In Legal Terms

Latest Episodes:

In Legal Terms: Gifts and Estate Planning Nov 07, 2023

Show notes

Our guest expert to talk about Gifts is attorney, Richard Courtney https://elderlawms.com/. We've enjoyed having him on our show many times.http://inlegalterms.mpbonline.org/episodes/in-legal-terms-guest-richard-courtney

It’s election day but that’s not our topic today. But I did want you to know that you can call the Secretary of State’s Election Hotline if you have troubles. That number is 1-800-829-6786.

You may use an expired photo ID as long as it is an acceptable form of photo ID and is not more than 10 years old. The expired ID must contain the name and photograph of the voter, and have been validly issued by the federal or a state government. You can also use the Digital ID provided by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. https://www.sos.ms.gov/voter-id/acceptable https://www.sos.ms.gov/sites/default/files/voter_id/expired_form.pdf

Voters whose names do not appear on the poll book or who do not have an acceptable form of photo ID are entitled to vote by affidavit ballot.
Voters who cast an affidavit ballot are entitled to receive written information at the time of voting on how to determine if the vote was counted and, if not, why no.
Voters who require assistance in marking the ballot because of disability, blindness, or an inability to read or write are entitled to receive assistance from a person of the voter’s choice . . .

https://www.sos.ms.gov/content/documents/elections/Mississippi%20Voter%20Information%20Guide%202022.pdf

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In Legal Terms: Ghostly Legal Stories Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

What a special show we’ve got today! As it’s Halloween, we’ll discuss some law cases with ghosts and spirits.

One Voice, the Mississippi NAACP, and other voter rights organizations crunched the numbers and found in Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Hinds, Franklin, and Jasper counties, over 50,000 people were purged from their lists of registered voters. Were they ghosts?!!!!?

“A bill that was passed last year encouraged circuit clerks and election commissioners to engage in more purging than they have usually been doing. And so that process may have led to some mistakes.” To see if you’re still thought to be in the land of the living and voting for next Tuesday’s elections – Anyone who goes to the Secretary of State’s Y’all Vote website can check their own voter registration. https://sos.ms.gov/yall-vote

Don’t get “tricked” when you go to the polls next Tuesday, November 7th 2023. Mississippians can go to the Secretary of State’s Y’all Vote website and get a sample ballot that just for their own precinct.

Mama always said “don’t take candy from strangers” and “don’t get into a car with a stranger” but if you need a ride to the polls next Tuesday, November 7th 2023 the MS Secretary of State’s office can hook you up with a legitimate ride.

Just call their FREE Voter ID hotline at 1-844-MSVOTER (1-844-678-6837) and tell them where you live. You’ll get the names of local transportation providers to contact to make travel arrangements to fit your needs. A transportation provider will pick you up, take you to the Circuit Clerk's Office and bring you home. There is NO charge to you for the ride. It is EASY and FREE. That FREE Voter ID hotline is 1-844-MSVOTER

Stambovsky v. Atley

Hermameyer and Burchill

McClary v. Stull

Greenbriar Ghost

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In Legal Terms: Service Animals Oct 24, 2023

Show notes

Everyone loves a puppy! We’ll learn about your rights with a service animal with guest Robert Schwinn the National Legal Administrator at Canine Companions and disability attorney Rick Courtney whose daughter has a service animal.

Canine companions website: https://canine.org/

From their website anyone can pre-order their 2024 puppy calendar, sponsor a puppy, or learn how to donate or volunteer.

National Headquarters:

1-866-CCI-DOGS (224-3647)

P.O. Box 446

Santa Rosa, CA 95402-0446

If you’d like to read up on Mississippi law, check out

2013 Mississippi Code

Title 43 - PUBLIC WELFARE

Chapter 6 - RIGHTS AND LIABILITIES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES

Article 5 - MISSISSIPPI SUPPORT ANIMAL ACT

§ 43-6-155 - Support animals' access to public places; limitations

https://law.justia.com/codes/mississippi/2013/title-43/chapter-6/article-5/section-43-6-155

It’s always best to go to the official source for information. https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-2010-requirements/

US Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division: ADA requirements: service animals page where you can learn how “service animals are defined, where they are allowed, and how they must behave. According to their website:

Staff may ask two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform.

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In Legal Terms: Champions of Justice - MSCJ Oct 17, 2023

Show notes

The Mississippi Center for Justice opened its doors in 2003 – 20 years ago- with a simple mission: dismantling the policies that keep Mississippi at the bottom of nearly every indicator of human well-being and deny African-American and lower-income Mississippians the opportunity to advance themselves.

