With summer in full swing, it’s time to go out and explore everything Little Rock has to offer. This year, let us be your tour guides! There are so many festivals, events, restaurants, attractions, and summer camps to check out. We’ve compiled a list of the best the city has to offer, so you can narrow down your options and do something that you know you’ll enjoy.
To better understand how an employer or high profile individual could commit illegal crimes of abuse such as in situations involving forced labor and/or human trafficking, it’s important to note that these individuals have a skewed perception of reality. Harassing behavior of any kind is a way to establish dominance, maintain or gain power, and intimidate others. Common characteristics of the mentality in which a person may justify his or her abusive actions include:
Entitlement – the belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment.
Narcissism – people with this personality disorder have a lack of empathy for other people and crave admiration. These people are frequently described as arrogant, self-centered, manipulative, and demanding. They may also have grandiose fantasies and may be convinced that they deserve special treatment.
Low to No Moral Principles – having little to no understanding or awareness of what is right and wrong. This is also considered lacking integrity or the honesty and truthfulness of one’s actions.
Displacement of Responsibility – unwillingness to see his or her own shortcomings and uses everything in his or her power to avoid being held accountable for them. This is also known as projection; a defense mechanism used to displace responsibility of one’s negative behavior and traits by attributing them to someone else.
Objectification – when one views others with whom they are in a working or personal relationship with as objects or possessions.
Safety Town, a fun, five-day safety awareness program designed for rising kindergartners, hosted and graduated over 310 children within the Little Rock community this month. The program expanded this year to offer an additional week and an optional location to accommodate the community’s interest for the educational experience. Pulaski Academy and Episcopal Collegiate School served as the two Safety Town locations. McMath Woods P.A. was again a proud lead sponsor of this essential community program.
“Thanks to Safety Town Mayor, Wendy Saer, Safety Town is well-oiled machine operated by a dedicated crew of volunteers, and now delivering lifelong safety lessons to even more children within our city. The program’s reputation and growth are a testament to Mayor Saer’s hard work and to the impact Safety Town has on the families of the children who attend,” says Carter Stein, McMath Woods Managing Partner.
Over the past several months, national attention has turned towards Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, who was recently charged with two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution after paying for and receiving sexual services from the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Fla. Each count carries a maximum jail term of one year, along with 100-hours of community service and a $5,000 fine. At the time Robert Kraft was arrested, the Orchids of Asia Day Spa was under police surveillance in connection with a human trafficking and prostitution investigation that ultimately led to the uncovering of a prostitution operation within 10 Central and Southern Florida day spas in direct connection to China.
Kraft was due to appear in court on March 28 to accept or decline a proposed prosecution deal extended to him by the Palm Beach County Attorney’s Office. Acceptance of the deal could have led to the prosecution dropping criminal charges against Kraft, but required Kraft to admit that prosecutors have enough evidence against him to convict him if he went to trial. In this scenario, Kraft must have also agreed to a sexually transmitted diseases screening, completed an education course on prostitution, and completed 100-hours of community service. Kraft turned down the plea deal. Since then, video evidence including the on-site surveillance tapes and video evidence used to identify Kraft during the traffic stop has been thrown out of the case.
After filing an insurance claim for property damage due to a natural disaster, like that from the recent flooding along the Arkansas River, your insurance company will assign an adjuster to your claim. The adjuster will assist you in the claims process – inspecting the damage, reviewing your list of lost or damaged property, and work with you to calculate the value of the items on your list. You and the adjuster should come to an agreement on the scope of damage. However, it’s not uncommon for disputes to arise over the extent of the damage, whether your property should be repaired or fully replaced, what the policy covers, or the amount for coverage.
At what point should you involve an attorney with your insurance claim dispute? If you have a good, working relationship with your insurance adjuster, if he or she is assertive, responsive, and polite, and your insurer is cooperating in trying to resolve your claim, continue working together. Hiring an attorney may not be necessary. If you find that you’ve come to a road block by becoming overly-frustrated or angry with your adjuster’s lack of communication, lack of a sense of urgency, or you strongly disagree with the insurer’s scope of damages and their costs, consider hiring an attorney. An attorney can help you get the attention and results you deserve.
After heavy rains resulted in record flooding in Arkansas over the past month, thousands of Arkansans were displaced from their homes and many more experienced property damage. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster.
If you are a victim of recent flooding in Arkansas, be sure to follow these easy steps for making the most of your insurance claim:
The Arkansas Bar Association held its 121st Annual Meeting in Hot Springs over the weekend. The three-day conference, themed “Game Changers,” included a diverse array of continuing education sessions, keynote speakers such as Olympic gymnast and law graduate Shannon Miller, and various awards acknowledging outstanding service of lawyers in Arkansas. Sarah C. Jewell was recognized for her year of service as 2018-2019 Chair of the Arkansas Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section (YLS). YLS is the primary service arm of the Association and provides leadership opportunities for young lawyers within the organization and in the community.
In 2013, a car plunged into Little Rock Pond. While there is evidence that suggests the two victims died as a result of Little Rock’s 911 deficiencies, a unanimous ruling on May 30, 2019 upheld the decision of a circuit judge, in which the city cannot be held financially response for the deaths.
A California jury ordered Monsanto to pay a married couple punitive and compensatory damages of $2 billion after they were both diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The cancer was allegedly caused by years of exposure to Roundup products.
As reported by the U.S. Right to Know, jurors listened to 17 days of trial testimony. Alberta Pilliod and Alva Pilliod were the plaintiffs for the case. The couple started using Roundup in the 1970’s and continued to do so until only a few years ago. Alva was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that spread to his bones, pelvis, and spine in 2011. Four year later, Alberta was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma brain cancer.
The Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association (ATLA) Awards Committee and Board of Directors recently recognized McMath Woods P.A. attorney Sarah Jewell with the 2019 ATLA Outstanding Young Lawyer Award at the organization’s annual meeting. Jewell was chosen to receive the award for demonstrating the skills, ethics, and dedication to advancing and protecting the rights of individuals and the American Justice System.
“If every young lawyer had Sarah’s drive, ability to problem solve, and her passion for the legal system, our world would be a better place. She’s incredibly deserving of this award. We’re grateful to have Sarah on our team,” says Carter C. Stein, managing partner of McMath Woods P.A.
