Criminal Law

If you have been recently been accused of an alleged criminal offense, you may be worried about the damage to your reputation and future that a conviction could cause. Facing charges that could seriously impact your future can be daunting, it is important to know that you are not alone.

It can be challenging to navigate the Grand Junction criminal law. It is important to have adequate representation for charges related to drugs, DUI, theft, violent crime, theft and other criminal charges. It is important to find comprehensive, client-focused criminal defense legal services so that you can defend yourself from criminal charges in court.

Facing Criminal Charges

If you have been charged with a crime, you need a competent attorney that has the knowledge and the experience to defend your rights. Grand Junction criminal law can be confusing and you need expert help to ensure you are protected. Some of the charges you may need to seek legal guidance for:

Drug crimes - Drug laws in Colorado can be harsh and you may face significant jail time. An experienced attorney can help you to mount a successful defense against charges related to heroin, meth and prescription drugs including drug use, manufacturing, unlawful possession, trafficking and drug paraphernalia charges.

DUI and DWAI – DUI stands for driving under the influence while DWAI stands fro driving while adversely impaired. DUI’s and DWAI’s are both serious charges that could result in substantial fines, loss of your driver’s license or jail time. This can be from operating a vehicle while intoxicated by alcohol, marijuana or prescription drugs. A good criminal lawyer can help reduce fines and jail time in order to protect you and your family from the potentially devastating consequences of a conviction.

Theft and property cases - If you have been charged with a theft or property crime, you need to seek legal help immediately. Theft or property crimes are serious charges that could mean decades in prison and thousands of dollars in fines. While some misdemeanor crimes can result in probation or community services, others convicted could face felony records. Let us help you learn about your legal options.

Murder and violent crimes - Colorado criminal offenses that involve murder or violent crimes require exceptional representation as you could face lengthy prison sentences that will substantially impact your life and future. With not only your future to think about but also the future of your family and loved ones, it is important to have the best legal council possible.

Criminal appeals

Even if your case has not concluded in your favor, you may still have options. Most cases have valid legal concerns that can and should be appealed by a competent attorney. An appeal can help you to reduce your charges with the help of an experienced lawyer. If you were not properly represented during your trial, the court made a mistake or new evidence has been discovered, we may be able to appeal your case.

If you have been charged with a crime, it is recommended that you seek experienced legal counsel from a Grand Junction criminal defense lawyer immediately to protect your rights.

Why You Need a Real Estate Lawyer

Real estate transactions have a lot of documentation whether buying, selling, leasing or renting. Be it the purchase of a personal home, commercial property, rental or vacation property, is important to protect your interests, know your rights and fully understand obligations of all participants. Important issues to consider are the relationship between landlord and tenant, conveyancing and mortgages, condominium act and other legal real estate issues. Having a professional real estate lawyer can help you to protect your assets through this process. 

In building contracts of new construction or renovation, always know the obligations of all parties that are involved. Tenants as well as landlords signs lease agreements, which are legally enforceable documents, and thus having a professional review the document, interpret and ensure the legality of the lease is important. When tenants become a problem for the landlord, a legal eviction procedure is required. A real estate lawyer that is already knowledgable about the property and lease involved can help make this process more smooth. When the landlord is unfair to the tenant, legal support for the tenant is important. A lawyer can help ensure that the tenants assets and privacy are protected.

Mortgage negotiations, zoning boards, title insurance, arbitration, bank contract reviews and also short sale processes requires guidance and being familiar with particulars of the documents before signing them. A lawyer can help review documents and ensure that you know exactly what the agreement entails. A property owner may be involved in foreclosure: a process that requires determination of ownership. You need to protect all your assets throughout the process to ensure that nothing you legally own can be taken from you. 

Real estate brokers and salesmen needs to have licenses before transacting any business. When signing agreements with them it is important to seek guidance from a real estate property professional. A real estate lawyer can ensure that brokers, salesmen and property professionals are following all legal requirements for sale of property. For brokers it is also important to know the responsibility of all parties to avoid disputes with owners or clients. Commercial property transactions differ from individual property, meaning that past experience with your home is not guarantee to being able to cope with commercial property. Ensure you get legal guidance and support with the property prior to signing any documents. 

