[ ] Hinds County Bar Association [___] Making Our Case for a Better Community August 1993

[_] HINDS COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION [___] MAKING OUR CASE FOR A BETTER COMMUNITY AUGUST 1993 pilot pro bono ADR project in the members, its Summer/After School President's .lacbon metro area. The committee is ("SAS") program provided basic skills Column also exploring funding from other development, tutorial services, parent sources and hopes to cooperate with ing intervention and supportive ser both the Mississippi Pro Bono Project vices this summer for nearly l"or!y Ben .J. Piazza, Jr. and the Jackson Young Lawyers in lmv~income children, ages 5-10, !"rom implementation of the project. Anyone the West Jackson area. The West interested or experienced in mediation Jackson CDC now plans to continue The first Hinds County Bar Asso or arbitration should contact AI or SAS as an aftt:r-school program dur ciation Tennis Tournament is now Bill for further information. ing the regular school year. If you history. It was a great success and would like to help in this effort you thoroughly enjoyed by all who partici West Jackson CDC can send your tax deductible contribu pated. Parlieular thanks go to Bob Thanks to the many HCHA mem tion to the West Jackson CDC, P.O. Barnett who did a masterful job as bers who responded to our solicitation Box 10325, Jackson, Mississippi chair of the Tennis Committee, nnd to letter in support of the West Jackson :19289-032). Ro Taylor of First American Title Community Development Corpora Elsewhere in this newsletter yon Insurance Company, the corporate tion. Wcsl Ja.:kson CDC is a non will find a listing of the 1993~94 sponsor of the tournament. Congratu profit, Lax-exempt community based HCBA Committees and their Chairs lations to L C. James, Men's organization dedicated to revitalizing and Co/Vice Chairs. If you arc inter Advanced winner; Kelly Simpkins, the West Jackson eonununity sur ested i11 serving on any of these com Men's Intermediate winner; and Sara rounding Jackson State University. mittees, please contact me or the com Martin, Women's winner. With the help of funding from HCHA mittee chair. Next on our social agenda is the first HCBA Golf Tournament. Be sure and mark Friday, August 27, on your calendar, get your team together, and come out to the Colonial Country James E. Graves, Jr. Club Deerfield Golf" Course l"or fuu by Bany H. Powell* and fellowship. The modest cost of $40.00 per person will include a ham When he first took the hench in and affords an opportuuity for the vic lmrger huffet and hcvcrages. In addi 1991, Circuit Judge James E. Graves, tim and the victim's family to provide tion, the profits from the tournament Jr.. only handled civil cases. Now all their input in the sentencing process. will benefit Hahitat ror Humanity/ four circuit judges handle civil and Judge Graves also invites the victim Metro Jackson, fne. Hopefully, hoth criminal cases. and the victim's ramily to appear at the Golf and Tennis Tournaments will Judge Graves is dedicated to mov the sentencing hearing at which time become annual events. ing the criminal docket as expeditious~ they can make any statement they ly as feasible <ttld to get the criminal desire. Pro Bono ADR Grant backlog to a manageable level. As a In civil cases, Judge Graves The newly established Alternative result, he will not grant continuances nttcmpts to run his court for the bene Dispute Resolution Committee is off by agreement only in criminal cases, fit of the litigrmts, the attorneys and to a fast start. Under the leadership of hut only for a substantial reason. the jurors. His goal is to provide Chair AI Malone and Vice-Chair Bill Judge Graves finds sentencing in motion hearings within thirty days. Little, the commiuec has heen criminal c;tses to he one of the most His Friday motion day begins at X:OO awarded a $:1,500.00 Mississippi Bar difficult responsibilities of a judge. He a.m. For the convenience of lawyers, FoundationiOLTA grant to establish a requires a presentence investigation ... continued nn page 2 HINDS COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION LUNCHEON MEETING August 17, 1993 12 Noon $9.00 Capital City Petroleum Club The speaker will beT. Calvin Wells. """'-:.-... ------------·····~ .