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Toll-Free (661) 859-1177 Se Habla Español www.bakersfieldtraffictickets.com HARMAN CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC DEFENSE ATTORNEYS , APC BIGGER
THE DAILY DRIVER Attorneys Defending Your Right to the Road
DECEMBER 2024
FROM LUNCH TO LIFELONG LOVE THE 10 BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE
December 7, 2014, changed my life. I had been in Los Angeles for a couple of days to attend a conference with my soon-to-be law partner, Mark Bigger, as we prepared to launch Bigger & Harman. Before boarding a red-eye flight back to Atlanta, I visited a church with some close friends of mine. They had plans for lunch after church, but they were kind enough to introduce me to a friend who was going out to lunch with some other people from the church. He invited me to join them at The Habit Burger & Grill. I gladly accepted and ended up sitting at a table of complete strangers. When the man across the table from me heard that I was a lawyer, he excitedly told me that a law student from the church would be joining us.
That’s when my future wife walked in.
To the chagrin of those around us, the lovely law student and I spent the next hour or so talking about law school and preparing for the bar exam. Before she left, she asked if I was on Facebook and accepted a business card with my cellphone number written on the back. I also promised to send her study aids I had left at my parents’ house in Connecticut when I visited them for Christmas. That night, as my friends asked about my time at lunch, I told them about my intriguing conversation with the law student, Rossely. I read her Facebook profile thoroughly between then and my trip to my parents’ house for Christmas in Connecticut. As promised, I spent quite a while in their attic looking for my old study materials. I packed them up along with a “Bar Survival Kit.” It had all the essentials — a stress ball, smart food, chocolate, Advil, and Oreo cookies. I called her for the first time on Christmas Eve. Although she missed my call, we connected on Christmas Day and had our first private conversation. I moved back to California about a month later and I soon started dating the woman who would become my wife. We were married on December 4, 2016, almost exactly two years after we met.
December will always be a special month for me as I remember meeting and marrying Rossely. We now have three kids, ages 5, 3, and 11 months. They’re lucky to have such an amazing mother.
The moral of the story? Never turn down an invitation to get a burger! It may be the beginning of the 10 best years of your life!
–Paul Harman
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A PURR-FECT MATCH A CAT’S NOSE KNOWS How a Kitten Helped Samson Unleash His Inner Pup
Golden retriever Samson takes his job as a medical service response dog very seriously,
While they were out traveling, Samson spotted a kitten in the window of a building and immediately wanted to play. It was an “aha!” moment that Samson could indeed make deep bonds; it just had to be with the right animal. A couple of months later, they brought home a tiny kitten named Cleo, and the instant friendship surprised everyone. They gently placed the backpack with the little kitten inside in the middle of the room, and Samson immediately sprung into excited barks and tail wags. Lea said they were never expecting him to be so excited about his new friend, and the two have been inseparable since. “It was so heartwarming to see him come out of his shell and immediately form a connection with Cleo,” Lea said.
Now, the pair spend every moment they can together, playing, napping, and enjoying each other’s company. Cleo has become an avid adventurer since the family started taking her on hikes. When the kitty tires out, she takes a ride on her older brother Samson, who looks so proud to be transporting his sister. Cleo, a tiny kitten with a big heart, allowed Samson, a workaholic looking for a friend, to break out of his shell and explore his world in ways his family never thought possible. Now, thousands of people worldwide watch their friendship and adventures on the animal-odd couple’s Instagram page @calvin.andco .
maybe even too seriously. For owner Lea Hendy, it became apparent quickly that the loveable giant didn’t know how to dog. On their days off at the dog park, Samson was the odd man out, sitting alone in the corner while the other pups played. It seemed like he couldn’t turn off work mode or form bonds with other dogs. Samson joined Lea’s family to train as a service dog. When she noticed his seeming lack of social skills with other dogs, she was determined to find a way to bring him out of his shell. Little did she know that a chance encounter with a cat would change everything.
“It shows that friendship has no bounds,” Lea said. “Anyone can be friends.”
FIGHT A TAILGATING CITATION AND WIN Beat the Rap
Keeping a safe distance between your vehicle and the truck ahead can be a challenge in heavy, fast-moving traffic. The vehicle in front may brake suddenly, shortening the gap. Or another truck may pass you and pull back into your lane with only feet to spare. Maintaining that space is essential, however, to avoid costly citations for following too closely. Nearly 5% of vehicle collisions involving commercial trucks are caused by one driver following too closely, according to a 2019 federal study of large-truck accidents. Regulators define following too closely as driving so near that a crash would be likely to occur if the vehicle in front were to brake suddenly. As a rule, commercial truck drivers should leave four seconds of distance between themselves and the vehicle ahead when traveling at 40 mph,
five seconds at 50 mph, and six seconds at the 55 mph statewide speed limit for commercial trucks. Drivers should also double that distance in fog, snow, or other hazardous conditions. While cars are advised to maintain a three-second gap between themselves and the car ahead, trucks’ heavier weight makes them harder to brake. Allowing a larger distance also gives the trailing driver more time to make wise decisions if the driver in front brakes suddenly, enabling them to change lanes if possible to avoid an accident. Tailgating carries a fine of about $240. However, state federal regulators regard following too closely as a serious offense. The state Department of Motor Vehicles assesses 1.5 Negligent Operator Treatment System points against a commercial truck driver found guilty of
following too closely. The points remain on a driver’s record for three years.
