Is Hiring an Escort Illegal?

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An escort is a legitimate, recognized job where a person is paid to accompany an individual to social functions, events, or merely have a friendly conversation. Some people mistakenly use the term “escort” and “prostitute” interchangeably however, a person paid to accompany someone to a formal function or dinner, or to simply talk, is not a crime.

In some jurisdictions, escorts are carefully monitored and must maintain a license. For instance, in California, escorts need to file an application, submit photos for identification, and prove they are over the age of 18. This is not something new either. Escorting has been legal for a long time. If you look for Santa Monica escort agencies, you will find ones like this which have been offering escort services for decades.

But in all states (except in certain areas of Nevada) where prostitution is illegal, the line between escorting and prostitution is crossed if an agreement is made for an escort and client to exchange money for sex. Clients and escorts can be arrested if there is any evidence of that there was more going on than dinner and chatting.

The legal waters get murkier if a client and escort enter into a consensual sexual relationship. Legal problems can also arise if a client or escort get caught up in a sting operation where undercover law enforcement record what they believe is an illegal activity.

An attorney familiar with your specific case, state law, and local ordinances is crucial. It’s not unusual for judges to dismiss a case if an attorney can demonstrate that the client was a victim of entrapment, law enforcement overstepped their authority during the sting, or improperly or illegally collected evidence. COVID has also resulted in legal confusion as some jurisdictions struggle to determine if lockdowns also apply to escort services.

While escorts and escort agencies are legal in most states, each state’s laws pertaining to the escort industry are wildly different. This lack of consistency is why professional legal representation is so important if an arrest takes place.

Embarrassed by the nature of their arrest, some individuals won’t seek out legal assistance or fight the charges, hoping they can quietly plea the problem away. While someone convicted of solicitation or prostitution in one community may merely receive a fine, other jurisdictions are not so forgiving. A prosecutor may seek a felony conviction with jail time.

It’s important to remember that an attorney is not interested in judging a client’s behavior. His or her job is to represent the client and make sure the client’s rights are protected and the least amount of damage is done to his or her reputation. To do this, a lawyer will want to know if the client was entrapped, if his or her Miranda rights were read before interrogation, how the client was treated during the arrest and interrogation, what evidence was collected and exactly how was the evidence gathered. An attorney will also be scrutinizing the “chain of custody,” to see if any evidence was tampered with.

Remember, hiring an escort is not illegal, so seeking legal representation as soon as an arrest occurs is critical so that the facts of the case can be examined and a strategic defense can be mounted.

How To Get Out of Jury Duty

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For many people, jury duty is a hassle. You have to take time off work and show up on the day of your service with no guarantee that you will be dismissed. But what happens if you are trying to get out of it? Can you get out of jury duty?

The answer may surprise you! Regardless of whether or not there is an emergency, illness, or other reason for getting out of jury duty–you can try these tactics:

Postpone Your Selection

If you have a big event going on when you are called on to serve as a juror, it is perfectly reasonable to request to serve another time. Things such as weddings, planned and paid for vacations, or any other major event are valid excuses.

Although work is usually not a reason to be let out of jury duty, if you are an accountant asked to serve during tax season, it is likely you will be granted approval to move your jury service to a different time of year when things are less busy

If you can’t postpone your selection date, it is important that you not show up on time. If this tactic doesn’t work, follow the next one below.

Have a Family Member With an Emergency

If someone in your family has to go into the hospital or needs help because of some other traumatic event and they need emotional support, you may be granted a full release from jury duty or be able to reschedule your service time.

Plead Hardship

Hardship means that being called to serve on a multi-day or multi week trial would be impossible from a financial standpoint.

The person in question is a part-time worker without benefits or vacation time. They would also be unable to care for children, elderly parents, or other dependents during the jury duty period because they are needed at home.

Plead hardship by submitting an affidavit that explains your situation and how it will affect you financially if called

Admit That You Cannot Be Fair and Unbiased

If you have any kind of bias that would affect your ability to provide a fair and impartial verdict, the court will not require you to serve as a juror.

The types of bias that might disqualify someone from jury service are:

– Racial bias, which would be shown by prejudice against or favoritism towards members of particular racial groups

– Religious bias, which would show any preference for one religion over another.

Show Your Stubbornness

When you act like a know-it-all, no one will want you to serve on the jury. Do not lie about being stubborn, but if it is a part of your personality, its expression will likely find you released from having to serve.

