When I was a young lawyer, I did child abuse cases. I represented children who had been abused or neglected. In one of those cases, I represented two children. The mostly absent father came to my office and made threats to almost everyone he encountered there. I was gone, so I missed the drama. One
Violence
Trump Co-Defendant Pleads No Contest
By Thomas J. Crane on
Posted in Litigation and trial practice
Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Louisville, Kentucky in 2016 is again in the news. As I have mentioned here previously here and here, the President and his campaign have been sued for roughing up protesters at that rally. One of the defendants with the President is Mathew Heimbach, a white nationalist. He is chairman…
Lawsuit Seeks Trump Deposition
By Thomas J. Crane on
Posted in Litigation and trial practice
Some folks refer to the President as the Twitter-in-Chief. Well, he should also be considered as the Litigator-in-Chief. He tossed out provocative statements at campaign rallies like they were candy. At one rally in Louisville, he exhorted his supporters to rough up a couple of protesters. He also added, as the protesters were being forced…
Preventing Workplace Bullying Starts with the Hiring Process
By Thomas J. Crane on
Posted in General
A panel discussion in Chicago addressed workplace bullying. See ABA Journal report. According to the panel of experts, one-third of employees suffer some workplace bullying. Dept. of Justice statistics say two million violent crimes occur each year in the workplace. Workplace bullying is defined as verbal bullying, as well as physical altercations.
The experts…
What to Do if a Shooter Enters Your Work Place
By Thomas J. Crane on
Posted in General
The City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security has produced a YouTube video describing what you should do if a shooter enters your work place or some other public space. Always have a plan, says the video. Be aware of your surroundings.
The video, called "Ride, Hide, Fight" says if…
Waitress Arrested After Tossing Cleaver at Manager
By Thomas J. Crane on
Posted in General
Workplace frustration boiled over in a westside San Antonio restaurant last month. A waitress reacted badly when her work hours were reduced. Maria Benavidez expressed frustration at her reduced hours. She looked at the manager’s stepson’s paycheck – who also worked there. Her manager told her to leave and called the police. Ms. Benavidez then…
Family Sues Furniture Store Over Work Place Shooting
By Thomas J. Crane on
Posted in General
A worker at Ashley Furniture was killed here in San Antonio in May, 2011 by a co-worker. Now, the family of Aileen Harbridge has sued her former employer. See San Antonio Express News report. The suit claims that the killer, Jose Martinez used a pistol he borrowed from a store manager. There had been…
Workplace Violence Takes 9 Lives
By Thomas J. Crane on
Posted in General
Another incident of workplace violence. This time in Connecticut. See news report. The shooter’s family say the shooter had been harassed due to his race, African-American. In any event, he was video taped stealing some product. The morning of the shooting, he was going to a disciplinary hearing. He had worked for the beer…