Our guest is their CEO Vangela Wade. https://mscenterforjustice.org/mcj_team/vangela-m-wade/

If you’re interested in supporting the work of the Mississippi Center for Justice or you want to honor their CHAMPIONS of JUSTICE you can do that at their website: https://mscenterforjustice.org/champions-of-justice/

That event is October 26, 2023. The Reception begins at 6:00 p.m. The Anniversary Program and Awards Presentation starts at 7:00 p.m. This is at The Westin Jackson

The 2023 Great Mississippi Road Trip! October 27-29, 2023

An immersive journey through Mississippi, where civil rights legends took a stand and history was made.

https://mscenterforjustice.networkforgood.com/events/59724-great-mississippi-road-trip

The MS Center for Justice works in the areas of expungement, foreclosure prevention, justice court, to reform predatory lending, access to broadband. They also have resources for consumers – for example when they’re dealing with debt collectors. They also have guidance for legal observers at demonstrations or events.

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In Legal Terms: Auto Wrecks Oct 10, 2023

Show notes

If you’re listening to our show while driving, be careful! We don’t want you to get into a wreck. But if you do have a fender bender, this show will prepare you for what to do. Our guest is attorney Baskin Jones and we’re talking vehicle accidents today.

Mississippi doesn’t have online voter registration. We do have online voter registration applications. So if you’re not registered to vote, go online and print out the application. Grab a forever stamp because today is the Deadline for mailed voter registration applications: All mailed voter registration applications must be postmarked by today – October 10th.. https://www.sos.ms.gov/content/documents/Elections/2023%20Elections%20Calendar%20Final.pdf

If you are registered to vote but you have moved, like a certain new to MPB producer Abram, please make sure you have updated your voter registration online with your new address. https://www.msegov.com/sos/voter_registration/home/Search

If you’re not sure if you’re registered, there’s a website to check for that too.

All these links are at the Mississippi secretary of state’s website: sos.ms.gov

Our Mississippi Insurance Department has an auto accident checklist you could print off and keep in your car and also some words of wisdom about being prepared, what to do after an accident, and filing the claim with insurance. Jones Law Firm also has information on their social media:

https://www.mid.ms.gov/consumers/auto-accident-checklist.aspx

https://www.insureuonline.org/auto_accident_checklist.pdf

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063626497327

Our Mississippi Insurance Department has a webpage with the legislation that has passed each year that deals with insurance.

https://www.mid.ms.gov/legal/legislation.aspx

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In Legal Terms: National Sea Grant Law Center Oct 03, 2023

Show notes

Wetlands, coastal development, fisheries, oil spills – they affect everyone on the planet but Mississippians, especially. We learn more about legal issues that impact us with our guest Professor Stephanie Showalter-Otts, Director of National Sea Grant Law Center. https://law.olemiss.edu/faculty-directory/stephanie-showalter-otts/

October 2 through 8th, 2023 is Climate Solutions Week. Reporting teams across the NPR Network have been searching the world for solutions to climate change. MPB is sharing what was found this week. So if what happens to our water is important to you, you’ll enjoy listing to MPB.

https://www.npr.org/series/1199537689/climate-week

National Sea Grant Law Center provides education to policy makers, practitioners, and laypersons. The staff also responds to research questions from the legal community and state and federal agencies. https://nsglc.olemiss.edu/ or on Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/nsglc

We were lucky enough to have the Director Stephanie Showalter-Otts join us for In Legal Terms to discuss the National Sea Grant Law Center Tuesday, April 23, 2019 http://inlegalterms.mpbonline.org/episodes/5cd2d695f9e59c996625761f

Keep America Beautiful: The Crying Indian (1970) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0sxwGlTLWw

The Shocking River Fire That Fueled the Creation of the EPA https://www.history.com/news/epa-earth-day-cleveland-cuyahoga-river-fire-clean-water-act

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In Legal Terms: Voting with LWV-MS Sep 26, 2023

Show notes

We talk about Your Rights on In Legal Terms. Many of your rights are determined by voting. Are you registered? How do you register? Our guest, Ruth O’Dell from the League of Women Voters Mississippi will give us some assistance in these areas.

If you’d like to learn more about League of Women Voters, you could go to their website: https://www.lwv.org/ To learn about the League nearest you – just type in your zip code. Mississippi has 6 leagues: East Central, Gulf Coast, North Mississippi, Pine Belt, Golden Triangle, and Jackson Area within the state league. https://lwv-ms.org/

As we get closer to the election, check out https://www.vote411.org/ to learn about your candidates.

