Selling And Buying Patents Online

There are many great products out there, and even the ones that appear on the midnight infomercials can be huge successes. Those who hold the patent on the product will ultimately cash in on a lot of money, so if you are interested in finding an easy way to make money, you can buy patents or sell a patent online. There are many resources where you can check out online patent auctions and other buy and sell resources so you can start making money with your investment.

There are more than just dreams of money when you want to buy patents. You will also need to buy patents whenever you find a product that you like, but have some great ideas to improve it. Otherwise, you could be looking at legal action from the owner of the patent who feels you are violating laws that prevent you from trying to resell a nearly-same product on that patent.

When you buy and sell patents online, you will want to work with a registered patent attorney. Most online auction sites for patents will have attorneys available so that the switch happens entirely legally. And if you are looking for complete anonymity on either side of the sale, an attorney is a vital part of this transaction to keep the identity of the buying partner from the patent holder. This helps when large corporations are taking on individual patent holders. The attorney can negotiate the best deal for both parties without having the disadvantage of trying to negotiate the worth of the intellectual property with a large company that will be perceived to get a lot of money from owning the patent. At the moment, a database for selling patents is not available online, so to find out what patents are for sale and how you can acquire them, you will want to get the help of a patent law attorney.

And if you are an inventor who is sitting on a great patent, but wants to sell it, you will want to hire a patent broker who can find the right buyer for it. This is especially important if you are afraid that you will have an expired patent on your hands without seeing a profit. Large companies can quickly turn a patent into a gold mine, and if they recognize your product as something really valuable, they will be able to strike a deal with you and your broker to give you the amount of money you deserve for your intellectual property while acquiring what they need to make money from the invention. The only problem is that many patent holders are looking to sell their patents at less than $1000 wholesale. But if the idea is recognized as really valuable, your broker will be able to help you get a deal with the participating company for anywhere up to a million dollars if the patent is deemed worthy enough. So check out buying and selling patents online.

Read more: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-opportunities-articles/selling-and-buying-patents-online-579496.html#ixzz0nnUMKcxR
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Into Child Psychology: Compensating The Needs Of The Youth

It is interesting enough to work at a temporary shelter catering to less fortunate youths. The best part of it was not just by merely being part of their lives but them being part of yours. There is this certain excitement as they smile and hug and tell how their day was. However, there instances that worry takes in as to whether you are can cater to their needs and meet the demands without them telling you what about it.

At times these children are unaware of what's wrong with them.

All they can think of is how unfortunate they are.

Sad truth is we focused too much on their material needs thinking how deprived they are. Emotional needs are met through caring attention. There are however other needs that should be met in order for the child not to end up as an adult having undesirable attitudes.

Background check is not just done on children living in such institutions for the sake of learning about their families and if they really are in need of help. This is done to learn more as to why the child has a certain attitude that may bring negative results to him or her in the future.

At times we may get annoyed by the lying habits of a certain child. She may see this as somewhat a great way to cover up for mistakes. There may also be instances where she involves herself on problems that are actually not for her to divulge in. She tells this problem to the adults, or say sorry to someone instead of the co inmate who is involved. This is her way of asking for attention. There are chances that certain needs were not met as a child and that family has even exposed her to situation that made her that way. Not being able to understand this will bring her to believe even her lies.

Here's a situation: There are two girls named "Stephany" and "Gia". They are ages 13 and 5. One thing that yours truly has noticed on Gia is that she is she can't stop from eating. At the Christmas party last year, she concentrated her attention to the bowl of chips on the buffet table rather than watching the program. An older sister (co inmate) took the bowl away from her as she sees this not due right for the Gia who has eaten a lot, however Gia did follow to where the bowl was taken and ended up finishing the contents by her. Stephany on the other hand is a skinny girl who limits her food intake less than what is necessary. She at times doesn't eat snack or is choosy with the food she eats.

Both girls manifest certain traits best explained with their oral needs. Gia's oral stage was not compensated well enough thus ending her in a certain characteristic where she needs to eat and eat and eat. With Stephany, who was in the institution since she was a new born babe, grew up being compensated (and I mean well spoiled) by the people there. Her oral needs were well met. There are still reasons as to why she ended up lessening her food intake: she was conscious of her appearance. She had gained this attention to her looks due to her experiences with her mother when she was with her for summer.

They are kids that ask for attention not just because they are deprived by love and material things. Court records have files of adoption children being abandoned by their parents (sadly there are files which are also showing the darker side of youth turning into criminals due to deprivation). They are in need of guidance to face the world ahead.

Source : http://www.articlesbase.com/teenagers-articles/into-child-psychology-compensating-the-needs-of-the-youth-1957296.html

Efforts to use Columbia decision to reopen Atlantic Yards eminent domain, EIS cases rejected by Court of Appeals

They were both long-shot efforts, but attempts by Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn (DDDB) and plaintiffs organized by DDDB to reopen two key Atlantic Yards cases have been rejected by the state Court of Appeals.

Thus the eminent domain case--but not the pending challenge to the actual condemnation--is over, as is the case challenging the environmental review.

This narrows the remaining court cases related to the project to three, though two are essentially versions of the same case.

Columbia parallel?

In both unsuccessful efforts, the appellants invoked a similar case in which the Appellate Division blocked the Empire State Development Corporation's use of eminent domain for the Columbia University expansion, citing, among other things, the use of "underutilization" to determine blight.

The decisions by the Court of Appeals imply that they will either overturn the lower court's decision in the Columbia case or they will overturn it on other grounds, such as the court's finding of the ESDC's bad faith in its blight finding.

Eminent domain

The plaintiffs in the eminent domain case had tried to reopen the case, citing the pending appeal in the Columbia case. It was rejected without comment on February 18.

