Contemporary Term Offends Prospective Juror

Law Offices of Louis D. Stober, Jr., L.L.C.

350 Old Country Road, Suite 205, Garden City, NY 11530

877-791-8076 / StoberLaw.com 

A 25-year old teacher from New York City, Raeana Roberson, has gained national recognition after reporting for jury duty on Monday, where she noticed the juror information card included a race category featuring a "Black, African-American, or Negro." choice. 

Enraged by the discriminatory term "Negro", Roberson crossed out the word and wrote next to it, "offensive! It's 2014!"  She was expecting a reaction from the court employee when she returned the form, but received none. 

Race categories from the New York courts are created by the U.S. Census Bureau.  Judicial Statue Section 528 requires the courts to obtain prospective juror demographic information.  In the late 1990's, some 56,000 people wrote the word "Negro" under "some other race" category.  As a result, "negro" was added to the 2000 census.

The intention is to present people with words that match their self-identities; not to offend.  The use of the word "negro" has been discontinued by the Census Bureau in 2014, a movement New York courts will soon be following. 

To read the full story, click here. 

The attorneys at the Law Offices of Louis D. Stober Jr. are skilled in representing clients who have been victims of discrimination.  Contact Stober Law to speak to a representative about your legal options. 

Tax Break For Drivers Can Lead To Mass Transit Chaos

Law Offices of Louis D. Stober, Jr., L.L.C.

350 Old Country Road, Suite 205, Garden City, NY 11530

877-791-8076 / StoberLaw.com 

Image Source: Flickr/ Ben Sutherland

The capital program for MTA, or the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, is recently running out of time to devise a new plan for ways to allocate funds to maintain and expand the transit system. However, the main issue is regarding how exactly the state plans on funding it. One way to decrease transit usage is to increase driving. Because of the increase dependence on debts for financial costs, a state senator plans on providing a tax incentive to drive. The capital program is solely relying on debts and is resulting in higher prices for transit users.

Although the need for a funding plan is necessary, a hearing on January 10^th backfired on that plan. During the hearing, many people supported the Move NY fair tolling plan which aims to reduce tolls and ultimately results in a uniform toll to drive into Manhattan below 60^th street. This proposed idea would help finance the MTA capital program, but the estimated $1.5 billion isn’t enough. Additional costs are necessary for the MTA capital program due to the deadly Metro-North derailment and post-Sandy repair initiatives.

Furthermore, for areas that aren’t served by the subway frequently, initiatives to enforce Bus Rapid Transit projects are being heavily focused on. The primary argument against this is that the roads are already highly congested and removing lanes from highly populated streets would only result in chaos. Even though this argument has brought up a good point, a more popular suggestion derived from a proposed law offers pre-tax transit benefits to employees. Hopefully, this will result in increased funds specifically for MTA so New Yorkers could continue using their transit system.

To read the full article, click here.

The attornies at the Law Offices of Louis D. Stober Jr. are skilled in representing in comprehensive legal matters.  Contact our office to find out how we can help you!

Tips for Facing a Difficult Conversation

Law Offices of Louis D. Stober, Jr., L.L.C.

350 Old Country Road, Suite 205, Garden City, NY 11530

877-791-8076 / StoberLaw.com 

At some point, we all will need to have a difficult conversation with a spouse, co-worker, friend, or relative.  When pertaining to legal matters, a discussion can quickly turn to hostile confrontation.  According to the Huffington Post the most important way to handle a conversation is to speak authentically and truthfully.

Prior to addressing a difficult issue, you may feel anxious or afraid.  Visualizing the conversation can help you organize your thoughts, allowing you to effectively state your points. Likewise, imagining the sense of relief you will feel once the conversation is over will help ease nerves. 
 

Look at the conversation as an opportunity to be honest.  Help the other person understand how you feel by using phrases such as ,"I feel like this, when you do this".   This eliminates the pointing of blame and is especially effective in preventing a person from becoming defensive. 

Finally, find a style of communication that best fits you and your converser.  Some positive and constructive communication styles include being direct, slightly assertive, friendly, clear, open, responsive and honest.

