The Missouri Bar

Students: Be Careful Before Taking that Free Sandwich Coupon

Credit card companies have stepped up marketing cards to college students. Some offer free sandwich coupons or T-shirts to get students to sign forms. Suddenly, that student has a line of credit - and most don't know how to manage it. Many students find themselves with overwhelming credit card debit on top of their student loans, and unable to make even minimum payments. Before you sign on for that freebie, read the form carefully.

CNNMoney.com has more details.

The Missouri Attorney General's Office offers helpful hints for students to prevent astronomic debt from overshadowing what should be enjoyable college years.

College Prep

Thousands of Missouri teens are excitedly buying up new clothes, dorm refrigerators and pricey text books. But getting ready for college is about more than just buying stuff students need. These teens also need to be prepared for legal issues that may occur.

Students face landlord/tenant issues, credit problems and bankruptcy as a result of credit card and other debt, arrests for underage drinking or drug possession, loud parties and more.

In this Law in Your Life podcast, host Angela Wilson discusses these issues with University of Missouri-Columbia legal services attorney Steve Concannon.

Atlanta Airport Should Allow Guns

Debate over a new concealed weapons law is heating up in Georgia. Gov. Sonny Perdue backs a plan to allow guns at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. If approved, weapons would only be allowed in unsecured areas. This month, a new rule allows anyone who passes a background check to carry concealed weapons in restaurants, state parks and while riding public transportation. (Read more in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.)

Missouri also has a conceal and carry law. Find out what you need to know in this Law in Your Life podcast.

KC Star Tackles Child Abuse Cases

The Kansas City Star this week will run a four-part series detailing how Missouri courts handle child abuse cases. The series focuses on the trail of David A. Brake. Here are the details from the Star:

Child sex crimes are the toughest to prosecute, but it is even tougher on the kids who testify. In the first of a four-part series, The Star follows the trial of The State of Missouri v. David A. Brake in order to examine the process and problems of prosecuting child sexual crime.

The powerful first in the series ran over the weekend. Check at Eric Alder's article. The Star also details how Missouri handles sex crime allegations in this article.

E-mail Lawsuit Against Blunt Dismissed

A Cole County Judge dismissed a lawsuit alleging Gov. Matt Blunt violated Missouri's Sunshine Law by deleting public emails. However, the judge is staying his judgment for 10 days to allow attorneys to amend the suit. Missourinet has the details:

Judge dismisses lawsuit filed against Governor Blunt by Brent Martin

A judge in Jefferson City has dismissed a lawsuit filed against Governor Blunt, alleging that the governor has violated state law in how his office has handled e-mail correspondence.

Cole County Circuit Judge Richard Callahan has ruled that special investigator Mel Fisher lacks standing to bring the lawsuit. Attorneys for Governor Blunt had argued in court yesterday that state law made no provision for the type of special investigative team appointed by Attorney General Jay Nixon. Blunt's attorney, John Holstein, had argued in court that allowing the lawsuit to go on as is would establish a poor precedent.

Callahan has given the Attorney General ten days to join the lawsuit or for Fisher, the former State Highway Patrol Superintendent, to establish personal standing so that the lawsuit might continue. Callahan has not ruled on the motion to intervene brought by the Associated Press, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Kansas City Star. The media have all made various requests for e-mails from the governor's office.

The lawsuit alleges the governor's office has violated both the state records retention law and the Sunshine Law by deleting e-mails that should have been retained.

Law in Your Life #43: Military Legal Issues

Military families face tough legal issues when a soldier leaves on a tour of duty. What issues can the military help them with? When should they hire a private attorney to meet their needs. This week, The Missouri Bar's Military Law Committee Chair, Terry Jarrett, discusses these important issues with Law in Your Life host Angela Wilson. Issues include child custody, divorce, talking with your landlord and more. (Internet Explorer users click twice.)

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Download audio to your computer. (MP3, approx 9.5 meg)
Note: in some browsers, the file may not begin playing until full file is downloaded.

Officials Work to Protect Homebuyers

The Fed plans to issue new rules to prevent bad homebuyer lending. The rules apply to all loans, including subprime mortgages. Officials hope the move will keep the country from another mortgage mess.

Read more by the Associated Press

Congress is also working to pass bills to stop foreclosures and help homeowners in need. (Read more at MarketWatch.com)

As a result of the housing market crash, foreclosures are at an all-time high. Missouri ranks 20th in the nation in the number of residents in foreclosure. If you face foreclosure, find out what you need to know in this Law in Your Life. The Missouri Bar's Consumers and the Law Resource Guide
also offers up helpful information.

Gov. Blunt Signs Immigration Legislation

A new law signed today requires anyone applying for public benefits in Missouri to prove their citizenship. It also requires businesses found to have illegals in their employ to use a federal database verifying legal residence.

Gov. Matt Blunt signed the legislation today at stops in Kansas City and Joplin, and will sign tomorrow during a ceremony in Springfield. He will also discuss the legislation on CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight this evening (July 7) from 6:30-7 p.m.

Up to 65,000 illegal immigrants live in the state.

Read more in the Joplin Globe

Immigration is a complicated area of law. What do you need to know about it? Attorney Angela Ferguson tells us in this Law in Your Life podcast.

 

Nearly 115,000 Missourians Still Have Not Received Stimulus Payments

Missourinet has the latest on Missouri stimulus package payments:

The U.S. Treasury Department has sent out about 105-million economic stimulus payments totaling more than $86-billion. But there are 113,000 disabled veterans and retired people in Missouri - each of whom will not receive his or her check unless and until a 2007 income tax return is filed.

Michael Devine, who handles Internal Revenue Service Media Relations for Missouri and Kansas, says the paperwork must be completed. The IRS reached the number of 113,000 by working with the Social Security Administration and Veterans' Administration data bases to match them up with those who have already filed returns and then determine who has not filed.

The IRS wants all eligible people to file by October 15th so that all checks can be cut by the end of the year.

Law in Your Life #42: Boating While Intoxicated

This session, Missouri lawmakers changed the legal blood-alcohol limit for boating from .10 to .08. That makes it the same as the limit for driving. What does this mean for boaters this holiday? Is there a safe number of drinks you can have while boating? What if you get pulled over by the Water Patrol? Lake of the Ozarks attorney Erik Bergmanis explains the new law and consequences with host Angela Wilson.

Download audio to your computer. (MP3, approx 9.5 meg)
Note: in some browsers, the file may not begin playing until full file is downloaded.

Download audio to your computer. (MP3, approx 9.5 meg)
Note: in some browsers, the file may not begin playing until full file is downloaded.