EIS case

The plaintiffs in the case challenging the environmental impact statement (EIS) had filed a motion to renew their previous motion for leave to appeal the Appellate Division's decision rejecting an appeal of a state Supreme Court judge's decision.

Again, the Columbia case, known as Kaur, was cited. The motion stated:

The crux of Appellants’ argument can be found in a comparison of Justice [James] Catterson’s opinions in the two cases. In Develop Don’t Destroy, Justice Catterson wrote a scathing concurrence, more properly characterized as a dissent, but nevertheless concurred finding that there was sufficient evidence to defer to ESDC. However in Kaur, Justice Catterson, writing for the majority, on virtually identical facts found there was insufficient basis to support ESDC’s determination and that it was not entitled to such deference. There is no significant difference between the facts or the underlying theories in the two cases to warrant disparate results on either the law or the facts.

It was rejected without comment on February 16.

What's left?

Still pending is an unusual challenge to the condemnation effort, claiming that the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) should issue a new Determination and Findings under the New York State Eminent Domain Procedure Law.

Justice Abraham Gerges put the condemnation on hold on January 29, but his decision is expected shortly.

A parallel lawsuit making the same claims has not yet been heard in court.

Also pending is a case challenging the ESDC's 2009 approval of the Modified General Project Plan. Justice Marcy Friedman, who heard oral arguments last month, is expected to rule within a month or two.

In case you're wondering

Why is this news late? Because Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn, understandably, chose not to announce it, and the Empire State Development Corporation and Forest City Ratner, less understandably, also chose not to announce it. And I took a while to notice it.

Posted by Norman Oder at 3:20 AM
Source : http://atlanticyardsreport.blogspot.com/2010/02/efforts-to-use-columbia-decision-to.html

Tenant Background Check Company - Do Away With Tenant Problems!

Any tenant background check will have the basic background information cross verified. It is often mentioned that a tenant should always be honest when he completes the reference form as they are cross-referenced with other information sources. Firstly, his personal information will be cross checked, his name, his address and contact numbers, secondly his references such as his previous landlord's references, employer's reference is cross verified etc.

Don't forget to disclose all your (Tenant) information, you may be caught off guard by the tenant reference agency or your current landlord. Do not put a tenant with a bad history in your buy to let property. Make sure as a landlord you don't leave out any information without cross verification. Your deposit collected from your tenant is a small amount; it is only a month's rent in advance that will not be sufficient in case there is any damage caused to your buy to let building or its content. Ensure that a tenant to whom you rent out your property is the one who takes responsibility of the house and your belongings in the house. Extra care should be taken if it is a fully furnished building and make him liable for any damage caused to your property. Such things need to be mentioned in your rent or lease agreement papers. Although there is a landlord insurance, to protect your buildings, the equipment, inventory, furniture and fixtures it is better to have a tenant who has a clean tenant history. If you don't have enough funds to invest in landlord insurance, you may find it difficult.

Some insurance even cover you for any loss of rental income. You worked so hard to acquire everything you own, then, why put them at risk. Get a potential tenant for your rented property. A tenant should take care of the following, it is said that a tenant should always be honest when he completes the reference form as they are cross-referenced with other information sources and incase he/she fails for something that hasn't been disclosed then he risks losing his holding deposit.

Stay away from problematic tenant who has an unfavorable history of non repayment of rent!

Get your tenant's information assessed and find out if all the information furnished to you is accurate and no false information is provided to you. You can also obtain the credentials of the tenant and based on this, you can take your own decision on whether to let your house to that particular tenant or not. By approaching a tenant reference agency, you can avail of professional service and provide reports such as eviction reports, credit information, criminal record and employment check. Reach out to Tenant background check company and verify your tenant's information.

Vijay keerthi
Get all your tips related to Tenant referencing companies from: Tenant referencing companies
Tenant Background Checks: Tenant Background Checks

Source : http://ezinearticles.com/?Tenant-Background-Check-Company---Do-Away-With-Tenant-Problems!&id=2932996

Cell Phone Number Reverse Look Up

It is common to receive phone calls from anonymous callers. And there are a lot of reasons why you need to find out about those unrecognized cell phone numbers. Maybe you want them to stop calling you or you want to find out the identity of the caller. No matter why you want to know more about the anonymous caller, you can use cell phone number reverse look up to access the important information you need.

With cell phone number reverse look up you'll be able to access important information about the caller like the name, address and his or her background. If you are worried about a cheating spouse or your anonymous caller is annoying you everyday, cell phone number reverse look up can help you find out the truth about your spouse or stop phone harassment using the information you got from the search.

While cell phone number reverse look up is a very helpful tool to know the truth and keep your peace of mind, you still need to choose the best service carefully. There are a lot of reverse phone search on the internet some are free but most free sites do not have updated database and they do not have directories that include mobile numbers. Directories for mobile numbers include tedious and expensive process to collect all the data and you cannot avail this service at freebies sites; that is why you need to pay for this service.

Reverse Phone Detective is a service that includes unlisted numbers and mobile numbers which is very affordable. You just have to register to become a member and membership is a one-time fee. No recurring charge or recurring fees for any of its products. Once you become a member you can start your cell phone number reverse look up and get results from millions of records in Reverse Phone Detective updated database. In seconds you will have your results and it is 100% guaranteed. If you get no results you do not have to pay.

It is important to choose the right service to get the results and information you need. To find out more about cell phone number reverse look up visit Reverse Phone Detective

To know more about home detective visit Home Detective


Posted by:

Gerry Restrivera writes informative articles on various subjects including Cell Phone Number Reverse Look Up. You are allowed to publish this article in its entirety provided that author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and included with every reproduction.

