In Legal Terms

Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project helps individuals represent themselves in court through self-representation clinics. They are able to do this with help from volunteer lawyers. We learn more about the MVLP from their Executive Director and General Counsel, Gayla Carpenter-Sanders.If you need a little bit of help with a legal matter that can be handled without an attorney, you might want to attend one of the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Projects Self Representation Clinics. There are clinics that discuss: Irreconcilable Differences Divorces, Uncontested Guardianships, Advance Healthcare Directives, Power of Attorneys, Simple Wills, Misdemeanor Expungements, Felony Expungements, and Foreclosure Prevention.The Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project has many opportunities for attorneys, law students, college students and paralegals with a willingness to serve. Folks Volunteer at legal clinics, there are attorney resources, and Continuing Legal Education opportunities. M V L P.org/volunteer has the details.Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project relies on the generosity of donors to help connect low-income clients with volunteer attorneys who will fight for their rights. That might be by large or small contributions or by selecting MVLP as a Community Rewards Program recipient from Kroger or Amazon. M V L P.org/donate has more information.Past podcasts:07/26/2022 In Legal Terms: MVLP 20223/30/2021 In Legal Terms: MVLP9/24/2019 In Legal Terms: Expungements

It’s Education Week on MPB Think Radio. For In Legal Terms, we’ve brought on the Deans for the two law schools in our state: John Anderson from Mississippi College and Fred Slabach from the University of Mississippi. We hope to learn about the differences between the two schools, what prospective students need to know, and what one can do with a law degree.Law School Admission CouncilComplete 2 Compete (C2C) is a statewide initiative designed to inspire Mississippi's adults to complete their college degrees.Get2College is a college access program of the Woodward Hines Education Foundation. We help you plan, prepare, and pay for college. Free support for Mississippi students and educators.It’s not too soon to get registered to vote. Educate yourself! The Secretary of State’s website has so much information. Register by October 7th, 2024. All votes matter. Learn your rights. Learn if you’re eligible to vote absentee. Learn what you need to bring to the polls.We’ll all be voting on law makers soon. You can learn from a non-partisan group – The League of Women Voters - about who’s running and where you can get more information about candidates, voting, and how to be a poll worker. Their website is VOTE411.org In Legal Terms has had representatives of the League of Women Voters on a couple of times. Voting with LWV-MS 09/26/23 and League of Women Voters 01/15/19Who are our legislatures in our state? You can educate yourself by going to the website legislature.ms.gov and checking out your senator and representative, what various committees are up to, and take a virtual tour of the building.

Laws are not the same from place to place in America. What might be legal in Louisiana or California isn’t necessarily the law here in Mississippi. Let’s learn about some of those differences today with our guest Professor Cal Peeler a guest professor at Ole Miss Law School. https://law.olemiss.edu/faculty-directory/calvin-peeler/What courts handle the distribution of property in a divorce?Chancery Courts have jurisdiction over disputes in matters involving equity; domestic matters including adoptions, custody disputes and divorces; guardianships; sanity hearings; wills; and challenges to constitutionality of state laws. Land records are filed in Chancery Court.We’ve talked about domestic law a few times here on In Legal Terms. Most recently August 22nd of 2023 our guest was Chancery Court Judge Troy Odum and Child Supporthttp://inlegalterms.mpbonline.org/episodes/in-legal-terms-child-support     https://courts.ms.gov/aboutcourts/aboutthecourts.phpIf you want to know what’s going on with our legislature, what’s being discussed, watch committee meetings, or see a calendar just head over to their website:https://www.legislature.ms.gov/calendars-and-schedules/I am very proud to announce that the next season of the MPB News program @Issue will be starting Friday, February 9th at 6:30pm on MPB Think Radio. There will be additional content on our YouTube channel. Michael Guidrey from MPB News will be joined by Republican Austin Barbour and Democrat Brandon Jones for weekly recaps and roundtable discussions about current issues. Will Stribling will be at the state capitol as MPB News' Legislative reporter.

We’re discussing liquor laws today. Our guests are from the Department of Revenue: Riley Nelson – Chief of Enforcement for the ABC and attorney Matthew Henry.https://www.dor.ms.gov/abcWe hope we can answer your questions with our show today, but if we miss something, maybe it’s answered on the Department of Revenue’s Frequently Asked Questions page. The legal drinking age for beer and/or alcohol is 21 years of age. However, a person who is 18-21 years of age, in the presence of his parent or legal guardian, may consume beer with the consent of the parent or legal guardian. Please note that this exception is for beer only and specifically does not include hard liquor or wine products that contain more than 5% alcohol by weight. Further, a person who is at least 18 years of age and who is serving in the U.S. military may possess and consume beer on military property where or when the consumption of beer is allowed.​But also - Persons under the age of 21 may be inside licensed premises; however, they cannot be allowed to drink or be sold alcoholic beverages. Please note that the owner of the premises may prohibit minors from their premises at the owner’s discretion.​Since 1966, ABC agents have successfully prosecuted in excess of 40,000 liquor law violations and destroyed approximately 3,000 illicit whiskey stills. https://www.dor.ms.gov/abc/abc-enforcement

