Exacta Legal

After it was learned the the ‘News Of The World,’ a popular tabloid newspaper in the UK, had been gaining information by way of illegal phone tap, two arrests and a media frenzy ensued. Rupert Murdoch, the owner of the newspaper, defected to his son for help. James Murdoch is the future heir of his father’s fortune, but he is viewed by many to be ill equipped to deal with the crisis.

Just days after the public learned that the ‘News Of The World’ had been intercepting phone calls and listening in on the voice mail messages of the royal family, politicians and other prominent figures, Scotland Yard became involved. Rupert Murdoch laid off more than 100 journalists, but many top level executives who would have had more information on the stories remain. The ‘News Of The World’ officially closed its stores on July 10th, however, Murdoch also owns other newspapers.

Investigators still have questions as to how employees from the ‘News Of The World’ were able to get access to the private lines of so many important people in the UK. Rumors of corruption have surrounded for several decades, with the last outward scandal occurring in 2007. It is clear that many former employees were aware of the fact that they were invading the privacy of their subjects, but it is not known if Rupert Murdoch himself played a hand in their crimes. The investigation will likely resort in more arrests and a possible forfeiture of assets in the future.

A loophole in Maryland in-state college tuition law has allowed illegal immigrants the opportunity to take advantage of the shortcomings. Now, residents of the state will have the chance to have their voices heard. College tuition discounts are funded by taxpayer dollars. Every time an illegal alien takes a discounted college course, the state deficit rises. Civil rights activists believe that all residents of the state have the right to further their education and benefit from current in-state tuition laws.

Delegate Neil C. Parrott wants Maryland voters to understand what will happen if they do not take action to prevent illegal immigrants from benefiting from the in-state tuition laws that are now on the books. Democrats are voting to keep in-state tuition laws in place, but they also know that costs will rise substantially.

Other states are currently working to revamp their in-state tuition and immigration laws. Because federal immigration laws do not take precedence over state statutes, lawmakers are permitted to change the rules as they see fit. Officials in Maryland believe that the new referendum will pass, simply because of the state of the economy. Although illegal immigrants regularly contribute by paying taxes, the money that state use to track their crimes and their burden on social services are also areas of contention. Individually, colleges in Maryland are not permitted to charge students different amounts for tuition unless they live under the poverty level. Some would like to see illegal immigrants banned from state run colleges altogether, but lawmakers have not yet addressed these issues.

In the US, citizens can retain attorneys in advance whether or not they believe that they will face charges in the future. Celebrities may hire lawyers that specialize in entertainment law, while nightclub owners might retain criminal attorneys. A new service which has been launched in four states named LawyerUp allows people to pay a small monthly fee in return for the services of an attorney in case of arrest.

When a US citizen is arrested, he or she may be interrogated. As most people aren’t legal experts, they may unwillingly incriminate themselves by making statements without the advice of an attorney. As a result, there are several legal services that provide people with low costs services. Some have been criticized as being scams, while other services only associate with attorneys that have been sternly reprimanded.

The owner of LawyerUp contends that his company pre-screens all attorneys that are involved in the business. In addition, all negotiations for attorney fees are completed solely between the attorney and the client. In essence, LawyerUp customers are only paying to have an attorney show up to the police station. There can be no client abuse if the client does not agree to be represented.

As the new company is still in its infancy, it will be some time before legal professionals are able to thoroughly review the services. In fact, only a small number of customers have actually needed the assistance of an attorney, and they are not required to report back on their experiences.

Although Robert Gordon worked with the Chicago Police Department he has failed to tell his employers about his criminal connections and sordid past. As a result, Gordon was dismissed by the Chicago Police Department and started working as the head of security for a Chicago school district. Investigators believe that Gordon’s relationship with Jeff Pesek, the President of the Morton High School District 201. Pesek himself has alleged associations with drug dealers and gangs. A third man, James Zundell, was also hired by Pesek. Zundell once owned a popular nightclub before he was arrested on felony charges.

Parents at the Morton High School District 201 have called for the dismissal of Zundell, Gordon and Pesek. Gordon has been formally disciplined for making egregious errors, but he is still employed by the Morton High School District 201. However, Pesek was recently re-elected. Although the men do no deny that they know one another closely, Pesek says that they were hired based on their merits. Zundell has been arrested and convicted for assault, shooting and other misdemeanor charges. He claims that he has not been in trouble for a number of years and has turned his life around.

While investigators believe that neither Zundell nor Gordon should have ever been hired in the first place, they may be able to keep their jobs. Due to the fact that Pesek is the current school board president, he has the power to hire, fire and veto calls for dismissals. None of the men wanted to comment to the media about the investigation.

When Arizona passed an immigration law that allowed law enforcement agents to stop, search and detain anyone who they believed may have been in the country illegal, Hispanic residents and civil rights activists said that it was discriminatory. Soon after, the federal government filed a lawsuit against the state of Arizona and the law was eradicated. Undeterred, Alabama lawmakers have recently passed a nearly identical immigration law.

In Alabama, police can hold civilians indefinitely under the “reasonable suspicion” ruling. Legally, this can be interpreted as giving law enforcement the power to violate the civil rights of persons with accents, wearing certain attire or anyone who appears to be from a particular racial group. The law was passed by the majority Republican Alabama Senate as well as the Alabama House.

In addition to the new stop and seizure ruling, illegal immigrants have virtually no right to further their education past high school. The measure stopped short of banning the children of illegal aliens from attending public schools. Bill H.B. 56 also forces all immigrant children to divulge their immigration status. This information can legally be used to deport their parents and other relatives if it is found that they are in the country illegally.

Though the federal government did not overturn Arizona’s immigration law immediately, the move by Alabama lawmakers will likely be dealt with in a move swift manner. Laws that are passed by state lawmakers who know that they are violating the civil rights of any persons residing in the United States are subject to being overruled.