I am a senior in college planning on taking the LSAT soon and going to Law School. My plan has been to get a degree in law and then become a Real Estate Attorney, and slowly over many years building up a real estate law firm while then also becoming a real estate investor. After a few decades, I would hope to have amassed a considerable amount of wealth from my investments in real estate.
However, my grandfather and uncle own a very successful manufacturing business out of state. I could move there, learn the skills of the trade, and take over the company within 10 or 15 years, because I know my uncle is preparing to retire soon and he has no one in the family to leave the business to.
Instead of building my own wealth from bottom up, I could take something that already exists and profit from it while growing it further.
What do you think is the wisest choice? My mind is better suited for legal thinking rather than cold hard stuff like manufacturing (I'm a political science major). However, the fact that my uncle owns a highly profitable manufacturing business that I could likely inherit if I put in the work is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I don't want to regret not taking when I had the chance.

I was raised to be religiously devout but without spiritual purpose, so memorial day weekend meant two things: watching auto racing live on TV and tidying up family graves. The graves of my grandparents are located in two cemeteries on opposite ends of the county they lived their whole lives in, and cleaning the graves required a little planning plus a trip to the florist. Dad would handle weeding around the plots, while mom scrubbed the gravestones, running a wet sponge along each of the engraved letters and numbers, such that the names and dates gleamed from the face of the stone. My job was to hold the flowers, and though I can’t recall where the debate landed regarding artificial or fresh, the holiday gained stature with so many flowers in hand, like everyone was headed to the cemetery to get married. With remembering, I guess.
The only grandpa I knew – my dad’s dad – was a lifelong farmer, and the only grandma I knew – my mom’s mom – sewed gloves in a factory her whole life. Though I only remember seeing the two of them together at weddings, they were both stoical Midwesterners who could listen to others talk for hours while saying very little themselves. My grandpa always wore bib overalls and a railroad engineer’s cap, and my grandma always wore housedresses and flats. My most vivid memory of my grandpa has him hand pumping water out of a well and into a tin cup. My most vivid memory of my grandma has her cutting potatoes into a pan of boiling water. How were they different? Grandma Alice smoked menthol cigarettes, and Grandpa Fred spread fresh manure on his fields. If memory is often scent-based, I offer these ones up to this memorial day.
On this memorial day, I remember Brian and Greg – two souls who were made into activists by life, then death, then life again. Both survived decades in prison, years in solitary confinement, and then, upon release, both worked full time to stop such treatment of others still incarcerated by developing a public advocacy and legal expertise through a nonprofit public law clinic. They were advocates for incarcerated individuals throughout the state, effective because they had an extreme kind of survivor’s authority. They were open about the trauma they endured, and their accounts of the torturous conditions of state-run facilities left audiences stunned. They died within a year of one another, each having taken his own life, and my insides want to spill out in response to such horror unrelenting. May Brian and Greg know a painless and eternal peace.

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Introduction
Katara Deboise Johnson, was born to parents Herbert Robinson and Linda Johnson on February 19, 1983, in Georgetown, Texas. With 4 additional siblings, Katara would eventually relocate to Taylor, Texas, where she would continue to grow and thrive into adulthood.
Known as “Tara” by family and friends, Katara was described as outgoing, smart, popular, hard working, reliable, and extremely independent. Early on, she acquired a deep love for sports, basketball in particular, and was a devoted member of her local church. Katara’s straight A’s at Taylor High School, and her athletic ability on the court, eventually led her to receive a full College scholarship to Central Christian College in McPherson, Kansas. Despite turning down the scholarship in order to remain close to home, Katara worked diligently as an assistant manager at her local Taco Bell.
Timeline
On August 25, 2004, Katara worked and completed a closing shift at Taco Bell, located at 2009 North Main St, Taylor, Texas, 76574. After her shift ended, she drove to her mobile home off of North Dolan Street, where she lived alone. (Note, the distance from the Taco Bell to Katara’s mobile home is less than a 5 minute drive.)
The following day, after not hearing from Katara for several hours, Katara’s grandmother and 6 year old nephew decided to stop by her home—only to discover a gruesome scene. Katara would be found lying deceased in her hallway from an apparent gunshot wound.
Investigation
During the earlier hours of the investigation, neighbors confirmed seeing Katara arrive home, but would also notice her red Mitsubishi Lancer gone mere hours later—eventually to be found at the Thorndale Community Pool, about a 13 mile distance away from Taylor and into the neighboring county. In regards to the crime scene, Katara’s family reported that there was no blood inside of the residence, and no obvious signs of a violent struggle. Investigators later discovered that the back door to the trailer was unlocked, and slightly open.
Conclusion
Katara was 21 years old at her time of death, and she would be 40 today if her life wasn’t abruptly and unfairly taken from her. Despite the setbacks, the frustration, and the lack of answers, Katara’s family hasn’t given up their fight to one day bring Katara’s killer(s) to justice. They do everything they can to make sure Katara isn’t just another unsolved case or a forgotten victim in the system.
“Katara was a very beautiful person. She loved everybody, and everybody loved her. My mother is on one side of her, I’m on the other side of her, she’s right in the middle…if there had been some kind of noise, we would’ve heard. She was special, and she’s going to be missed.” Rodney Johnson, Katara’s uncle, told KVUE News.
In August of 2019, the Cold Case Unit at the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, began assisting Taylor Police with Katara’s investigation, testing apparent DNA samples on “some items” according to Taylor Police Chief, Henry Fluck. The results of that testing is unknown, and as of today, this case has no promising leads and remains unsolved.
If you have any information in regards to Katara’s case, or would like to submit a tip, please contact any of the following:

1. Taylor Police Sgt. Sam Brister, (512) 352-5551
2. Williamson County Crime Stoppers, 800) 253-7687
3. Texas Rangers, (800) 346-3243

