Take a look at the latest edition of the DeWitt Digest!
The
Digest
DeWittLaw.com
MARCH 2021
407-245-7723
Getting You the Pot of Gold MULTIPLY YOUR SETTLEMENT WITH THE HELP OF AN EXPERIENCED LEGAL TEAM
March is here, which means spring is right around the corner! Even though the greenery stays with us year-round here in Orlando, the arrival of spring never fails to make everything feel a little more sunny and green than our winter — which is fitting, considering St. Patrick’s Day is in March. St. Patrick’s Day is often associated with luck — the “luck of the Irish,” as it’s commonly known. Regardless of what your thoughts are on luck as a concept, whether you believe it exists or not, we at DeWitt Law Firm know one thing for sure: When it comes to getting the settlement you deserve in your personal injury case, that has everything to do with having an experienced personal injury attorney in your corner, and nothing to do with luck. According to one study, if you let an attorney represent you in court for your personal injury case, your settlement will be three times as much as the settlement you would get if you were to represent yourself. There are a host of other reasons you shouldn’t represent yourself in court, but I think this fact alone is reason enough to find an experienced personal injury attorney in your area to represent you for your case. All that said, I get it; these days it’s normal to be a little skeptical of studies and articles of various kinds, no matter how ardently the authors and supporters of that research defend their results. However, the authors of this study aren’t who you would expect. In fact, the study that I’ve referenced so far was actually released by the insurance industry!
When it comes to personal injury cases, insurance companies are happy with any scenario that leads them to pay you less compensation. They don’t want for you to be represented by a qualified personal injury attorney, because they know that having an attorney will almost certainly lead you to getting more compensation, i.e. them paying more money for your case than they would otherwise. That begs the question: Why would an insurance company publish a study that comes to a conclusion that would hurt their bottom line? The only reason I can think of for them to do that is that the data is irrefutable — so much so that insurance companies couldn’t find any way to manipulate the data in their favor. They just had to present it as it is. All this to say, if you want to forge your own path to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and make your own luck in your personal injury case, it pays to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer. I hope that if you find yourself in a position where you’ve been injured, and you would like for the people responsible to compensate you for medical care and time away from work, that you would give DeWitt Law Firm a call. Through our hard work and expertise, we’ll try to help you get that pot of gold. "If you want to forge your own path to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and make your own luck in your personal injury case, it pays to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer.”
– Moe DeWitt
| 1 407-245-7723
PERSONAL INJURY - DIVORCE - REAL ESTATE
2 TRUE-CRIME PODCASTS THAT HAD REAL-WORLD IMPACTS FROM PODCAST TO PROSECUTION
THIS MONTH ON THE ‘DEWITT LAW REVIEW’
The "DeWitt Law Review" airs every Sunday at 10 a.m. on 107.3 FM and 580 AMWDBO. It is always our goal to bring the listeners of Central Florida the latest legal news and create a forum where they can ask legal questions anonymously from the comfort of their own home without having to retain an attorney. To listen to this month’s episodes or any episode of the "DeWitt Law Review," you can visit our website at DewittLaw.com, where you can download the podcast from Apple Podcasts or Spotify. We receive many legal questions from our listeners each month, and we wanted to share some of the interesting questions in the hopes that they may also benefit others facing similar legal issues. If you would like to ask a question, give us a call and leave a voicemail at 407-536-6737. You can also text questions to that number or email Ask@DewittLaw.com. Q: My truck was hit at a truck stop. Fortunately, I was not injured. However, I will not be able to work until my truck is fixed. Can I recover my lost wages? A: Yes, you should set up claims with your insurance company and the at-fault party’s insurance company. When you set up the claim, make sure you also let them know about your lost wages. Q: I was arrested for driving on a suspended license and was told it was a felony. Will they pull my driving record? A: Yes, they will access your driving record to prove that your license is suspended and to prove that you have previously been convicted of driving on a suspended license. In Florida, the maximum penalty for driving on a suspended license for the third time is up to five years in prison. The maximum penalty for the first time is up to 60 days in jail, and the maximum penalty for the second time is up to one year in jail. Q: I relocated to Nebraska with my daughter. I was never married to the father of my daughter, and now he has filed a paternity action in Florida, trying to force me to move back to Florida. Can he do that? A: In Florida, if you have a child with someone you are not married to, a paternity action is required to legally establish the father of the child. If the father filed the paternity action prior to you leaving the state, then he can prevent you from leaving. However, if he filed after you had already moved, the court cannot make you move back to Florida. The court will establish a long-distance parenting plan in that situation.
Americans have long loved murder mysteries, whether they’re fictional plays performed on stage or true stories told on television. So, it’s no surprise that as podcasting has skyrocketed in popularity, so have true- crime podcasts. While there is some debate about whether gruesome crimes should be aired for entertainment value, the best shows in the genre are supported by high- quality investigative journalism — and some are having real-world impacts.
‘SERIAL’ One of the best-known and most popular true-crime podcasts of all time, “Serial” first aired in 2014. Season 1 focused on the case of Adnan Syed, who was convicted of murdering his high school girlfriend in 1999. “Serial” called into question whether Syed’s trial was fair and if there was enough evidence to convict him. The groundbreaking series helped bring Syed’s case back to life. In 2018, a Maryland appeals court ruled that Syed should be granted a new trial based on “ineffective legal counsel” who failed to call a witness to testify who would have corroborated Syed’s alibi, according to The New York Times. Though this was a triumph for Syed, the ruling was appealed, and a year later, the Maryland Supreme Court refused to hear the new case. Syed and his counsel continue to appeal to higher courts. ‘IN THE DARK’ Season 2 of this popular true-crime podcast centered on Curtis Flowers, a man from Mississippi who’s been tried six times for the murder of four Winona residents at a local furniture store. Despite very little evidence linking Flowers to the murders, he was convicted and sentenced to death in 1997. “In the Dark” investigated Flowers’ four overturned convictions and two mistrials and uncovered an indisputable pattern of racial bias in prosecutor Doug Evans’ jury selection process. Flowers’ case was eventually appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2019, which overturned the latest conviction. While Evans contemplated bringing a seventh trial against Flowers, he did not. All charges were eventually dropped, and Flowers was freed in late 2019 after spending 23 years in prison. These two podcasts show that good journalism and strong storytelling can not only captivate an audience but also help bring long-delayed justice.