Source : http://ezinearticles.com/?Cell-Phone-Number-Reverse-Look-Up&id=755192

Background Check by Social Security Number - Verify Credentials by SSN

Background check by social security number is one of the best ways for you to verify the credentials of job applicants; as well as on applicants for baby-sitter of your children. This is also beneficial in checking on the past history of your tenants; and those who want to rent your apartment or bachelor pads.

Compared to other forms of background check using the names of people, this method gives you more precise results because this is highly specific to the individual who owns the social security number (SSN). It is impossible to have two or more people having the same SSN because each number is assigned to only one person. If you use names to verify credentials, you may come up with numerous results on several people having the same first and last name; in this case, you only get one result on the specific individual.

You have several options to perform your background check by social security number; one method may require you to personally visit the office of the Social Security Agency where they usually maintain huge database of the personal profiles of people where you can perform a reverse search using the SSN. Another option is to log on to the internet and visit their official website which allows you to perform this lookup for free; usually limited only to 10 searches per day.

This method generally gives you relevant results like the full legal name of the person, his current address and employment, and other personal details. This may not allow you to access other files like criminal records, court cases, warrants of arrests, and other information relevant to your background investigation.

The third option is to use the services of third-party companies where they also maintain similar databases where you can fully enjoy unlimited searches per day; however, you may have to pay certain fees for the benefit of access. But this is usually minimal compared to the quality of the results because you can also access to other files pertinent to your credential verification and investigation. Nevertheless, the options are laid; the choice is yours. Choose which among the aforementioned methods is best for your background check by social security number.


Source : http://ezinearticles.com/?Background-Check-by-Social-Security-Number---Verify-Credentials-by-SSN&id=3607124

Posted by : Paul Andrew Michaels is a public records specialist and legal expert. Paul invites you to start running your own reverse search now at Social Security Search and get your desired information today; right at the comforts and convenience of your home or office.

FM Static: The New Age of Pop Rock

Unlike those from the past, who donned themselves on sex, alcohol and drugs (and probably criminal records that can sum these things up), today’s rock bands
seem to take on a different stroll, and role, in today’s pop culture. One in particular that made the greatest impact on every music lover, even with an unadvertised single ranging supreme on hit charts, is FM Static.

It was my brother who introduced me to their music. He just came home from school and was playing a song a friend of his had just passed to his cell phone. It got me distracted enough from what I was doing and got me sitting beside my brother. Before I could even ask (and knowing him all too well), he had already started telling me about it and who was singing it. So pretty much I got the information I needed without even asking a single question, let alone telling him to stop playing his guitar as he tried to follow through.

I’m not a big fan of rock, let alone a punk rock, but the music, and how they had presented it, was something to take note of and admire. In addition, the term “Christian” associated to this “pop punk band” was something (for me) new making the whole song more interesting. Tonight played over and over again (‘till dinner time) and FM Static became a favorite.

FM static is a Toronto-based Christian pop punk band who is currently signed to Tooth & Nail Records, a Christian Record Label. They started as a side project by Thousand Foot Krutch (One of the Christian rock bands frontman), Trevor McNevan and Steve Augustine (drummer). This two-piece (McNevan and Augustine) band also included John Bunner (guitarist during 2003) and the brothers Justin and Jeremy Smith (bass and guitar player respectively) in their original line-up.

The band’s first album What Are You Waiting For was produced by Aaron Sprinkle (who also produced the Thousand Foot Krutch’s album Phenomenon). This led to a tour which lasted from 2003 to 2005. During this time, after playing for a few shows guitarist John Bunner soon retired and was thus replaced by Jeremy after his brother, Justin, asked him to fill-in for them.

Their second album, Critically Ashamed was released on August 1, 2006 with its featured single Waste of Time. However, unlike their first album release, the band refused to take on a tour as the Smith brothers left. It was then that FM Static performed with only two members, as studio musicians filling in for other parts. Even so the success of the second album was undeniable, especially after two of its unadvertised single ruled the internet and the radio station—one of the songs, Tonight, gaining over 7 million hits on YouTube alone as of July of 2009.

This is, perhaps, the dawning of a new age for rock bands and rock fanatics alike, as the association of negative issue, that may no doubt earn one a file in criminal records, finally has been placed behind. It’s good to hear something more emotionally inclined yet without feeling wild and careless. As for me, FM Static is but the first me and my brother had shared.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/fm-static-the-new-age-of-pop-rock-1586252.html

Prohibitions, Religion And Criminal Records Of Sex Offenders

It’s definitely a violation on Human Rights. In a recent published article by Times, dated October 14, 2009, a man named James Nichols was arrested for just attending church. The police’s reason: criminal records state him as a registered sex offender.

North Carolina is known to be take religion seriously. This makes it no surprise for people here to question more the law which most U.S. states are beginning to include in their governance—the law which prohibits sex offenders from coming within 300 ft. to any facility which caters to supervision of minors. In James Nichols case, N.C. folks did have their eyebrows raised with the man’s while worshipping in a place which cannot be denied to have facility on keeping watch on children while the parents pray.

The law is clearly placing a hard fight for those whose criminal records state them to have been convicted of sexual offense. The places they visit after serving their time, paying for the said crime, has been limited due to the fact that most establishments do have their facility for minors. The 300ft limitation—a distance almost the length of a football field—is already a violation for their right. Nichols arrest for one is like going against the mission of the church, or any other religious sect for that matter, to reach out and spread goodwill to all. This is total irony: a man being taken by the police because of doing a non-offensive act. It’s like asking “when does going to church a crime?”

Other states have made more moves against sexual offenders. In the state of Georgia, convicted sexual offenders are not even allowed to work or live 1000 ft away from places which facilitates to taking care of minors. This makes N.C.’s ruling of a 300ft distance definitely lighter compared to theirs. There have been questions rising particularly on religion specifically on the sexual offender’s partake in church activities like volunteering for kitchen duties of singing in the choir.