Sources
Texas Rangers/DPS Website
Austin American-Statesman
KXXV News

I made the first part of this weeks ago, sorry for the delay.
Indiana: One of the more surprising retirement announcements so far has been that of first-term Senator Mike Braun, who is leaving Washington for a crack at his state's governorship. And he seems to be the early favorite, although he hasn't cleared the field by any means. With her boss term-limited, Lt Governor Suzanne Crouch is gunning for a promotion, and already has the support of two representatives- one of them Greg Pence, the older brother of the former vice president. Former Representative Trey Hollingsworth, who retired from his South Indiana House seat last year, is also considering a run. On the Democratic side, I'm getting a bit of deja vu from Oklahoma- former Republican State Superintendent Jennifer McCormick has switched parties and is now seeking the Democratic nomination (although unlike Joy Hoffmeister, she has been less public about her reasoning for changing parties). And if either Evan Bayh or Joe Donnelly want to stage a political comeback, this might be their last chance for a while. None of the candidates so far are standouts, so Safe R, although the entrance of one of the former senators could make it interesting.
West Virginia: With party-switching incumbent Jim Justice termed out and running for Senate, the top job in the Mountain State is up for grabs. The Republican primary is getting interesting. Politics is often a family business in West Virginia, and that's on full display here with the sons of both Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and Rep. Carol Miller jumping in. Three statewide officials have also joined the race- state auditor JB McCluskey, Attorney General Pat Morrisey (who lost to Joe Manchin in 2018), and Secretary of State Mac Warner. (Sidenote on the family thing- Mac Warner's three brothers all have their own political careers. Kasey was a US Attorney, Kris chaired the WV GOP, and Monty ran for governor in 2004.) Ex-Representatives David McKinley and Evan Jenkins are also reportedly considering bids. On the Democratic side, Joe Manchin has ruled out the possibility of a return to his old job. The top contenders so far are Huntingdon mayor Steve Williams and 2020 nominee Ben Salango, the worst-performing Democratic governor nominee in state history. The only way I can see Democrats being remotely competitive is if they convince Richard Ojeda to run, and even then, whoever emerges from the messy Republican primary is pretty likely to win. Safe R.
North Carolina: This will be short, as this race is the most discussed. For good reason, too- it's the only swing state here. Incumbent Democrat Roy Cooper is term-limited, and the Democrats have all lined up behind AG Josh Stein, Cooper's protegee and successor in that role. Meanwhile, the Republican frontrunner is Lt Gov Mark Robinson, a... controversial figure known for his conspiratorial beliefs about the pandemic and some truly vile statements regarding LGBT people. He's also made some statements suggesting he believes in a Jewish cabal controlling the world. However, the NC Republicans aren't all sold on him. He's facing a challenge from Treasurer Dale Folwell and ex-Rep Mark Walker. Stein is a solid recruit, Robinson has some huge liabilities from his past statements, so this race will probably be bluer than the presidential race, which is already going to be close. Lean D.
Delaware: 2024 is looking to be a major shakeup for Delaware politics, with Gov John Carney term limited and Sen Tom Carper retiring. Carper has endorsed the state's lone Representative, Lisa Blunt Rochester, to take his seat. Assuming she takes the offer, and she has no reason not to, that means an open Senate seat, House seat, and governorship. Matt Meyer, the executive of New Castle County (which holds a majority of the state's population), is probably going to run. Meyer has governed as a progressive, raising the minimum wage for public employees to 15 dollars an hour, making New Castle County a sanctuary county for immigrants, and getting into fights with police unions. Lt Gov Bethany Hall-Long and AG Kathy Jennings are possible alternatives, probably getting support from Delaware's establishment. On the Republican side, there is basically no bench there. It's probably going to be some no-name state legislator or local official. Safe D.
Vermont: Everything in this race hinges on whether or not Phil Scott runs for a fifth term. He's been in office for eight years, and despite being a Republican in the nation's bluest state in a time of increasing partisanship, he keeps winning by larger and larger margins. Last year, he swept every municipality in the state, and I'm not sure how long it's been since that happened. If he's in for another two years, he'll face only token opposition and cruise to reelection. If he retires, then his party will have a tough time finding a replacement. I don't think it'd be impossible for a non-Scott Republican to hold the seat, but it would be difficult. Republicans would be smart to find a successor before Scott retires- possibly Christina Nolan? Meanwhile, the Democrats could very well see a battle royale amongst the other statewide executive positions- one in which the endorsements of Bernie Sanders, Pat Leahy, and Peter Welch would probably prove decisive. Safe R if Scott runs, Safe D if he doesn't.
New Hampshire: Similarly to its western neighbor, popular Gov Chris Sununu's decision to run for another term or to retire will determine everything else about it. While Sununu's popularity seems to have peaked in 2020, with the Republican legislative majorities that came off his coattails that year forcing him to take more decisive stands on controversial issues, he's still very well liked and would easily win another term if he so chose. If not, a variety of politicians will probably throw their hats into the ring. Senate President Chuck Morse has said that he'll run if Sununu doesn't, although former Sen Kelly Ayotte and 2022 Senate nominee Don Bolduc have also been suggested as candidates. Meanwhile, the Democrats are probably going to run Manchester mayor Joyce Craig regardless of Sununu's decision, although if he retires others might join the fray for an actual chance to win the governorship. Oh, and the state legislature probably flips next year. Safe R if Sununu runs, lean D if he doesn't.
Washington: Yeah, I kinda have to redo this one after Jay Inslee announced his retirement. Two statewide officials have entered the race already, AG Bob Ferguson and Commissioner of Public Lands Hillary Franz. Ferguson's endorsement list is a veritable who's who of Washington politicians, so he's got the inside track for a spot on the November ballot. Who he'll end up facing depends on how many other people join in- if no other notable Democrats run, Franz has a decent shot at the #2 slot, while if the Republicans unite behind a single candidate, they reach the second round. Either way, Ferguson probably wins (seriously, look at this list). Safe D, >1/3 shot of a double Dem November ballot.
Yeah okay, maybe people don't talk much about these races because most of the drama is between state-level politicians nobody outside the state has heard of, and it's all in the primaries.

Tennessee woman is currently missing on cross country trip with boyfriend, with creepy similarities to Gabby Petitio.
Nikki Alcaraz set out on a long road trip with her boyfriend Tyler Stratton and her pet dog to visit family in Orange County, California. It has now been three weeks since her family has heard anything from her which is unusual since Nikki's sister Toni is use to hearing updates everyday.
The dream road trip took an unsettling and familiar turn on May 4th to any one familiar with the Gabby Petitio case. The Torrance County police report that witnesses saw Tyler strike Nikki in the face on that day in May. They went on to say Tyler stated she had hit him first and he had blood on his mouth and nose.
Neither of the pair wanted to press charges so Tyler and Nikki were separated and given rides, with Nikki ending up in Moriarty, New Mexico. It was from here that Toni last heard from her sister.
In their final conversation Toni said her sister was crying and very upset. Toni said she could tell Nikki had been beaten pretty badly.
Toni, being a good sister, dispatched a family member to make the long drive and bring Nikki back home.
When the family member arrived they did find Nikki and on the morning of their departure back to Tennessee, Nikki refused to leave, saying she had a bad feeling about Tyler and needed to find him. Her ride home left without her.
Toni believes the family member was the last person to see her alive.
On May 8th, Toni received one last text from Nikki saying she was in Arizona and planned on finishing the trip. Her phone has since been shut off or is out of service.
A license plate reader clocked the Jeep that Nikki and Tyler were traveling in on May 8th in Arizona and no further sightings or communication have been reported.
Toni has filed a missing person case for Nikki in New Mexico because that was where she was last seen. Cheatam County,Tennessee, States Attorney Ray Crouch has been gathering information from law enforcement in both New Mexico and Arizona in an attempt to get to the bottom of this mystery. Crouch has also requested a nationwide extradition order for Tyler Stratton on an unrelated probation violation in a attempt to locate the pair and find some answers for the very concerned family.
Nikki is decribed as 5 foot 6 inches tall with black/brown hair and many tattoos.
The Jeep is a 2013 Jeep Wrangler with a Tennessee license plate reading BGL3539 and a "Mama tried" bumper sticker, with camo seat covers.
Anyone with any information on Nikki or Tyler's whereabouts should call Moriarty Police Department at 505-832-6060 or at 505-834-2705.

