We recently encountered a challenging situation; 30 witnesses to verify and serve, 2 days before the trial date. There were a myriad of reasons why the attorney was unprepared for trial but several incidents did come to light during this hectic process that we are passing along:
1. Consult with your trial prep person at least several weeks before trial.
Meeting with your trial prep firm allows the investigator to become aware of the case facts, and now gives him/her the time to review, formulate and then execute an operations plan. (There will always be last minute filings, service, subject locates… that have to be performed. An experienced trial prep firm will allow resources for those unforeseen final events.)
2. Basic Paperwork and Activity To Have Completed Pre-Trial
- Special Power of Attorney. This should be obtained from the injured client from the outset. (In this recent case, the client lived several states away and was not readily able to come up and sign authorizations.)
- HIPPA authorizations. If there is a hint that the records may contain medical information, in NYS, a duly executed HIPPA authorization form must be attached to the subpoena request for testimony and or records.
- So Ordered Subpoenas. Generally, among other criteria, if a city, state or federal agency is involved, a So Ordered Subpoena (signed by a judge) must be obtained at the trial court.
- Subject Locates - Don’t do these yourself online at the common locator sites most amateurs use to locate loved or lost ones (they may have chosen to be that way for a reason). Have your investigator conduct comprehensive locates, especially in cases that have gone on for a while, in substitutions and in any situation where time is short.
Tip: When dealing with EMS documents, note the shield numbers. If the shield number is 6,000 or above (e.g. Shield# 7206 or 6024) this is a private ambulance that has responded. Do not subpoena the FDNY at MetroTech for the Ambulance Call Report. They won’t have it. In the section underneath “Comments” on the ACR, there is a field for Hosp #. The number in that field reveals the hospital associated with the responding ambulance. (There may be one of two numbers written into this field; a 3 digit number is the trauma center designation and the number in parens is the FDNY hospital code assignment. Almost all EMS personnel use the paren’d 2 digit FDNY code.) See below for NY County Hospital Codes. (For other boroughs: shoot us an email, we’ll send you the links.)
Hospital Information
| Hospital Name | Disposition Code | Hospital Name | Disposition Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| ‡Bellevue Hospital | 712 (02) | Beth Israel Medical Petrie Campus | 713 (03) |
| Cabrini Medical | 715 (63) | Goldwater Memorial Hospital – Coler Site | 714 |
| Goldwater Memorial Hospital – Goldwater Site | 720 | ‡Harlem Hospital | 721 (07) |
| Hospital Joint Diseases Ortho. Inst. | 735 | Hospital For Special Surgery | 723 |
| North General Hospital | 758 (09) | Lenox Hill Hospital | 728 (11) |
| Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital | 730 (05) | Memorial Hospital – Cancer & Allied Diseases | 731 (08) |
| Metropolitan Hospital | 732 (12) | Mount Sinai Hospital | 734 (13) |
| New York Eye & Ear Infirmary | 736 | New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell | 737 (14) |
| New York University Downtown Hospital | 941 (01) | New York University Hospitals | 739 (15) |
| ‡New York Presbyterian Hospital Columbia Presbyterian Division |
742 (17) | New York Presbyterian Hospital – Allen Pavillion | 749 (16) |
| Rockefeller University Hospital | 743 | St. Clares Hospital & Health | 746 (19) |
| St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hosp. Roosevelt Hospital Division |
759 (18) | ‡St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hosp. St. Luke’s Division |
745 (20) |
| ‡St. Vincents Hospital & Medical of NY | 748 (21) | Veterans Administration Hospital | 724 (10) |
| Beth Israel Medical Singer Division | 718 (04) |
BNI Operatives: Street smart; Web savvy.
As always, stay safe.
The interview is over. You think it went well. You’re planning on buying a new car. Your prospective employer, in the meantime, is checking Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networking sites to gain a 360 degree profile on who you really are and how your personality will fit in with the company.
Hints to employer-proof your site:
1. Make your profile and photo albums private to the public.
Change your account settings to private, anybody in your alumni, work, or city network can click on your profile or photo album and see all of the contents on your Facebook page. Make your profile and photo albums private, and only allow your friends in your network see the contents of your page.