On the League of Women Voter’s website you can find information about expanding voter access, redistricting money in politics and fighting voter suppression. There’s also information about Health Care, The Environment, Censes, and Immigration. Also, In Legal Terms has a previous podcast with LWV: http://inlegalterms.mpbonline.org/episodes/in-legal-terms-league-of-women-voters

It is so easy to find ALL the information about voting: https://sos.ms.gov/ You can find out how to register to vote, where to vote, your sample ballot, information about becoming a poll worker. What kind of ID do you need? https://www.sos.ms.gov/voter-id/about

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In Legal Terms: Urban Governance Sep 19, 2023

Show notes

We’ve got a new one today – we’ll learn about Urban Governance. What’s that you ask? Then you need to especially listen so you can be an informed citizen. Our guest is Professor Jade Craig https://law.olemiss.edu/faculty-directory/jade-craig/

Any time you want to “talk to us” just use the MPB Public Media app. When you open the app, select Think Radio. Then go to the Menu and touch “talk to us”. You’ll get a selection of MPB programs and services you can connect with to leave a voice note or an email. We’d love to hear what you’re interested in for a show topic.

I love reminding our listeners that our show is about you and your rights. If you’d like to be part of shaping “your rights” consider running for public office. If you need a suggestion on what that might look like head over to the Mississippi Secretary of State’s website and look at their candidate qualifying forms. https://www.sos.ms.gov/elections-voting/candidate-qualifying-forms

Shaping the state of Mississippi not only takes elected officials but it also takes government employees. In addition to the satisfaction of helping your neighbor, working for the state probably means you are covered by PERS – the Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi. If you’d like more information:

https://www.pers.ms.gov/

http://moneytalks.mpbonline.org/episodes/money-talks-pers-encore

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In Legal Terms: DUI Sep 12, 2023

Show notes

Each of our participants have been affected by a death caused by a drunk driver. We want to discourage you from drinking and driving. If you are stopped under suspicion of DUI you do have rights. Our guest attorney Francis Springer is going to tell us what those rights are. https://www.springerlawoffice.com/

If you’d like some extra information about Driving Under the Influence, check out the Mississippi Bar website and their page about driving under the influence. Like did you know if a driver is under 21, they are defined as intoxicated if their blood alcohol concentration level of 0.02?

https://www.msbar.org/for-the-public/consumer-information/driving-under-the-influence/

A person who is over 21 and gets a DUI, if there’s anyone under 16 in the car, the driver is guilty of Child Endangerment also. I hope this hits home to anyone who considers driving after drinking.
We’ve talked about what could happen if you’re charged after a first offense of DUI but did you know: states talk to each other. If you get a DUI in another state, Mississippi still knows about it. So don’t have a first offense then you won’t have a second.

https://law.justia.com/codes/mississippi/2015/title-63/chapter-11/section-63-11-30

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In Legal Terms: Contracts 2023 Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

You sign contracts every day. Do you read them? Do you have to read them? What makes a contract. Learn with us from Professor Martin Edwards from the University of MS School of Law. https://law.olemiss.edu/faculty-directory/martin-edwards/

The Band Van Halen notoriously had a clause in their contract forbidding brown M&M’s.

Insurance policies are contracts, but most of us rarely read them. What’s hidden in the fine print? https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/contest-fine-print-contract-win-georgia-donelan-andrews-a8814311.html

We may think that contracts are a recent thing – but history scholars are Contract History Scholars Are Aware of a 4,300-Year-Old Written Purchase/Sale Agreement from 2300 BCE. So if you think you don’t need a written contract – folks have known for a while now that written contracts are useful.

https://www.contractsafe.com/blog/six-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-history-of-contracts

If you’re a contracts fan AND a movie buff, you’ll want to watch these movies with contacts at the heart of their plot: Shrek Forever After, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Disney The Little Mermaid, and Willy Wonda and the Chocolate Factory.

https://blog.axdraft.com/contract-management/6-iconic-legal-contracts-in-movies/

Samuel L. Jackson - he has a clause that allows him to golf twice a week during movie shoots.

Queen Latifah has included an anti-death clause in all her contracts; her quote: “If I die, I can’t be in the sequel,” she explained earlier this year.

Julianna Margulies wouldn’t agree to star in The Good Wife drama unless her contract stated that she was allowed to wear a wig.

Know your worth! https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/08/star-contract-clauses

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