Happy New Years from the Best of Legalspeaks Blog As we look towards the 2014 New Year with hope and anticipation of peace, prosperity and justice for all, I wanted to share the top ten LegalSpeaks blogs of 2013. They are listed in chronological order starting with the most recent. From the Supreme Court fight ending the Defense of Marriage Act led by an 83 year old woman, Edie Windsor, to the New York federal court Judge Shira Scheindlin declaring New York City’s Stop and Frisk Law unconstitutional, the Florida all-women jury finding George Zimmerman not guilty in the death of Trayvon Martin and to the killing of Renisha McBride, an African American young woman seeking help outside a white stranger’s doorstep in a Michigan suburb, there were plenty of legal cases and issues in the areas of race and gender. And in the criminal justice and civil system, there is still much work left to be done to truly have justice for all. Reading these posts will show the best and worst … [Read more...] about Happy New Years from the Best of LegalSpeaks Blog
Archives for December 2013
Top Ten Civil Rights Moments of 2013
BET News defined the top ten civil rights moments in 2013 in all areas from the 50th Anniversary on the March on Washington, the Trayvon Martin case to moments in unexpected areas such as in pop culture, education, retail issues and beyond. 2013 was a year that like many others before it, shows that in the area of civil rights, our work is hardly finished. These top 10 civil rights moments as highlighted by BET News illustrates that despite having an African American President serving his second term, the issue of race is still defining our society in all areas. And we are not post racial---however that term is defined. Here is the video clip. As a trial lawyer and former prosecutor, I weigh in and provide commentary on the issues in the videos, discussing the top ten civil rights moments of 2013. The video is divided in 2 parts. Part I is below and Part II follows it. … [Read more...] about Top Ten Civil Rights Moments of 2013
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
As we celebrate Christmas and the holidays, my wish is for everyone to have a happy, safe and prosperous season. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported this blog. Your support has meant the world to me. Peace, Happiness and Joy to all in the upcoming year! May you all find the purpose for your life and follow it! Happy Holidays, Debbie Hines, Esq. Founder, LegalSpeaks … [Read more...] about Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
The Top 10 Events of 2013 Affecting Minorities and Women
The Inauguration of President Barack Obama stands out as the top event of 2013. Despite voter ID laws to disenfranchise minority voters, President Obama was sworn into his second term on January 20, 2013 (Official date). It seems that the inauguration was light years ago with everything that has happened since January, 2013. From government shutdowns to the Affordable Health Care web site fiasco, this has hardly been a banner year for President Obama. The second term of President Obama is off to a shaky start in its first year. Yet, I still shudder at the thought of a Mitt Romney presidency and its effect on the “47%” of Americans that he despised. The Affordable Care Act, despite its lackluster performance thus far, still remains the most major piece of legislation in the Obama administration. While it is not the public option that I and many others had hoped for, it still affords many persons health insurance coverage who would not be able to qualify or obtain health … [Read more...] about The Top 10 Events of 2013 Affecting Minorities and Women
All I Want for Christmas is Racial Equality in Our Criminal Justice System
As a child, Christmas was a time for wishing for your best dreams, hopes and wishes to come true. As an adult, we learn that it takes more than wishing, hoping and dreaming to realize our dreams. It takes hard work and effort. So as we enter this holiday season of giving and dreaming, my wish is for everyone to work towards fixing our broken criminal justice system. The criminal justice system is hardly just or fair for many African American and Hispanic men. In fact, it is just the opposite. As a former prosecutor, I have seen firsthand the systemic injustices perpetrated particularly on African American men, when it comes to arrests, charges and convictions. Last week, President Obama pardoned 13 persons and commuted the sentences of 8 others who were serving racially discriminatory sentences for crack cocaine. And earlier, Attorney General Eric Holder announced two initiatives that lessened the strict and archaic guidelines on sending blacks to jail for a … [Read more...] about All I Want for Christmas is Racial Equality in Our Criminal Justice System
How Standing on the Street Became a Crime for 3 Black Teens
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, three Rochester New York teens were arrested while waiting for the school bus to take them to their school's basketball game. Their coach was almost arrested too as he came to intercede on behalf of the teen boys. The crime the boys allegedly committed according to the police was impeding pedestrian traffic or otherwise known as disorderly conduct. There has been an outcry online about the case. These are teens who plan to attend college and were playing sports and involved in after school activities. These were not teens engaged in any rude, unlawful or “disorderly conduct” whatever that legal term actually means. The case has been discussed on TV and radio. Most recently, I appeared on the Roland Martin Show to discuss my viewpoint. Unfortunately, the case of these teens is not an isolated incident. These stops and arrests of law abiding black teens take place in every city and perhaps every town across the U.S. on a daily basis. When I … [Read more...] about How Standing on the Street Became a Crime for 3 Black Teens