How: Click on settings, privacy settings, profile, and change the settings so that only friends can see your page.
2. Create separate “friends’ lists” and use the limited profile
Create separate “friends’ lists” for colleagues, and put your professional contacts on a limited profile view to control the content on your page they may have access to.
How: Click on friends. Scroll to the bottom left side of your page, and click “create” to create a new friends’ list. You will then be prompted to select which contents on your page people on this list have access to. Conversely, you can add them on your “limited profile” list and also do the same.
3. Disable your “View Pictures of Me”
Disable your “view pictures of me” feature so that you can stay in control of which photos of you get posted online.
How: Click on settings, privacy settings, profile, and change the “photos tagged of me” feature so that nobody can see photos tagged of you, including friends.
4. Disable your “Wall”
Disable your “wall” so that you can only receive inbox messages and keep your private life outside of work to yourself.
How: Click on settings, privacy settings, profile, and unclick “friends may post to my wall.”
5. Use your common sense
It takes years to build up your professional reputation, and only seconds to ruin it. Anything you post can be emailed or fowrded with just a click. Review your social network page as a boss would. Would you hire you?
BNI Operatives: Street smart; Web savvy.
As always, stay safe.
1. ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Abraham Lincoln was not the most attractive presidents but he was in a sense, almost fascinatingly ugly. During a debate, Lincoln was accused by his more hostile opponent of being two-faced. Lincoln managed to accomplish what few men have done before, he defended himself without insulting the other man, and even poked fun at a flaw of his all in the same sentence. Lincoln calmly turned to the crowd and said:
“If I had two faces, do you think I’d be wearing this one?
2. MOZART
A young man began a correspondence with Mozart, and the following was exchanged:
Q: “Herr Mozart, I am thinking of writing symphonies. Can you give me any suggestions as to how to get started.”
A: “A symphony is a very complex musical form, perhaps you should begin with some simple lieder and work your way up to a symphony.”
Q: “But Herr Mozart, you were writing symphonies when you were 8 years old.”
A: “But I never asked anybody how.”
3. OSCAR WILDE
Lewis Morris (on being overlooked for the poet laureateship): It is a conspiracy against me – a conspiracy of silence. What should I do?
Oscar Wilde: Join it!
4. GENERAL PETER COSGROVE
“FEMALE INTERVIEWER: So, General Cosgrove, what things are you going to to teach these young boys when they visit your base?
GENERAL COSGROVE: We’re going to teach them climbing, canoeing, archery, and
shooting.
FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Shooting! That’s a bit irresponsible, isn’t it?
GENERAL COSGROVE: I don’t see why, they’ll be properly supervised on the
rifle range.
FEMALE INTERVIEWER: Don’t you admit that this is a terribly dangerous activity to be teaching children?
GENERAL COSGROVE: I don’t see how. We will be teaching them proper rifle
discipline before they even touch a firearm.
FEMALE INTERVIEWER: But you’re equipping them to become violent killers.
GENERAL COSGROVE: Well, Ma’am, you’re equipped to be a prostitute, but you’re not one, are you?
5. VOLTAIRE
Voltaire was discussing an acquaintance with a friend, praising him lavishly. The friend then told Voltaire that, unfortunately, the acquaintance had spoken disparagingly of Voltaire and his work.
The pithy reply: “Perhaps we are both mistaken.”
(The above was compiled with help from our friends at toptenz.net. Thanks!!)
INVESTIGATIVE TIP OF THE WEEK:
Accompanying a witness statement should be an INTERVIEW INTAKE SHEET, containing at least following:
CLIENT
FILE # /REFERENCE
DATE OF INTERVIEW
TIME OF INTERVIEW
WITNESS NAME
HOME ADDRESS
HOME PHONE NUMBER
CELL PHONE NUMBER
WITNESS DESCRIPTION:
- Sex
- Age
- DOB
- SSN
- D/L # (State Issued, Exp. Date)
- Height
- Weight
- Hair Color
- Eye Color
- Mustache
- Beard
- Eyeglasses
- Other
EVALUATION (COOPERATIVE/HOSTILE; KNOWLEDGEABLE/MINIMUM RECALL…)
ADDRESS WHERE INTERVIEWED
NOTES SECTION
(Advice: For the investigator/attorney conducting the interview: Use a bit of discretion. You don’t necessarily need to ask a person his/her weight or the nature of physical characteristic, i.e. involuntary eye twich, limb loss…)
===============================================================
BNI Operatives: Street smart; Web savvy.