Many commercial fleet managers won’t keep a driver with a serious offense on the payroll, because doing so leads to higher insurance premiums and more frequent roadside inspections at open weigh stations, delaying deliveries. If the driver is convicted of another serious violation within three years, they will be hit with a 60-day suspension of their commercial driver’s license. A third conviction leads to a 120-day suspension. If you are cited for following too closely, be aware that traffic court judges have heard every argument you can imagine. An experienced traffic ticket attorney can explore all possible defenses and navigate the legal system on your behalf. Don’t hesitate to contact us today for a no-obligation consultation.
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Your Referrals Make a Difference! Thanks to your 91 referrals in November, we were able to donate $1,320 to help fight human trafficking and lead medical missions. INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE MISSION To learn more about International Justice Mission and their mission to protect half a billion vulnerable people from exploitation, please go to IJM.org . MEDICAL MISSIONS OUTREACH To learn more about showing God’s love by providing quality medical treatment to some of the poorest people in the world, visit the Medical Missions Outreach home page at Medical-Outreach.com .
LANE
CHARGE?
Changing lanes safely in a commercial truck is an essential skill for a professional driver. Getting it wrong can threaten a trucker’s livelihood. HIRE A LAWYER FOR THE BEST DEFENSE Many clients have come to us with career-threatening citations alleging violations of California’s lane-change laws. Convictions are considered serious offenses because hazardous lane changes pose risks to other vehicles, especially cars traveling in a driver’s blind spot, and they carry heavy penalties. The law requires motorists to avoid changing lanes until they can do so “reasonably safely” and only after signaling their intentions for at least 100 feet before moving over. Drivers must make sure their lane change doesn’t cause problems for other vehicles. Also, some officers erroneously write unsafe lane change tickets on drivers who stray into the third lane of a California highway, violating the state’s requirement that commercial trucks stay in the two right lanes. Trying to handle an unsafe lane change citation without a lawyer is hazardous. A conviction results in state Negligent Operator Treatment System (NOTS) points on a professional driver’s commercial license and also in federal Compliance, Safety, and Accountability points on the driver’s safety record. The points remain for three years, jeopardizing the driver’s future job prospects. Any additional convictions of serious violations within three years will result in a suspension of the driver’s license. There is plenty of room for disagreement on what constitutes “reasonable safety” when changing lanes. Also, signaling a lane change in advance is only required when other vehicles might be affected by the lane change. An experienced traffic attorney can gather all relevant evidence on these and other questions to seek a dismissal of the charges. In other cases, a lawyer may be able to negotiate a lesser charge, such as a non-moving violation with a fine only, to avoid jeopardizing a trucker’s livelihood. If you have been hit by a citation for an unsafe lane change, don’t try to handle the problem yourself. To avoid a potential conviction for a serious offense, call us today for a free consultation.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” PROVERBS 3:5
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, APC HARMAN CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC DEFENSE ATTORNEYS BIGGER
Toll-Free (661) 859-1177 Se Habla Español www.bakersfieldtraffictickets.com
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1701 Westwind Drive Suite 203 Bakersfield, CA 93301
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
The 10 Best Years of Paul’s Life......................... PAGE 1
Samson and Cleo’s Tail-Wagging Tale............ PAGE 2
Defending Against a ‘Following Too Closely’ Citation................................................... PAGE 2
The Risks of Defending Yourself Against a Lane-Change Charge........................................... PAGE 3
Mix, Measure, and Make Memories................... PAGE 4
Have a ticket in California? Give us a call, and we’ll help you out! Regardless of the location, we can point you in the right direction free of charge!
KID-PROOF YOUR MEAL PREP. Before taking your child on a culinary journey, check that their countertop travels won’t endanger them. It’s obviously a big no-no to rest a sharp knife on a cutting board that small hands can reach, but little things like toothpicks can also pose a risk. If your small assistant is old enough to cut up ingredients, a plastic utensil will be less painful than steel if the blade misses its mark. KEEP FAMILY FLAVORS FLOWING. Want to give your elderly mom or dad a holiday surprise they’ll never forget? Present them with a meal based on one of their famous recipes that their grandkid(s) helped prepare! Holiday gatherings are great for sharing the details and delicacies that shaped your family’s history — and a wonderful opportunity to pass down those special traditions to the next generation. With the holidays upon us, now is a perfect time to introduce little ones to the joys of baking and cooking by turning your kitchen into a safe space for learning and bonding.
Could your child be a future celebrity chef? Could your baby be a world-class baker in waiting? Help transform your toddlers or school-age kids into tiny tastemakers by following these three simple tips. USE YOUR SPACE AS A SKILL ZONE. It takes more than just a love of food to make delicious meals and treats, as cooking and baking put all five senses to the test. Helping in the kitchen enables small children to heighten their awareness of smells, tastes, sounds, and textures while learning new words. Having them measure ingredients and pour them into bowls is an easy way to refine their motor skills, and your guidance behind the counter will encourage them to follow directions. If your kitchen companion is a baby, you can still involve them by describing the sights, sounds, and smells surrounding them and letting them touch some of the food — all great tools to assist in developing their connection to the world.
Kitchen Adventures: Kid Edition WHISKING UP FAMILY FUN
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