Voice Strong Opinions About Law Enforcement

Whether you love them or are suspicious of them, voicing any kind of opinions about law enforcement officers will ensure you are not selected. Do not lie about your feelings, but if you feel passionately on the subject matter, make sure to vocalize it.

Should I consider funeral insurance?

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Funeral insurance, also known as final expense or burial insurance, is a type of life insurance that provides funds to a person’s survivors for the purpose of covering the expenses related to carrying out a person’s final wishes. This is especially applicable to expenses related to a funeral and burial.

Funeral insurance normally carries a low face value such as $ 5,000 to $ 50,000 with a beneficiary such as a family member who would make a claim on the policy and be paid upon the death of the insured. this money would, in turn, be used to pay funeral and related expenses. If the insurance payment is more than the costs incurred by the funeral, the remainder of the cash can be kept by the beneficiary to use as they wish. Since the beneficiary can legally use this cash any way they wish, make sure you trust your beneficiary. Otherwise, your final resting place may be in a paper sack.

Last Wishes

Most people purchase funeral insurance prior to their need. This obviously takes the concern for these expenses off of the survivors when they are most vulnerable and often unable to cover the costs. This also gives the person covered the ability to ensure that they get the arrangements they want. This should not be confused with “pre-need insurance, which covers funeral and burial costs after they have been specifically chosen by the policy holder.

If a person is in ill health when they purchase this coverage, a policy called a “graded death benefit,” or “grab and go” policy can be purchased. This type of policy carries a benefit that gradually increases as time passes between the time the policy is ordered and the time of death.

Life Insurance Will Do It

It is important to remember that any monies that your beneficiaries receive from a life insurance payout can go towards funeral and burial expenses, but many people buy a separate policy for burial and funeral expenses to make sure that other insurance monies are guaranteed to go to the beneficiary. Funeral insurance is also offered at a lower face value than other types of life insurance.

Many financial advisers have their clients purchase a larger life insurance policy that will cover larger encumbrances such as a mortgage, college costs, and other expenses that will be dealt with by the survivors as well as the final expenses. Without these expenses, however, a final expense life insurance policy is a good idea.

What Should I Do If I Have Been In A Car Accident?

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On any given day, there could be hundreds of thousands of vehicles on the road, so the chance of getting into an accident is high. Many accidents will be nothing more than fender benders, but in some situations, the end result could be much worse. After getting into an accident, some drivers sustain permanent injuries.

Medical bills and rehabilitation can cause a lot of stress. It’s best to be prepared for an accident, so when it happens, the appropriate actions will be taken. An individual should understand their rights, and know what to do after an accident.

Criminal Charges

After being involved in a car accident, a person is not likely to think about whether they will be facing criminal charges. However, many car accidents end up with the driver facing criminal charges.

Regardless of what happens, it’s important to never admit fault. When a person has been involved in an accident that included a fatality, it’s especially important to never admit guilt. It’s almost always best to consult with an attorney after all of the basic steps have been taken.

What You Need To Do

An individual always has legal options and rights, and after a vehicle accident, he or she must take all of the necessary steps to protect those rights. Anyone who is involved in an accident must provide reasonable assistance to whoever was injured in the crash, which could be as simple as calling an ambulance. It’s also important to warn other drivers of the situation.

Engaging vehicle hazard lights of planting flares on the road are two ways to warn other drivers. For legal purposes, all possible information should be gathered. Both drivers must exchange vehicle registrations. The license number, telephone number, date of birth, address and name of both drivers should be documented.

Both drivers must also exchange insurance information. The name, address and all other relevant information of passengers involved in the accident should be documented. The telephone number, name and address of any witnesses should be documented. The driver should try to get any witnesses to remain on the scene until police arrive.

If possible, document license numbers or other information of individuals who left the scene. It’s also important to get the badge number of any officers and ask them how to obtain the accident report. Other information to document is road conditions, weather conditions, whether streetlights were turned on and any other relevant information.

The driver should never say they were at fault for the accident. After all information has been gathered, it’s important to consult with an insurance agent and attorney. If a traffic ticket is issued, sign it. Regardless of opinion, the driver should get checked out at a hospital.

What to Do When Charged With Drug Possession

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Drug possession is a serious criminal offense and you stand to get expensive fines and years in prison if found guilty of possessing narcotics. Since this is the case, it is important to be aware of the things that you should remember and practice when you are charged with this offense especially if you are not guilty of illegal drug possession. One wrong move can be interpreted as a sign of guilt and make the judge throw you in jail for several years.