As always, stay safe.
We deliver our client reports mostly in PDF format. For several reasons, mainly to avoid modification, we have set passwords to all of our pdf docs. There are two types of security passwords that are utilized with PDFs: the user password which will prevent anyone from opening the document and the owner password with which one can avoid having the document copied, modified or printed.
PDF security may present problems however if you or anyone in your firm/company loses the user password for your own files or you are accessing someone else’s files and they have forgotten their owner password.
WARNING
Be careful. Depending on the country in which you reside/work, attempting to crack any encryption software could be illegal, even if you own the content. Make sure you are legally entitled to access the data before attempting any of the below methods.
When you cannot copy or modify the PDF file, try a non-Adobe Print to PDF
If the file you’ve downloaded from your library is locked, you may not be able to mark-up the electronic copy.
Try printing the document to PDF again, but using a non-Adobe PDF converter. It should look the same, and you will be able to modify the new version, so you need not print it out before reading it.
When you cannot copy or print the PDF file, try Gmail
To extract the text from a protected PDF file, mail it to your Gmail account, then use the “View as HTML” option. This should allow you to copy the text and (most of) the images, and to print a version of the file, though the layout may not be similar. This may not work with very large files.
When you cannot copy or print the PDF file, try a Password Remover
You can often remove the owner password using AnyBizSoft PDF Password Remover or similar software.
When you can not open the PDF files, try Password Recovery
Cracking the user password is very difficult and time-consuming. There is password recovery software that typically will use a brute force approach, trying all possible combinations. These methods of cracking could take days or even longer, but should produce results eventually.
BNI Operatives: Street smart; Web savvy.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti and all affected by the horrific earthquake that struck the island this past Tuesday afternoon. The loss of lives is in the tens of thousands; the suffering incalculable. May their pain be eased.
As always, stay safe.
This post’s topic was intentionally delayed. 1. We thought it reasonable to wait out the food-laden, financially draining, emotion coin flipping, holiday season. (This Bulletin also serves as notice that the holiday season is, in fact, over.) 2. Suggestions during the holidays, however well-intentioned, are just unfair. 3. Well, it wasn’t so much for the second reason as it makes no practical sense to pile on more bright ideas until one’s had time to settle down and make a calm assessment. TwentyTen has already definitely declared itself as the “Change, Already” year. (Divorce attorneys, and, conversely reasonable, marriage counselors, hold high hopes for this year.) This Bulletin presents several top sites for getting rid of old stuff (for profit) and getting new stuff (for free).
Sell Your Old Cell: I was gifted a new iPhone. I sent in my old one and received $100 (and, they paid for the shipping). http://www.ibuyphones.com/
Upgrading Your Business Computer Equipment? Get Rid of the Old Stuff for $$: This company has agents to assist you in just about any location in the U.S. http://www.spintradeexchange.com/
Free Windows Data Wiping Tool: Your IT person should be able to handle the office computers. No reason for him/her to have access to your personal laptop or home pc. This great free app is easy to use, effective and performs at Department of Defense standards. FreeEraser.
(Specific to NYC) Time to update the cubicles: OfficeFurnitureNYC generally buys in quantities of 50 cubicles or more but they do have a small business listing (a worthy addition to CraigsList or other local posting boards). In their own words, “This is a list of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania firms who have used office furniture and small NGO’s and Non-Profit organizations that are looking for furniture donations. OfficeFurnitureNYC.
For the young lawyer (or journalist) -to- be in the family: One of the most interesting internships we’ve come across for those interested in the freedom of the press and media law. Notice: Application deadline is 2/01/2010. The Reporters Committe for Freedom of the Press. Impressive steering committee, representing every major news source in America, from the NYT, WSJ, The Atlantic, HuffPo, Politico… Great free FOI and decision recaps in current national major cases source, too. Home Page for RCFP.
