Izquierdo Law Firm December 2017

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IzLegal Illustrated

All I Want for Christmas MY FAVORITE FAMILY TRADITION

What sticks out most in your memory about the holidays? My approach to Christmas is the same as Thanksgiving. It’s not about the gifts; it’s about hanging out with family and enjoying the company of our loved ones. It’s also about tradition. For many Cuban-American families like mine, that means things like roasting a pig in a caja china , which I’ve written about in the past. But traditions don’t have to involve a huge amount of work or large quantities of meat to be special. Sometimes, the simple traditions are the most important ones.

have the pot on the stove, a mix of sweetened condensed milk and regular milk heating up. As it warmed, she’d take a knife and shave the chocolate into the pot. She really took her time, but that’s part of what made it so wonderful. It was my favorite thing about Christmas, and it had nothing to do with lights or trees or presents. It was just one of those little things that make you love the holidays all the more. It’s been five years since my grandparents passed away, but I still feel tied to them with this tradition, which my grandmother handed on to my wife years ago. So now it’s Melissa who stands by the stove and shaves Menier chocolate into the pot, a tradition that I hope will continue in our family for decades to come. That’s the power of tradition, isn’t it? It makes us feel connected to family. We may not always remember what we did each Christmas, or even the presents we received. But we remember the little traditions that our families have, and we hold those close and pass them on. That’s why all I want for Christmas is hot chocolate and toasted Cuban bread with butter. I hope you get everything that you want this year, and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.

“That’s the power of tradition, isn’t it? It makes us feel connected to family.”

My family is small, but we’re tight-knit. I spent a lot of time with my maternal grandparents as a child, and I’d either spend Christmas Eve with them or come over on Christmas morning. Either way, my grandmother would make her special Christmas breakfast: hot chocolate and Cuban bread, toasted, with butter. It was incredibly ritualized. She had a specific process. If I close my eyes, I can see her standing by the stove, unwrapping the yellow Menier chocolate packaging with the foil underneath. She’d

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Give a DIY Housewarming Gift Basket!

FLAVORS OF LIFE Everyone needs the basics when they are settling into a new home. Put together a basket with these ingredients for a savory start: gourmet salt, a bread mix, olive oil and vinegar, a mixed herb set, and a bottle of wine to make unpacking a bit more enjoyable. WARMTH FOR WINTER’S CHILL You can also provide heartwarming gifts to brighten a new home. This theme might include seasonal candles, scented plug-ins, a decorative string of lights, and glow-in-the-dark stars for the kids’ room. Once you’ve chosen a theme, gather the materials to prepare your basket, including a decorative bow and matching tissue paper. Then, stop by and introduce yourself and share your thoughtful, creative gift. You’re sure to impress!

Around the world, people welcome their newest neighbors with special gifts. Russia is often credited with starting this housewarming tradition. Dignitaries would visit nearby villages to deliver salt and bread to townspeople. The salt was symbolic of living a life full of flavor, while the bread was so no one would go hungry. Other cultures have their own housewarming customs. In Italy, a broom is bequeathed to new inhabitants to sweep away any lingering evil spirits. Another common gift is a candle, which signifies always having light. Meanwhile, the French make a day of it by inviting new neighbors over for a “l’aperitif,” an afternoon snack of cheese and meat. Indians also extend a hospitable welcome, inviting new neighbors to join them for lunch or dinner. These neighbors also receive a gift for their new home.

People often lament a time when “everyone knew their neighbors,” and while some nostalgia is better left to memory (lava lamps, for example), a neighborly connection is worth pursuing. If you’ve never met yours, or if you just noticed the new family moving in next door, it’s time to extend a friendly hand. This holiday season, go above and beyond by putting together a gift basket for your neighbors inspired by some of the aforementioned traditions. Here are a few themes to try. CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS There’s nothing worse than unpacking and realizing you tossed out all of your cleaning tools. Draw on Italian sensibility and put together a household supply basket. Fill this basket with items like all- purpose cleaner, furniture spray, antibacterial wipes, sponges, and automatic air fresheners.

CASE STUDY

DRIVER WAS ASLEEP BEHIND THE WHEEL OF HIS TRUCK AND REFUSED TO SUBMIT TO A BREATH TEST AFTER FAILING SOBRIETY EXERCISES

FACTS: At 4:28 a.m., the defendant was found asleep behind the wheel of his pickup truck at a gas station in Sunrise, Florida (Broward County). A Sunrise Police Department officer attempted to wake up the defendant for several minutes. After finally waking up the defendant and determining that the defendant was an impaired driver, they asked him to perform standard field sobriety exercises. The officer observed that the defendant had bloodshot, watery, and glassy eyes, and noticed a heavy odor of alcohol emanating from the defendant’s vehicle. The defendant failed the roadside sobriety exercises and was placed under arrest for DUI. The defendant later refused to submit to a Breathalyzer test to measure

his breath alcohol content. After the court denied our motion to suppress evidence as a result of an illegal stop, we took the case to trial and a jury found the defendant not guilty. DISCLAIMER: The results are specific to the facts and legal circumstances of each of the clients’ cases and should not be used to form an expectation that the same results could be obtained for other clients in similar matters without reference to the specific factual and legal circumstances of each client’s case.