Georgia’s Southern Center for Human Rights had already made a motion to this law. They made note that this is a clear violation of the First Amendment. There are churches that have made themselves fit to the needs of convicted persons; their way of acknowledging chance to those who seek the church’s help as means to deal with their problem especially their past offenses. Nichols is but one who is presently attending such a place of worship.

The said law was passed by Sen. David Hoyle after Jessica Lunsford, the Florida girl who was kidnapped and killed by a sexual offender in 2005. The girl was born in Dallas where the senator also lives. After many years since the incident, sexual offenders are limited of the places they would go to. Unfortunately, even with the goodwill of children in the senator’s mind, this bill do has some flaws to it, especially with his belief that their constitutional rights should not be worried about especially with the act of taking advantage of a child is in mind.

Nichols happens to have then reported a co-worshipper at the church, where he was arrested, who was fondling a 12 year old girl. But instead of giving him the treatment of a man who deserves praise for changing his ways, he was taken instead. This is one remorseful situation if not for the church where he presently attends to, headed by Pastor Grace Kim. It’s good that he has still made a turn to God after the events that happened. What matters in that occasion was his move to show how he wishes to change—for that is one of his rights in the eyes of man especially of God.

Source : http://www.articlesbase.com/criminal-articles/prohibitions-religion-and-criminal-records-of-sex-offenders-1846723.html

Home Page > News and Society > Nature > In Need Of Help: Haiti’S Devastation After The Earthquake In Need Of Help: Haiti’S Devastation After The Eart

t is presently the most devastating news that struck the world. One of the poorest countries that have struggled to live up with the problems from politics to health to environment has experienced damages and death. Last January 12, 2010, a massive intensity 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, leveling the buildings and killing thousands. This is the worst disaster to ever hit the region after more than 200 years.

Haiti occupies an area almost the size of Maryland. This is found in the Caribbean Island of Hispaniola. The said devastated part of the earthquake is in the countries capital where nearly 8.7 million residents are of African descent and speak Creole and French—Port-au-prince.

People find the devastation as one cruel joke for the people of Haiti. Being the poorest country plus the most to be hit by storms, the earthquake with such strong intensity seems like the biggest stroke of bad luck. In this event both poor and powerful people are affected gravely.

Among the said devastated landmarks in Port-Au-Prince are the cathedral, the UN headquarters and the National Palace. Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot, 63, was one of those found dead in the ruins of his office. Haiti’s Senate President was among those trapped alive inside the Parliament building.

Red Cross and other aid groups presently had already announced their plans for major relief operations to help Haiti. President Preval of Haiti stated that it will take at least two to three days to complete the retrieval since many are feared to be trapped inside.

Already, there are 100,000 people reported to be found dead and more so to speak, speculated to be 500,000 all in all with others still trapped inside. After the quake, people find themselves looking for relatives among piles of dead bodies place on the side streets.

With many loosing homes and others still trapped inside, countries began giving their support for Haiti. US President Barrack Obama promised an all out rescue. At the sight of the devastation, agencies that were sent their—missionaries and the UN peacemakers—are even occupied not in their mission to help the people affected but by checking for survivors from their damaged headquarters. An American missionary drove 100 miles to search for her wife with the same occupation as she was also one of those trapped. He dug the grounds of place where she was for almost an hour before finally getting her out with another missionary. They were featured in CBS news. An estimated 40,000 to 45,000 Americans live n Haiti. Presently the US Embassy has no confirmed reports of deaths among the said US citizens.

According to US Geological Survey, the said quake struck the nation at around 4:53 in the afternoon and was centered 10 miles west of Port-Au-Prince as the depth of 5 miles. This was said to be the strongest earthquake since 1770.

Hospitals in Haiti are in trouble of not being capable enough to give medical attention to the great number of victims. Respiratory problem and diarrhea are said to be illnesses expected firstly because of the dust remnants from rubbles of buildings, the other health problem due to possible water contamination. More so Dengue, Malaria, and other ailments already experience by the Haitian people before the quake will definitely affect more people this time. Secondary ailments are also feared to develop as there are people with broken bones and other injuries possibly not to be given medical attention immediately.

Everybody is totally shaken. People with relative in Haiti—one of them is an award winning Haitian-American author—are worried as they try to contact relatives who are settled there. At present more devastating news are coming from the said countries as reports of death and buildings destroyed like the embassies (such as France), are destroyed. US coast guards and other aids such as Red Cross are gathering relief help especially medical aids to care for those affected by the quake.

Source : http://www.articlesbase.com/nature-articles/in-need-of-help-haitis-devastation-after-the-earthquake-1863566.html

Entertainment And Reality Television

By: Emma G. Fox

Television is one of the biggest avenues that influences man’s way of thinking. At this point there are many reasons why people would think that being thin is pretty and why being rich makes man happy. There are many dramas around in the entertainment business that real life becomes locked up in the box. At this point it has captured much attention and people at times seem frustrated once they cannot seem to meet the make-believe world flashed in front of their eyes by actors and actresses. With the advent of Reality Television however everything changes.

The term “reality television” actually became more familiar to people as it pertains to show that features ordinary people instead of actors. Although such shows existed long ago, it was only during 2000 that the term was actually used. There are shows which are not included to this call such as news and sports programs.

This program follows a wide range of formats from game quiz shows to surveillance production shows. These shows was said to be “real-life-dramas” that many viewers have grown engrossed in watching these them. After many got hooked with programs that sort of make most people search for something material, reality programs have gotten them realize that this is the real world and there are many things that may happen. We may not like it but this is real and we must learn from these experiences.

The first reality show, and was called the granddaddy of reality television, was Candid Camera by Allen Funt. This was based on his 1974 radio show Candid Microphone which broadcast unsuspecting ordinary people react to certain pranks played on them by the production. Sensations such as this continued as it evolved to quiz shows, dating games and a beauty pageant named Miss America. Ladies representing each state in the nation competed where the winner achieved national celebrity status.

At present there are dozens of reality shows that has given fame to some of our most well known stars. Most of reality television seems to be more focused on finding talents and further more giving ordinary people a chance to shine. American Idol is now in its 9th season. During their previous shows it has give fame to some of today’s greatest music artists. X Factor in Britain and Britain’s Got Talent even gave surprising artists that people now look up to. It cannot be denied how people search for something that can get them to success which many do believe is what stardom can give them.

Surveillance type of programs featuring people dealing with daily issues like Big Brother, Survivor and The Biggest Looser are also at the heap of getting people’s attention. Viewers then tend to hate and love those involve in these shows where they themselves tend to learn life’s lessons.

As people search for more shows that may serve as entertainment and at the same time enlightenment, TV and movie productions think of possible shows that may make people love, laugh and cry. But at this point real life and those who have learned to keep things simple is what we consider lucky in terms of finding the greatest entertainment in the world that can keep them moving and going…their lives….

Source : http://www.articlesbase.com/television-articles/entertainment-and-reality-television-1813811.html

Prison Break the Right Way from the Man who made a Difference

As to how he made a difference is the fact that he moved on from his troubled past and walked into a more promising future for him and his family.

It was only recent that I read the article on a former bank robber turned promising legal counsel. His name is Shon Hopwood, aged 34, was a former bank robber. Pre employment background checks notes him as once the Jailhouse lawyer as he helped his co inmates check out their cases and have them reopened.

It was during the time when he was serving his sentence in jail (convicted of five robberies in Nebraska in the late ‘90s and was sentenced to 13 years) that he was introduce to the prison law library. It was at this point that he realize he was better in understanding the law rather than breaking it. With staying and reading he then became at the top levels of the American bar from behind bars—“an accomplished Supreme Court practitioner” as what Adam Liptak wrote in his feature of Hopwood in New York Times.

For his first task, he wrote a petition for cert for fellow inmate John Fellers in 2002. The petition was granted that even Supreme Court advocate Seth Waxman was impressed. He held the case (free of charge) with the condition that Hopwood worked with him.

With Waxman delighted with Hopwood’s performances and his help with his fellow inmates, he backed him up for a job as a printer of the Supreme Court where his employer was once reluctant to hire him. fortunately Waxman was respected and looked up for a lawyer that nobody doubted him.

At present Hopwood hopes to apply to law school next year. Richard Friendman, a law professor at the University of Michigan who had worked with Hopwood in recent Supreme Court case said he has already vouched for him for the admission office to save him a spot. Things are definitely looking up for Shon Hopwood.

Tenant screening agencies

Tenant screening agencies collect information about prospective tenant in-order to ensure that the tenant is capable to pay the rent on time, and that the aspiring tenants are not criminals or troublesome for which the landlord would be answerable for. It is a business that provides records information to prospective landlords..

As a landlord, he/she must take extra efforts to screen the prospective tenant to whom the property will be rented. The burden of checking all the details by the landlord is time consuming. There are numerous tenant screening agencies to help the landlord in this regard. The landlord can verify tenant identification, run tenant background checks easily through tenant screening agencies.

Tenant screening companies collect pertinent information from credit reports, court records of evictions, bad check reports, state courts, utility companies etc for information about potential tenants. They also verify social security numbers, employment and employment history, and previous landlords and also check the National Sex Offender Database and terrorist databases for more information.

Tenant screening agencies provides the landlord the following reports on prospective tenants:

* credit reports:
* court reports (evictions):
* Tenant Identification
* bad check reports
* previous landlord verification
* criminal background checks
* terrorist database
* sex offender report
* social security number verification
* And More

Tenant reference agencies will also offer a rent guarantee and rent on time insurance. Reference agency will bear all the legal expenses and make rental payment in case of failure to pay the rent by the tenant.

There are two types of checks available.

Express referencing: Express referencing offers essential reference checks such as personal identity checks, anti-fraud checks, credit checks, bankruptcy checks etc.
Comprehensive referencing: It offers an in-depth report and is done by highly experienced tenant reference appraiser who is trained to identify fraud. The appraiser carries out Employer's reference check and previous landlord's reference check thus helping the landlord to identify high-risk, deceptive or otherwise undesirable and misleading tenants before letting the property for rent.

To avail the service of a tenant screening agency, the landlord has to submit the tenant’s rental application to the screening company.

Tenant screening agencies also offer a risk prediction score. It is a number that is calculated based on the information contained in the tenant screening company’s database. The landlords can decide quickly on prospective renters with the help of the risk score.

Posted by : James kahn
Source : http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/tenant-screening-agencies-1772292.html

Unlisted Phone Number Reverse Lookup – Reverse Phone Look Up Sites

Unlisted phone number reverse lookup is a useful tool where you can track down all the pertinent telephone numbers
of people you come in contact with. If you are not able to recall a particular number, then it is possible to use the reverse lookup service to trace and locate the owner of the number as well as its address.

With the use of unlisted phone number

reverse lookup, you can certainly trace down even the details of other communication medium such as fax machines and other unlisted numbers on your directory that would be difficult to obtain by any other means.

However, this comes with a price and getting access to a wide array of numbers from different databases has membership fees and other charges.

Some phone number reverse sites charge a reasonable fee which is usually less than $10 per detailed search.

There are other functions available as well. Some of the features comprise of cell phone lookups, residential phone lookups, people search information and even civil and criminal records.

Having these kinds of feature can also be used in determining prank callers. The reverse look up has the capacity to identify a caller’s number as well as the background information of a person.

The main advantages of using such reverse phone lookup services is the fact that you can also run personal background checks and investigations to people you want to personally keep an eye with. These phone numbers and other personal records are all kept by different phone companies.

In fact, many private investigators also use the same service to track down people that clients have asked them to follow.

The unlisted phone number reverse lookup is definitely one great innovation that you can take full advantage of for any kinds of purposes you prefer.

Posted by : Ricky Lim

Source : http://www.articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/unlisted-phone-number-reverse-lookup-reverse-phone-look-up-sites-875874.html

RB bans comments on court cases

A quick review of the postings of this blog reveals that most of them have been critical of the MMD government. I have therefore been on the look out for some positive stories to address the imbalance. The Daily Mail (29/04) has provided an opportunity....

PRESIDENT Banda has banned Government ministers, members of Parliament and MMD party officials from commenting on matters that are before the courts of law because this is prejudicial.
This is according to a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday by State House Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations, Dickson Jere.
Mr Banda said it is incorrect for Government officials and members of the ruling MMD to continue issuing statements which are prejudicial to the cases currently before the court of law.
The President said every citizen, including MMD national secretary Katele Kalumba, has the right to a free trial which should be respected by all.
“Let us allow the due process of the law to take its course. We should all refrain from making comments, which may be prejudicial to the ongoing criminal cases before the courts of law,” he said.

The President is correct to ask Beeny Tetamashimba to shut up and stop calling for Katele Kalumba to resign as MMD national secretary. Kalumba is entitled to his day in court to answer the allegations that have been levelled against him. Tetamashimba is displaying double standards by calling for Kalumba to resign while remaining quiet on Dora Siliya. We should also remember that the current MMD chairman Michael Mabenga was found guilty by the supreme court of having abused the Constituency Development Fund sometime back. But the MMD still welcome him into their ranks.

The PANEL

Source : http://panel-on-zed.blogspot.com/2009/04/rb-bans-comments-on-court-cases.html

In DC A Promise Kept In Juvenile Justice

As I look back on five years as director of the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, I see a road marked by both controversy and promises kept.
In May, city leaders fulfilled an oft-repeated vow to shutter the Oak Hill Youth Correctional Facility, one of the nation's most infamous youth-detention institutions. But concerns have since been raised about whether the 60-bed New Beginnings Youth Development Center, Oak Hill's successor, is too small, jeopardizing public safety.
The change in the District, it's important to note, has been part of a broad national shift. In turning away from the prison-like Oak Hill in favor of a smaller facility and rigorous coalitions of community-service providers, the District is squarely in the mainstream of modern juvenile justice practice and research. From 2000 to 2008, the number of youths in custody nationwide dropped by 27 percent, declining in two-thirds of all states. Texas reduced its incarcerated population by more than 2,000 youths, New York by 900 and California by a whopping 8,500, with no untoward effect on public safety. In California, in fact, juvenile arrests fell at twice the rate of adult arrests despite the fact that the state increased its adult prison population by 21 percent and decreased its juvenile prison population by 84 percent.

Source : http://thinkoutsidethecage2.blogspot.com/

Two court cases uphold smoking bans

Court cases in Kansas City, Mo., and Nebraska upheld two smoking bans.

First, in Missouri, the Missouri Court of Appeals upheld Kansas City, Mo.'s, smoking ban. A bar owner had claimed it was unconstitutional because there is no statewide smoking ban in Missouri, but the Court of Appeals upheld a lower court decision that it is constitutional.

Secondly, a judge in Nebraska refused to grant a restraining order against that state's new smoking ban. This case was filed by the owner of a couple of pool halls in Nebraska. This doesn't end the Nebraska case, but means it will go into effect until the lawsuit runs its course. This lawsuit claims the ban in unconstitutional because it has an exemption for cigar bars.

No statewide smoking ban has ever been overturned by any court. Multiple lawsuits have failed.

Source : http://pepepartylounge.blogspot.com/2009/06/two-court-cases-uphold-smoking-bans.html

Boyle v. United States: Not much structure needed for RICO

The Supreme Court held that an association-in-fact enterprise under RICO, 18 U.S.C. § 1962(c), must have a "structure," but it need not be, as Boyle sought the jury to be instructed in his bank robberies case, "an ascertainable structure beyond that inherent in the pattern of racketeering activity in which it engages." The "structure" contemplated by the RICO statute has three features: a purpose, relationships among the associates, and longevity sufficient to permit the associates to pursue the enterprise’s purpose. The Court rejected Boyle’s argument the structure required additional features, such as a hierarchical structure or a chain of command. The Court also rejected the argument that its construction would create a merger of the RICO § 1962(c) crime with other federal offenses, pointing out that, in relation to conspiracy, it demands "much more" than proof of a "brief" agreement.

Source : http://ussc.blogspot.com/

Honest Services Supreme Court Cases Might Ported Constriction of Scope of Tax Obstruction Crimes

I was reading a White Collar Crime Prof Blog's summary here of the two "honest services" cases argued before the Supreme Court today and was struck by the report that the Justices' concerns are so strikingly similar to concerns expressed by courts as to the amorphous reach of the tax obstruction crimes (§ 7212(a) and the Klein / Defraud Conspiracy in 18 USC § 371. In part material, the WCCPB summary includes the following:

4. Two primary concerns stand out from today's argument: (1) all justices expressed unease with identifying what sort of "bad conduct" is covered by the statute in the absence of any meaningful guidance from Congress; and (2) the Solicitor General's proposed test is not going to sufficiently narrow the statute. No one, in fact, seemed particularly inclined to adopt the SG's interpretation of the statute. At one point, Justice Breyer suggested that 140,000,000 people throughout the country had probably violated the honest services law as the SG described it, by fibbing to an employer in order to do something his or her boss wouldn't like. Justice Scalia described a similar scenario in which an employee tells the boss he is going to work hard all afternoon if the boss leaves him alone, but makes this misstatement so the boss will go away and he can sit at his desk and read the racing form. The government had a very hard time explaining why this conduct would not fall within the statute as it had defined it, and ultimately suggested that prosecutors wouldn't bring those sort of cases and/or jurors wouldn't convict. That answer did not engender a positive response. No one seemed comfortable with leaving such broad, undefined discretion in the hands of prosecutors and juries.