Divorce Attorneys: Lawyers. (Of course there’s a disclaimer. Please also see our similar below.)
Marriage Counselors: Therapy. (Search for a certified counselor 1 – 100 miles from any zip code. Distance preference is not indicative of one’s marital commitment.)
Our disclaimer: We have nothing to do with any of the above suggested sites, organizations, entities… We’re not at all responsible for their services, recommendations or results.
BNI Operatives: Street smart: Web savvy; New year happy.
As always, stay safe.
Welcome to Twenty Ten! We trust and hope our readers will enjoy a good new year! (We have to, as the latest Rasmussen poll states 72% of us believe 2010 will be better.)
Starting off this new year is our Top Ten of 2010 in various lawyer/legalprofessional-related categories – some fun, some data, all factual:
Vault’s Top 10 Law firms for 2010: Peer voted (beginning with the top rated firm in the nation):
- Cravath, Swaine & Moore
- Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
- Sullivan & Cromwell
- Davis Polk & Wardwell
- Weil, Gotshal & Manges
- Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
- Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
- Covington & Burling
- Kirkland & Ellis
Top 10 TV Lawyers: The listing is for the 2000 through 2010 seasons:
10. Bobby Donnell (The Practice, Dylan McDermott
9. Barry Zuckerkorn (Arrested Development), Henry Winkler
8. Michael Cutter (Law & Order), Linus Roache
7. Sarah “Mac” Mackenzie (JAG), Catherine Bell (below left)
6. Dennis “Denny” Crane (Boston Legal), William Shatner
5. Harvey Birdman (Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law), voiced by Gary Cole
4. Harmon “Harm” Rabb, Jr. (JAG)—David James Elliot
3. Ted Buckland (Scrubs), Sam Lloyd
2. Patty Hewes (Damages), Glenn Close
And #1, the man himself, Jack McCoy (Law & Order), Sam Waterston.
Other top 10 lists of interest:
Top 2010 NYC and NYS Law School Rankings
JD Supra’s Lawyers & Legal Professionals Looking Ahead to 2010
Again, welcome back, <rolling up the arm sleeves>, it’s time to make Twenty Ten a powerful year.
Reminder: Add the 2010 copyright year on your publications, forms, contracts…!!
BNI Operatives: Street smart; Web savvy; 2010 geared.
As always, stay safe.
The Beacon Bulletin is on vacation until next week.
We wish all of our readers and their loved ones a healthy, safe, sane and prosperous New Year!!
See you in 2010.
During the holiday season, we often run into relatives that we rarely see, might never have known and recap the year’s changes re: births, deaths… within the family. We make promises to be in touch and oftentimes, we now turn to technology – in the form of ancestry sites, to help us maintain our family ties.
There are many ancestry sites online that help us reconnect with our lost, or find unknown, family members. A majority of these sites can disappoint by posting incomplete, mismatched records, dubious source information… The most popular ancestry site, Ancestry, rises above these issues by operating on a legitimate, comprehensive, matched data verification system. Annual registration for Ancestry starts at roughly $150 year and, of course, there are buy-ons you can add to your account.
Regardless of the perceived security of ancestral online database membership, these sites often, inadvertently provide a gateway for gathering personal information by identity thieves. While phishing (hacking) is still the preferred method of anonymously obtaining personal data, our savvy thieves realize that they can potentially legally get away with obtaining the information they seek by carefully selecting their victims.
The general M.O. of an i.d. theft criminal is to locate a “mark”, someone who appears isolated from the rest of the family, generally someone old, lonely, naive, confined or infirm. The use of an ancestry site allows the thief to gain insider information on the victim’s family. Perceived familiarity can put an innocent, unsuspecting person at ease.
From there, it is simple for an i.d. thief to run a background check on his target on any number of the data providers now available online. This search can yield hard information; ranging from current address, address histories, mortgages, voter registration, professional licenses, email addresses, phone number, relatives, neighbors…
If a criminal takes the time, he can form a fairly accurate profile of his target before the victim is even aware that anyone is looking into his/her background.