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I’m going to paste below a post written by a dear friend of mine about an experience she recently had in Waterville. She is looking for more victims and has already been contacted by many. 🔗 to the original FB post at the bottom. We would appreciate anyone who is able to share the original post or help otherwise shed light on this growing problem.

TRIGGER WARNING: S.A.

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‘The Waterville Secret that Everyone Knows’ Easter Sunday, on a sunny afternoon, 10 minutes from my home; I was drugged, raped, sodomized, robbed & left for dead like a piece of trash. Law enforcement then found me, in another county, 50 minutes from my home, heading in the opposite direction, unable to tell them where I lived, unable to answer or follow simple commands, telling them over & over again that I could not see, all while holding my hands over my ears…a 55-year-old woman, with no criminal background, in a ditch on a sunny Easter Sunday. Was I then taken to the ER? Did I then receive immediate medical attention & doctors discovered that I had been drugged & raped? No, I was handcuffed, arrested & thrown in jail. Fourteen hours later I came to in a cell, not knowing where I was, why I was there, raped, sodomized, actively bleeding, I couldn’t see clearly & had no peripheral vision. I was told I was being charged with OUI & refusal of test, Failure to Stop & Failure to Sign the Summons documents for those first two charges. OUI & refusal of test? I was clearly drugged; I have watched the dash cam. Failure to stop? I was driving 30 miles an hour in a ditch!?! Failure to Sign a Summons? I did not even know my own address & I could not see. To add to this, as I sat in that jail cell drugged & bleeding, my bank account was systematically being emptied.
I have been through rape exams, sobbing breakdowns, interviews, medications, sobbing breakdowns, blood tests, sobbing breakdowns, urine tests, sobbing breakdowns, vaginal exams, more interviews & more sobbing breakdowns. I have obtained legal counsel, a trauma therapist, have reported this to local police, the sheriff’s department, the district attorney’s office; I have supplied easily over 200 pieces of documentation, evidence, bank statements, lab results, affidavits, photos, names of other women that have been drugged, raped & left in the same ‘Rape Basement’ as me. To date I still have not heard from the sheriff’s department or the DA’s office; it has now been 48 days since this happened to me.
Additionally, I requested to speak with the chief of Waterville PD & was denied, I asked to speak to the head of Waterville Detectives & was denied, I asked for them to give my statement & evidence to the head of detectives & that was also declined. I asked if they had a specialized Sexual Assault Detective & was told only cases of child rape go to that individual. I asked why my case had not been assigned to a detective & they told me it had been assigned to a patrol officer & a detective could help out if needed. I then attempted to report this crime to the County Sheriff's Department & the Maine State Police & they told me that they could not take my statement due to not having jurisdiction over it & sent me back to Waterville PD.
The fiscal out of pocket cost for me to date is $12,738.64 & that amount is still rising. I am burning through my EBT time, I am struggling to work, leave my home & my vehicle is undrivable. This also does not include the ongoing cost of trauma therapy & the cost of the added bonus of now having an incurable STD that for the rest of my life I will need to take medication for. To which I might add; I had to share my sexual activity with law enforcement; which it has been 10 years since I was sexually active (not that if I was sexually active it should matter).
The last time I have actually heard from law enforcement that was conducting this investigation was 13 days ago when an officer called to ask me if “I drank daily, If I drank to the point of black out & how often did I drink?” To which I supplied each & every date in the past year that I have had a beer along with each receipt & picture of me during that time having the beer. I do not have a history of alcohol addiction, I do not have a history of drug addiction, I have never received any alcohol nor drug rehabilitation services (not that if I had, that should make this rape somehow different).
I also must point out that officer asked me these questions AFTER speaking to the staff at the ‘Rape Basement’ that I believe drugged me. Staffs response was that “I walked in drugged & I went down into ‘Rape Basement’ on my own & that they ‘found’ me there & asked me to leave”. That would mean that I went to a 2pm show at the Waterville Opera House, walked out of that theater production & then decided to become a totally different person. That I then drugged myself, raped myself, sodomized myself, gave myself a genital-to-genital STD & then found my own way into the ‘Rape Basement’ that I had no prior knowledge of!?! This same ‘Rape Basement’ establishment also stated to police that they did not serve me any drink or food; yet I have supplied law enforcement with the charge on my credit card that supports the opposite. A portion of the $12,738.64 price of my ‘Drugged, Raped, Sodomized, Robbed & Arrested’ experience was the $9.06 that I paid the ‘Rape Basement’ establishment for my drugged beer.
To date this crime has cost me my sanity, my safety, my peace, my joy, my kindness, countless hours of sleep, isolating myself in my home with a loaded gun by my side, my trust & faith in the world, basically my life as I have known it.
I recently went very public with this experience; I have since also reached out to the media. As I shared this story, numerous others came forward with similar experiences. Posts of this were being deleted as fast as victims responded to them. We are now speaking to each other & have created open posts on our own facebook pages. We learned that this is apparently ‘The Waterville Secret that Everyone Knows’.
• When I learnt that one woman had been drugged & had called for help from the very same basement as me; I became physically ill. ‘The Waterville Secret that Everyone Knows’.
• Another women shared that when she was 23, she was drugged & lost 14 hours of her life & woke up at an entirely different location. She reported it to the local police & was told it was going to be investigated; she is still waiting to hear back from them…she is now 28 years old. She also shared that she has a high school reunion coming up, yet she is fearful to go because it is being held in Waterville. ‘The Waterville Secret that Everyone Knows’.
• Another woman feared reporting to the police that she had been drugged because she was on an organ donor list & feared that she would be denied a lifesaving operation if she disclosed the experience. ‘The Waterville Secret that Everyone Knows’.
• Men have come forward that they too have been drugged & assaulted & have woken up at completely different locations from where they began. ‘The Waterville Secret that Everyone Knows’.
• One woman started at a restaurant & then came to drugged, robbed, wearing completely different clothing, in an abandoned building. ‘The Waterville Secret that Everyone Knows’.
• Tragically yet another woman shared that her young brother was found dead in these same horror show ‘Rape Basements’ that other victims speak of; these ‘Rape Basements’ that I too was in. ‘The Waterville Secret that Everyone Knows’.
• Others have shared that (for a price) you can have a woman drugged & then have unfettered access to her & then they will ‘let her go’ when you are done. When I have shared this information; I have heard from numerous individuals that casually state, “Yes that has been going on for years”. ‘The Waterville Secret that Everyone Knows’.
• One Maine Liquor Enforcement Officer states that they tried to shed light on this years ago, yet the drugging & raping of women is bad business for a college town; then this person stated they do not wish to be named due to fear of repercussion. ‘The Waterville Secret that Everyone Knows’.
So yesterday we (the victims of this) all made some noise, we all started to shine a light on it…& overnight the responses came. Public posts have been deleted or turned off; 2am phone calls from the owners of these ‘Rape Basement’ establishments were made threatening victims to take posts down, to stop speaking. Many victims that were raising their voices yesterday are now silent today. I have also learned that I am not the only victim scared & carrying a firearm. It has also come to my knowledge today that two of these owners of these establishments were convicted of human trafficking taking place within these ‘Rape Basements’ & sent to prison. They are now out & back in business from the same exact ‘Rape Basements’ we the victims are being found in!?! ‘The Waterville Secret that Everyone Knows’.
I do not know what else to do, I do not know where else to go, I do not know what else to say! I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared…I am! I am afraid to leave my home, I am afraid to speak out, I am afraid to demand justice…yet most of all; I am terrified of being silent.
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https://www.facebook.com/pamela.boivin.7/posts/pfbid02YSkQ1vVX1ghBY9XmBoGC7n345fhUaChCwRfAX38y3hE248xKnvteuficnsyJcx1Ml

