What is a Sanctuary City?
A “sanctuary city” is not a precise legal term. A city’s residents typically do not vote to designate their city a “sanctuary city,” but its leader can. A city, town or county (or, in the case of California, a state) is designated as a “sanctuary” because it directs (or asks) local law enforcement not to…
Read MoreWhat Is the Uniform Commercial Code?
Not all commercial or business-to-business transactions go smoothly. When a transaction involves goods or products, as opposed to services, the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) applies and controls the transaction. The UCC specifies the rules that govern disputes for business and commercial transactions involving goods. Almost every state has adopted a version of the UCC. Although…
Read MoreWhat Is a Lemon, and What Can You Do If You Have One?
Cars, trucks, SUVs, buses, and other vehicles are extremely important. We drive them to work, to school, to errands, to the hospital, to visits with relatives, and more. The public often refers to cars, SUVs, or trucks with defects or serious problems as “lemons.” Under Tennessee’s Lemon Law, however, a “lemon” is a new vehicle…
Read MoreOnline Identity Thieves Target Teens and Young Adults
Identity theft is happening far too often. Criminals have taken aim at the vulnerable and inexperienced. In 2014, 1.3 million identity theft cases involved people under the age of 16, but there are protective steps youth and parents can take to avoid or minimize on-line harm. If you or your child is the victim of…
Read MoreCrimes Leading to Deportation: A Complex Equation
For non-citizen residents of the United States, committing a crime often results in serious financial, legal, and immigration-status consequences. The nature and circumstances of the specific crime, however, impacts the outcome and, perhaps more crucially, determines whether it results in deportation. There are three main categories of deportable offenses: those related to immigration and security…
Read MoreWhat is a “Disability” under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Tennessee Law?
Certain federal and state laws give rights and protections to individuals with disabilities. School children with disabilities most often rely upon the federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004, but state statutes also give rights and protections to individuals with disabilities. The IDEA defines the meaning of the term “disability,” as…
Read MoreTennessee is Cracking Down on Meth Distribution and Sales
It is no secret that our country is in the grip of an opioid epidemic. Stories about opioid-related overdoses are all over the news. In Tennessee, however, we are facing another battle – one against the use, manufacturing, distribution, and sale of methamphetamines. WKRN discussed this in a recent article, calling it the “madness of…
Read MoreHow to Prepare for a Deposition
After a civil lawsuit is filed, the plaintiff and the defendant may require the other side and other witnesses to testify under oath, outside the courtroom, about the dispute or matter, or to testify in a deposition. Though no judge is present, the answers are recorded and the party or witness testifying takes an oath…
Read MoreWitnesses
In the United States, we honor the rule of law. The U.S. prides itself on its system of justice where laws apply to all and where a powerful elite’s whims do not control the outcome of controversies or disputes. The law holds citizens accountable and defines their rights and responsibilities. Controversies and disputes, however, invariably…
Read MoreEveryone Has the Right to a Competent Defense
Many people do not understand what “criminal defense” means or involves. They see lawyers portrayed in movies or TV and believe that every trial is “all or nothing:” the accused is either guilty or innocent of the charges. However, in this area of law, the outcome often depends upon what facts can be shown, and…
Read More