Jennifer Ray's Legal Blog

Housewives

admin — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 23:34:21 +0000

One of my favorite shows has started a new season. Real Housewives of Orange County premiered Season 4 on Bravo. Yea, I’m so excited. I have a great time catching up with the “girls” and seeing what their latest antics are. So far, Vicki is still controlling everyone around her. Tamra is still hot and knows it. Although, she feels threatened by the new girl in the neighborhood, Gretchen. I have already formed a bleak opinion of Gretchen. She is a definite a gold-digger! Jeana is still Jeana, the only real down to earth housewive. Its been fun getting to know them. Crazy as it sounds, we have an office in Orange County, too, so we may run into one of these girls eventually!

Roxy is getting bigger!

admin — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 23:00:15 +0000

Little Roxy is getting bigger everyday! She is still as rotten as ever, however, maybe even more so. She and my other Boston Terrier are finally beginning to get along. They even play together sometimes. There are still fights over food, treats and toys, but that is to be expected. Roxy is starting to chew on things a little bit less than before, too. Thankfully so because my hands, arms, and pant legs cannot take much more of a beating! Regardless of her puppy ways, I love that little dog so much!

Don’t get caught with pot

admin — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:15:37 +0000

Drug busts for marijuana are apparently on the rise again. U.S. customs agents have seized 435 pounds of pot and arrested seven people trying to sneak the plant across the border from Mexico this week, federal officials said. The series of separate busts started about 8:30 a.m. Monday when agents at a downtown bridge found about 30 pounds of pot hidden in the spare tire of a car driven by a 22-year-old man from Ciudad Juarez, a violent Mexican border city across the Rio Grande from El Paso, U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Roger Maier said. The largest bust, at the Ysleta border crossing on the east side of El Paso, involved 148 pounds stashed in a gas tank and frame rails of a pickup truck. A 20-year-old man from Chihuahua City, Mexico, was arrested. Maier said agents working in the El Paso routinely average more than 30 busts a week, though seven in a single day is unusual. I would think so!

Pardons by President Bush

admin — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:02:52 +0000

President George W. Bush has granted pardons to 14 individuals convicted of misdeeds including drug offenses, tax evasion, wildlife violations and bank embezzlement. Under the Constitution, the president’s power to issue pardons is absolute and cannot be overruled.

Daniel Figh Pue III of Conroe, who was convicted of illegal treatment, storage and disposal of a hazardous waste without a permit at Conroe Creosoting, was among the 14 Americans receiving the pardons. Pue pleaded guilty in 1996 to two counts of illegally transporting and dumping more than 1,500 gallons of hazardous creosote sludge in a ditch.

On the latest pardon list were:

• Leslie Owen Collier of Charleston, Mo., who pleaded guilty in 1995 to unlawfully killing three bald eagles in southeast Missouri. He improperly used pesticide in hamburger meat to kill coyotes, but ended up killing many other animals, including the bald eagles. Collier, who was convicted for unauthorized use of a pesticide and violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, was sentenced Feb. 2, 1996 in the Eastern District of Missouri.

• Milton Kirk Cordes of Rapid City, S.D. Cordes was convicted of conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act, which prohibits importation into the country of wildlife taken in violation of conservation laws.

• Richard Micheal Culpepper of Mahomet, Ill., who was convicted of making false statements to the federal government.

• Brenda Jean Dolenz-Helmer of Fort Worth, Texas, convicted of concealing knowledge of a crimeDolenz-Helmer, the daughter of a Dallas doctor accused of medical insurance fraud, was convicted in connection with the doctor’s case. She was sentenced Dec. 31, 1998 in the Northern District of Texas to four year’s probation with the special condition of 600 hours of community service and a $10,000 fine.

• Andrew Foster Harley of Falls Church, Va. Harley was convicted of wrongful use and distribution of marijuana and cocaine during a general court martial at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

• Obie Gene Helton of Rossville, Ga., whose offense was unauthorized acquisition of food stamps.

• Carey C. Hice Sr. of Travelers Rest, S.C., who was convicted of income tax evasion.

• Geneva Yvonne Hogg of Jacksonville, Fla., convicted of bank embezzlement.

• William Hoyle McCright Jr. of Midland, Texas, who was convicted of bank fraud.

• Paul Julian McCurdy of Sulphur, Okla., who was sentenced for misapplication of bank funds.

• Robert Earl Mohon Jr. of Grant, Ala., who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

• Ronald Alan Mohrhoff of Los Angeles, who was convicted for unlawful use of a telephone in a narcotics felony.

• Orion Lynn Vick of White Hall, Ark., who was convicted of aiding and abetting the theft of government property.

