Flying The Unfriendly Skies

Written by Greg Hickman


Continued from page 1

Let’s lightenrepparttar tone by reviewing a few goofy lawsuits filed againstrepparttar 119301 airline industry.

A man, traveling aboard U. S. Airways, was taking a snooze whenrepparttar 119302 plane landed in Birmingham, Alabama. Somehowrepparttar 119303 crew managed to leave him onrepparttar 119304 plane. When he awoke from his slumber,repparttar 119305 man claimed it was really dark and he didn’t know if he was dead or alive. He sued for fright and other harms.

A Delta Airlines passenger won $1.25 million for “landing trauma” after a terrifying emergency landing en route to Cincinnati. Her lawyer contended thatrepparttar 119306 episode caused her to suffer post-traumatic stress syndrome (there’s another one of those syndromes again) and aggravation of her pre-existing depression. The judge ruled that her terror during landing led to physical changes withinrepparttar 119307 brain and that “could” be defined as an injury.

A government employee sued Air Canada for more than $500,000 because he could not order a 7-Up in French. During a flight,repparttar 119308 man ordered a 7-Up in French andrepparttar 119309 flight attendant couldn’t understandrepparttar 119310 order. Eventuallyrepparttar 119311 man ended up with a Sprite. After a heated argument that ultimately requiredrepparttar 119312 local police to meetrepparttar 119313 plane upon arrival,repparttar 119314 passenger sued overrepparttar 119315 language dispute (I’m not quite sure howrepparttar 119316 argument went since communication appears to have beenrepparttar 119317 problem inrepparttar 119318 first place). Afterward,repparttar 119319 man said he wanted Air Canada to apologize for not offering services in French and to toss him some pocket change for his trouble.

A judge ruled that Southwest Airlines did not unlawfully discriminate against one of its passengers whenrepparttar 119320 airline requiredrepparttar 119321 passenger to purchase a second seat on one of its flights. The passenger tippedrepparttar 119322 scales at over 300 pounds.

A few days earlier, an official agency in Canada recommended that airlines be forbidden to charge their highly obese passengers for a second seat if a excessively corpulent passenger required one. This recommendation was based onrepparttar 119323 grounds that an highly overweight condition should be counted as a disability entitled to compensation. Twinkie anyone?

If you’re a member of American Airlines’ frequent flyer program, you may have received a class action settlement notice inrepparttar 119324 mail. The brouhaha centers aroundrepparttar 119325 airline’s decision to raiserepparttar 119326 point level requirement for a free coach class ticket fromrepparttar 119327 previous 20,000 mile level to 25,000. Good grief, doesn’t anybody have something better to do with their time? Byrepparttar 119328 way, whilerepparttar 119329 class member may receive a 5,000 mile discount on a frequent flyer award or up to $75 offrepparttar 119330 purchase of a ticket (minimum ticket price of $220),repparttar 119331 attorneys are looking to pocket fees “not to exceed $25 million.”

When a lawyer is looking to make a fortune, it seems likerepparttar 119332 sky’srepparttar 119333 limit these days. Look out below!

http://www.power-of-attorneys.com/

A straight forward, enthusiastic, shoot from the hip style coupled with his twenty five years of management, leadership and speaking experience makes Greg a much sought after motivational speaker. Greg's electrifying and energetic passion for helping others become the absolute best they can be helps powerfully deliver his dynamic and positive message to his audience. Greg connects with his audience by speaking to them straight from his heart.


ROBBERY OF FREEDOM:The Ultimate Injustice

Written by Beverly Brabham


Continued from page 1

My mother was crying atrepparttar thought ofrepparttar 119300 death penalty, because she knew just how brutal they could be.

The appointed attorney told me thatrepparttar 119301 best thing to do was plead guilty, that it would not affect my nursing license, that there would be no real harm done. I kept asking, where is Waters, let's get him in here and clear this lie up. The attorney said that this was notrepparttar 119302 kind of case where he needed to be present. Boy, was he right,repparttar 119303 railroading was going to take place, regardless ofrepparttar 119304 truth. Of course, there were no facts whatsoever to back any of this.

On transcript beforerepparttar 119305 judge, I stated a few times that I did not want to plead guilty to something I positively did not do. The DA mentioned "tryingrepparttar 119306 case". The judge would say, yeah, we'll try it, and THEN you'll see what you get.

I was so beaten up by them atrepparttar 119307 end ofrepparttar 119308 day, and knowing that I could still be sitting on death row, I pled: "guilty, I guess".

I was immediately taken to jail and was denied an appeal. Their appointed attorney told my mother that if an appeal was allowed, that it would show that he gave ineffective assistance of counsel. My mother told him that is exactly what he gave.

I was in jail for 17 days with no bond and no appeal.

My parents got an attorney and he talked torepparttar 119309 judge. Judge Robertson suspendedrepparttar 119310 sentence in July 1996. I was to enter a treatment program. (totally unrelated to a stalking charge). I applied to one or two of them, and going to one never materialized. I refused to contactrepparttar 119311 court to let them know. I just went home and started living life. I avoided and hid from them, but nothing else occurred.

