Vol 2 www.EllisCountyBar.org September 2016

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Hear Ye! The first meeting of the Ellis County Bar was held on

August 10th in conjunction with the high school mock trial students. There were almost 20 attorneys attending. Two of our most senior members, James Hightower, licensed since 1950, and Fred Weldon, licensed since 1962, attended and provided an extensive history of their practice.

The second meeting was on Wednesday, September 14th. We enjoyed Olive Garden lasagna, chicken fettuccini, and salad. Organizational issues were addressed. The group voted to pursue incorporation as a 501(c)(6), a tax-exempt, non-profit organization less formally known as a business league. Watch the web site at www.elliscountybar.org for a draft of the organizational documents.

The group voted to delay applying for a tax payer identification number and opening a checking account until after incorporation. There currently exists a number of uncashed checks for previous and current year dues. Any uncashed checks for previous years’ dues shall be destroyed. Checks for current year dues shall be held until such time as a checking account is open at the Citizens National Bank.

Elections for Officers shall be delayed until By-Laws are in place identifying the offices and responsibilities. Officer elections will be conducted at the November meeting, which shall be conducted at 8:30 a.m. in the District Courtroom in the Historic Courthouse. At the November meeting, a group picture shall be taken and officer elections shall occur. Your dues of $50.00 must be paid in full to vote. If you are interested in an officer position, please send an email to ECBA@EllisCountyBar.org.

Members: To date 12 people have paid dues. You may pay your dues in the amount of $50.00 by check payable to the Ellis County Bar or via PayPal on the website at www.EllisCountyBar.org.

ELLIS COUNTY LAW LIBRARY 972-825-5300

It is our pleasure to serve attorneys, paralegals and

pro se litigants with services and research. Our law

library is located in the Ellis County Courts Building on

the second floor.

Services Offered: Westlaw Next. Our books include

current versions of USCA, Vernon’s, Texas

Jurisprudence, Dorsaneo, Texas Practice and Texas

Cases and O’Connor’s to name a few. Services

include: Copies .25 cents Color copies .50 cents,

Notary $6.00 per document, faxing documents and,

Board room rental for depositions and mediation

$25.00 an hour.

A welcome smile and a ray of sunshine describes Deputy Glenn Repp! Who is Glenn Repp? Deputy Repp has been with the Ellis County Sheriff’s office since 2007. Repp came to Ellis County after retiring with a combined 38 years with the Duncanville Police Department and the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office. Repp has held positions such as patrol sergeant, criminal investigation division sergeant, crime prevention officer (McGruff), watch commander, fugitive transport, and most recently courthouse security where he brightens each day.

Repp moved to Midlothian in 2015 when he accepted the job with the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office. Why Midlothian? Repp said it was a great family oriented community and he wanted to live in the county where he worked. Repp’s pride and joy are his grandkids, ages 3 and 1.5 years old who live in Alexandria, Virginia. Ask him and Repp will tell you about taking the grandkids to Kimbal Park, the splash park, and indoor trampoline facility. He gets to facetime with them often and they visit Midlothian several times a year. When asked about his hobbies, Repp replied that he was too busy these days. Previously, Repp had a landscape and sprinkler business; however, these days, he calls a professional when his sprinklers need repair.

Next time you enter the courthouse, don’t forget to tell Deputy

Repp “Howdy!” and ask about his grandkids.

Deputy Glenn Repp

M o c k T r i a l 2 0 1 6

How many July newsletters went out? According to the Texas State Bar, there are 200 attorneys that live or work in Ellis county. We mailed 83 newsletters. We

emailed 94 newsletters that did not bounce. There are 23 attorneys without a complete address. Monica Bishop’s office

has volunteered to obtain email addresses to enable more cost effective communication with the Bar. Thank you Monica!

CSCD and Subpoenas

Recently one of the CSCD Officers received a

subpoena for the case file records of a former

probationer and the law firm in Harris County

wanted copies provided for review prior to the

court date in a family court matter. Much to their

displeasure, we could not honor the subpoena.

Probation case records at CSCD belong to the

sentencing court and are only maintained at our

office. CSCD officers have no authority to

release those records even when served with a

subpoena. Only the Judge of the sentencing

court can authorize/instruct CSCD to release

them.

In this case it became necessary for CSCD,

through its attorney, to file a motion for

protective order to keep our officer served with

the subpoena out of hot water in Harris County.

Interestingly, a third party’s motion for

protective order can be filed in the court where

the current court action is pending (in this case

Harris Co.) or the sentencing court. We filed

with the sentencing court here in Ellis County.

Dennis Brearley - Ellis Co. CSCD

The summer Mock Trial program was a resounding success. There were six schools represented from throughout Ellis and Dallas County. After four days of instruction, the students conducted a mock trail with District Attorney, Patrick Wilson, presiding. The parents and public were invited to attend the final trial. Afterwards the students and teachers in attendance expressed interest in participating in the State competition in the spring. The State competition is sponsored by the Dallas Bar Association and regionals are conducted by Educational Service Units. The State problem will be released on October 1. This year the problem is a criminal problem. Ellis County schools will participate in the Region 10 competition on January 28th. If you would like to coach a team, please send an email to MockTrial@EllisCountyBar.org or contact MGarcia@DallasBar.org.

