December 13th- Annual Meeting and Holiday Party

You are invited to the
CABARRUS BAR ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13TH
SPEEDWAY CLUB (Lowes Motor Speedway)
6:45 pm – until

Featuring three delicious entrée selections: (Please circle your selection)
1) “Dasher”- Chicken Piccata Sautéed with Lemon & Capers
2) “Dancer”-Prime Rib of Beef
3) “Donner”- Horseradish Crusted Atlantic Salmon served with Lemon Thyme Butter Sauce

Each entrée will include choice of salad, potato, vegetable, assorted rolls, beverage and choice of desert.
Available on the dessert plate will be Double Chocolate Fudge Cake and /or, Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecake.

If your choice of dinner is not circled, then the “Dasher” meal will be selected for you.

R.S.V.P. to Taylor Conner or the Cabarrus Bar box in the mailroom by Wednesday, December 5th

First Charter Bank and Investor’s Title Insurance Company will co-sponsor a social beginning at 6:45 for all members. Elections for bar association officers, state bar counselor and YLD district representative will also begin at 6:45 pm. We will also present an award to a deserving colleague for their community service/ pro bono work. Please submit your nominations for the community service award to Gordon Belo or Taylor Conner by Wednesday, December 5th.

Dinner will begin promptly thereafter, around 7:15 pm. Attire is dressy casual.

Dinner is No Charge for Social Members; ($40.00 for non-social bar members and guests)

December 14th- 11:00-2:00 pm. A 2 hour Ethics CLE will be given at the Cabarrus County Courthouse. The cost is $15.00, which includes lunch and CLE processing fees. The speaker will be Cabarrus Bar Member, Fredrick Kraus. Please RSVP to Susan Schieder by December 10th.

December 14th- 4:00-5:00 pm. We will be decorating Christmas ornaments with the "Smart Girls" at the Cabarrus County Boys and Girls Club. If you are interested in helping, please contact Taylor Conner or place a note in the Cabarrus Bar mailbox.

ALERT: Please take precautions to enhance security at your offices. An attempted break-in occurred over the weekend on December 7th at Ferguson Scarbrough & Hayes, located on McCachern Blvd.

Next Meeting: Friday, November 16th 12:00 at the Union Street Bistro

On the agenda, will be the uncoming Annual Meeting which is scheduled for December 13th at 6:45 pm at the Speedway Club. During this meeting, members will elect 2008 Bar Officers including: President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. Other elected positions include State Bar Councilor (which is a 3 year term) and a newly created position for Young Lawyers Division (YLD) District Representative for 19A. We also would like to recognize one of our own for doing the most pro-bono or community service work, so if you are interested in any position or would like to nominate a colleague, please submit those names to Gordon Belo or place them in the Cabarrus Bar Mailbox in the Clerk's Office. Investor's Title will sponsor a social beginning at 6:45 which will be followed by the Christmas Party and Dinner.

The epson projector that was purchased for the CLE is now available for use to all social members of the bar association. The equipment is being stored in the Clerk's Office, please see Mary in the mailbox room if you are interested in checking it out. In order to checkout the equipment, you must sign the checkout sheet and leave some type of identification card.

Guest Speaker: Ozzie Ayscue of Helms Mulliss & Wicker, PLLC will discuss professionalism in today's legal community. Mr. Ayscue was named on of The Best Lawyers In America and was awarded the 2007 Professionalism Award by the NC Bar Association.

CLE- Friday, October 26th

North Carolina DWI and Family Law Update with Substance Abuse

Cabarrus County Courthouse (Courtroom #1), Concord, NC
5 hours CLE Credit

For non-Cabarrus County Bar Members the cost is $125.00. To obtain a registration form, please contact Taylor Conner at 704-720-0595.

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM Registration (Courthouse, 2nd floor lobby)
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Substance Abuse- Christopher B. Godwin, Godwin & Olivera, PC.
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM Break
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM Criminal Law and DWI Law Update – Jim Drennan
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Institute
11:15 AM – 11:30 AM Break
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Family Law Update -Cheryl Howell, University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill – Institute of Government

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM Lunch (Union Street Bistro)

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM DSS Juvenile Law Update and How to Defend Against a DSS
Action- Kathy Widelski, Mecklenburg County DSS
2:30 PM – 2:45 PM Break
2:45 PM – 3:45 PM Elder Law Update- Aimee L. Smith, Craig Brawley Lipfert &
Walker, LLP

Next Meeting: September 21st

Guest Speaker: The Honorable Kristin H. Ruth, a district court judge in Wake County, who is also running for the NC Court of Appeals will be presenting a program she has established in Wake County to assist in the enforcement of child support. Judge Ruth has been instrumental in implementing alternatives to incarceration and promotes employment resources, electronic house arrest and mediation in the disposition of her cases. In 2000, Judge Ruth was awarded the North Carolina Child Support Council’s Distinguish Service of Excellence Award, in 2003 she received the national American Business Woman of the Year Award by the American Business Women’s Association, and in 2004, Judge Ruth was awarded the Commissioner’s Judge of the Year Award presented by the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement in Washington, DC.
She currently serves on the board for Carolina Dispute Settlement Services, Carolina Correctional Services, National Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges, the Federal Child Support Task Force and the Chief Justice’s Commission for Professionalism.