To learn more about handling a difficult conversation, or to read the full article, please CLICK HERE

If you are seeking legal aid please contact the Law Offices of Louis D. Stober Jr. at www.stoberlaw.com

Citibank Robbery Suspect Still on the Loose

Law Offices of Louis D. Stober, Jr., L.L.C.

350 Old Country Road, Suite 205, Garden City, NY 11530

877-791-8076 / StoberLaw.com 

Police are still on the hunt for the man who robbed a Citibank in Garden City on Dec. 28, 2013. 

One customer and five employees were present in the Citibank branch during the time of the robbery. The suspect, who was caught on surveillance camera, is described as a black male, 30s, and around 5’ 11’’ wearing a sweatshirt and Baltimore Orioles cap.

The Nassau County Robbery Squad urge anyone who might have seen the suspect to notify a police officer. 
 

For more information on this article please CLICK HERE                                                                                                                               

 If you are seeking legal aid please contact the Law Offices of Louis D. Stober Jr. and make a consultation today at www.stoberlaw.com

(Photo Courtesy of NCPD & Garden City Patch) 

Cuomo To Review Senators Request To Save Sagamore Children's Psychiatric Center

Law Offices of Louis D. Stober, Jr., L.L.C.

350 Old Country Road, Suite 205, Garden City, NY 11530

877-791-8076 / StoberLaw.com 

Governor Cuomo will review the request of nine Long Island senators to keep the Sagamore Children's Psychiatric Center open. 

Sagamore Children’s Psychiatric Center is an in-patient hospital for children ranging in ages from 9 to 17 and is currently the only state children's psychiatric center in Long Island.  The center provides housing, schooling and treatment for emotionally disturbed children.  What is unique about Sagamore is the encouragement of families to visit during treatment.  Interaction through family oriented events and therapy sessions are a significant part of a patients treatment. 

In their letter to Cuomo, the senators expressed the importance of Sagamore to the lives of the children.  They also mentioned Cuomo’s decision to maintain the existence of in-patient psychiatric centers in upstate New York and encouraged him to do the same for Sagamore.

Cuomo must make his decision by April 1, the beginning of the fiscal year.

To read more on this article please CLICK HERE

If you are seeking legal aid please contact The Law Offices of Louis D. Stober Jr. at www.stoberlaw.com

Laurelton Man Faces DWI Charge After Striking Pedestrian

Law Offices of Louis D. Stober, Jr., L.L.C.

350 Old Country Road, Suite 205, Garden City, NY 11530

877-791-8076 / StoberLaw.com 

A 61- year old man suffered a fatal car crash at 3:30pm on December 28, 2013.  The man was crossing the intersection of Cerenzia Boulevard and Elmont Road when he was struck by a 2006 Toyota Highlander. 

The driver of the vehicle, identified as Brian Dudley of Laurelton, was arrested for driving while intoxicated after specialists determined no automotive malfunctions occurred.  Dudley now faces a number of charges including: Vehicular Manslaughter 2^nd Degree, Driving While Intoxicated and Two counts of Aggravated Unlicensed Operation 3^rd Degree.

 

To read the full article please CLICK HERE

The Law Offices of Louis D. Stober Jr. reminds you to never drink and drive. If you are seeking legal aid, please visit www.stoberlaw.com for more information.

Arsonist Destroys Tanning Salon

Law Offices of Louis D. Stober, Jr., L.L.C.

350 Old Country Road, Suite 205, Garden City, NY 11530

877-791-8076 / StoberLaw.com 

This Christmas, an arsonist burned down a Long Island tanning salon.  John Rose, owner of Sky Tan of Selden, and business partner, Gene Cella, received the devastating phone call at 4 a.m.  Rose told New York Daily News it took 15 years to create Sky Tan and in a matter of minutes, flames destroyed the store.

Rose had also recently opened a bagel store located in the neighboring store front, which was filled with 1950s rock memorabilia.  Consequently, the fire also damaged the bagel store.
 

Rose and Cella told New York Daily News competitors expressed disagreement when the the store opened.  Cella even received a threatening text from one of the competitors. His phone was turned over to police for a further investigation.

To read the full article please CLICK HERE

If you are seeking legal aid after any accident or wrongful doing please contact the Law Offices of Louis D. Stober Jr. to make a consultation with one of the experienced attorneys today. Visit www.stoberlaw.com for more details.