I had a conversation with R.J. Manuelian, a leading criminal attorney in Los Angeles, about this very topic.

“The law is fair and if you are not guilty, is likely to come out in your favor,” stated Manuelian. “But even so it is best to know what to do in this circumstance so as not to risk making matters worse.”

Here are a few points to remember when you find yourself facing illegal drug possession:

  • A drug possession arrest can be done with or without a warrant. This means that even without a court ordered arrest, police can place you into custody when they catch you in the act of committing the offense or if they have probable cause that you have either committed or about to commit an offense.
  • You are in no obligation to provide any information other than identifying information until you are arrested. Provide your correct legal name and exercise your right to remain silent and your right against self-incrimination. It is best to wait until you have your legal counsel with you before giving out any information as this may be used against you when your case is on trial. “No matter how long the police question you, you have the right to remain silent until you have been lawfully arrested and after you have spoken to your lawyer,” advised Manuelian.
  • Throughout the procedure, you should respect the authority of the police and remain calm. However, you may respectfully decline a search of your person as well as your possessions. The police cannot proceed with the search without your informed consent. If you have been pulled over, the police can only inspect what is in plain view and cannot enter the vehicle to search. If they have probable grounds to search, they will then have to request for one.
  • Once arrested, the police may either bring you to the station or issue an appearance notice for you. This will require you to go to the police station twice to have you photograph and fingerprints taken and to appear in a local courthouse where your case will be tried. You HAVE to attend both days on the appearance notice that was issued and have your lawyer accompany you on both occasions. Failure to do so will result to charges for Failure to Appear and a warrant of arrest will automatically be issued for you.

The penalties for possession of illegal drugs vary from state to state. But generally the extent of your penalty depends on any history of drug possession, the amount of drugs that were confiscated in your possession, and the type of drug that you possess. Drug possession penalties are lighter compared to drug distribution and manufacturing. Penalties can range from paying fines, being ordered to go to rehabilitation, community service, or serving time in prison. Whenever charged with drug possession, it is important to have a criminal defense attorney to guide you throughout the procedure.

Preparing Your End of Life Documents

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The end of your life is inevitable. You will have no control over when you will pass away and how you will die. But one thing you can prepare for are your end of life documents that will ensure that at least your final wishes for your final breath will be followed.

It is recommended that you have an advance directive set up which are legal documents that will provide instructions to your family and healthcare professionals on how you want your future healthcare handled. An advance directive is composed of a living will and a healthcare power of attorney. These also are used to appoint a person that you trust to decide for yourself in the event that you can no longer speak for yourself. When making advance directives, be mindful as well of your state’s regulations for these as they differ from place to place.

I have listed some of the end of life documents that you might want to consider having. Make sure that you discuss these with your attorney and advise your family that you have this set up in case something happens to you to make sure that your final wishes for your healthcare will be followed. You might think that there is no need for you to have these ready when you have already provided instructions to your family. There are some states that do not allow family members to decide on end of life healthcare decisions, so it’s always better to have these ready for that time.

Preparing a Living Will

A living will is a legal documents that puts in black and white the medical treatments that you prefer when you can no longer communicate these as you reach the end of your life. This will help you and your family decide on what type of treatments will be provided to you towards the end of your life.

Also called directive to physicians or medical directive, a living will is protected by the Constitution and by case law. Your decision to accept or even refuse treatment is considered a legal right and will be protected. In order to have your wishes fulfilled completely, you must first make sure what your state allows under living wills as the state can control when the living will takes effect and will define which treatments will be applied.

Preparing a Healthcare Proxy or Healthcare Power of Attorney

This legal documents will let you assign a healthcare proxy. A healthcare proxy is a family member or a person that you trust who will have the power to decide the treatments that you will undergo when you cannot speak for yourself as you reach your end of life.

Once you have picked out your healthcare proxy, make sure to discuss with this appointed person your values about the quality of life and the treatments that you would like to receive when you reach the end of life.

Take note that the healthcare proxy that you are assigning will ONLY make decisions on your medical treatment. This is different from a power of attorney given to an individual which is solely for financial matters.

Preparing a Will or Living Trust

These are legal documents that are not related to your healthcare but should also be prepared if you want to ensure that all your properties and money will be handed down to your heirs. Most of the time, families are not aware of the different properties and businesses set up by the head of the family. Having a will ensures that you are able to divide these among your beneficiaries as you see fit.