The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a branch of the United States Department of Homeland Security, detains people either who are residing in the US without valid documentation or who have committed a crime while holding a green card or visa. Once ICE is involved, the challenges grow for the person detained, and for […]
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 […]
In mid-April of 2017, John Kelly, the Homeland Security Secretary went on NBC’s “Meet the Press” to discuss changes to the types of criminal charges that can lead to deportation for immigrants. During the television broadcast, Secretary Kelly said, “Even a single DUI, depending on other aspects, would get you into the system.” Many […]
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 […]
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 […]
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,” […]
President Trump signed two executive orders in January that allow Customs and Border Protection to hire an additional 5,000 agents, and for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to hire an additional 10,000. The goal is to provide more resources to the Department of Homeland Security to remove any undocumented individuals and families living in the […]
It is no secret that our country is in the grip of an opioid abuse epidemic. Stories about opioid-related overdoses are in the news. In Tennessee, however, we are facing another battle against the use, manufacturing, distribution, and sale of methamphetamines. The Tennessee Dangerous Drugs Task Force reports that while the number of meth […]
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 […]
While lawyers know the law, they depend on their clients – and the other party in a lawsuit – to learn the specific facts. Learning about the facts from the other party is accomplished through a process called written discovery.
In civil cases (cases where one party sues another party for money damages), written discovery […]