RESULT: JURY VERDICT — NOT GUILTY

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Auto Accident Do’s and Don’ts

DO take pictures of everything, including all vehicles involved, the scene, and any injuries. Get the license plate information of the other vehicles and the names of the other drivers. DON’T just exchange insurance information and drive off. You want a police officer there to document the incident. It will preserve important evidence if you need to involve the legal system later on. This can also protect you against the other driver misrepresenting what occurred to their own insurance company. DON’T try to prevent someone from leaving the scene of an accident. There are lots of reasons someone might not want to stick around, and if they want to go, just give the police as much information as you can write down or remember about them.

Auto accidents — even fender benders — are incredibly stressful. It’s important to keep a cool head, but that’s difficult when there’s twisted metal, broken plastic, and traffic speeding by. If you’re in this situation, take a deep breath and follow this list for the best results. DO stop in a safe place, if possible. If you can pull over or get out of the way of traffic, you need to. The last thing you need right now is for another car to hit your vehicle or the other vehicle involved in the accident. Safety is the first priority. DO call 911 immediately, even if you don’t think there are any injuries. You can let the dispatcher know that it’s not a life-and-death situation and let them prioritize the call accordingly, but you want law enforcement to show up. Of course, if there are injuries — and unless you’re a medical professional, you might not really know — you’ll need emergency medical care on-scene as soon as possible.

Remember — safety first. And call 911 every time.

Laugh Out Loud

Easy Holiday Party Cheese Fondue Scrambling to find something for the holiday potluck? This fondue is sure to impress! Ingredients

¾ cup dry white wine

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Salt to taste

1 (8-ounce) package sliced Swiss cheese

Foods to dip (apple slices, bread cubes, roasted vegetables, etc.)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together wine and cornstarch. 2. Chop cheese slices into small, uniform pieces. 3. Rub clove of garlic all over the sides and bottom of a heavy-bottomed pot, then discard. 4. Heat wine mixture over medium-low heat in the pot until thick and bubbling. Add

some cheese and slowly whisk. When nearly smooth, add more cheese and whisk gently. Repeat until all cheese is melted. If mixture seems too tight, add 1 tablespoon wine. 5. Season with salt and serve immediately. Keep pot on low heat to keep the fondue dippable.

Recipe inspired by PinchofYum.com

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INSIDE this issue

1

My Favorite Family Tradition

2

Give a DIY Housewarming Gift Basket!

Case Study

3

5 Tips for Handling Any Auto Accident Easy Holiday Party Cheese Fondue

4

Christmas Trees Are German?

THE UNCLEAR ORIGIN

of Christmas Trees

When you brought home this year’s Christmas tree, you and the family most likely spent an evening decorating it with lights, store-bought and homemade ornaments, a star or angel topper, and maybe

evergreen fir to celebrate winter festivals, both pagan and Christian, for thousands of years. The tree has represented many things, including the winter solstice, Saturnalia, and everlasting life with God. During the 1500s in Germany, people brought full pine trees, called paradise trees, into their homes to celebrate the Name Day of Adam and Eve on Dec. 24. The families decorated the tree with apples and gingerbread. Before long, glassmakers began crafting small ornaments to hang on the trees. In Victorian times, trees were even decorated with candles! Over time, paradise trees evolved into Christmas trees. In the 18th and 19th centuries, when many Germans immigrated to the United States, they brought the tradition with them. However, the practice of decorating a pine tree with apples didn’t quite catch on.

Then, In the winter of 1841, Queen Victoria of England requested a Christmas tree at Windsor Castle for her husband, Prince Albert, who was of German descent. The Queen thought the tree would be a nice gesture, and the London News published a story about the royal Christmas tree in 1848. The tradition quickly spread throughout Europe and North America. When Christmas trees first rose to prominence in the United States, they were often decorated with homemade ornaments, while many German- Americans continued to use apples, nuts, and marzipan cookies. Popcorn joined later, dyed bright colors and interlaced with berries and nuts. Electricity brought lights, making it possible for Christmas trees to glow for days on end. And with that, Christmas trees quickly became an American tradition.

even tinsel. If you’re more traditional, you may have even included a popcorn string. But have you ever wondered why we started decorating our Christmas trees in the first place?

While the origins of the Christmas tree are uncertain, we’ve used the

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