Some helpful hints to keep identity thieves off-base.
If a site demands your SSN, do not provide it.
DOBs are optional. (Most legitimate sites will allow you to simply click off that you are over 13 y.o.)
In filling out promotional offers (and we all do this!), use a middle initial not associated with your real name. It’ll allow you to keep track of how your personal information is being distributed.
If you wish to add pictures on the site you wish to join, a) elect for the pictures are to be available only to those you chose to opt in and b) upload a generic pic that does not have your house number or vehicle plate or other identifiers in the photo.
If you’ve taken as many preventative measures as possible and still get “phished” or have your identity stolen, you need to contact your local police immediately as well as your banking institutions, medical, driver’s insurance companies and alert your friends and family so that they will be aware and not inadvertently release additional personal information.
Good luck and as they say in poker, keep your cards close to your vest.
BNI Operatives: Street smart; Web savvy.
As always, stay safe.
In light of recent international legal jurisdictional issues (e.g., accused child rapist Roman Polanski, the 6′9″ , 250 lb. Serbian thug, Miladin Kovacevic’s flight to his homeland after beating 135 lb. Binghamton University student, Bryan Steinhauer into a coma… ) , we thought it important for Americans to know the countries with which we have extradition treaties.
From Wikipedia:
The following is a List of United States extradition treaties :
| Country | Date signed | Entered into force |
| Albania | March 1, 1933 | November 14, 1935 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | June 3, 1996 | July 1, 1999 |
| Argentina | June 10, 1997 | June 15, 2000 |
| Australia | May 14, 1974 September 4, 1990 |
May 8, 1976 December 21, 1992 |
| Austria | January 8, 1998 May 19, 1934 |
January 1, 2000 September 5, 1934 |
| Bahamas | March 9, 1990 | September 22, 1994 |
| Barbados | February 28, 1996 | March 3, 2000 |
| Belgium | April 27, 1987 | September 1, 1997 |
| Belize | March 30, 2000 | March 27, 2001 |
| Bolivia | June 27, 1995 | November 21, 1996 |
| Brazil | January 13, 1961 June 18, 1962 |
December 17, 1964 December 17, 1964 |
| Bulgaria | March 19, 1924 June 8, 1934 |
June 24, 1924 August 15, 1935 |
| Burma | December 22, 1931 | November 1, 1941 |
| Canada | December 3, 1971 Jun. 28, July 9, 1974 January 11, 1988 January 12, 2001 |
March 22, 1976 March 22, 1976 November 26, 1991 April 30, 2003 |
| Chile | April 17, 1900 | June 26, 2002 |
| Colombia | September 14, 1979 | March 4, 1982 |
| Congo | January 6, 1909 January 15, 1929 April 23, 1936 |
July 27, 1911 May 19, 2029 September 24, 1936 August 5, 1961 |
| Costa Rica | December 4, 1982 | October 11, 1991 |
| Cuba | April 6, 1904 December 6, 1904 January 14, 1926 |
March 2, 1905 March 2, 1905 June 18, 1926 |
| Cyprus | June 17, 1996 | September 14, 1999 |
| Czech Republic | July 2, 1925 April 29, 1935 |
March 29, 1926 August 28, 1935 |
| Denmark | June 22, 1972 | July 31, 1974 |
| Dominica | October 10, 1996 | May 25, 2000 |
| Dominican Republic | June 19, 1909 | August 2, 1910 |
| Ecuador | June 28, 1872 September 22, 1939 |
November 12, 1873 May 29, 1941 |
| Egypt | August 11, 1874 | April 22, 1875 |
| El Salvador | April 18, 1911 | July 10, 1911 |
| Estonia | November 8, 1923 October 10, 1934 |
November 15, 1924 May 7, 1935 |
| Fiji | December 22, 1931 | June 24, 1935 August 17, 1973 |
| Finland | June 11, 1976 | May 11, 1980 |
| France | April 23, 1996 | February 1, 2002 |
| Gambia | December 22, 1931 | June 24, 1935 |
