Author Archives: lee

This is different. In 2017, I had a non-oral hearing scheduled but needed a continuance so we could have an oral hearing. To do so, I needed approval from the other attorney, who happened to be out of town. It turns out he was kayaking somewhere.

His legal assistant tried to reach him by phone, but he didn’t have it with him. She was able to get his wife. We were running out of time. His wife hopped in a kayak to take a phone to him about 30 minutes before the court was closing to seek his approval. I got it. My legal assistant, Margina, got the paperwork together and went to the court within 20 minutes to get the continuance and oral hearing approved. Thank you, Margie!

A first for me,

• I spent my life being told the dangers of looking at an eclipse unprotected, so I didn’t. Yesterday, my wife was going to watch it with grandkids, so I researched the glasses.
  
  I went to get a pair from a guy selling glasses from his truck, which had a table next to it. He handed me a pair, but I had the numbers written down. He was ready for me and read the numbers. All good, but one problem.Me: These are 2015 glasses. They’re nine years old.Him: I don’t know. 5 dollars.

  Me: They’re nine years old. You get these for free and sell them for 5 bucks. You have quite a racket going here.

  But I bought the glasses, went home, and warned my wife to be careful. I warned her the glasses were old. She reminded me I said only the numbers mattered. I only bought one pair since I wasn’t going.

  But after nine years, a scratch is enough, and after nine years, there had to be a problem.

  I kept talking to her, trying to convince her not to go. I told her she could be blind with a couple seconds of exposure.

  A friend of mine came over. She handed him the glasses to try on. The guy has a head the size of a watermelon. Now, the glasses would fall off her head while watching the eclipse. I showed my wife pictures of people holding the sides of the glasses against their heads with their hands. I told her to make sure to do this to be safe.

  When she left, I again instructed her to keep herself safe. I was going to stay home but decided to run an errand. I grabbed my cane—yes, I use a cane. It’s my Bat Masterson look.

  We were in the path of totality. As I was driving, it was starting to get dark. I put my lights on, stopped the car, and glanced at the Sun. It looked hazy. When I got to the end of the back road, I stopped and looked again. The Sun was almost blocked, so I started driving again. Another mile, and I was where I needed to be. I looked up again. The Sun was blocked, and the corona circled it. My glances were all short.

  When I returned from the store, the Sun was really bright. I looked up, but it was too bright. I got in my car and drove to Watermelon Head’s house—actually, one of the barns. I told him on the way over that I could see wavy lines in front of my eyes. I have a somewhat large floater, which was now still, and my eyes hurt slightly.

  My wife called while I was there. I told her what I was experiencing with my eyes. She expressed disbelief after hearing what I had done after all of my yapping about the importance of the right glasses, but she showed no concern.

  Me: I could go blind,

  Her: We’ll get you a white cane.

  Uproarious laughter from Watermelon Head.

National Vietnam War Veterans DayIt was noted by a proclamation in 2012 and by an Act signed by the president in 2017. March 29 was chosen as National Vietnam War Veterans Day because on March 29, 1973, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam was disbanded, and the last U.S. combat troops left the Republic of Vietnam.

Please don’t tell me we lost the war or it wasn’t worth it. You would be deprecating those who sacrificed, and the sacrifice was great.

More than 58,000 young men and women lost their lives there. This includes three from my little town in Ohio called Mantua, including a friend known to all as Bobby. In addition, the physically wounded totaled more than 300,000 in Vietnam, with another 75,000 left severely disabled from their physical wounds.

There are also the emotional scars of war. We call it PTSD today. The numbers aren’t precisely known, but the range is 15% of those serving to as many as 30% have gone through the tortuous journey of PTSD at some point. When you consider 2.7 million served, well, do the math.

This day was created in 2017 “to give Americans the opportunity to say ‘Welcome Home’ to a group of veterans who never got the reception they deserved when they returned to the United States.”

Another attorney and I battled it out in court for almost three hours. It was a case that had to be heard by the court. What I liked was that the other attorney was kind of like me. We’re throwbacks to a time when cases were tried when necessary, not settled or continued. The Magistrate did a good job of ruling on objections. I think I know the outcome, but that’s up to the Magistrate, not me.

Sometimes, I hear people complain that attorneys have some buddy system. Are we friends outside of court? Yes. Do we do what we can against each other in court? Yes, we do. I point this part out only because clients see their attorney talking to the other attorney, and oftentimes, it’s a friendly conversation. That part of it ends when we walk into the courtroom.

I use the analogy of boxing. For 12 rounds, two guys pound on each other and then embrace(attorneys don’t do the last part). It ends; we go our separate ways and can be friendly toward each other again until the next time we meet in court.

Folks, please believe there is no collusion regarding your case. Most of our business is by word of mouth, which requires us not to cut secret deals but to fight for the rights of the people we represent.

Originally written on March 25, 2013