-~ .James E. Graves ... scheduling orders as a malter of be used to attempt to persuade any Lawyer Referral List for Civil Cases in the Federal Court System (conlinuedfimn page I) course. However, the first time a ()ther jurors. At the end of the trial, the motion is presented to him in what is notebooks arc turned in and destroyed. United States Magistrate .Judge could collect a contingency fcc by llc e~pecially requests that large firms apparently going to be an involved or Judge Graves notes that jurors ht: schedules three motions at a time at Alfred Nicols has expressed a need for contract with your client. consider volunteering as their pro protradcd case, Judge Clravcs will expect an adversary proceeding and half-hour intervals. To facilitate the the Southern District to have a referral The cases for assignment would bono project. require a scheduling mdcr in that case. expect lawyers to he enga!'ed in motion process, Judge Graves insists list of attorneys to which civil cases have first been screened by the court The Mississippi Chapter of the He gives the parties thirty days to spirited representation of their clients. that lawyers notify his court adminis could be assigned on a pro bonn basis. so that the only ones assigned would Federal Bar Association has com agree on the scheduling order. If no Jurors do not seem to hold lawyers' trator, Patricin 13urtou, prior to tlw These cases arc filed by pro se plain be those with some possible merit. mitted itscll" to assist the court in com agreement is reached, each side sub objections against the lawyer or the hearing date if a motion has been cau tiff;;, and primarily include complaints Examples of the type of cases piling such a list. If any individual or mits their proposals to the comt. The client so long as the objection~ arc not ccled. If a lawyer simply docs not filed pursuant lo 42 ll.S.C. Section assigned would he a complaint by a firm would be willing to be placed on (.:ourt will then enter its own schedul to the point of being obnoxious or appear at a motion, Judge Graves will 1983; social security disability jail or prison inmate about discrimina this list, please scud your name, ing order and send copies to the par~ obstructionist. The two higgcst com enter a show cause order requiring the appeals; and Title V{ EEOC litigation. tory practices within the prison system address and telephone uumber to Ned ties. The scheduling order should plaints of jurors to Judge (haves about lawyer to appear in open court and Since there are no federal funds allo or of an unprovoked beating by a Currie, Steen, Reynolds, Dalehitc and indude discovery deadlines. designa~ lawyers arc lack of preparation nnd provide the reason for failing to cated for attorney fees and expenses in prison guard. Currie, P.O. Box 900, .IHekson, appear at the motion. tion of experts, and dispositive rudeness to each other. Judge Grave~' these cases, your work would be on a According In Judge Nicols, vohm~ Mississippi 39205. motions. Such discovery order~ will experience is that jurors take the bur As a convenience to lawyers, Judge pro bono basis. If you prevailed in the leer attorneys could greatly assist and he modil"icd only for good cau~e. den of proof seriously. He has had Graves will hear motions by agree case for ym1r client, however, you facilitate the handling of these cases. ment via tdephone conference call or At trial. Judge Graves insists on jurors tell him that the case was with out-of-town lawyers participating lawyers treating each other. the wit~ decided when they received the bur by telephone and with the local ncsses and the court comteously. He den of proof instruction from the lawyers in person in his office. Judge has 'Ten Commandments of Etiquette court. Problems Worth Worrying About Graves is particularly willing to and Decorum" for trials before him Judge Graves said he had noted by Captain Equity hat1dlc prclrial motions in this manner th<Jt he provides to each allorncy prior with interest thar in cases in which he .lust as the water level hit an Of more strategic importance, A trend toward competence is on urgent matters or when a trial date to trial. Judge Graves wants the jury to had granted a motion in limine to pro unprecedented 47 feet in St. Louis. Gergen has resumed pradicing his emerging in the Clinton White House. is imminent. Arrangements for tele he ahle to focus on the evidence and hibit certain evidence reaching the surmner crossed the midpoint while specialty, massaging Washingt<m's Our President, complimented by the phone motion hearings should be testimony ami not he distracted hy jury, such as the existence of a homo the much extraneous matters. sexual relationship or the failure of a maligned Clinton Admini massive media ego. Within days on First Lady, starred at a flawless G7 made through his court administrator. stration passed the six month mark. the job, Gergen reversed the Clinton After each trial, Judge Grnvcs talks party to file a tax return, the jurors Summit in Tokyo, both in terms of Judge Graves urges lawyers to try Convergence of these milestones was policy of bypassing the media and photo ops and substance. Clinton's with the jury.

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