2 | WWW.DEWITTLAW.COM • 407-245-7723
SOUL BROTHER KEVIN SHOW ON 102.5 THE BONE! You Be the Lawyer!
If you have ever wanted to be a lawyer, now you can find out what it would be like. Every Friday at 7 p.m. on the "Soul Brother Kevin Show" on 102.5 the Bone, you get to be the lawyer. I provide a legal scenario, usually based on a case I’ve handled, and you get to be the lawyer. Here is one of the legal scenarios — you be the lawyer and tell me what happened. An individual brought his Audi to a mechanic to have a supercharger put on. When he dropped off his car, he signed a waiver. The waiver stated that: “The mechanic will not be liable for damages to persons and/or property while located at this facility or while under the care of authorized employees or agents of the company. The mechanic, along with employees or agents, will not be held liable for damages to vehicles at this facility or under
our care and/or operation. The company is not responsible for vandalism or acts of theft, weather, fire, or any other reason that may cause damage to a customer’s vehicle.” The mechanic calls and tells him his car is ready. He goes to pick up his car and while he is paying for the supercharger and the labor, he finds out that his car was involved in an accident. Turns out the mechanic was “test driving” his car, and it was totaled. The company told him they have a waiver and aren’t responsible for the damage to the car. Now, you be the lawyer and tell me what happened and whether the mechanic is liable. I stream the show every Friday on Facebook, so be sure to like the DeWitt Law Firm’s Facebook page. In case you missed the last few episodes, you can watch and listen to them on Facebook and YouTube.
BREAK TAKE A
Tasty Thai Fried Rice
Inspired by OhMyVeggies.com
We’re smack in the middle of broccoli season, and fried rice is the perfect dish to celebrate it. This savory, plant-based recipe is packed with nutritious vegetables and delicious Thai flavors. INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS
• 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 onion, chopped • 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced • 4 cups broccoli, chopped to bite‑size pieces • 4 cloves garlic, minced • 5 cups jasmine rice, cooked and cooled • 1/2 cup peanuts, chopped • 2 tbsp soy sauce • Toppings of choice for serving (sliced green onions, sliced cucumber, chopped peanuts, lime wedges, Sriracha, etc.)
1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2–3 minutes, until softened. 2. Add the mushrooms and broccoli. Cook for 5–7 minutes, until the broccoli is tender. 3. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. 4. Finally, add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, for 3–4 minutes. 5. Remove skillet from the heat and stir in the peanuts and soy sauce. 6. Serve garnished with your toppings.
| 3 PERSONAL INJURY - DIVORCE - REAL ESTATE
135 W. CENTRAL BLVD., SUITE 320 ORLANDO, FL 32801
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
WWW.DEWITTLAW.COM
407-245-7723
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
INSIDE
THIS ISSUE
PHONE AVAILABLE 24/7 (OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY–FRIDAY, 9 A.M.–5 P.M.)
1
Getting You the Pot of Gold
True-Crime Podcasts With Real-World Impacts
2
This Month on the ‘DeWitt Law Review’
2
You Be the Lawyer!
3
Tasty Thai Fried Rice
3
A Match Made in Cornmeal Batter Heaven
4
Corn Dogs and Basketball AN AMERICAN TRADITION
It’s no coincidence that National Corn Dog Day is March 20 — the third Saturday of the month. This day is traditionally the first Saturday of March Madness, otherwise known as the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. But wait. What do corn dogs and a basketball tournament have to do with one another? Turns out, National Corn Dog Day has everything to do with March Madness. The “holiday” began in March 1992 when two Corvallis, Oregon, high school students needed a snack while watching a basketball game. They got some corn dogs and called it good. But somehow, this simple snack and sport pairing turned into something huge. In fact, eating corn dogs while watching March Madness caught on like wildfire — and the teens didn’t even have Instagram to promote it! Though it’s not clear how, it spread across Oregon and eventually the rest of the country. It’s likely that people just heard about it from friends and family and thought it was a great idea. The corn dog, like basketball, is an American creation. In the 1920s, the creators toyed around with the idea of fried foods on a stick. They battered and fried everything from cheese to bananas, but it
was the battered sausages that really stood out, and
the corn dog was born. By the 1940s, the convenient creation had popped up at state fairs and drive-in restaurants all over the country. In 2012, in honor of the original Corn Dog Day, the then-governor of Oregon issued an official proclamation naming March 17 National Corn Dog Day in the state. Several companies jumped on the bandwagon as well, including Foster Farms (a maker of frozen corn dogs, among many other meat products) and the Pabst Brewing Company.
While it’s not an “official” national day recognized by the U.S. Congress, it’s celebrated with thousands of events every March. And it’s grown beyond its U.S. roots. An article printed in The Oregonian in 2009 revealed that National Corn Dog Day parties have been celebrated on nearly every continent — including Antarctica!
4 | WWW.DEWITTLAW.COM
PERSONAL INJURY - DIVORCE - REAL ESTATE
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog