Kentucky County Jail

County jails are facilities used to detain criminals for a relatively short duration of time. They are used for individuals who are awaiting trial dates, those who have been arrested overnight, and even some who have been sentenced to under a year of imprisonment.

McCracken County Jail

McCracken County jail is a one of the many correctional facilities in Kentucky. The mission of McCracken County jail is to provide fair treatment for individuals who are staying within McCracken’s jailing system, as well as provide the county and subsequently the state with a safer community. McCracken county jail provides programming opportunities and various support groups for the inmates, to guide them onto a better path.

Barren County Jail

Barren County jail is the typical jailing facility that can be found throughout the nation. The goal of Barren County jail is to protect the community, and to take care of the inmates who are being held in their facility. Barren County inmates receive 3 meals a day, showering facilities, medical care, and various other amenities. Barren County also provides educational courses and other programs to positively impact the inmates.

Warren County Jail

Warren County jail’s main objective is to dissuade the return of an inmate to a life of crime. In order to do this, the Warren county jail provides ample opportunities for education, social skill building, and spiritual enlightenment, in order to give inmates the tools necessary to rebuild their lives and to be able to go back into the community, and contribute to the greater whole.

Fayette County Jail

Fayette County jail is a holding facility for those who are serving shorter sentences, or individuals who are awaiting their trial date. In this facility, the individuals who are deemed fit are allowed to participate in numerous community service activities. Some of these activities are manual garbage clean-ups, to help keep the public beautiful. However, there also have been relief programs, in which individuals helped create care packages of supplies for those who were affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Hopkins County Jail

Hopkins County jail is a facility dedicated to the protection of the general public through the detainment of inmates, as well as the reformation of inmates through focused socialized courses and models. Essentially, Hopkins County provides various types of courses like Criminal Thinking Error and Anger Management programs, in order to work on the issues and insecurities of individuals within the jail. In doing so, they hope to impart alternatives and choices that individuals can use, in lieu of criminal behavior.

Crow Wing County Jail

In Minnesota, the Crow Wing county jail has recently been reopened and reinvented, to better suit the individuals who are detained within the facility. Those who can be detained here are individuals of a pre-trial status, meaning they are waiting for a trial date under the custody of law enforcement, and individuals who have already been sentenced and are serving less than a year in jail.

The Crow Wing county jail serves as a holding unit for both males and females; it has roughly 286 beds in various housing units. There are general meeting areas attached to these units; these are used as meeting spaces for various programs that are offered. Furthermore, the Crow Wing county jail also provides medical services and has a fully equipped gymnasium to be used by the inmates of the facility.

The focus and goal of the Crow Wing county jail is to improve the lives of the inmates through various programs geared towards life betterment and enrichment. There are programs devoted to fighting alcohol and substance abuse; these programs provide advice from trained professionals, and support from the professionals and others in the group.

There are religious and spiritual programs, for those who want to practice their beliefs while they are in the jail. There are classes on parenting, for those who are parents or those who are going to become parents around the time of the jailing. It is a way to help understand the needs of the children in the lives of these individuals. There is also a quilting class that is offered; this is a type of course which helps to build practical sewing skills, and helps to channel energy into a positive and creative fashion.

Overall, the approach of the Crow Wing county jail is one of a program based system, to change the mentality of the individuals in the jail. This is to help them gain a better knowledge and skill base, and discourage repeating criminal acts.

Former Massey Executive Charged in Mine Safety Conspiracy

On November 28, 2012, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia announced that David Hughart of Crab Orchard, West Virginia was charged with two federal crimes. Hughart was the executive for Massey Energy Company, and the US Attorney’s Office reported he is charged with “conspiring to impede the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and conspiring to violate mine health and safety laws.”

Hughart was the former president of Massey’s Green Valley Resource Group, and he is the highest-ranking official charged in the continuing investigation into Massey so far.

According to the US Attorney’s Office, Hughart and other employees for Massey willingly tried to violate health and safety laws and then tried to hide the violations by warning mine operators before MSHA inspectors came for inspection. The criminal activity continued from 2000 to March 2010 at Green Valley group and other Massey mines as well.

Coals mines are subject to large numbers of federal health and safety standards in order to prevent collapses, explosions, fires and more. MSHA inspections are unannounced and performed frequently to make sure companies are complying with federal standards. If MSHA inspectors record violations, mine owners can receive monetary penalties and the mine may even be shutdown until the violations are fixed.

U.S. Attorney Goodwin stated: “Miners deserve a safe place to earn a living. Some mine officials, unfortunately, seem to believe health and safety laws are optional. That attitude has no place in the mining industry or any industry. Today’s charges reinforce that urgent message.”

The FBI, the Department of Labor Office’s Inspector General, and the IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division were in charge of the investigation. The company that took control of Massey’s operations after is a merger in June 2011, Alpha Natural Resources Inc, is working with the investigation as well.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Husband and Wife Conspired to Steal GM Trade Secrets

On November 30, 2012, the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announced that a former General Motors engineer and her husband planned to steal trade secrets on hybrid technology from GM. They intended to use the secrets in a joint venture with a competitor in China.

The woman’s name is Shanshan Du, and her husband’s name is Yu Qin. They are from Troy, Michigan, and they were convicted and sentenced for unlawful possession of trade secrets. Qin was also convicted of wire fraud and obstruction.

According to trial evidence, the defendants conspired to steal the trade secrets from December 2003 to May 2006. As Du was employed with GM’s hybrid vehicle technology group, she provided information on hybrid vehicles to her husband. The trade secrets were used for their jointly owned company in China called Millennium Technology International Inc.

Du copied over 16,000 GM files five days after receiving a severance agreement by GM. Within months, Qin provided hybrid vehicle technology to a manufacturer and competitor of GM in China called Chery Automobile.

A search warrant was executed in May 2006, and the FBI recovered large amounts of computer and electric evidence. After the search warrant, the defendants drove to a dumpster behind a grocery store where they discarded bags of shredded documents with GM trade secret information.

The husband and wife both face up to 10 years in prison on each trade secret count. Qin also faces up to 30 years in prison for each wire fraud count and up to 20 years in prison for the obstruction of justice charge. They are scheduled for sentencing in February 2013.

The FBI was in charge of the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cathleen Corkin, Michael Martin, and Linda Aouate were in charge of prosecution.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation

Reason For A Divorce Mediation

What is divorce mediation?

Divorce mediation is a form of alternate dispute resolution that involves the, soon to be, ex-spouses, their representatives, and a mediator. The purpose of divorce mediation is to avoid in court litigation over divorce matters and attempt to resolve divorce matters quickly and amicably with the help of a neutral party, the mediator.

In mediation the objective is for the couple to meet and attempt to resolve their disagreements concerning divorce matters like the distribution of property and assets, child custody and support, taxes and alimony. The mediator, for the most part, is an observer. The divorce mediator will only step in when disagreements between the couple begin to develop. It is then his/her job to keep the lines of discussion open and assist the couple in making a decision that is, not only fair to the couple, but fair to the rest of the family, especially children, that may be involved.

Why would I want divorce mediation?

First of all, divorce mediation, in comparison to trial, is inexpensive. Divorce mediation, on average, will cost between $3,000 and $4,000 for a three to five day session. This cost is split between the divorcing parties and usually includes all fees such as cost of mediator, preparation, disclosure documents and other fees.

Another reason to choose divorce mediation is that it is much less time consuming. The typical divorce mediation will last three to four sessions, usually lasting no more than two hours. These sessions are spread out over a period of time, usually not exceeding two months. In more complex situations, and situations where the couple refuse to take advantage of the mediation process the divorce mediation can take longer. If a couple cannot come to an amicable agreement then a mediator may recommend that divorce litigation in a court of law would be necessary.

Yet another reason for choosing divorce mediation is the emotional toll that divorce litigation in the courts takes on a couple. The idea behind divorce mediation is to come to an amicable agreement that both parties can be satisfied with. The mediator is essentially there to insure the civility of the matter, rationalize with the parties and keep emotions at bay. A divorce is a very stressful matter and more often than not the parties will have resentment towards each other. Once emotions get involved in a matter such as this it can lead to a stagnant situation where no part will give in and the party’s only objective is to hurt the other. This is something that is rampant in divorce litigation. In the court system a divorce proceeding will, not only be public, but often gets vicious, with dirty laundry being aired. This can be emotionally scarring, especially when there are children involved.

Are agreements reached in divorce mediation enforceable?

Once an agreement is reached and a contract signed between the parties the decision is enforceable. The judgment agreed to is prepared and filed in the court system. Once filed the documents are considered just another form of a divorce judgment and are strictly enforceable.

what does mediation training involve

What training is involved in mediation?

In the context of legal history mediation is a relatively new and ever evolving field in the legal environment. This being said there is currently no state in the Union that requires an individual to be certified or even have any kind of training in order to be a mediator. Many states, however, do require that an individual have at least some form of training or education in the field of mediation. The state of Massachusetts, for example requires a minimum of 30 hours of training for mediators. Training can also be satisfied by appropriate classes taken in undergraduate school, law school, business school or any other form of higher learning. The courses that qualify are usually those that deal with alternate dispute resolution, negotiation, and arbitration.

Why would someone get training if it is not required?

Even though mediation training is not required it is highly beneficial for those seeking to enter the field. First and foremost, mediation is a voluntary action taken by parties to a dispute. That being said, parties are free to choose their own mediators and are not court appointed. On that point it is in the mediator's best interest to be as knowledgeable about the procedures, strategies, and methods involved in mediation in order to retain clients and receive satisfactory results.

Must a mediator be certified?

As mentioned above, there is no state in the Union that requires a mediator to be certified. However, some courts require qualification standards in order to be considered in court referrels or providing services in court-connected dispute resolution programs. The court of your jurisdiction will often provide a list of these mediators for parties to choose from. As mentioned, one is not required to pick from this list and they are free to choose an outside mediator to resolve the situation.

What standards do mediators have to follow?

Mediators are not subject to exclusionary rules of evidence, or rules of evidence and there is virtually no court interaction. However, a mediator should be impartial and act as a neutral member of the negotiations. He/she has an obligation to be competent about the subject matter and be capable of devoting the time and effort necessary to resolve the matter.

Fayette County Jail

The Fayette county jail is committed to helping the community by detaining those who have committed or are being accused of criminal acts. Through the Fayette county jail, programs are being created and organized, in order to serve the greater community. Furthermore, these service projects are being carried through with the help of inmates of the jail.

The basis of the Fayette county jail community service program is to have the inmates participate in manual labor scenarios, in order to fix vandalized pieces of the town, and to give back to the community. One of the largest community service endeavors taken on the inmates of the Fayette county jail was a cleanup program in which inmates cleaned public buildings, schools, walls, churches, and every other location that could be found to have graffiti on it. Once this job was done, it was estimated that the inmates cleaned off over 4,000 tags of graffiti.

The Fayette county jail inmates were also instrumental in the cleanup of over 20 parks within the area; this was yet another way thought up to give back to the community; by cleaning up the parks, the inmates showed the community their willingness to be an essential part of the greater good, and a positive influence. Furthermore, in a very big movement, the Fayette county jail also had community service projects for inmates which fell around the idea of collecting food and clothing donations, organizing them, and shipping them off as relief for the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

The theory behind all of the manual labor work and community service is that these positive changes will influence a change in the inmate; overall, the goal is to have the inmate want to become a greater part of the community, by continuing to do positive works once released from the Fayette county jail.

What Does Español Mean

What Does ‘En Español’ Mean?

The phrase ‘en Español’ is the Spanish translation of the English phrase ‘in Spanish’; in the case of foreign individuals who have immigrated to the United States – through a variety of means, ranging from brief visits to extended Visa stays – may not feel comfortable expressing themselves in the English language.

Typically, while residing in a country or nation, that individual will be responsible for adhering to the laws and legislation enacted by the presiding government; as a result, a Spanish translation – or a ‘traducciónespañola’ – has been made available with regard to a majority of American legal documentation, forms, and publications.

Within the United States, the popularity of usage of the Spanish language is second only to the English language; a national census conducted in the year 2000 estimated the presence of upwards of 27 million Spanish speaking individuals residing within the United States.

Spanish Language Legal Resources (Leyesen Español)

Individuals who have immigrated to the United States through the variety of means provided by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Bureau (USCIS) may vary in their respective level(s) of proficiency with regard to the English language.

Although the Citizenship and Naturalization Test requires that individual applicants for United States citizenship maintain a working knowledge of the English language in order to sufficiently express themselves through verbal and written means, legal immigrants and visitors without citizenship are given the opportunity to acclimate themselves to the English language through a naturalization process – this allows for a gradual adjustment on the part of individuals recently arriving to the United States.

Legal Resources in the Spanish Language – or en Español – are available for individuals who feel more comfortable navigating by means of the Spanish language upon their arrival to the United States; as these individuals progress with their respective naturalization, the presumption exists that they will undergo increased proficiency in the English language – the reliance on Spanish translations (Leyesen Español) will decrease in accordance with the naturalization process.

Spanish Translation of Immigration Forms (Forma Jurídica de la Inmigracion enEspañol)

The following are a list of helpful and accredited resources that may provide assistance for those interested in obtaining the Spanish translation of immigration forms:

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Bureau (USCIS) is the governmental branch that is mandates all oversight of procedures latent within the achievement of legal immigration status; these statuses can range from passports, Green Cards, visas, and citizenship – in order to receive immigration forms translated into Spanish (traducciónespañola),the USCIS can be contacted through their toll-free phone number: (800) 375-5283

The United States Bureau of Consular Affairs is the federal department that mandates the oversight of the wellbeing, interest, safety, protection, and legality on American citizens who reside outside of the United States; residence can range from short term to long term stays – in order to receive passport and travel forms translated into Spanish (traducciónespañola),the Bureau of Consular Affairs can be contacted through their toll-free phone number: (877) 487-2778

Judge Judy

Who is Judge Judy?

Judith Sheindlin is an attorney, judge, and television personality who is known to many of her viewers and fans as ‘Judge Judy’.

Biography of Judge Judy

Born in October of 1942 in Brooklyn, NY, Judge Judy attended James Madison High School, which is located in her hometown of Brooklyn. After graduating high school, Judge Judy attended American University, which is located in Washington D.C; Judge Judy not only received her undergraduate degree from American University, but also studied law at the American University law school:

Judge Judy applied to the New York Law School, and was subsequently accepted to their legal program; New York Law School, which is known by many as ‘New York Law’, is a private educational facility located in downtown Manhattan in New York – in 1965, Judge Judy graduated from New York Law school and shortly afterwards received Bar certification in order to practice law in the state of New York

Prior to her lauded television program, eponymously titled ‘Judge Judy’, she served under Mayor Ed Koch as a Justice of the Criminal Court of the State of New York

Judge Judy

Judge Judy gained a massive amount of fame resulting from her television program, which televised court cases over which Sheindlin presided; even subsequent to the show’s final episode in 1996, Judge Judy continues to enjoy growing popularity through programming syndication. Judge Judy, with regard to her presence in the court room, is considered to be an honest, straight-forward, and ‘no-nonsense’ legal official.

Law and Order

What is Law and Order?

Law and Order is an American television program, which aired for 20 years; the show is categorized as a dramatic and situational presentation that focuses on both the New York City Police Department, as well as the Criminal Court of New York State.

Although the situations presented on Law and Order are publicized to beof a purely fictitious nature, many viewers have acknowledged similarities within the individual plots of the program that mirror events taking place in ‘real life’ at the time of an episode’s airing; yet, this hypothesis has neither been substantiated by the NBC nor, nor validated by the producers of the program.

The History of Law and Order

Law and Order is a television program that first aired in September of 1990; subsequent to its premier on the television network NBC, Law and Order enjoyed 20 seasons prior to the final season of the program that took place in May of 2010; although Law and Order is no longer is production, it continues to experience additional popularity and fanfare as a result of its syndication on the FOX television network.

The Production of Law and Order

Law and Order is an hour-long program in which a single episode is divided into two sections:

The first, half-hour section explores the crime committed, as well as the subsequent apprehension of the criminal(s) on the part of the New York City Police Department; in this section of the program, the viewer is allowed insight in both the criminal mindset, as well as the collective law enforcement procedure

The second, half-hour section explores the subsequent trial, litigation, and legal management of the case subsequent to its arrival to the office of the District Attorney presiding over New York City

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Injury & Accident Law, Claims, Settlements

What You Need To Know About Divorce Law