I discuss this genre of concern in my article on the tax obstruction crimes -- John A. Townsend, Tax Obstruction Crimes: Is Making the IRS's Job Harder Enough?, 9 Hous. Bus. & Tax L.J. 260 (2009). The article may be reviewed or downloaded here, and the related online appendix may be reviewed or downloaded here. Two prominent cases discuss this concern in the context of the defraud conspiracy (the Klein conspiracy in a tax setting): Hammerschmidt v. United States, 265 U.S. 182 (1924) and United States v. Caldwell, 989 F.2d 1056, 1058 (9th Cir. 1993). If this concern continues into the decisions in the pending Supreme Court cases, we might see some real and very helpful restrictions on the Government's imagination as to the expansive scope of the tax obstruction crimes. Stay tuned!

Update on 12/12/2009: I refer readers to Tom Kirkendall's Houston Clear Thinkers discussion here of Jeff Skilling (Enron fame) SCOTUS brief on honest services fraud and recommend readers with the inclination substitute Tax Obstructions Statutes for the Honest Services Statute. Frightening!

Source : http://federaltaxcrimes.blogspot.com/2009/12/honest-services-supreme-court-cases.html
Posted by : Jack Townsend

California launches plan to cut prison population

Reporting from Sacramento - State prison authorities Monday began reducing the number of parole violators sent back behind bars and offering inmates more opportunity to shorten their sentences, as part of a plan to decrease the prison population by 6,500 inmates over the next year.

Low-risk offenders, including those convicted of nonviolent crimes, will not have regular supervision by a parole agent. And they will no longer be returned to prison for technical violations such as alcohol use, missed drug tests or failure to notify the state of an address change.

Parole agents will reduce the number of inmates they supervise to focus on those the state deems to be at highest risk of committing more crimes, such as people who have committed sexual crimes and other violent offenses. Each agent's caseload will fall from 70 parolees to 48.

In addition, prisoners can shave time off their sentences by working on firefighting crews or by obtaining a high school diploma or trade-school certificate or by completing drug or alcohol rehabilitation programs.

Over time, prisons chief Matthew Cate said, the rules will lower the rate at which parolees are returned to state lockups, reduce crime overall and "save, over the course of a full year, a half a billion dollars for California taxpayers."

The state will thus address its prison overcrowding problem while "significantly increasing public safety," said Cate, who heads the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Some law-enforcement officials, state legislators and crime-victim advocates took a different view, predicting a spike in crime in California as more people leave prison earlier with less supervision.

LAPD Lt. Brian Johnson, a director of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, said the state "will start to release numerous dangerous felons into our community."

Cate said that in a state prison system with 168,000 inmates, only 15% to 18% of inmates will be eligible for unsupervised parole, and that the effect of the changes will be gradual.

"No one gets out today," he said.

The revisions were approved by the Legislature and signed into law last year by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who defended the changes Monday.

"It is not going to compromise public safety," Schwarzenegger said in a Sacramento speech. "Every time you have inmates go out, they come right back in again -- 70% of them. That costs our state . . . a tremendous amount of money."

The changes are occurring as the state has slashed budgets for education and rehabilitation programs in prisons.

"These people are not rehabilitated, and yet we're going to open the door and let them out?" said Harriet Salerno, president of the group Crime Victims, speaking at a Capitol news conference that was also attended by representatives of Los Angeles police officers and Los Angeles County sheriffs' deputies.

Sheriff Lee Baca said he is "very concerned" about the changes. He has ordered his deputies to meet with low-level offenders released from prison and tell them about community services such as mental health and drug rehabilitation programs, said Sheriff's Lt. Wayne Bilowit.

Assemblyman Ted Lieu (D-Torrance), a former prosecutor running for state attorney general, introduced a bill Monday that would give local law enfo

Source : http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-prisons26-2010jan26,0,5992495.story
Posted By Patrick McGreevy

FBI reviewing thousands of court cases where flawed agency evidence has been used - latimes.com

DENVER (AP) — Three people convicted of murder have been released from prison because their cases were tainted by a now discredited theory that bullets found at a crime scene could be linked to bullets found in possession of suspects.

Nearly five years after the FBI abandoned its so-called comparative bullet lead analysis, the FBI has yet to complete its review of nearly 2,500 cases where law enforcement used such evidence to investigate a case.

So far, the agency has found 187 cases where so-called comparative bullet lead analysis evidence was not only used in the investigation, but came into play at trial where FBI experts provided testimony. It has notified prosecutors in those cases where testimony from its experts "exceeds the limits of the science and cannot be supported by the FBI," one agency letter says.

At least three convictions — that of a Colorado man who served 12 years in prison for a double slaying, a Florida man who served 10 years after being convicted of killing his wife, and an Oregon man convicted of a triple slaying — have recently been overturned.

All three men are now free.

Comparative bullet lead analysis was based on the theory that lead bullets pick up trace elements such as copper, antimony, arsenic, bismuth and silver during manufacturing. When the soft metal is shaped into bullets and packaged, bullets in the same box would contain similar amounts of the trace elements, the theory went.

FBI lab technicians compared bullet fragments from a crime scene with bullets possessed by suspects. If the trace elements closely matched, prosecutors — backed by FBI testimony — would argue the suspects' guilt.