Announcement: Thursday, October 18th, The Honorable Ruth Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court will be speaking at the Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa. The reception begins at 4:30 pm, followed by a Conversation and a Dinner at 6:30 pm. The cost of the dinner is $50.00 and the registration deadline is October 9th. To RSVP, call the NC Bar Association at 800-228-3402 and for hotel reservations, call the Grove Park at 800-438-0050. If you are interested in attending, please contact Taylor, as she is planning on driving.

Mark your Calendar: Friday October 26. Cabarrus Bar Association CLE. Free for all members.

Minutes: August 17th

Guest Speaker: Jill Stevenson of Piedmont Behavioral Healthcare. Ms. Stevenson, whose office is located in Cabarrus County, discussed mental illness within the criminal justice system and the diversion programs available to assist clients who have been identified with having severe and persistent mental illness. To request a jail diversion screening, call the PBH 24 hour access line at 1-800-939-5911. Additional information can be found on their website: www.dhhs.state.nc.us/mhddsas/jaildiversion

Announcements:

• New Fax Number to the Special Proceedings/ Estates Section of the Clerk's Office is 704-782-4680.
• Limited Driving Privileges issued by the court now require a $100.00 processing fee. See NCGS 20-20.2
• Preview of Speakers and Topics for CLE to be held on October 26th. There is one slot open which we will need to fill. If anyone has a recommendation for a presenter, please submit that request to Taylor Conner by August 24th.
• Social Event-Discussion of a Tennis Tournament. Possible date: Sept. 27 Brackets will likely be set up to accomodate Doubles.
• The Christmas Party is scheduled for Dec. 13 at the Speedway Club. We are still looking for persons interested in helping with the planning.

Minutes: Friday, July 27th

Discussion included upcoming CLE scheduled for October 27th;
Update on the Court Appointed guidelines and maintence of list;
and a fall social event, such as going bike riding down the Creeper Trial in Virginia; a softball game, tennis tournament ect.

Guest Speaker: Michelle K. Adams, Cabarrus Sentencing Services, along with Susan Brooks, an attorney and administrator for Sentencing Services in Raliegh, discussed how Sentencing Services could assist our clients in some cases by presenting diversion options, which are less expensive for the state to monitor non-violent criminals. Sentencing Services handles client's with substance abuse issues, by getting them treatment, not necessary incarceration. A folder with more information, along with sentencing charts, pens and other information was given to all attendees.

Minutes: June 15th Meeting

Agenda included discussion about current court appointed counsel regulations filed with the State Bar. This discussion is in response to inquiries resulting from the North Carolina Audit Report. To view the audit report, please see the attached link: http://www.ncauditor.net/ESPWeb/EDSreportdetail.asp?RepNum=PER-2007-7223
District Court Judge Martin McGee was in attendance and provided an overview as to why we need to address this issue. The primary topic that we addressed was determining who was going to manage the lists and determine criteria for Juvenile, DSS, Involuntary Committments and Child Support cases. After the meeting Wayne Picket, who manages Criminal List, agreed to work on establishing guidelines for these additional lists, with the assistance of John Nance, Christy Wilhelm and Jay White who volunteered during the meeting.

An additional topic was the purchase by the Bar Association of a projector and screen to use for courtroom trials and CLEs. During the meeting, it was suggested that Mr. Biggers, Clerk of Court may be able to purchase the projector and screen through the "Counthouse Improvement Fund" which would come from the County Commissioners. We have tabled this topic until August to see if that funding is an option.

New Information: Our membership directory has been added to the website! This is great for those who want to look up a number or give a referral on their PDA while out of the office! If you were left out of the directory and wish to be added, please contact Taylor Conner.

The July Meeting was sponsored by EL AMIGO MEXICAN RESTAURANT. Winners of the door prizes were Preston Armstrong and Christopher McCartan, who each received a $15.00 gift certificate. Again, we appreciate all the support from our friends at El Amigo Mexican Resturant located at 1776 S. Cannon Blvd., Kannapolis 28083.