Lincoln Legal Blog

Coping with a loved one's criminal conviction

On behalf of London Law Office P.C., L.L.O. posted in criminal defense on Tuesday, April 16, 2019.

When people receive word that their loved one in Nebraska has been arrested and is facing a potential criminal conviction, they may be feeling uneasy about how their family member's behavior will impact their life. While there are many valuable resources that can be used in helping criminals to make the most of their time behind bars, their family may also be suffering from their own concerns regarding the situation.

One of the biggest challenges that people may face is the effort to continue supporting and loving their family member without coming across as being accepting of the mistake that was made. Often, the best way to go about this is for people to be informative in providing ideas of things that can be done to correct their family member's situation, as well as provide unconditional support throughout their process of paying for their wrongdoings.

Teenagers and drunk driving charges

On behalf of London Law Office P.C., L.L.O. posted in dui on Friday, April 5, 2019.

Many Nebraska parents may stress the dangers of drinking and driving to their teenagers. They may be surprised, then, if their adolescent son or daughter calls to say he or she is being charged with drunk driving. This situation can be serious for teens and it is important for parents to know what they should do.

Drunk driving charges are something both parents and teenagers should take seriously. Next Generation Village says that a DUI can affect a teen's life for several years. This is because a DUI is usually a Class 1 misdemeanor and the incident may stay on a teenager's criminal record for years. Additionally, some colleges and employers may look at a teenager's criminal record when considering whether to offer him or her a position.

Domestic assault laws, penalties in Nebraska

On behalf of London Law Office P.C., L.L.O. on Wednesday, March 27, 2019.

Domestic violence, domestic assault and domestic abuse are all equally painful and destructive. Nebraska has laws defining the crimes and punishing the perpetrators.

It is important to know some of the definitions:

Will you have to pay manimony to your former husband?

On behalf of London Law Office P.C., L.L.O. posted in Divorce on Sunday, March 24, 2019.

If you are a married Nebraska woman who earns as much as or more than your husband does, it may shock you to learn that you may have to pay him spousal support in the event of a divorce. Wife.org nicknames this new spousal support phenomenon manimony.

Today divorce court judges only award manimony in about 15 percent of divorce cases, but this percentage is sure to rise as more and more women attain high-paying jobs that rival or exceed those of their husbands. It may also surprise you to learn that in over 40 percent of American homes, the woman represents the major or only breadwinner. Another statistic shows that more than 2 million American men are now stay-at-home husbands and fathers.

Will your criminal record affect your custody case?

On behalf of London Law Office P.C., L.L.O. posted in child custody on Sunday, March 10, 2019.

Nebraska courts, like all other courts throughout the nation, make child custody determinations based on "a child's best interests." Unfortunately, the child's best interest standard is purposefully vague, as every child's circumstances and best interests are different. That said, most courts take several of the same factors into consideration when determining with which parent a child should live. Some such factors courts consider include the location of the child's school, each parent's living situation, each parent's schedule, the age and sex of the child and the child's wishes. Most courts will also consider any parental history of alcohol or drug abuse, violence and criminal behavior.

According to FindLaw, the courts will consider any criminal convictions or charges against a parent before assigning custody. However, just because the courts consider criminal history does not mean they will use their findings to justify awarding more or less custody to one parent over the other. Some criminal convictions may have no bearing on custody while others can negatively impact a parent's odds of receiving the same amount or more parental rights as the other parent.

Nebraska task force lauded for drug arrests and seizures

On behalf of London Law Office P.C., L.L.O. posted in criminal defense on Sunday, February 24, 2019.

The federal government’s Drug Enforcement Administration recently the Nebraska Commercial Interdiction Unit for its work. The local drug investigators made 108 arrests on drug-related charges from October 2017 to September of last year.

In the process, they seized 45 pounds of heroin, 58 pounds of fentanyl, 10 pounds of cocaine and 72 pounds of methamphetamine, the DEA said.

Drunk driving charges and your child

On behalf of London Law Office P.C., L.L.O. posted in dui on Sunday, February 17, 2019.

For anyone, drunk driving charges can be incredibly difficult to deal with. For some people, however, DUI charges can be especially challenging. For example, someone who is a parent may wonder how their situation will affect their children. Or, a parent may find out that their teen has been pulled over for driving under the influence of alcohol. Either way, this can be an overwhelming crisis for parents and it is pivotal to handle this situation appropriately if you are struggling with this predicament. In Lincoln and across Nebraska, the decisions that a parent makes during this time could have a significant impact on their child's life.

As a parent, being charged with drunk driving could lead to the loss of driving privileges. If your child is very young, this could leave you unable to take them to doctor appointments and handle other important responsibilities. If you have an older child, you may be unable to drive them to school or bring them to important activities and events that they participate in. You may also be unable to drive to the grocery store or take care of other vital parenting responsibilities.

What to do after a bar-room brawl

On behalf of London Law Office P.C., L.L.O. on Thursday, January 31, 2019.

After being involved in a bar-room brawl in which threats were exchanged, blows were struck and people were (not seriously) injured, you may think you will face a misdemeanor with an accompanying fine and restitution to the establishment. You may be right.

But you also may be wrong because it's not difficult for a simple misdemeanor assault charge to escalate to a more serious misdemeanor charge or even to the level of a felony.

Teens who share drugs can be charged with distribution

On behalf of London Law Office P.C., L.L.O. posted in Drug Charges on Wednesday, January 16, 2019.

In Nebraska and throughout the United States, teens have shared recreational drugs with each other at parks, inside vehicles, and even inside homes for as long as people can remember. As communication technology has improved, this practice has only become easier. Alcohol and marijuana are shared the most often, but teen use of prescription drugs is on the rise. In some jurisdictions, teens who get caught sharing these substances can be charged as drug dealers.

Not only can teens who share drugs be charged with distribution, but they can also face charges of homicide if one of their friends overdoses. In fact, these charges can be brought against almost anyone that was a party to the crime, including friends, siblings, and parents. Extensive prison sentences have been handed out to teens who shared drugs like LSD that resulted in an overdose.

Is drugged driving the new drunk driving?

On behalf of London Law Office P.C., L.L.O. on Monday, January 14, 2019.

Law enforcement, non-profit organizations and even schools are diligent in informing individuals about the harmful effects of drunk driving. But what about drugged driving? Many people are not aware of the rules of driving with drugs in one's system.

In fact, in recent years, one in three drivers had drugs in their system at the time of their fatal crash. While marijuana is certainly a concern as it is one of the most commonly found drugs in drivers' systems, drugged driving encompasses all types of drugs that can alter your cognitive and/or motor function, like illicit drugs and prescription drugs.