S u g g e s t i o n s Do you have a community service

project that you would like to coordinate?

Suggestions for a program or CLE?

Want to be an officer?

Have questions or need more information?

Come to a meeting! Or send email to ECBA@EllisCountyBar.org or

Call Theresa Peel at 972-935-0200

F a m i l y L a w y e r M e e t i n g

September 23rd at 1:30 pm

Contact Jenny Loucks

for more information at

jenny@loucksdrew.com

FAMILY LAW PRACTITIONERS

There will be a meeting for the Ellis County family law attorneys to meet with the court coordinator on September 23, 2016 at 1:30. A lot has changed in the family law court: forms, appointments, and notices have changed, and not everyone knows about them.

We are hoping to work with the family law attorneys on this issue, and if we are having a meeting before that time, I could bring it to the meeting there. If not, I think I will send you an announcement of an informal meeting at my office or lunch or something to address these issues and prepare to meet with court coordinator.

Family law has a lot of new issues now that we efile documents. Because of that change, things are really different with setting hearings. Also the judge changed up the final hearing docket for prove ups. Anyway, lots of changes, and our local bar, who practice family law (which is not all of them) need to meet on this issue.

We have also talked about getting a printer for the attorney conference room that works on a user id status. There are lots of us who have changes to orders, and last minute documents, and the library is not available to us. Just throwing that out to you for discussion.

Also, a lot of us have kids and grandkids. It is hard to plan events when your kids can’t be there at night during the week. So if we schedule something, or event, for all of us, can we do something that allows the kids? Not a lot of the bar here drinks a lot, but even those that do, they drink around their kids, and those of us who don’t have friends who do, so it doesn’t have to be without alcohol, but having your kids around is easier.

I am really excited to see all the changes going on here, and glad this is being done.

Thank you, Jenny Loucks

PRO BONO OPPORTUNITIES Dear Attorneys, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas in Waxahachie has Pro Bono opportunities available! If you are unfamiliar with our Legal Aid of Northwest Texas’ Equal Justice Volunteer Program, we match pro bono attorneys with low-income clients. We often run across applicants who desperately need assistance with cases where family law attorneys are necessary. We believe there are probably many attorneys who practice Ellis County willing to help if they only were aware of our predicament.

We have to close hundreds of cases a year due to the lack of attorneys to take those pro bono cases on! If you are interested in becoming a new pro bono attorney or if you have taken cases and want to start again, please let me know! Remember, if justice isn’t equal, it isn’t justice!

Thank you for your support of our EJVP program!

Family Law Volunteers Needed Applicant, IC, is seeking assistance with a divorce in Ellis Co. The parties were married 10/24/2014 and separated 08/01/2015. There is no property to divide, or young children of the marriage.

Applicant, BG, is seeking assistance with an agreed divorce in Ellis Co. The parties were married 04/15/2009 and separated August of 2014. There is no property to divide, or young children of the marriage.

Applicant, HB, is seeking assistance with an agreed divorce in Kaufman Co. The parties have been separated since 2010. There is no property to divide, or young children of the marriage.

Applicant, LM needs assistance with an Ellis Co. divorce. AG order out of Ellis Co. on one child of the marriage born in 1998. Some property which she will let OP have. DOM 06/09/1995. DOS 03/18/2006

Thank you for your support of our EJVP program! For more information, contact Kathy Isbell, Pro Bono Coordinator at isbellk@lanwt.org.

L E G A L A I D

Do you know anyone in need of legal assistance? Intake for Ellis County Legal Aid is Tuesdays from 9am to 11am.

Call 972-923-3344 for a screening appointment

Veterans Treatment Court Retraction

Volume 1 of the ECBA Newsletter incorrectly

stated on Page 2 that a contingent from Ellis

County had visited with the Tarrant County

VTC. The trip was planned; however, due to

unavailability of the presiding Judge, the trip

did not occur. We are hopeful that we can visit

with one of the nearby Veterans Treatment

Courts in the future.

BOOKS BEHIND BARS

Theresa Peel is collecting

paperback books for donation to the jail. Someone

donated a bunch of hardback books.

Unfortunately, the jail could not take them.

Fortunately, the Senior Citizens Center and several

of the nursing homes did! To date almost 3000

books have been donated. Thanks to the

community for the support of this program. If you

have paperback books to donate, call Theresa at

972-935-0200.

DUES: Dues in the

amount of $50.00

are due by October

1, 2016. You may

pay on the website at

www.EllisCountyBar.org/pay or by mailing

a check payable to the Ellis County Bar to

Ellis County Bar, 112 E. Main St,

Waxahachie, TX 75165

Ellis County Bar Association 112 East Main St. Waxahachie, TX 75165

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

M a r k Y o u r C a l e n d a r s !

October 12 Noon Meeting in the Attorney Workroom at the Ellis County Courthouse

November 9 8:30 a.m. Meeting in the District Courtroom in the Historic Courthouse. A group picture will be taken and Officer Elections will occur.

December You and your significant other are invited to a Christmas Party

Spring 2017 Join us for the Steve Kelley Memorial Golf Tournament

May 1, 2017 National Law Day Program

R S V P o n t h e w e b s i t e a t w w w . E l l i s C o u n t y B a r . o r g

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