The Missouri Bar

Man Cited for Drinking While Boating

A jet ski crash left one woman seriously injured and a man facing charges of boating while intoxicated. The accident happened Saturday at Lake of the Ozarks. The woman was traveling in a SeeDoo when the other driver slammed into her watercraft. (Read more)

Accidents like this are common on Missouri waterways - especially around the holidays. This Friday, Lake of the Ozarks attorney Erik Bergmanis will tell you about Missouri's new legal blood-alcohol limit while boating and what you need to know if Water Patrol officials pull you over.

Blunts Signs Bills on Guns, Microchips

Last week, Gov. Matt Blunt signed three bills into law. One limits the number of lawsuits related to noise at gun ranges. Another offers weighty fines to businesses that try to force employees to implant microchips.The third law overturns a state Supreme Court decision that would have allowed family members of workplace accident victims receive benefits even if that person died of an unrelated cause.

Read more at KRCG.com

Law in Your Life #41: Gay Marriage

California's high court overturned a ban on gay marriage in the state. This month, thousands of couples flocked to the western state to get married. (Read more in the LA Times) Missourians approved a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in 2004. What happens if Missouri couples get married in California? Will their civil union be recognized? What about benefits? This week, host Angela Wilson tackles this complicated issue with attorney Allan T. Stewart.

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Download audio to your computer. (MP3, approx 9.5 meg)
Note: in some browsers, the file may not begin playing until full file is downloaded.

High Court Rules Against Gun Bans

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a weapons ban in the District of Columbia. The 5-4 ruling says that individuals in D.C. have the right to protect themselves under the Second Amendment. The decision calls into question similar bans in other metropolitan areas, including Chicago.

Read more

While the right to bear arms was confirmed by the court, some Missourians may wonder about their right to carry concealed weapons. There are laws governing this practice. Attorney Kevin Jamison shares his knowledge with Law in Your Life host Angela Wilson.

MO Acts as REAL ID Hub

Missouri received $17 million of nearly $80 million in funding for the REAL ID program.

The Show-Me State will use the funds to create an interface for the program, which verifies documents used to obtain state IDs. Missouri will house the hub for all states to use for verification of documents.

Grants were also issued to Wisconsin, Nevada and Florida as part of the pilot process.

Find out more in Federal Computer Week.

Student Loan Scams

Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon issued an alert about groups scamming college students who need loans. Some Web sites mimic legitimate ones, like the Free Application for Federal Student Aid site, or charge fees for items that should be free.

Here are tips from the AG's Office:

• You have the right to choose your lender. Your college will likely show you a preferred lender list, but this is only a recommendation. How you pay for college is up to you.
• Beware of companies that charge fees to prepare your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or other paperwork for you. FAFSA applications are free and simple for most students and parents to complete.
• Remember that the FAFSA deadline is June 30, 2008.
• The federal government's Web site for FAFSA is www.fafsa.ed.gov. Watch for sites with similar names. These are companies likely to charge a fee.
• Understand the terms of your loan - the interest rates, fixed or variable, fees, etc. Your school's financial aid office can help with this.
• After you've chosen a lender, watch for companies offering you what sounds like a better deal. These may sound good at first, but they often involve higher rates, hidden fees or other unfavorable terms.
• When in doubt, consult your school's financial aid staff, which can help you sort out legitimate offers from scams and bad deals.

Construction Worker Dies at Building Site

A 12-year construction veteran died while working on the roof of a modular home. The accident happened last week at the Fuqua plant in Boonville.

If you or a relative is injured on the job, what do you do? What are your rights? What questions should you ask? When should you seek an attorney's advice? Attorney Denise Henning shares her insights with host Angela Wilson in this Law in Your Life podcast.

Magazine Scams Hit Mid-Missouri

If someone knocks at your door with amazing prices on magazine subscriptions, step back before you buy.

The Texas-based company, Always Helping People, LLC, has representatives knocking on central Missouri doors, trying to sell subscriptions that are not real. The company has three dozen complaints filed against it in its home state. Those cannot be resolved because state officials say the company cannot be found and the address is no longer valid.

Read more at KRCG.com

Law in Your Life #40: Revising Contracts

Sales contracts are part of everyday life. You need one to get a cell phone, buy a house or car, or to make to receive a loan. What happens if you need to revise that contract? Is it difficult? What is the potential impact? Today host Angela Wilson talks to Columbia attorney Todd Werts about what happens when you need to revise an agreement. (Internet Explorer users click twice.)

Download audio to your computer. (MP3, approx 6.9 meg)
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Download audio to your computer. (MP3, approx 6.9 meg)
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Privacy: Do You Have It At Work?

Workplace privacy is a hot topic.

In Washington, businesses are lobbying Congress to approve the Employee Free Choice Act. This act would make voting for unions public. Employees would have to disclose their names and their votes to employers.

In a recent article out of Alaska, workers learned that employers can not only view their online activities, passwords and Web sites, but also listen in on telephone conversations. (Read more at NWAhomepage.com)

Just what rights do you have at work? Can you make personal calls, or work on personal documents at your work PC? Attorney Bill Martucci has the answers in this Law in Your Life podcast with host Angela Wilson.