There are many things that bother me about this case and the way it was handled. I would like to share a few of these thoughts regarding the plea deal and law enforcement’s ‘visit’ to the Wisconsin prison. I am posting this as I continually am asked for ‘proof’ of law enforcement’s corruption.
At Watts’ sentencing hearing, .Chris states that he has nothing to say and Rourke says that he is not surprised and that he doesn’t think that anything Watts would say would be the truth anyway. Rourke then states at his press conference, immediately following Chris’ sentencing hearing in early November 2018, that ‘we still have so many unanswered questions but, the case is closed’. Watts was sentenced and shipped off to a prison in Wisconsin to serve his multiple LWOP sentences.
This is an article from the Coloradan on 03.07.2019. Please note that this was after law enforcement ‘visited’ Watts at the Wisconsin prison where he is being housed, 3 months after the sentencing hearing:
“After Watts was sentenced to three consecutive life terms in prison Rourke said he doubted Watts would ever give an honest account of the killings.”
“Rourke said SOME pieces of evidence match Watts' most recent confession”
“Watts has never testified under oath with the threat of perjury in this case.”
“Once she (Shannan) was gone, I didn’t know what was going on,” Watts recently told investigators. “It was like a traumatic … a traumatic event. I was shaking, I didn’t know what had happened. … I wasn’t in control of what I could think or what I could do at that point in time.”
Coloradan 03.07.2019 ********************************************* I would like to point out that Rourke, again, states that Watts would never tell the truth so, why did they travel to Wisconsin to talk to him again after they had him in custody in Weld County jail for three months if they had heard, according to Rourke, ‘nothing but lies’? Why travel all that way just to hear more lies?
IMO the trip to Wisconsin was to ‘strongly encourage’ Chris Watts to tell them what they wanted to hear, to state publicly, on the record (video) that he killed the girls because up until this point, he would not say that he did because he didn’t kill them. Rourke needed to save ‘the deal’ and his a$$. There was no other reason to travel to Wisconsin. If anyone can think of one valid reason for this trip, I would love to hear it.
I would also like to point out that Rourke admits that “Watts has never testified under oath with the threat of perjury in this case”.
WHY was Chris not deposed, under oath, to tell the truth under threat of perjury? This iwould have been standard procedure if there were ‘so many unanswered questions’. Was it because Rourke did not want the truth to get out? Did Shanann kill the girls? The DA’s job is to search for the truth, using all evidence and tools available, regardless where, and to whom, the truth points to. It is the DA and the judge’s job to ensure that the confession matches the evidence. If it doesn’t match, the plea agreement is voided and the case is set for trial. Did Rourke not want a trial because law enforcement did an unprofessional and sloppy job in their investigation? Was it because he had an election coming up, he needed this case wrapped up asap and he was going to stick to his narrative of ‘husband kills family for mistress’ no matter what and if the case went to trial, all of Shannan’s mental illness traits would be brought forth and there would be definite questions as to who killed the children? Rourke wanted the politically correct narrative of ‘man kills family for mistress’.
Rourke then states that ’SOME’ of the pieces of evidence match Watts’ most recent confession’. As I stated above, the judge should never have approved the ‘deal’ until he was satisfied that the confession that Watts gave was the truth, including motive, and matched all evidence. Allowing the plea deal to go forward without all evidence matching the confession is prosecutorial misconduct. The DA sent a man to LWOP when only some of the evidence matched Chris’ confession? Really? Does that sound as though Rourke is playing by the rules or just taking advantage of Chris Watts’s lack of knowledge about our criminal justice system. With only some of the evidence matching Chris’ confession, he would have been definitely acquitted at trial.
The last paragraph is Chris Watts admitting that he was thrown into a state of absolute panic and fear not anger, rage and revenge. He had just witnessed his wife kill his previous little girls
People are looking for concrete proof of the corruption and, of course, there is none. The cops are not going to record and document their trail of corrupt actions, we have to use our brains and put the pieces together like we would do at any trial. Many, if not most, trials are won using circumstantial evidence alone and this scenario is no different. Take each piece of information and put it all together….what the DA did makes no sense. These are just a few of my thoughts and concerns. Please let me know your thoughts.

