Blawg of Attorney Christine M Bechtold

The new Georgia Juvenile Justice Code House Bill 242 passed the Senate unanimously on March 21, 2013. GA HB 242. The Bill, which is expected to become effective on January 1, 2014, “incorporates many of the recommendations by the governor’s criminal justice reform council related to the juvenile justice system.” atlawblog 3/21/2013. The Bill is intended to emphasize community resources for lower-risk juvenile offenders. It “is designed to send fewer juveniles to state facilities for committing felonies and to divert kids who are not dangerous — especially so-called status offenders such as truants, runaways and the unruly — into less expensive community-based programs.”  AJC 3/21/2013.

People often ask “who will hear my case?” In Georgia, the answer depends on where you and/or the defendant lives and what your case is about, however many cases are heard by the Superior Court. There are 10 Judicial Districts in Georgia which includes 49 Superior Court Judicial Circuits. http://www.georgiacourts.gov/aoc/selfhelp/gacourts_guide.pdf . Every county in Georgia has its own Superior Court, but it may be attached to another Judicial Circuit. For example, the Gwinnett Superior Court Circuit just includes Gwinnett County while the Alcovy Superior Court Circuit includes both Newton and Walton Counties. Your Superior Court is based on the County you live in. The Superior Court has general jurisdiction, which means the Superior Court can rule on any criminal or civil action which is not already designated to be heard by another Court, such as traffic, misdemeanors, bankruptcy, immigration, or probate. Georgia Superior Courts hear a large variety of cases including fel...

By Chris Dyches Dec 12, 2012 5:15 p.m. Things are changing on Sesame Street and the writers behind the major children's series are tackling yet another tough subject... divorce. In an new web series, the Muppet show, which is in its 44th season, will publicly talk about divorced families. "Sesame Street has never shied away from taking on tough topics. If it's a challenge young children face in their lives, it's a challenge Sesame Street would like to help them weather," a blog posted on the Sesame Street website said. "Over the years we have tackled everything from the death of a loved one to helping children through challenging economic times. And now Sesame Workshop is providing tools and resources to help children and parents stay resilient during divorce and separation." Millions of young children experience divorce, and they struggle to understand what exactly is happening. Parents also struggle to explain these changes, if they are a...

http://m.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2012/dec/07/toys-for-tots-collects-for-annual-drive/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter Inside a non-descript 57,000-square-foot warehouse located on Best Friend Road, a handful of volunteers empty vans and trucks filled with new, unwrapped toys. It must mean that Toys for Tots is hard at work and this year, the greatest needs are gifts for boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 12 years old. "We always need gifts for this age," media coordinator Cherrie Carney said. "I think we always have a problem because it's a weird age to shop for." Friday morning's small group of workers built bikes, emptied trash bags and moved pallets -- for free. "Everything we have is donated. Nobody gets paid," Carney said. "Everything is volunteer work. I think 95 percent of the monetary funds raised went back to buying toys last year." The volunteers -- both in the warehouse and on the board -- work fr...

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The purpose of the Domestic Relations Financial Affidavit is to summarize your individual current income, assets, and expenses. It is used to ensure full financial disclosure and is also used to determine any child support obligation. This is a standard form used by the Court. You can either type the information or hand-write it in. The person completing the form is the “affiant” and the form should reflect your individual current financial situation. This Domestic Relations Financial Affidavit will be made under oath; you are swearing to tell the truth based on the information contained in the Affidavit. After you complete the form, do not sign it until you are with a notary. Try not to leave blank spaces on the form, if something is not applicable enter “n/a” or “$0.00.” The figures should be good-faith numbers on your current finances. Use averages whenever possible, but if you are unsure, put in estimates and note that it is an estimate. You will not be re...

Today, September 17, 2012 is Constitution Day! What does that mean? “ Constitution Day commemorates the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution by thirty-nine brave men on September 17, 1787, recognizing all who, are born in the U.S. or by naturalization, have become citizens.” http://www.constitutionday.com/ . After much debate, the Constitutional Convention signed the actual document on this day in 1787. “Among the chief points at issue were how much power to allow the central government, how many representatives in Congress to allow each state, and how these representatives should be elected--directly by the people or by the state legislators.” http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html . The framers of The Constitution drafted the document to allow for its amendment. U. S Constitution, Article V, Section 1. Many are familiar with the first ten Amendments, which are commonly referred to as the Bill of Rights, but now there are twenty seven Ame...