| Germany | June 20, 1978 October 21, 1986 |
August 29, 1980 March 11, 1993 |
| Ghana | December 22, 1931 | June 24, 1935 |
| Greece | May 6, 1931 September 2, 1937 |
November 1, 1932 September 2, 1937 |
| Grenada | May 30, 1996 | September 14, 1999 |
| Guatemala | February 27, 1903 February 20, 1940 |
August 15, 1903 March 13, 1941 |
| Guyana | December 22, 1931 | June 24, 1935 |
| Haiti | August 9, 1904 | June 28, 1905 |
| Honduras | January 15, 1909 February 21, 1927 |
July 10, 1912 June 5, 2028 |
| Hong Kong (PRC) | December 20, 1996 | January 21, 1998 |
| Hungary | December 1, 1994 | March 18, 1997 |
| Iceland | January 6, 1902 November 6, 1905 |
February 19, 1906 |
| India | June 25, 1997 | July 21, 1999 |
| Iraq | June 7, 1934 | April 23, 1936 |
| Ireland | July 13, 1983 | December 15, 1984 |
| Israel | December 10, 1962 | December 5, 1963 April 11, 1967 |
| Italy | October 13, 1983 | September 24, 1984 |
| Jamaica | June 14, 1983 | July 7, 1991 |
| Japan | March 3, 1978 August 5, 2003 |
March 26, 1980 |
| Jordan | March 28, 1995 | July 29, 1995 |
| Kenya | December 22, 1931 | June 24, 1935 August 19, 1965 |
| Kiribati | June 8, 1972 | January 21, 1977 |
| Korea | June 9, 1998 | December 20, 1999 |
| Latvia | October 16, 1923 October 10, 1934 |
March 1, 1924 March 29, 1935 |
| Lesotho | December 22, 1931 | June 24, 1935 |
| Liberia | November 1, 1937 | November 21, 1939 |
| Liechtenstein | May 20, 1936 | June 28, 1937 |
| Lithuania | October 23, 2001 | March 31, 2003 |
| Luxembourg | October 1, 1996 | February 1, 2002 |
| Malawi | December 22, 1931 | June 24, 1935 April 4, 1967 |
| Malaysia | August 3, 1995 | June 2, 1997 |
| Malta | December 22, 1931 | June 24, 1935 |
| Mauritius | December 22, 1931 | June 24, 1935 |
| Mexico | May 4, 1978 November 13, 1997 |
January 25, 1980 May 21, 2001 |
| Monaco | February 15, 1939 | March 28, 1940 |
| Nauru | December 22, 1931 | August 30, 1935 |
| Netherlands | June 24, 1980 | September 15, 1983 |
| New Zealand | January 12, 1970 | December 8, 1970 |
| Nicaragua | March 1, 1905 | July 14, 2007 |
| Nigeria | December 22, 1931 | June 24, 1935 |
| Norway | June 9, 1977 | March 7, 1980 |
| Pakistan | December 22, 1931 | March 9, 1942 |
| Panama | May 25, 1904 | May 8, 1905 |
| Papua New Guinea | December 22, 1931 | August 30, 1935 |
| Paraguay | November 9, 1998 | March 9, 2001 |
| Peru | July 26, 2001 | August 25, 2003 |
| Philippines | November 13, 1994 | November 22, 1996 |
| Poland | July 10, 1996 April 5, 1935 |
September 17, 1999 June 5, 1936 |
| Portugal | May 7, 1908 | November 14, 1908 |
| Romania | July 23, 1924 November 10, 1936 |
April 7, 1925 July 27, 1937 |
| Saint Christopher and Nevis | September 18, 1996 | February 23, 2000 |
| Saint Lucia | April 18, 1996 | February 2, 2000 |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | August 15, 1996 | September 8, 1999 |
| San Marino | January 10, 1906 October 10, 1934 |
July 8, 1908 June 28, 1935 |
| Seychelles | December 22, 1931 | June 24, 1935 |
| Sierra Leone | December 22, 1931 | June 24, 1935 |
| Singapore | December 22, 1931 | June 24, 1935 June 10, 1969 |
| Slovak Republic | July 2, 1925 April 29, 1935 August 28, 1935 |
March 29, 1926 |
| Solomon Islands | June 8, 1972 | January 21, 1977 |
| South Africa | September 16, 1999 | June 25, 2001 |
| Spain | May 29, 1970 January 25, 1975 February 9, 1988 March 12, 1996 |
June 16, 1971 June 2, 1978 July 2, 1993 July 25, 1999 |
| Sri Lanka | September 30, 1999 | January 12, 2001 |
| Suriname | June 2, 1887 January 18, 1904 |
July 11, 1889 August 28, 1904 |
| Swaziland | December 22, 1931 | June 24, 1935 July 28, 1970 |