Hi, I am a 19 year old male living in NYC. I was born in South Korea (2004) but I came here when I was 4 in 2008, and I was wondering how long it will take me to get a green card? My family just filed a request this year as apparently that was the earliest time possible? Something about being in the U.S. for a minimum time? I have been here for around 15 years now.)
I'm not too well-versed on the law or immigration policies and I really wish to go to the U S Marine Corps as it will help me get what I want out of my life but you need a green card to even enlist as an enlisted non-commissioned recruit which I don't have. All I have a is just a visa letting me stay here. I'm stuck and I don't what to do from here. My mother called an attorney lawyer but apparently things are going to take some time and we have to hear back from them which is going to be a long time. I've been here from practically me entire life and I feel like an American. I don't what to do.
Isn't there anything I can do to help expediate things or do anything for that matter? Do I just have to wait? My life is going by and I feel so utterly helpless especially since I don't know much about the immigration laws. Would really appreciate some help and advice. ( I have never committed a crime or got into trouble with the law or anything. I could've done better in high school but I've never got into any actual legal trouble.
Sorry if I come across as ignorant and entitled. I'm young and I don't know much. Thank you so much

The year was 1901, and Byron McGrady was a wanted man. Byron had been on the run for the past eight years, since he was 12. He had accidentally killed a man in a fight after being caught stealing from a shop in his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts. As far back as Byron could remember, he was an orphan, and he grew up on the streets of Boston, fending for himself by stealing, until the day he was caught. After that fateful day, Byron escaped out west, to Texas and joined a band of outlaws known as the McNamara gang. The gang’s leader, Aaron McNamara, took a shine to Byron, and would later take him under his wing. However, Aaron was not exactly an ideal role model. Aaron was a ruthless outlaw. He would rob, kill, hold people for ransom, you name it, Aaron did it. He was a bad man. Despite this, he had a somewhat of a kind heart, and he and the gang had accepted Byron like family. As the years went on, Byron grew up to become an infamous and feared gunslinger and outlaw, all before he was 20 years old. Byron has made his name as a bank robber all across Texas, and his crimes had put a target on his head. Every lawman in the west, not just Texas, wanted to see him hang. Byron knew this. Byron left the gang, as he didn’t want to bring them down with him if the law caught up with him. They were the only family he had ever known. Besides, it was 1901, and the days of the old west were numbered, and Byron knew that the gang would disband sooner or later, And so, from that point on, he was a lone wolf. A lone wolf on the run from the law. Byron rode his horse all the way to Portland Oregon, where he decided to hide from the law. He changed his last name from McGrady to Macaulay, and took a job as a lumberjack. Byron stayed hidden from the law for fifteen years. During that time, in 1906, he had gotten married to a beautiful woman named Beth, who worked as a school teacher. He and Beth both loved each other deeply and the pair had two sons together, Kieran and Francis. They lived happily, and peacefully, until they didn’t. One day, Beth and the boys weren’t home, and Byron was repainting his house when five men arrived at his house. They were lawmen. The law had finally caught up with him after fifteen years. Byron tried to run, but was gunned down by a hail of bullets. He was dead within seconds. Shot down in front of his home. He was 35 years old. When his wife had come home, she saw that her husband had repainted the house… with his own blood. 

For context, my coworker is a shift lead manager and I also do not know the state, federal, or company specific laws related to this specific issue. This is in the Louisiana/Texas area.
So my coworker has been working outside of scheduled hours. The other managers are stretched so thin between other stores that aren't ours that he comes in for a shift, works his scheduled hours, and then when his time to leave in the schedule comes, there isn't anyone to cover him and he's forced to work a double. This happens almost everyday that he's scheduled.
The other week, he worked 78 hours because the other manager needed to cover another store.
Today is an example where this isn't doing him any favors. He has specific family plans, and his cover is at another store also working a double. The only other available manager is not currently able to be contacted, so unless they are, he's forced into working a double.
Out of concern for both him and myself, should this be a trend for me soon as well, how legal is this? Are the laws different because we're managers?
I know a lot of people will say "stay or dont come back" to this, but I'm seriously concerned that if I were to ever complain about being quite literally forced into staying longer than scheduled that I would be fired for refusing to suffer as much as the other managers do.
Is there anything he can do to stop this happening again and again?

Originally posted in legaladvice forum: I have scoured the communities for the right forum and ultimately chose this one, so I hope I made the right choice. I am trying to contact my ex while protecting myself from being charged with harassment and this is a difficult situation to formulate properly as a question, so I’ll try to give a brief overview of the situation. Warning, it gets a little weird and all over the place but I’ll try to keep it consolidated.
I was with my ex for 4.5 years. He had some complicated dental issues due to inherited soft tissue genetics (not drug use or poor hygiene) and I decided to help him because honestly he was just not motivated enough to research how to navigate a solution between insurance coverage, consultation, etc. so I handled it. It was determined that he needed to have all his teeth extracted and have dentures made. So we did, and I put it on a credit card (July 2022) with a written agreement he would pay me punctually and before the 12 month 0% introductory promotion expired.
Fast forward to now- late May 2023; our relationship has become tumultuous basically due to his irresponsible, negligent behavior and inability to uphold his agreement to keep payments up. We were cohabitating up until late April 2023 and the latest argument sent him running to his mothers to seek refuge.
Well low and behold, he leaves his dentures behind accidentally. He proceeds to ask me to return them to which I only responded that “you cannot expect me to return them when you haven’t paid for them in 4 months and the deferred interest will be hitting on the next statement. If you come up with the balance (roughly $1800.00) I’d be glad to return them.”
2 weeks go by and I hear nothing from him. So naturally, I decide to reach out. Send a casual text checking in to see if he’s ok. No reply. Call, no answer. Call a second day, no answer. So I make a call to police non-emergency and ask them to conduct a welfare visit to ensure that he is ok. 20 minutes later I receive a call from County Police (I live in Delaware) and the officer tells me that he is fine but that he does not wish to be contacted and any additional attempts to do so will be considered harassment. 😳 Excuse me?! I’m floored.
I begin to tell the officer the situation and he is clearly not interested and keeps repeating himself that I take it to Civil Court. Fine, I already know this and that’s not the solution I’m seeking. I tell him that I’m going to continue to contact him because A. surely he must want his teeth returned?! and B. we have an upcoming payment to resolve. He repeats himself that if I contact him again I’ll be arrested.
So my perplexity lay in the fact that this officer could not have possibly even forced the proof of burden on my ex to show evidence of harassment because he clearly would not have any evidence of harassment to show proof of aside from an “are you ok” type text and 2 declined calls.
Almost 2 weeks have gone by since this and I now want to contact him. I have a text prepared and I want to send it but I also want to cover myself from any false complaints of harassment.
I researched the legal definition of harassment and came up with:

1. Harassment; class A misdemeanor. (5) Makes repeated or anonymous telephone calls to another person whether or not conversation ensues, knowing that person is thereby likely to cause annoyance or alarm. (b) Harassment is a class A misdemeanor.