Simple issues may have major implications. You need qualified and experienced persons to arrange the lease terms and manage your estate property be it in dissolution, distribution or inheritance. Get the best course of action when dealing with real estate law by giving us a call. 

How do personal injury lawyers work after a personal injury?

A personal injury lawyer can help you get the best settlement.

A personal injury is an injury resulting from someone else being negligent, from an accident or from an intended assault. A personal injury lawyer  is the best way to get compensation for the suffering underwent as a result of the personal injury. 

Suffering can be physical injuries, wrongful death, emotional trauma, permanent disability and/or psychological suffering. The compensation is in most cases in monetary form and includes any medical expenses incurred in treating the injuries, transportation costs to the hospital and any lost wages.

It is important for you to file a personal injury claim soon after the accident so that you get compensated by whoever was responsible for your suffering.The best way to file a claim and get the best compensation is with the help of a personal injury lawyer.

It is important to find a lawyer to represent you as soon after the incident as possible. It is often easier and faster to get compensation by mediation instead of litigation. Taking claims to the court may be costly and in many cases takes longer.  Your lawyer will help you get due compensation from your insurance company or from the party at fault. Most lawyers will work at a percentage fee of the total compensation paid at the end of the claim or at an agreed amount. An attorney will help you find and analyze all the evidence and help you to understand how the accident happened. They will also help you go through medical reports to determine the amount of compensation to demand. After getting the best personal injury attorney, you can then file a personal injury claim.

Time limits for filing the claim varies from state to state, the type of injury and who or what caused the incident. In many places, the incident must have occurred three years prior or less for adults.. Minors have up to three years after their eighteenth birthday to file personal injury claims for incidents that happened while they were a minor.

It is also important that your lawyer determines who was at fault at the time of incident so that you can know who to demand compensation from. In particular instances, the local laws decide who should be compensated and how much the compensation fee should be.

No matter the extent of your injuries, minor or major you should file for personal injury claims. In some cases you may suffer permanent disability and have trouble finding work. When this happens, the compensation you get can help sustain you financially.

Adulthood (a controversy apparently)

Things Americans can do when they turn 18 (in no particular order):

• Buy and smoke tobacco
• Vote
• Get married
• Join the army 
• Get a loan under their own name
• Buy cough syrup, spray paint, and dry ice
• Go to adult stores and purchase pornography
• Get killed in the service
• Sign medical releases for themselves
• Run for most governmental offices
• Rent or buy a place to live
• Apply for credit in their own name
• Make a will and power of attorney
• Sign contracts and be personally sued if they are broken
• Be tried in adult criminal court

Things Americans can do when they turn 21:

• Buy and consume alcohol

I was told recently (by more than one person that have no relation to each other) that one does not become an adult until they turn twenty-one. This is, obviously, complete bullshit (excuse my French but I believe harsh wording is necessary here).I have also been told that turning 18 is simply a legal matter and that 18 year old's are still minors. This is also, bullshit. Unless dying to protect the freedom of arrogance is "just a legal matter" I will have to firmly disagree. 18 is "the age of majority" in this country (by law, which is pretty darned specific). This means, for anyone with half a brain and vocabulary can understand, that 18 year old's are not minors. For all legal and social purposes, anyone over the age of 18 is an adult, has the rights of an adult, and has the consequences of an adult. 

I had yet another person argue that one is not an adult until they can support themselves. This is the most legitimate of the arguments that I have had placed in front of me. It is true that (if for respect purposes even more than anything else) if one lives with their parents/guardians they must obey that persons rules (at least when they are in that home). This is somewhat insubstantial though, because 18 year old's can move away or simply leave the home and participate in any activities they wish (that are lawful). 

And the most legitimate argument: high school students can still be treated like children. Yes, they can. But only when they are one school grounds (and they can leave school grounds whenever they want!). So again, the point is moot. 

To be perfectly clear, I am offended when people say that 18 year old's are not adults because it is complete idiocy based in no part on any fact. Know what you're talking about before you open your big fat arrogant mouth, okay? 