Judge Robertson was forced to leave office in October 1996. He was addicted to Cocaine and had stolen thousands of dollars fromrepparttar 119312 County. Judge Gaither took office. In April 1997 to endrepparttar 119313 case, he ordered a 28 day treatment program. I completed that successfully and he endedrepparttar 119314 sentence. He knew it was due to corruption. He was an honest judge and came into a mess to clean up. THERE, THE CASE WAS OVER, May 1997

Judge Gaither let it be known torepparttar 119315 locals, that he would go byrepparttar 119316 law, and that he wasn't there to make anyone rich. Needless to say, he wasn't very well liked byrepparttar 119317 DA and others ofrepparttar 119318 court.

In January, 1999,repparttar 119319 locals supportedrepparttar 119320 election of a judge who would puppet for them, Burt Smithart. He is very young and followsrepparttar 119321 orders ofrepparttar 119322 DA. I was arrested for a misdemeanor public intoxication in March 1999, 100 yards from my house.

It was adjudicated by Municipal Court, fine paid, and one year probation ordered.

Eight days later,repparttar 119323 D.A. Whigham sent me a summons to court. He claimed that he wanted to revokerepparttar 119324 stalking charge. It had ended two years earlier and he was aware of that fact.

I was ordered to court on April 2, 1999 forrepparttar 119325 probation revocation of stalking. There WAS no probation to revoke and Judge Gaither had written an affidavit saying so, thatrepparttar 119326 case had expired.

Judge Gaither was ignored by Judge Smithart and I was put in jail there for one week before being taken to prison.

I was literally re-sentenced on an expired case. My family went torepparttar 119327 Attorney General's office, talked with an underling of his, and nothing was done on my behalf.

A hearing was held in August of 1999, and Judge Gaither testified under oath there, thatrepparttar 119328 case expired and that he did not order any probation. His testimony was lied about byrepparttar 119329 D. A. Whigham.I filed a state habeas corpus in October 1999 and to this day, it has been ignored.

I filed a Federal Habeas Corpus in November 1999. The Magistrate Judge, John Carroll, made it a full blown case. He wrote two orders torepparttar 119330 court and two order to me to answer. He resigned as magistrate judge in June 2001. The Magistrate Judge who was assignedrepparttar 119331 case, dismissed it in August 2001, as being out of statute of time. There was definitely a weisel inrepparttar 119332 wood pile!!!

Double jeopardy stands alone, sui generis, and I had filed inrepparttar 119333 mandatory one year statute of time. A dismissal for 'out of statute of time' is done summarily, and this case had gone on for two and a half years!

In January 2001 I was called back to that court for probation consideration. The end of this double jeopardy was to be April 10, 2001. The DA requested 5 years, but Judge Smithart said he'd order 3 years, if I chose to takerepparttar 119334 probation. The Judge said, you can go back until April 10, 2001 and completerepparttar 119335 sentence or takerepparttar 119336 probation. (the law states that it isrepparttar 119337 persons unfettered right to complete a sentence in confinement or elect to take probation). Knowing ofrepparttar 119338 hatred for me and my family, I elected to return torepparttar 119339 'hell' and be through with them.

I was released on April 10, 2001.

On April 13, 2001 my mother received a phone call fromrepparttar 119340 judge at her home at night. He told her to inform me that I would be on probation for one year. She asked why, that she thought I returned to avoid probation. He said he had made a mistake and hung uprepparttar 119341 telephone.

I calledrepparttar 119342 court clerk and requested an order forrepparttar 119343 probation. I received one inrepparttar 119344 mail. I filed yet another habeas corpus in Federal Court, alleging double jeopardy again.

The second sentence, by Judge Smithart, forrepparttar 119345 expired case was on April 2, 2001. I was not present nor was I represented at that sentencing.

The third sentence forrepparttar 119346 same case was on April 13, 2002 and I was not present nor was I represented at it either.

I recently requested that Federal Court reconsiderrepparttar 119347 second sentence forrepparttar 119348 same case, which robbed me of two years of my life.

It was denied by Federal District Court. Federal Circuit Court vacated that order, and has returned it to Federal District Court for a full remand.

The third sentence forrepparttar 119349 same case,repparttar 119350 probation ordered in April 2001 is still pending an evidentiary hearing in Federal District Court. They ordered me to get all affidavits from witnesses, testimonies, andrepparttar 119351 affidavit from Judge Gaither who endedrepparttar 119352 case in 1997. That is where it is at this point. Bothrepparttar 119353 second and third sentences onrepparttar 119354 expired case are now two separate cases being considered in Federal Court.

(MY comments: There were 3 judges in 3 years. District Attorney Whigham was there duringrepparttar 119355 reign ofrepparttar 119356 three, and he knewrepparttar 119357 truth. He isrepparttar 119358 culprit atrepparttar 119359 core. Hopefully this exposure will bringrepparttar 119360 desperately needed relief that this town needs).

Sincerely,

Beverly Brabham

Any and all questions and comments are welcome! Write to Beverly directly at:

beverlybrabham@direcway.com

I am from a small town in South Alabama, Bullock County, City of Union Springs. I am the victim of the local political corruption that exists in many small towns where thing are done their own way. There is no check and balance, it is everywhere, and society seems to just be indifferent toward it. If my efforts in my own quest for justice help just one other person, that would make it all worthwhile. Sincerely, Beverly Brabham


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