Category Archives: Criminal Law

Rocky Mountain High: Can You Be Fired Even if You Legally Smoked Marijuana?

By Jamie Ribman on March 8th, 2013 Posted in Criminal Law, Employment & Labor

Stressed out from her job as the manager of Brewed Awakening, a Houston-area coffee shop, Mary Jane Blunt heads to Colorado with her family for a well-deserved Spring Break ski vacation. Blunt is excited to learn that Colorado recently legalized marijuana. While on vacation, Blunt fully enjoys Colorado’s beautiful slopes and relaxed drug laws. Responding… Continue Reading

Have Gun, Will Travel? [Part Two] – Owner’s Liability to Employees for Violent Acts

By Michael Blachly on February 21st, 2013 Posted in Constitutional Rights & Issues, Criminal Law, Employment & Labor

Last month Tilting pondered an owner’s liability to customers from violence at the midnight showing of “Paladin – the Gentleman Black Knight” – the remake. Patrons and employees alike were ambushed at the Orpheum Theater. According to news reports the Paladin look-alike bought a ticket. After the movie started he slipped out through an emergency… Continue Reading

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: HB 700 Seeks to Allow Handguns to be Carried Openly

By Cleve Clinton on January 31st, 2013 Posted in *2013 Legislative Updates, Constitutional Rights & Issues, Criminal Law, Sports & The Outdoors

Will this Legislative Session impact business owners? With the assistance of our own LRM Freshman State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, Tilting the Scales will periodically post updates on bills that might affect your business, along with an occasional humorous twist. As an example and keeping in the tone of this month’s postings on gun control, as the… Continue Reading

Have Gun, Will Travel: Owner’s Liability to Patrons for Violent Acts

By Cleve Clinton on January 31st, 2013 Posted in Constitutional Rights & Issues, Criminal Law, Legal Risk Management, Property Issues

Attendees at the midnight showing of the remake of the movie “Paladin – the Gentleman Black Knight” were ambushed at the Orpheum Theater. According to news reports the accused bought a ticket and sat in the audience. He waited until after the movie started and then stepped out where he donned riot gear and re-entered… Continue Reading

Glock on Board: Can you Keep a Handgun in Your Car if you Don’t have a Concealed Handgun License?

By Jamie Ribman on January 31st, 2013 Posted in Constitutional Rights & Issues, Criminal Law, Sports & The Outdoors

Sam Colt lives in Dallas and is a gun enthusiast. As a result of a rash of car jackings in his neighborhood, Colt regularly carries a Glock 9mm in his vehicle for self-protection, although he does not have a concealed handgun license. Driving to his local bank last week, Colt tosses his gun into the… Continue Reading

Can You Get Away With Faking Your Own Death?

By Jamie Ribman on September 26th, 2012 Posted in Criminal Law

Aaron Elvis is a world-renowned chemist. His latest paper explaining the chemical origins of life has received unprecedented acclaim in the scientific community. However, there is a small problem. Elvis manipulated some of his test results upon which the paper was based, and now one of his graduate students is about to expose Elvis as… Continue Reading

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire – Can You Really Be Sentenced for Perjury?

By Jamie Ribman on June 28th, 2012 Posted in Criminal Law, Legal Risk Management

Chuck Ponzi is subpoenaed to testify in a fraud case concerning a complex pyramid scheme. Ponzi’s deposition testimony is critical to the Plaintiff’s claims that investors were promised a 100% profit within 90 days of their investment. Having read about Roger Clemens recently avoiding perjury charges because his deposition testimony was not presented in court… Continue Reading

Application of Criminal Double Jeopardy

By Jamie Ribman on July 27th, 2011 Posted in Criminal Law

Lou Pole was indicted on charges of first degree murder and pled not guilty to the killing of his three-year-old son. The prosecution sought the death penalty in a six week trial that received intensive national media attention and was a popular topic on television talk shows. Pole did not testify at his trial. To… Continue Reading

Red Light Traffic Camera Violations

By Jamie Ribman on June 21st, 2011 Posted in Criminal Law

Bjorn Free left Dallas for a 10 day photo safari. While on his African adventure, Bjorn’s 20-year-old son, recently back from college and in need of a place to stay, agrees to house sit. Upon his return and after getting rid of some serious jetlag, Bjorn goes through his giant pile of mail. Hidden among… Continue Reading

When and When Not to Take a Breathalyzer Test

By Jamie Ribman on January 27th, 2011 Posted in Criminal Law

After downing vodka gimlets at a friend’s Super Bowl bash, Al Coholic gets behind the wheel of his shiny bimmer and carefully winds his way up Central Expressway. Al travels a few miles before he notices flashing red lights in his rear view mirror and realizes that a police officer is pulling him over. Al… Continue Reading

What are Compensatory Damages and Exemplary Damages?

By Jamie Ribman on October 28th, 2010 Posted in Criminal Law, Legal Risk Management

Norma Leigh Lucid is a competitor in the 2010 Punkin Chunkin Competition [1]. With just two weeks before the big event, Lucid was still fine tuning her thirty foot, artillery-grade air cannon capable of launching a 9 lb. pumpkin nearly one mile at over 600 mph. Early Sunday morning, Lucid test fired a pumpkin from… Continue Reading

Accountant-Client Privilege

By Jamie Ribman on October 27th, 2010 Posted in Criminal Law, Legal Risk Management

Alice B. (“Babette”) Toklas has a new pastry catering business which she operates from her home. The only delicious delectable pastry, and best seller, that Babette sells is her special, knock you over brownies with their “secret ingredient.” Babette’s husband Douglas is a writer. While Douglas and Babette rely upon the income from Toklas Tasties… Continue Reading

Attorney-Client Privilege

By Jamie Ribman on September 29th, 2010 Posted in Criminal Law, Legal Risk Management

Oyle E. Driller’s rig caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico last summer, and he has been scrambling ever since. Almost too late, Oyle allowed his corporate communications department to hire the public relations firm of Frank Lee Madear and his partner Gemma Damm who specializes in crisis management-public relations. To report current information and… Continue Reading

Music Copyright Infringement

By Jamie Ribman on March 17th, 2010 Posted in Constitutional Rights & Issues, Criminal Law, Legal Risk Management

Rapper Chocolate Ice’s new release Golfin’ Wit My Glock is a smash hit with nearly 400,000 digital downloads in its first week. The success of the song has not escaped the notice of recording artist Bill Board, who believes that Ice has ripped off five notes from his 1980’s country hit single, “Now That We’re… Continue Reading

March Madness Basketball Gambling

By Jamie Ribman on March 18th, 2009 Posted in Criminal Law, Employment & Labor

It’s March and NCAA Madness is in full swing. Cindy Rella, your office manager, is now a water cooler fixture bragging about her imminent victory in the office basketball bracket. Sitting at your cubicle bitter that your team lost in the first round, and even more bitter that Cindy, the office sports idiot, used the… Continue Reading

Liability for Providing Alcohol to Minors

By Jamie Ribman on May 28th, 2008 Posted in Criminal Law, Family Issues

Your graduating senior wants to throw a party at your house and invite his friends, Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, the team Captain Morgan and their buddy “Wiser.” Is this a good idea? Your son Graham is graduating from high school and you want to throw a party for him and his friends to celebrate. According… Continue Reading