For the irritated (from the irritated),

DWF

(Note: I think the drinking age thing is highly unproductive, but that is a topic for another day) 

Growing Up Today (Commentary on Commentary)

After my last blog post, I spent a lot of time thinking about our generational differences. But then I decided that it is idiotic to spend all this time bickering about our differences, it only makes me personally resent all the people I live with everyday even more. That statement does admit that a) resent them a lot of the time and spend a lot of angst saying that I hate them and b) that my last post was rather a gut reaction to what I fully saw as an attack on my efforts in this world.

This is my final gut statement that I would add to that post before continuing with this one: I might note that I fully believe that I belong to a generation that is creating and connecting more than any generation before us. If it is the over 40/ under 40 gap that we are discussing, then my generation can take credit for Facebook (created by a 20 year old)  and Twitter (created by a 30 year old) and YouTube (created by three people in their 20's and early 30's) and probably dozens more things that we as a generation are using to change with world.  I conclude that my generation has created their own problems in creating solutions to other problems.

With that piece of information off my chest, I would like to make this statement:

My life is not horrible: it's awesome! I love the technology we live with, it makes for a world that I see as much more productive than that of our elders. But your life hasn't been horrible either, only different. I feel that this battle (word battle whatever you wanna call it) is completely counter productive. There has been far too much talking and attacking and not nearly enough listening. I know that I don't feel very heard on what I am trying to say but even more so I realize that I am not hearing what my elders have to say on this topic because they are trying to say it in such an attacking manor.

So I would like to say that I'm done attacking. I'll listen to anyone who (pardon my french) doesn't want to just bitch about their life. And I will be completely honest to anyone who wants to really, honestly listen to me.

For the mature, because maturity has no age,
DWF

Growing-Up Today

I got an e-mail yesterday from “the over 40 crowd” which includes 3 of my 4 parents as well as many other people I interact with on a daily basis. It said, in great stuck-up detail how “You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled rotten! You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1970 or any time before!”

So here’s from us, the generation alive and breathing. The kids you obviously know nothing about. Because I believe that you wouldn’t last even one minute of my everyday life. You think we have it so easy? Here, I’ll give you some perspective:

1.      We have the internet; we also are then required to stay up to date with it. We are expected to know it all because we have the information at our fingertips. Students now can’t survive without it, it’s not possible. Imagine if you were told you had to buy a $1000 computer just to start the education that you can’t afford and will spend the next 20 years paying back. And you think you had it hard? I know I will have to replace that puppy in 2 years when the hardware can’t keep up with the software updates!

2.      And you think e-mail gives us anything? Hate to break it to you, but e-mail is so yesterday. We have video conferencing and Facebook and Google+ to learn now. Imagine, back when you were young learning something lasted a bit longer didn’t it? And we all figure it out on our own because to be quite frank, you ripe old folks are no help at all.

3.      Here’s another one, you think child protective services makes us soft? We have a much more difficult task of guarding our words. There’s no getting out of it if it went up on Facebook. Or if anyone else put it up on the internet. Nowhere is safe, we could always get caught! Even for things that happened months or years ago! Did you ever have to worry like that? I didn’t think so. And besides, they don’t protect us from the pressure we live with every day. The people I know who *haven’t* had some run in with self mutilation, can be counted on one hand. And you think you know us?!? HA!

4.      You say call waiting is fancy crap, but we pay out our butts for it. Ever been told that you’re not good enough because you didn’t buy something? My cell phone doesn’t have internet access but it’s expected by everyone including my teachers that it does. You just had to read to keep up with your classmates, I have to bend over backward for the new thing I don’t have!

5.      And here’s another thing, you call us lazy or whatever for being online all the time. I have the best job a teen could ever hope for because I’m good with Facebook and twitter and Photoshop and Dreamweaver and probably a half dozen other programs you know nothing about. You’re paying me because I have the ability to keep up with it. Keep complaining because if you don’t start learning I’d love to keep taking your money.

6.      You say we’re annoying because of our cell phones? Did you ever experience that moment as a kid that you were left totally out of it and all of a sudden your friends have an inside joke you missed and suddenly you’re not in with your own crowd anymore? I’m sure you did, we all do. But for us? That could happen at any second, it will! We live in a social environment that is physically impossible to keep up with. You call it annoying, we call it survival. Besides, I’m sure you never had to live under the constant fear of having your entire identity hacked when you were in middle school!! I’ll bet you didn’t even know what identity theft was when you were in seventh grade.