| Sweden | October 24, 1961 March 14, 1983 |
December 3, 1963 September 24, 1984 |
| Switzerland | November 14, 1990 | September 10, 1997 |
| Tanzania | December 22, 1931 | June 24, 1935 December 6, 1965 |
| Thailand | May 17, 1991 December 30, 1922 |
December 14, 1983 March 24, 1924 |
| Tonga | December 22, 1931 | August 1, 1966 April 13, 1977 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | March 4, 1996 | November 29, 1999 |
| Turkey | June 7, 1979 | January 1, 1981 |
| Tuvalu | June 8, 1972 | January 21, 1977 April 25, 1980 |
| United Kingdom | March 31, 2003 June 8, 1972 June 25, 1985 December 23, 1986 |
January 21, 1977 |
| Uruguay | April 6, 1973 | April 11, 1984 |
| Venezuela | Jan. 19, 21, 1922 | April 14, 1923 |
| Yugoslavia[1] | October 25, 1901 | June 12, 1902 |
| Zambia | December 22, 1931 | June 24, 1935 |
| Zimbabwe | July 25, 1997 | April 26, 2000 |
L – List treaty
DC – Dual criminality treaty
Conversely, as horribly exemplified in the Amanda Knox trial and conviction, when Americans are overseas, we shouldn’t presume our personal and legal rights as we enjoy them here in the United States, translate equally in foreign legal systems. One should always be aware of the local American embassy, consulate or missions contact information in destiny and travel locations. US Department of State Embassy global listing,
As always, travel safe, especially during this holiday season.
From cars to painkillers, we’ve conducted numerous product defect investigations. Today’s Bulletin shares with its reader several relevant jump off research sites. We concentrate on the Big Three: cars, kids and over the counter and prescription drugs. For:
Vehicle Recalls and Defect:
1. We suggest a first step: check that your client’s car is the vehicle is appears to be. The obvious DMV and owner records aside, a visit to CarFax is a good idea. Bear in mind however that CF is, after all, a private for profit company, not a governmental agency. (Vehicles that have been impounded and resold, for example, may not have the same VIN with which they left the factory. This will not generally show up on a CarFax report.)
2. Next stop: safercar.gov. A section under the National Highway and Traffic Safety Adminsitration (NHTSA) site, safercar yields up-to-date recall and defect investigation data.
3. NTSB. The National Traffic Safety Board is the source for all official aviation, highway, marine and railway accident-related data. It is the agency of jurisdiction for multiple fatality motor vehicle incident investigations.
Children’s Clothing, Furniture, Toy and Other Products
1. US Consumer Product Safety Commission. In depth reports, easily viewable online via the CPSC’s Reading Room (FOIL compliant.)
2. Food & Drug Administration. For kids products that contain any form of liquid or food (e.g., soap bubbles, shampoo toys, lickable stickers…).
OTC and Rx. Drugs:
1. FDA. The Food and Drug Administration is the government agency that regulates and supervises the safety of foods, tobacco products, dietary supplements, medication drugs, vaccines, biopharmaceutical product, blood transfusion, medical devices, electromagnetic radiation emitting devices, veterinary products, and cosmetics. The site displays an informative recently updated jump off page, FDA 101: Product Recalls – From First Alert to Effectiveness Checks. The FDA also regulates the marketing of over the counter and prescription drugs.
Of course it makes sense in any investigation, to review prior and active lawsuits involving same or similar product. JDSupra, Lexis and FindLaw are superior sources for this information.
BNI Operatives: Street smart; Web Savvy.
As always, stay safe.
