching comes from. We can thank the leprechauns for this one. It’s said that if the gold-loving redheads caught you not wearing their favorite color, they would pinch you. To avoid pinches from leprechauns and people alike, be sure to put on some green this St. Patrick’s Day to blend in with the festive crowd.
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