How would you feel if you needed to go to court or conduct legal business but weren’t fluent in the language? Our guests will help us understand court interpreter service in Mississippi: Deenie Miller, Director of Language Access Mississippi Supreme Court and Dr. Javier Gerardo Gómez, Credentialed Court Interpreter. H.B. 1217 became law July 1, 2023. The new laws prohibit Limited English Proficient individuals from being responsible for the costs of court interpretation in all bilingual proceedings for civil and criminal matters. The law also now clarifies that a Limited English proficient individual is entitled to the services of an interpreter in any instance arising out of or pertaining to the individual’s involvement in litigation.The Administrative Office of Courts has developed the Mississippi Court Interpreter Credentialing Program. For more detailed information please contact: Administrative Office of CourtsAttention: Deenie Miller, Director of Language AccessPost Office Box 117 Jackson, MS 39205T: 601-359-4469deenie.miller@courts.ms.govFor assistance with interpreters for the hearing impaired, please visit the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf at the following link: https://www.rid.org or https://www.odhh.orgDr. J.G. Gómez, U.S. Army Veteran - Credentialed Interpreter and Translator Language Educator and Technologist - Gómez Language and Culture Services, LLC

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 446Santa Rosa, CA 95402-0446If you’d like to read up on Mississippi law, check out2013 Mississippi CodeTitle 43 - PUBLIC WELFAREChapter 6 - RIGHTS AND LIABILITIES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIESArticle 5 - MISSISSIPPI SUPPORT ANIMAL ACT§ 43-6-155 - Support animals' access to public places; limitationshttps://law.justia.com/codes/mississippi/2013/title-43/chapter-6/article-5/section-43-6-155It’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.

Happy New Year! What I mean is, Happy “ Fiscal “ New Year. Our state starts a new year with new laws. We’ll learn about those new laws from MPB’s legislative reporter – Will Stribling. We’ll learn what laws didn’t pass also.The Mississippi Public Service Commission, on June 13, 2024, approved a new area code to be assigned to the same area occupied by the 662 code. The new area code is 471. Existing 662 customers will keep their current telephone numbers, but new customers, or requests for additional lines, may be assigned the new 471 area code once it’s activated. Further updates will be announced as the implementation process begins in late 2025 or early 2026.We had Public Service Commissioner, for the Northern District, Chris Brown on In Legal Terms April 9th. You can listen to that podcast to learn more about the Public Service Commission. You can find out vehicle information by listening to MPB’s Auto Correct. On recent broadcast/podcasts Germaine Flood and Master Mechanic Coach Charlie Melton talked about 2 bills that recently passed the Mississippi legislature: House Bill 0349 Squatted vehicles; prohibit modifications to motor vehicle which raise front fender a certain height above the rear fender. bans vehicles with front fenders that are four or more inches higher than rear fenders.Senate Bill 2695 Driver's education; revise certain provisions related thereto.If you’re interested in finding out what our Mississippi House and Senate members are up to you can read or watch them online. https://www.legislature.ms.gov/ is the website to read about measures.Now, if you want power yourself – you can register to vote. The Mississippi Secretary of State’s website has a wealth of information about registering to vote. October 7th is the deadline for registering to vote in the November general election.AUGUST 7th             Qualifying Period Begins. First day candidates may file petitions and/or qualifyingstatements for the offices of County School Board, Municipal Separate School DistrictTrustee, Special Municipal Separate School District Trustee or Consolidated/ConsolidatedLine School District Trustee. Think about it. Could you see yourself on your county’s school board?ILT Podcast about voting rightsILT Mobile sports betting podcast

We’re learning about adoption law today with our guest attorney, Chad King from the firm of Thompson Addison. https://thompsonaddison.com/team-member/chadking/The Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services can give you more information about adoption and foster care. In Legal terms had their commissioner Andrea Sanders on a recent broadcast. http://inlegalterms.mpbonline.org/episodes/in-legal-terms-foster-careWe also talked with folks from the Office of the State Defender about Youth and Family Defensehttp://inlegalterms.mpbonline.org/episodes/in-legal-terms-youth-family-defense-programSenate Bill 2244      Foster care children; allow free access to museums and state parks, allow free transcripts from colleges and junior colleges. Was a bill recently passed by our Mississippi legislature. We’ll learn about that and other new laws next week on In Legal Terms.https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2024/pdf/history/SB/SB2244.xml If you like watching videos or documentaries about adoption – The MPB Public Media App and PBS.org is for you! Many of the videos are free to watch. But if you are a sixty dollar annual contributor (that could be five dollars a month), you have the member benefit of Passport. You’re able watch any of the videos online and on our app. 

Department of Public Safety? What all is that and how does it affect you? Eric Brown, General Counsel for MSPS will tell us. https://www.dps.ms.gov/administration/legal-division Guest co-host Adam Kilgore General Counsel, The Mississippi Bar. https://www.msbar.org/media/3109/what-to-do-when-you-get-a-bar-complaint-adam-kilgore.pdfAttorney volunteers are needed to serve as judges during the 2024 Mississippi High School Mock Trial Competition, sponsored annually by the YLD of the Mississippi Bar. There will be three Regional Competitions: Southern on January 27 in Gulfport, Central on February 3 in Jackson, and Northern on February 10 in Oxford. The Statewide Competition will be March 1-2 in Jackson. More Info: https://msbar.org/pro.../high-school-mock-trial-competition/Have you thought about a career in law enforcement? In Legal Terms did a show with the director of training from the North Mississippi Law Enforcement Training Center . You can find that podcast from December 21st 2021 here: http://inlegalterms.mpbonline.org/episodes/in-legal-terms-law-enforcement-trainingFebruary 12th is the Primary Election Voter Registration Deadline: Applicants who register in-person in the Circuit Clerk’s office on that day and those who mail registration applications postmarked no later than February 12th are eligible to vote in the March 12, 2024 Primary Elections. If you want to have a say in who is nominated by ONE party or THE OTHER for president, or the 4 House of Representatives seats or Senator Rodger Wicker’s Senate seat you have less than 2 weeks to get registered. https://sos.ms.gov/IRSs News for 2024State Sex Offender Registry