Additionally, I find the following:
The Intent of the Crime In order for a behavior to be labeled as harassment, the intent of the accused must be to harass, annoy, or alarm the victim. A prosecutor must be able to prove intent to convict a defendant of harassment. A defendant who never intended on causing any harm by calling a victim or sending a text message should not be convicted of harassment.
Now I know that my contact has not and will not seek to harm or intend to annoy or alarm him. I have prepared a text and here is what it says although it is saved in draft form because I do not want to be charged with any offence as no offense is being committed in my opinion. However I would greatly appreciate the opinion of someone with better experience and knowledge of these particulars.
For all intents and purposes, here is the draft of my intended text message:
In the state of Delaware, illegal harassment is defined as any unwelcome conduct that causes physical harm or injury, or that creates a reasonable fear of physical harm or injury, to a family member or household member. This can include behaviors such as threats, intimidation, or physical violence. Delaware law also recognizes emotional abuse as a form of domestic harassment.
In Delaware, making a false complaint to police is considered a misdemeanor offense. If convicted, the penalty can include a fine of up to $1,150 and/or up to one year in jail.
My intent is to arrange return of your property. I cannot do this without contacting you.
There is no just cause to involve law enforcement in a matter that does not pose threat of harm, injury or intimidation.
Penalty for making repeated false complaints to non emergency police departments can be prosecuted.
Again, this is in no way criminal activity to contact you regarding return of your personal property. Please use best judgment before reacting in a manner that is uncalled for which should be handled civilly between 2 law abiding adults.
You do not have my consent to share any information or public discussion with a private third party and any attempt to discuss or seek personal opinion from another personal individual who provides advice to act in a manner which seeks intent to harm or assist in wilfully causing malice shall be considered defamation and invasion of my privacy which is a misdemeanour offence.
Do you want your teeth back or not. That is all. If I do not hear back from you I will be disposing of them due to negligent abandonment.
I am conducting myself respectfully and with caution because I cannot afford to be the victim of false allegations made out of spiteful malice.
Nothing in my message has contained any harmful intent or threat to your safety or peace.
Record of this message is copied to NCCPD as witness of my conduct and peaceful intent. - End
Please weigh in! Thank you so much in advance, and please be kind, no judgment as I realize the poor personal choices I have already made by involving myself with someone who would hide behind petty laws to get out of paying a debt.

As you will recall, Kathleen T. Zellner, noted licensed Illinois attorney, has tendered an additional affidavit to the Court and has asked for leave to make it part of the current PCR Motion. This is the affidavit of Tom C. Buresh, who came forward on May 10, 2023 to claim that he personally witnessed Bobby Dassey driving the victim's car.
Dogs has done a magnificent job of documenting Tom C. Buresh's twitter and internet participation in the Free Steven Avery movement, and has uncovered proof right out of Buresh's mouth that he is lying.
Buresh's affidavit, at Paragraph 14 - "I do not know any of the Avery or Dassey family members personally..." [emph. added].
Dogs has uncovered a tweet from Buresh on his own account from 5 weeks ago that says:
"We all love you Steven. You have the best in your corner and will never stop until your freedom is restored. Your strength is inspiring. We will go fishing again in Amberg." [emph added]. The message is followed by a smile sunglasses emoji, which is described as being used to 'express a confident attitude'.
So looks like fanboy Buresh took the next step and submitted a false affidavit in support of his friend Steven Avery, a guy whom he swore in his affdavit that he didn't even know but says in his tweet 5 weeks ago that he knows him, has gone fishing with him in Amberg, and hopes to go fishing with him again.
Kathleen T. Zellner now has actual knowledge from the affiant's own mouth that his affidavit is perjured. As a licensed Illinois attorney and familiar with how disciplinary proceedings work, I demand that you withdraw this perjured affidavit.
By tendering this perjured affidavit, at least now with full knowledge that it's perjury, Zellner is violating several Rules of Professional Conduct:

1. RPC 3.1 states: "A lawyer shall not bring or defend a proceeding, or assert or controvert an issue therein, unless there is a basis in law and fact for doing so that is not frivolous..."
2. RPC 3.3(a)(1 and 3): (a) A lawyer shall not knowingly: (1) make a false statement of fact or law to a tribunal or fail to correct a false statement of material fact or law previously made to the tribunal by the lawyer;
3. (3) offer evidence that the lawyer knows to be false. If a lawyer, the lawyer's client, or a witness called by the lawyer, has offered material evidence and the lawyer comes to know of its falsity, the lawyer shall take reasonable remedial measures, including, if necessary, disclosure to the tribunal. A lawyer may refuse to offer evidence, other than the testimony of a defendant in a criminal matter, that the lawyer reasonably believes is false.

Ball's in your Court Zellner. If you want to keep your law license you will withdraw Buresh's perjured affidavit, apologize to the Court and opposing counsel, and run a curative article with Ferak. If you fail to do so, expect an ARDC Complaint to cross your desk soon. You've been warned.

For the last year, my wife and I have been looking to move back to California. I had a job that transferred us to Texas. We quickly discovered that life in Texas was not suitable for us. I don't want to get into further details, but the events over the last year have really pushed us to look into moving else where.
Also, what's the point of living where housing is cheaper but taxes are still high and you have no support system. All your family and friends are halfway across the country and the only place you can socialize is at church?
Well we started looking into selling our house and buying a place that is closer to home. I found a job that not only pays better but allows me to work remotely, so I can be home and help the Mrs. with our girl.
Long story short, we did it! We just closed on a house in San Pedro, California. We put our house in Houston on the market and have a couple of offers that will be more than what we originally paid for.
It's a fixer-upper, but who cares. We have a home we can afford in LA county!
I keep thinking this is too good to be true. Like I'll wake up in bed in Houston. But no. I'm at my brother-in-laws in Manhattan Beach, enjoying Memorial Day weekend with my beautiful wife, our baby girl, and our family. We're going to celebrate our new house purchase then fly back to Houston with the goal of selling the old place.
We're hoping to come back to LA by the end of the summer.
Wish us luck.