Bush also commuted the prison sentences of John Edward Forte of North Brunswick, N.J., and James Russell Harris of Detroit, Mich. Both were convicted of cocaine offenses.

Reported by the Conroe Courier

My Roxy!

admin — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:52:20 +0000

I have a new addition to my little family. She is small (about two pounds), black and white, and rotten as hell! No I have not borne a child, I have a new little Boston Terrier puppy and her name is Roxy (at least it is for the moment). She is so cute but oh so rotten. Being the puppy that she is, she loves to chew on everything including my fingers, toes, clothes, shoes, or whatever else she can get those little teeth in! But overall she is the best and I love her dearly.

Jimmie Johnson is the man!

admin — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:46:00 +0000

As I predicted, Jimmie Johnson won the race for the Chase…for the third consecutive year! Woo hoo! Johnson made Nascar history by being only the second driver to ever win three consecutive Chase championships. It was a great race overall. Carl Edwards came in first in the race at Miami-Homestead but came still only finished second in the Chase. The crazy thing is that the same thing happened to him the night before in the Nationwide series. Don’t get me wrong, Edwards is a phenomenal driver and will definitely be a viable contender for the Chase next year. But as of right now, JIMMIE JOHNSON IS NUMBER 1!!!

Marital liabilities

admin — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:45:53 +0000

Debts will either be characterized as a community debt or a separate debt. If a debt is characterized as community, both spouses are liable for the debt prior to division. A separate debt, on the other hand, will be the sole responsibility of the spouse whose name the debt is in. A simple way to approach debt characterization is to determine when the debt was incurred. If the debt was incurred after the date of marriage, the debt is typically considered a community liability meaning both parties can be held liable for its repayment. Keep in mind that even if the debt was only issued in one party’s name, the debt will usually still be a “community liability.” However, also be cognizant of the fact that no matter which party is awarded the debt (whether by the court or by agreement of the parties), a creditor can only look to the person who signed the credit agreement to satisfy payment of the debt. Separate debts are those debts incurred by a party prior to marriage or that the creditor has agreed to solely look for repayment from the party’s separate property. Also, student loan debts and obligations are specifically characterized as “separate” in the Texas Family Code unless one spouse cosigns the obligation for the spouse incurring the student loan debt.

Division of retirement accounts

admin — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 22:44:09 +0000

Marital assets such as retirement accounts and 401k accounts are subject to special division mechanisms to properly get a client their awarded share of the asset. This is contingent, of course, on the specific asset, the percentage of the asset awarded, and the financial institute or employer holding the account. The majority of retirement accounts must be divided by a qualified domestic relations order, or “QDRO” as it is commonly referred to in the family law context. A Qualified Domestic Relations Order is separate and specialized document signed by the Court ordering the division according to the terms of the division specifically identified in the final decree. A qualified domestic relations order can be submitted to the Court at finalization of the divorce or even after the divorce has been granted. Qualified Domestic Relations Orders can be obtained several ways. Some attorneys will draft their own document to be submitted to the court. A qualified domestic relations order can sometimes be obtained from the participating spouse’s employer. Most large companies and corporations will offer their own generic qualified domestic relations order for asset division. Because of the specialization and requirements by different employers as to what constitutes an effective qualified domestic relations order, other attorneys outsource the document to a company that deals with qualified domestic relations order on a daily basis. A party should consult with an attorney familiar with family law to discuss the necessity of obtaining a qualified domestic relations order.

Texana Chili Spill

admin — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:36:27 +0000

I had the pleasure of attending the sixth annual Texana Chili Spill last weekend at Brackenridge Park in Edna, Texas. It was good times I assure you. My boyfriend at the time, Kacey, and his teammate Chris Burns finished 3^rd overall in the Washer Tournament. This was despite the fact that he hadn’t practiced or thrown washers in almost a year. Shane Mabry, a family friend, and his cook team got 1^st place for their ribs and 1^st place overall. Therefore, Shane’s cook team will be competing in the barbeque cook off for the Houston rodeo next year. How exciting! If you ever have an opportunity to attend the Texana Chili Spill in Edna, you should definitely check it out. You won’t be disappointed I promise!

Johnson finished first at Phoenix

admin — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:27:55 +0000

Jimmie Johnson won again last week at Phoenix with one race left in the season! This was a bold statement to the other Chase contenders after the disappointing race at Texas the week before in which he finished 15^th (but retained his points lead despite the fact!). Johnson came on strong and dominated the majority of the race. I guess he wanted to prove his head is still in the game and mind set on taking home another championship! For all the critics that think he won’t seal the deal, YOU ARE WRONG!!!