Defense attorneys say the analysis appeared to be a miracle of science: It required a small nuclear reactor, once housed at an FBI lab at the Hoover Building in Washington, D.C., and relied on the expertise of only a handful of qualified FBI agents.


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U.S. Supreme Court denies lock closure request

Two Chicago locks will remain open for the time being, the U.S. Supreme Court announced today in response to Michigan’s request for immediate action to keep the invasive species Asian carp out of the Great Lakes.

The rest of the lawsuit, still unaddressed by the court, calls for the reopening of a nearly century-old lawsuit about Chicago’s diversion of water from Lake Michigan and permanent closure of the locks.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan argued in a brief sent to the court January 5 that Illinois is not the appropriate defendant in the case because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers controls the locks. She said the Supreme Court does not have jurisdiction over the dispute because lock closure is not a state versus state issue. Madigan added that the Asian carp situation has nothing to do with water diversion, the basis of the original lawsuit.

Robyn Ziegler, spokeswoman for the attorney general, said the office is “pleased with the Supreme Court’s decision” not to immediately close the locks.

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox said he is “extremely disappointed” with today’s decision. Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin and the Canadian province of Ontario are backing Michigan’s efforts. President Barack Obama’s administration opposes the lawsuit, calling it premature.

Cox said he is stunned by Obama’s “indifference,” which he plans to address through public pressure and congressional action.

"President Obama said he would not tolerate new threats to the Great Lakes, yet he has left the front door to Lake Michigan wide open," Cox said. "Billions in economic activity and 800,000 Michigan jobs connected with the health of the lakes are at risk.”

The court has yet to decide whether to take up the remainder of the case. February 19 is the deadline for interested parties to file positions on the case.

Sources : http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/us-supreme-court.html

Controversial App Provides Background Checks On the Go

Online privacy is a constant and growing concern as the evolving landscape of Web sites and services erode the traditional expectations of privacy. A new app from BeenVerified is adding even more controversy to the privacy dilemma by enabling users to conduct background checks on anyone in a matter of seconds from their iPhone.

The Background Check App is free and employers and individuals can use it to conduct up to three free background checks per week via the iPhone. Users, particularly employers who may want to conduct checks of employees, vendors, suppliers, partners, and other parties they do business with, can also subscribe to the BeenVerified service which would grant them unlimited background checks starting at only $8 per month.

In the press release for the app, BeenVerified CEO Josh Levy says "A BeenVerified background check contains information collected from thousands of public records and publicly available data where the average person would not even know where to begin. All of the information found in our reports is already out there and accessible to anyone."

I contacted Levy and asked whether he feels that the background checks provided by BeenVerified are in any way a violation of an individual's expectation of privacy. Levy replied "It is not a violation of privacy to aggregate the data and present it in one place. The average person would not even know where to begin finding all of this public information and we help present public records in a way that maximizes the usefulness of the information."

I downloaded the app and did a background check on myself. In a matter of seconds the app returned results on a variety of "Anthony Bradley's" in the state of Texas. I was able to identify myself by complete name--including full middle name, age, a list of known addresses (city and state), and a list of known relatives.

Clicking through, I was presented with results with links to the various social networking sites I am a member of--Facebook, Flickr, Pandora, etc., as well as links to Web-based information about me. The results have additional tabs to view photos, property records, and criminal record.

Although it found me based on a search in Texas, the results did incorrectly list my "current" address as a house in Michigan I haven't lived in since 2005. I have moved twice since then. Overall, though, I was fairly impressed with the results given the speed and cost of getting them.

The app has generated some controversy from opponents who feel the background checks are a violation of privacy. Many people may have personal personas that they would prefer employers not know about. One article put it this way "Privacy is a way of managing multiple identities and their contradictions...There is a self I present to my boss, a self I present to my family, a self I present to the public and one for my closest friends. They're all different, authentic and they often contradict each other."

According to BeenVerified, though, there has been no controversy about the popularity of the app. In just three weeks since its release, approximately 400,000 users have downloaded the app, and one million checks have been run so far. The company is already working on Version 2.0 of it Background Check App and is about to release a version for both Blackberry and Android.

Responding to the idea that individuals have separate personas and whether or not the Background Check App crosses the line in exposing them, Levy told me "We consider them entirely separate issues. People have the right to control their own personas online, as those personas contain information presented in the first person. On the other hand, BeenVerified provides access to third-party public information."

The app is a great tool for small and medium businesses to be able to conduct free, or cost-effective background checks. It can also be valuable for single men and women playing the dating game, parents, and others who may want to make sure that the people they, or their children, are interacting with don't have some shady criminal past to be concerned about.

Levy summed up by telling me "The most important message I have is that BeenVerified is a compliment to any background check and not a supplement. A full background check consists of three things: First, one can run an Internet search to see information presented in places like social network. Second, a person should run a search on BeenVerified to check that information against third-party public records. Finally, the third and most important step, there is no replacement for common sense and intuition."

Posted by: Tony Bradley
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/187304/controversial_app_provides_background_checks_on_the_go.html

Scam Reverse People Finder

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What is a 'Reverse Phone Lookup? A Reverse Phone Lookup permits you to put in a phone number, whether landline or cell, and then leaves you with information relating the individual whose telephone number it is. Data such as the individual?s name and location will be offered to you at once. If you want extra first-class information such as address history, house records on that individual, you can find it on this website. Now that you understand what this type of reverse number lookup is, you could be needing to know if they are as functional as they appear. In a word, yes.

Why Run a Reverse Phone Lookup? Check who is irritating you so you can take him to court. From researching a phone bill, following an unwelcome caller, or verifying an address, Phone Detective Reverse Search is the best on the market, quick and simplified!

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Posted by: Julia Matiko
http://www.articlesbase.com/networks-articles/scam-reverse-people-finder-1750833.html