BULLETIN de/from Me ALLAN GOLD This is about Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). On Mar.17, 2023,MAiD was set to be extended to sufferors of a mental disorder. But on Feb. 2nd, the government delayed this extension to Mar.17, 2024. And then on Feb. 10th, PC MP Ed Fast tabled Bill C-314. Such was to repeal doctor-assisted death for the mentally ill. You may wonder how we got here. I'm going to make a LONG story short. On June 5, 2014, Quebec enacted the so-called “right-to-die” law. The Carter decision (2015 SCC 5) came on Feb. 6, 2015.The prohibition of assisted suicide was challenged as being contrary to the Charter. The Supreme Court struck down a Criminal Code section, thereby giving Canadian adults, mentally competent, suffering intolerably/enduringly the right to a doctor's assistance in dying. This overturned the High Court's ruling in Rodriguez ( [1993] 3 SCR 519), which had denied a right to assisted suicide. In May 2017, there was Ont. Medical Assistance in Dying Act. Next came the Truchon decision (2019 QCCS 3792) removing the requirement that death occurs within a defined period, thereby broadening the class of persons eligible to access MAiD. I'm a lawyer Montreal, elder law attorney, passionate about the well-being of seniors. For me, this expansion is beyond the pale! I think you'll agree when I say that as a society, we have the obligation to protect vulnerable persons. No one should ask, “Can I help you kill yourself? ” Instead we all must say, “I'm here for you!” Indeed, a civilization is measured by how it treats its weakest members! The fact remains that we're all getting older and some might not be well enough mentally. So where the hell are we going to be if Canada's law isn't where it's supposed to be -squarely on the side of what's right and respecting life! Although I see Bill C-314 as a patching move, addressing a distressed area, I still believe that it deserves our support. But I do have a modest proposal to deal with the root cause of the problem. Curious? I set it out in the full article published at my site. Check it out. Allan J. Gold, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, attorney, author of “Elder Law in Canada**ELIC**”, “Estate Document Professor** EDP** ! I write a blog, titled, “Gold’s Legal Minute*GLM*. Should you wish to peruse a variety of articles I have written, they can be found at my site as well. !! Call to action: To every attorney in the field, I say, “Write a post/article. Let's help seniors & their families become better informed about elder law Canada! And by the way, please send it along. I'd love to read it.” *© 2023– ALLAN GOLD - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED- Ed. 2023-05-29-001 ** ©/TM 2006, 2008, 2018 Allan Gold, Practitioners’ Press Inc. – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED #law #planning #lawyer #canada #mentalhealth #mentalhealthprofessionals #healthcare

I hope fellow exam takers are keeping well and healthy. I was hoping to get answers for the many questions that run through my mind.

1. As a foreign grad/attorney, I know that I will most likely sit for the exam in Albany. Can anybody please tell me what the testing conditions are like? What should I expect? What kind of healthy snacks would you guys recommend? How early do you think I should go? The mere thought of me sitting in the hall makes me so nervous - I never felt so anxious and I think if I prepare myself mentally, it will make things a bit easier. AND if there is availability in a different center, would you recommend it over Albany?
   
2. For essays practice of MEEs, I practiced 108 essays so far. I don't feel well grounded at all. Do you recommend I fully write out more? Or should I read and outline? What would be a good solution to feel ready? I'm trying to be time efficient and feel ready at the same time. How many more should I do per topic?
   
3. Which topics should I focus the most on for MEEs? I will study them all, but I feel like some are more likely to appear than others (example secured transactions versus family law).
   
4. What are the odds that I'll actually pass? I feel like my entire life is on hold and people around me seem overly optimistic that I'll pass when in fact I'm so doubtful. I understand it's their way of showing support but it's causing me so much stress. I always preach that people should be positive to attract things that they desire but I just feel like this goal is so unattainable and I don't know how to change the way I feel.
   

I don't normally have exam anxiety, and I'm certain that if I had this mindset on exam day, the months I've put into training and studying will go to waste.
Sorry for the rant, and thank you all in advance. ❤️

