Warming Up

Coffee has been known to be a good body warmer. I guess many can attest to that since my favorite Starbucks branch has been filled to the brim with coffee lovers lately. The Yuletide breeze has been letting its presence felt these past few days, and many people (including myself) are going to the coffee shops more often to sip the chills away.

I had a short chat with the branch manager a few days ago. He said that he’s really finding it hard to serve the customers promptly. I almost seconded him on that sarcastically since I’ve been waiting for my cappuccino for 20 minutes already.

He had with him a few application forms in his hand. He said that he will be hiring 3 more employees for the holidays, and that he’s just waiting for the results of the court and criminal records searches on them.

Until then, I guess I have to settle for instant coffee if I want a quick warmer.

Cut and Paste

Have you ever wondered how judges manage to write lengthy decisions and still be able to hear cases without delay? For many, reading court records is difficult enough. It’s not surprising then, why many revere magistrates for their intellect and dedication to their profession.

While drafting a court opinion takes a lot of work, they are not exactly very difficult to do. The countless footnotes that usually litter decisions may seem to suggest that its author went through a lot in order to come up with it. However, these references are actually time-savers.

Judges cannot just issue a ruling based on personal opinion. He has to weigh in the evidence, and apply the appropriate law on the matter. However, the law can sometimes be applied or interpreted in a number of ways. In order to avoid any inconsistency, courts are enjoined to follow precedents.

The rule on precedents has tremendously aided judges in disposing controversies quickly but accurately. In deciding a particular controversy, all that a judge has to do is to look for a Supreme Court case that has the same facts. If he has found one, then his task is reduced to just copying the ruling of the highest court of the land.

Cloudy Deals

With operating costs continuously climbing, airline companies are now seriously entertaining merger proposals from competitors.

CNN has been running short features or segments on the matter as a number of established airlines are planning to join forces with competitors. I’m sure you’re already familiar with U.S. Airways’ bid to take over Delta. Then there’s the proposed Air France-Alitalia deal across the Atlantic.

I’m not sure if I could validly claim that I’m a jetsetter or a frequent flyer, but I do fly around several times each year. This issue concerns me since many suspect that a monopoly in the industry would blow up airfares. I’m also worried about some safety concerns since the dominant airline might not have a sterling track record as far as maintenance is concerned.

I’m not sure if the skies are safe anymore, especially since airlines are cutting down on some expenses, including spare parts and mechanics. I guess I have to check out some of the airline companies’ court records and see if they’ve been previously charged for mishandling goods, or for endangering the lives of their passengers due to faulty aircraft repairs.

I Need An Interpreter

I was at the public library the other day looking for interesting finds on the classical literature section. The reading area was nearly empty, except for a number of people who appeared to be law students. My search was fruitless, so I decided to just browse through the latest periodicals.

I sat near the group of students since the area around them is well lit. I discovered that they were indeed law students, and were going through piles of statute books and court records.

One student was complaining that he’s having a hard time understanding the court decisions. Poor kid. I had a similar experience a few years ago when I was first introduced to legal documents.

I wonder why some judges choose to be esoteric when writing their orders or resolutions. Judicial decisions do not just concern lawyers. As they are the interpretations of the law, people are expected to be aware of them in order to be properly guided as to the true meaning of the law.

Judges and lawyers should really keep their language simple. After all, laws are primarily made for ordinary people like us.

e-Life

Have you already tried buying things online? I’m simply amazed at how things, activities, or transactions are steadily being done electronically. There used to be a time when shopping means hours of carpeting malls or stores. Nowadays, people won’t even suit up to buy clothes from Calvin Klein or Armani.

The Internet has revolutionized the way we shop. Wait. Let me correct that understatement. The Internet has revolutionized the way we live. Everything can now be done at the touch of a button, and you know that’s not an exaggeration.

You might abhor at the way things are going. My mom can’t seem to contain her amazement every time I tell her that I’m shopping from my computer. However, she is very reluctant to try it herself for fear that her credit card details might get intercepted.

e-commerce may have saved us from road hazards, but it certainly hasn’t spared us from a variety of frauds. If you’re really bent on roaming around cyberspace for good buys, make sure that the Web site or online company you’re purchasing from has a clean record. Heed the advice of experts on how to shop without getting robbed online. You could also browse through court records and check if those e-vendors have been previously charged for fraud.

A 'Minor' Problem

Whenever I am posting articles on my blog, I usually wonder if they influence those who stumble upon them. Maybe some think that I have this weird obsession on public files or documents, such as court records.

It would seem that one person did find my posts interesting. I received a message from him a few weeks ago, telling me that my articles have convinced him that one should really be careful when dealing with strangers.

His first attempt to practice the things that I’ve been preaching didn’t go smoothly. He interviewed two teenage boys that he intended to hire for a small garage makeover project. After gathering their personal details, he then proceeded to browse through court records to check if the two had previous troubles with the law. To his dismay, he was denied access to some records.

I told him that juvenile records are usually sealed. This doesn’t mean though, that he’ll always be stuck in a dead end as far as conducting background checks on teens is concerned. There are many ways by which one could investigate or go through the profiles of persons, regardless of their age.

