Mobile’s Independence Day Celebration is set to occur on July 4, 2012, at the USS Alabama Memorial Battleship Park. The event features a live concert by the Mobile Pops at 7pm and a fireworks display at 9pm. This is a great event for the whole family! See http://www.mobile.org for more information.
Alison Baxter Herlihy will be teaching the upcoming Family Law for Paralegals Course at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. The course begins June 5th and runs for eight weeks, each Tuesday from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. See usacontinuinged.com or call 405-9928 for more information.
Alison Baxter Herlihy will be the featured guest on NBC 15’s Law Call show on Sunday, November 27, 2011 at 10:30 pm, on the topic of Divorce and Child Custody. We will be taking calls LIVE on the show. Please call during the show at 251-622-1548 with your questions on Divorce and Child Custody. For more information, please visit http://www.local15tv.com/content/lawcall/default.aspx.
Google has brought its GOMO initiative to Mobile, Alabama to encourage businesses to develop mobile-optimized websites for viewing on smartphones, tablets and other similar devices. I have registered to meet with the representatives from Google tomorrow for mobilization of this website, www.herlihyfamilylaw.com, to provide better access on-the-go. Google is providing a great opportunity for local businesses here in Mobile.
The United States Supreme Court is hearing the case of Michael Turner from South Carolina. Turner was jailed for 12 months for failure to pay $6,000.00 in child support arrearage which he owed. Turner was described as indigent; howver, South Carolina is one of many states, as is Alabama, that does not appoint counsel for indigent Defendants in non-payment of child support actions.
Turner is being represented by a group of pro bono lawyers who have argued that his Sixth Amendment Right to counsel was violated, and that his lengthy incarceration is the equivalent of debtor’s prison. The central legal issue in this case is whether and in what circumstances the state may deprive an individual of his liberty without providing him a lawyer.
Non-payment of child support is generally an issue of civil, as opposed to criminal, contempt, meaning that the Defendant “holds the keys” to his or her jail cell and can become free by making the necessary payment. This position is what Turner’s ex-wife’s attorneys have argued in support of their position that Turner is not entitled to legal counsel in such a proceeding.
The court is expected to render a decision by Summer 2011. The far-reaching effects of this Supreme Court jurisprudence will be interesting to see unfold, as Alabama is currently in a budgetary crisis and experiencing shortfalls in funding regarding the indigent defense that we currently have in place.
Impact Alabama – A Student Service Initiative hosted Mobile’s Brightest Company Trivia Competition on March 29, 2011, inviting companies from the Mobile region to participate in an evening of trivia to raise money both for Impact Alabama and the winning teams’ selected charities. Alison Baxter Herlihy competed on Mobile Arts Council’s team, which placed third in the competition. The top honors in Mobile went to Playhouse in the Park’s team, who won $10,000 for their organization.