I recently completed my Citizenship by Descent (jure sanguinis) appointment at my local Italian Conuslate's office in Houston, Texas. Below is my write-up that outlines my experience. Hopefully, this is helpful for those currently working through the process. Best of luck to you all! ✨
Background
In July of last year, my father was diagnosed with cancer. While the news was both unexpected and frightening, my dad’s diagnosis ignited a latent desire to learn more about who he was and the ancestors that came before him. In the weeks and months following his diagnosis, I tried to connect as often as possible with my dad – I asked questions about his childhood. I asked him to tell me about his parents and grandparents. I didn’t want to leave any stone unturned.
One late summer day last year, as my dad was preparing for another round of chemotherapy, he mentioned that his grandfather, Vincenzo, had immigrated from Italy to the United States. He didn’t know much about his late grandfather. He had died before my dad was born. I spent the following days deep in the far corners of Ancestry.com combing through records in search of everything Vincenzo Panevino. It turns out my dad was right about his grandfather ¬– Vincenzo Luigi Antonio Panevino had indeed crossed the Atlantic Ocean on a one-way ticket to New York City at the ripe age of 30. Each record I uncovered unlocked even more information on my great-grandfather – he was born in 1859 in Aliano, Italy (a small, rural town that sits right near the arch of the boot). His birth came nearly two years before Italy’s unification in 1861. It was during my research on my great-grandfather that I stumbled upon the process of jure sanguinis. The more I learned about the process, the more it felt like the next logical step on my journey into the past. My dad agreed. And with that, I was off to the races on a vital record collection spree!
Appointment Recap
In March of this year, I was able to secure an appointment for this past Thursday at 9:30 a.m. This came after a previous appointment I had secured for this past January was randomly canceled by the Houston Consulate without an option to reschedule. The process of obtaining this second appointment most definitely aged me!
The night before my appointment, my husband and I drove into town. Thankfully, my in-laws live in the greater-Houston area, so we were able to spend the night at their house before driving to the consulate the following day.
The morning of my appointment, my husband and I arrived at the consulate a bit early. Parking was seamless; the cost is only a few bucks an hour and the lot is located within the same building as the consulate. With some extra time to spare, we decided to stop by nearby Fiction Coffee (literally a stone’s throw away from the lobby of the building that houses the consulate). Their coffee and breakfast tacos were amazing! I left my husband there and made my way up to the 19th floor ready to officially kick things off.
I arrived at the entrance of the consulate and pressed the red button adjacent to the doors; a voice blared out asking what I was there for. I informed the person on the other end that I was there for my citizenship appointment, and I was quickly buzzed in. Once inside, an Italian officer instructed me to place my belongings onto a conveyor belt for a security scan. Next, I was directed towards a window to a consular official who again asked the reason for my visit and for my name. After he jotted down some notes, I was let into a small waiting room and told to make my way to window number 3. While I waited for my appointment to begin, I glanced around the room. The windowless space was quite small, filled with only a handful of red chairs and multiple copies of Italics Magazine.
A woman arrived behind the glass partition and introduced herself as Margherita. I told her that I had heard so much about her through the amazing Dual U.S.-Italian Citizenship Facebook group. She let out a genuine smile and told me how thankful she was that such a group exists to help people complete this process (join if you haven't already!). After a few minutes of small talk, Margherita and I got right to work!
I began by handing over my driver’s license and passport as well as photocopies of each. Next up, was a utility bill with my name and address on it. Finally, Margherita asked me to sign all forms in front of her (in my case, that was Forms 1, 2, 4, and the Registry Form). With these initial documents out of the way, Margherita took a moment to scan my forms and acknowledged that it appeared as though I was eligible to move forward based on the forms I handed over. Margherita propped up Form 1 on a clipboard and then pulled out a secondary form that she would use to annotate each document I submitted.
We began with my great-grandfather, Vincenzo. I submitted a printout of his Italian birth certificate from PEC which was accepted. Additionally, I also had printouts of his original Italian birth record and birth index (both of which I found on Antenati) which Margherita also accepted. Thankfully, because I had read other member recaps for the Houston Consulate, I made sure to bring a certified copy of the ship record/manifest that documented my grandfather’s arrival into New York City in 1889. Margherita was appreciative that I had this and mentioned that manifest records were important to her when she was reviewing cases. Just to be safe, I highly recommend ordering this record via NARA if you’re within Houston’s consular jurisdiction. Next up, I handed over my great-grandfather’s marriage, census, non-naturalization records (USCIS, NARA, county records), and death records without issue. Because my great-grandfather never naturalized, Margherita asked if I had his A-File (Alien File) Card as further evidence of his non-naturalization. I had not found such a card during my research process. Margherita stood up and pulled out a photocopy of what the A-File Card looked like from her filing cabinet. I quickly grabbed my cell phone and searched for more info. On NARA’s website, I discovered that Alien Registration Numbers and A-File’s were not first issued until just after my great-grandfather died in 1940. Because of this, he likely was never issued an Alien Registration Number or an A-File. I pressed my phone up to the glass to show Margherita the National Archives website. She scanned the web page I presented to her and appeared to agree that I would be unable to locate this record. I was not assigned homework to collect this. Onward we went!
Although the Houston Consulate’s website states that non-line documents are optional, I made sure to bring them just in case! I had gathered certified copies of all non-line documents with translations. Margherita made a point to explicitly call out that translations and apostilles were not necessary as non-line documents were only used by the consulate staff to corroborate any information on your in-line family members. Nonetheless, she accepted everything I gave her. Similar to my great-grandfather, my great-grandmother also immigrated from Italy and Margherita was also appreciative that I had secured her ship manifest/arrival record as well.
We continued down the line, sliding through the window apostilled and translated birth/marriage/divorce/death documents for all in-line relatives and basic copies with translations for non-line relatives. When we got to my father’s documents, Margherita paused and let out a notable sigh. She stammered, “Your father, he is no longer with us, no?” I nodded. Two months prior to my appointment, my father’s battle with cancer abruptly ended. As I worked to process the loss of my dad, I continued on with this process. In many ways, I found this journey to be a somewhat cathartic way to work through my pain. I received my father’s apostilled death certificate exactly one week before my appointment. It was the final document needed to complete my application. Margherita put down her pen and we spoke at length about my dad. She didn’t seem to mind our appointment running a bit longer. She was genuine and compassionate. We are so fortunate to have her as our consular official.
As my appointment drew to a close, Margherita slid the document she had been using to notate every document I submitted back to me. She asked me to review her notes for accuracy while she went to the back of the office to officially submit my application with my $321.70 USPS money order. She returned with a photocopy of my Form 1 document which now had my file number written at the top. She informed me that I had no homework as of right now and mentioned that she would contact me via email if any additional documentation was needed. She also let me know that although the consulate had 24 months to process my application, she believes the process would likely wrap up much sooner. Margherita even told me that whenever she has moments of free time, it’s not uncommon for her to pull out an “easy” application (i.e. applicants who aren’t married, have no kids, or those with little to no homework) to try to complete it. Fingers crossed that means we’ll see even more approvals out of this consulate this year!
I thanked Margherita extensively as my appointment came to a close. We waved goodbye through the glass and Margherita disappeared into the office behind her. And just like that, this phase of my journey was complete. I walked out of the office homework-free and one step closer to my goal of dual citizenship. My husband and I celebrated afterward with an amazing lunch at North Italia just up the block. I was elated!
Closing Thoughts/Takeaways

• Margherita is extremely flexible when it comes to name discrepancies. I had a few and she never even mentioned name variations. I even had an OATS affidavit on standby but never needed it. All she seemed to care about were that key dates matched up relatively well.
• Err on the side of being overprepared. I had ship manifests, baptismal records, census records, WW2 draft registration cards, and countless other documents I found throughout my research process. Bring them all! Especially in cases of non-naturalization, Margherita needs extensive evidence that your LIRA never naturalized. Having all documentation ready to go also increases the likelihood that you’ll be one of the “easy” applications Margherita tries to complete in her free time at the office.
• Organize, organize, organize! In the weeks leading up to my appointment, I meticulously crafted a binder separated by each generation to come before me. On the day of my appointment, this binder proved to be invaluable. It was super easy to pull out each document Margherita requested. She seemed to appreciate this as well!
• Leverage online resources. This Reddit community and the Dual U.S.-Italian Citizenship Facebook group are such tremendous resources. It is through these spaces that I found an amazing translator in Andrea/lastfuelstation on Fiverr. These groups also introduced me to John Chiarelli (https://www.docutrek.com/) who was able to gather No Record of Naturalization letters very quickly from multiple counties in New York City. Beyond that, these online communities understand the ins and outs of this process in ways that no service provider ever could. I am so thankful
• Be gentle with yourself. Obtaining citizenship in a new country is a big deal that requires a bunch of work! Balancing ordering records, securing a coveted appointment and a ton of other jure sanguinis obligations can easily become overwhelming. Be kind to yourself throughout this process. You will get there. We will get there.

The last time I visited my dad in the hospital, I shared all the details I had dug up on ancestors I’d only seen in a handful of pictures. We pieced together their lives. In some sense, they were all finally real to me. To us. On Thursday, as I walked out of the Italian Consulate, I closed out an unexpected chapter in my life. Buried in the seemingly mundane vital records I had just turned over was a bridge back to little ol’ Aliano, Italy, and a connection to my great-grandfather, my grandfather, and my dad. It’s through this very process that, in some small way, I get to keep them alive.
Grazie mille to everyone who helped me along the way to unlock the past and future when I needed it most. I could never thank you enough! Now, off to celebrate with some gelato! 🇮🇹✨