Kids Stuff

I have never outgrown my love for toys. My friends would usually suppress a chuckle whenever I volunteer to take their kids at Toys R Us because they know that I’ll surely end up buying stuff for myself.

I’m not really particular when it comes to toy marks or brands. Back when I was still a kid, I usually just tell my parents that any toy would do as long as it has wings. I found out a few years later that brands or marks sometimes do matter. There’s this one toy maker that drew the ire of many parents and consumer groups for having distributed faulty products.

If you don’t want your children to wear holiday frowns next month, make sure that the manufacturer of the toy that you’ll be buying has a good reputation for producing durable goods. Check court records if the company has been the subject of complaints in the past.

Ah... Did You Vote Wisely?

I’m not really fond of talking about politics. All politicians do is talk, so I guess talking about them is a needless superfluity.

The issues that politicians talk about are important though. Whether they’re talking about Iraq or your local county, we should be concerned and even actively participate in it.

While our government is essentially democratic, we leave the policy and decision-making to the politicians. If we’re going to surrender a big part of our voice to them, then we have to make sure that they are responsible and competent.

So my question now is, have you voted wisely last week? People shouldn’t just rely on posters in order to determine if a candidate is up for the job. Responsible voters should be checking various databases or files, such as court records, for possible blemishes in a candidate’s character.

If you just half-heartedly exercised your right and responsibility to vote wisely, then you may have just ended up with a mayor, congressman, or senator who probably won’t serve you wholeheartedly for the next 4 years.

How to Sort Out Court Records

If I’ll be given a dollar for every lawsuit that is filed in the country, I would already be in a Caribbean island by now basking in the sun. People seem to have a penchant to bring every pain and problem they have in court. Lawyers are only too happy to oblige to this insatiable craving for judicial intervention.

This gluttony for legal remedies has bloated court dockets. If you’re a legal researcher, or just an ordinary person who wants to look for a particular case, then you’ll be in for an unpleasant surprise.

In order to save yourself from having to dig through tons of documents in courts, or from endlessly pounding your keyboard for cases, you must first know a few details about the suit that you’re looking for.

You’ll have the court record that you want in no time if you know the case number, but having the title alone may not be sufficient enough. For example, if you type “People vs. Johnson” in your favorite search engine, it will probably give you a few hundred cases that have the same title.

Before conducting your search for a particular court record, try to find out first when it was promulgated. It doesn’t have to be the exact date. Even the year will do. This would greatly narrow down your search and save you time from having to go through hundreds or thousands of cases that bear the same caption.

If you're pressed for time, I suggest using a reputable court records search service provider. They may charge you a small fee for using the service but at least you don't end up tearing at your hair out of frustration!

A Source of Interesting Facts...

Game consoles are fast becoming a common fixture in every household. I even think that it’s already a common and must-have home appliance.

Kids today are very lucky. The only form of video entertainment that I had when I was 5 years old was a Donkey Kong Game and Watch that my aunt gave me for my birthday. The game did not have any plot, and the actions were irritatingly repetitive. I grew tired of it after a few days after.

I kept myself busy back then by reading the almanac or trivia questions in the newspaper. It’s kind of nerdy, I know. I didn’t have many friends until I reached high school, so my childhood days were spent mostly at home.

Although I spend more time outside and with other people now, I still love reading almanacs and other sources of interesting facts. A few years ago, I found out that court records are very good sources of information. The facts may not be as relevant as those in the almanac, but it’s just as interesting ;)

It’s even more interesting sometimes since the court records that I usually check out are those from my city. It’s not surprising then that some of the parties in the cases that I’ve read were very prominent figures in the place where I live in. If almanacs don’t satisfy your curiosity anymore, try going through court records.

Tolerated Fraud

It seems that advertisements hound us wherever we may go. We see them on the road in huge billboards, and even on the Internet in the form of annoying pop ups.

I can’t blame those companies for bombarding consumers with tons of information about their products. They do have to make a living. What I don’t understand and detest, however, are exaggerated claims. You would often hear or see companies claiming that their products are the best or that they were the first ones to come up with it.

Which company is telling the truth? That’s quite a difficult question to answer considering that most information on the Internet about a product comes from the producer itself. Companies that have similar goods often fight though, and these conflicts sometimes end up in lawsuits.

Maybe the question as to which company came up first with the service or product can be answered by looking at their arguments and the evidence that they’ve presented in court. Court records might be able to answer once and for all as to which corporation is telling the truth.

American Idol

American Idol fever hit the country like a storm. Its TV ratings continue to float high above the others in its time slot. Almost everybody that I know watches it, or at least has an idea as to what the show is all about.

I have a high regard for some of the contestants, especially those who have gone through a lot just to make it to the show. I admire their very persistent character, and the way they handle victory and defeat.

There are times when admiration turns to idolatry though. I noticed this among many American Idol followers, especially the teenagers. I don’t see any problem with it, as long as it doesn’t turn to rabid fanaticism, and if the object of their respect and admiration has a sound and solid character.

I believe people should be careful about those they look up to as their role models. There’s more to a person than meets the eye. If you really want to know if he or she has a character worthy of admiration, then try to check public court records and see if your 'idol' has had a rough relationship with the law. A good role model, after all, respects the law and his fellow beings.