7.      Who has time to watch cartoons? I’d be willing to guess you didn’t have the notion that if you aren’t the best you aren’t good enough pounded into you since birth. Ever been told that if you don’t go to college you’ll have to be a prostitute? How about all the time from peers and adults alike? Yeah, you tell me how you would have survived with that hanging over your entire childhood. I think not.

8.      I am personally $49,843.05 in debt to the government (as of March 17, 2012) because of you people. And you thought having to play outside all day was a hardship? Come on! We aren’t allowed to just go outside. If my parents don’t know where I am for 2 seconds they freak out! Imagine having to be tethered to your parents by the cell phone 24/7!!

So here’s from us, we’re sorry your childhood was so pleasant and simple. We’re sorry you’ve been taking advantage of all the newest technology that we’ve been building and testing and using. We’re sorry that your childhood amounted to drinking out of the hose and writing letters to friends and listening to the radio. As for us? We’re on the internet. We’re pooling our intelligence and our resources and everything to create the future. We’re working to stop evil people like Joseph Koney halfway around the world. Or had you heard of that yet? We’re going to try to get you people out of debt. And all of it while dealing with an ever mounting socio-economic pressure. Maybe if you got your head out of your behind and took some time to know us, you’d see past everything we have that you are really just taking advantage of now.

Regards,

The Kids of Today

Naturally Mystified

Human nature is self interest.

This answer to the age old question, "Are people inherently good or inherently evil?" seems to have become the social "right answer" so that we can stop worrying about the question. One of my teachers had this statement posted on above his door as though it was an overarching fact of life. But I believe otherwise. I think that this phrase, while somewhat intelligent in its creation and absolutely an arguable position on the topic, has become a cop out for people who are unwilling to actually deal with the question at hand.

If our nature is self-interest then why to we have such guilt when we act greedy and such irritation when others act selfishly? No creature under heaven feels guilt about their nature, about what they were created to be and do. The bird doesn't feel guilty to eat the worm, to crow in the morning, to pull nature apart to make her nest, to push her young from the nest. The gazelle feel pride to jump and run, to have sex and raise her young, to live in the herd but also to run faster than the other gazelle when the lion comes hunting. The wolf works with his pack to make a kill, he fights for the she-wolf he desires, he protects her and stays with her. He is loyal and smart, brilliant even, and he feels no guilt over any of these things. If it is our nature to be self interested, then we should have no issue acting selfishly.

But we are not. We struggle with doing what is right. But this does not mean that we are inherently good. We are interested in ourselves and sometimes we do feel anger and resentment for those who have more than we do. As children we think nothing of the world, only of the instinctual feelings for self preservation. This is by design, all creatures act this way and it has nothing to do with the inherent nature of what that creature will become. We must all start with nothing so that we can become something. It may be cheesy to quote a movie, but in this case it is true: "you cannot fill a cup that is already full" (Avatar, in case you missed it, its a great movie).

So we begin with nothing and the first thing we must learn is how to preform the tasks like eating, drinking, pooping, sleeping, and the like to continue living. This also teaches us something that many people forget as we grow up: we are unable to do it alone. Sometimes, we have to cry out for help from others and from our God so that we can continue to live.

But this part of our existence is not the key to our nature our purpose. It is only the beginning. The rest becomes a struggle with the very question of what we are made to be and do. In essence, I believe that the question is also the answer. We are the only creatures in the universe that we know of that are gifted (and burdened) with the ability to ask this question. We were created, our nature is, to deal with this question and to act as we feel is appropriate as humans. The human spirit is one that questions, which is different than any other creature, and it is a beautiful thing that we sometimes try to cover with answers and excessively broad statements. We struggle with ideas to create our morals, we struggle with decisions to create our lives, we struggle for life and happiness and for everything else we come into contact with.

Human nature is struggle. Those who abandon the struggle, abandon the life and thus will never be able to grow and become what they were made to be.

For the ones in the human experience,
Dancing With Fire