Library of Legal Articles

This page contains links to most court.rchp.com pages and a variety of informative and helpful legal articles.

If you are an attorney and would like us to consider an article for publishing or republish in our library contact us with a description or link to the proposed article. If we use your article, we will, of course, list you as the author and link directly back to your article or website.

Appellate Law

A Word of Caution for Missouri Appellate Lawyers – JD Supra, by Daniel R. Schramm, L.L.C.

Thoughts on Writing a Persuasive Appellate Brief – JD Supra, by Daniel R. Schramm, L.L.C.

Attorneys

Public Defender – Pros and Cons – Court.rchp.com

Working with a Public Defender – Court.rchp.com

Do Public Defenders Spend Less Time on Black Clients? – The Marshall Project

How much to tell your lawyer – Court.rchp.com

Selecting A Lawyer – Court.rchp.com

10 ways to identify if your lawyer is right for you – Court.rchp.com

Having a Productive Meeting with Your Lawyer – Court.rchp.com

How To Handle Lawyers Threatening You – Judd Weiss

Maintaining Confidentiality – Court.rchp.com

Firing Your Lawyer – Court.rchp.com

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy Law – Court.rchp.com

Chapter 7 – Bankruptcy Basics – Court.rchp.com

Chapter 11 – Bankruptcy Basics – Court.rchp.com

Chapter 13 – Bankruptcy Basics – Court.rchp.com

Bankruptcy Considerations – Legal Aid Programs in Missouri

Bankruptcy Blog Re: Debtor’s Funds When Case Is Converted From Chapter 13 To Chapter 7 – JD Supra, by Jillian Snider, Brett Solomon | Tucker Arensberg, P.C.

Civil Law

Keeping Cases from Black Juries: An Empirical Analysis of How Race, Income Inequality, and Regional History Affect Tort Law – Washington and Lee Law Review

The Economics of a Civil Lawsuit – Law Offices of William A. Taylor

Voluntary Payment Doctrine – Elster Law

Black Concentration Camps? – Court.rchp.com

What is an "Affirmative Defense"? – Court.rchp.com

How are Jurisdiction and Venue used as Affirmative Defenses? – Court.rchp.com

Civil Rights

Don’t allow Dallas to become an excuse to stop fighting for our rights – Court.rchp.com

Gun Law in Missouri – Court.rchp.com

The Miranda Rights – Court.rchp.com

How to Invoke the Miranda Rights – Court.rchp.com

The Rights of Minors to Remain Silent and to See a Lawyer – Court.rchp.com

How the government can steal your stuff: 6 questions about civil asset forfeiture answered – Court.rchp.com

Searches Based on Consent – Court.rchp.com

What to watch our for when you remain silent and ask to see a lawyer – Court.rchp.com

ACLU of Missouri Mobile App – Court.rchp.com

The Second Reconstruction Is Over – The Berkeley Journal of African-American Law & Policy, by Robert V. Ward Jr.

No, there’s no “hate speech” exception to the First Amendment – Washington Post (The Volokh Conspiracy)

Missouri Constitution’s right to bear arms covers many nonviolent felons – Washington Post (The Volokh Conspiracy)

Lawyers for Victims of WWII Internment of Japanese-Americans Urge Overruling of Korematsu – Washington Post (The Volokh Conspiracy)

Editorial Note: During World War II, the United States forced the relocation and incarceration of between 110,000 and 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry who lived on the Pacific coast into concentration camps. Sixty-two percent of the internees were United States citizens. The Supreme Court ruled in 1944, that it was legal, and that decision has never been overturned. The U.S. could today legally incarcerate people based on race and justify it based upon real or imagined threat against the country. The possibility of black concentration camps was mentioned in a November 2014 post. The Irony is that Germans actually invaded the U.S. in New York and Florida during WWII.

Martin Luther King Jr. had a much more radical message than a dream of racial brotherhood – Court.rchp.com

Consumer Law

Your rights as a consumer – Consumer Reports

Contracts – Court.rchp.com

Credit Repair – Court.rchp.com

Buying a Used Car – Tips and Things to Consider – Court.rchp.com

Credit Card Companies Want You to Give Up Your Right to Sue Them. Here’s How to Opt Out – Money Magazine

Debt Collectors Have Made a Fortune This Year. Now They’re Coming for More – Court.rchp.com

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act – Court.rchp.com

How Creditors Collect Debts: Property Repossession, Wage Garnishment, Bank Attachment, and More – Nolo

What to do when car rental reservations aren't honored – Court.rchp.com

Debt Settlement & Negotiating With Creditors – Nolo

Things to do when a retailer won't exchange defective merchandise – Court.rchp.com

Customer Returns and Refund Laws by State – FindLaw

Shoping for Funeral Services – Court.rchp.com

Funeral Cost and Pricing Checklist – Court.rchp.com

The Federal Funeral Rule – Court.rchp.com

Understanding Warranties – Court.rchp.com

What you need to know about warranty laws – Consumer Reports

How can I stop a payday lender from electronically taking money out of my bank or credit union account? – Court.rchp.com

False Advertising By Ad Agencies: No Easy Dismissals – JD Supra, by Ira Sacks, Erika Stallings | Akerman LLP – Marks, Works & Secrets

Dealing with debt – Court.rchp.com

Mired In Medical Debt? Federal Plan Would Update Overdue-Bill Collection Methods – Court.rchp.com

She borrowed $100, and paid back $3,592 (Small sum predatory lending) – St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Prepaid Cards: Good for some, but watch out for fees – St. Louis Post-Dispatch

How to buy auto insurance – Court.rchp.com

Minority Neighborhoods Pay Higher Car Insurance Premiums Than White Areas With the Same Risk – ProPublica

How flood insurance works: 6 questions answered – Court.rchp.com

Titlemax is thriving in Missouri — and repossessing thousands of cars in the process – St. Louis Post-Dispatch, by Walker Moskop

Top 10 consumer complaints of 2014, according to Missouri’s attorney general – Springfield News Leader

New York Times Handles Hot Coffee ($2.9 Million Mc Donalds Hot Coffee Lawsuit) – Hendrickson Law

Criminal Law

Going to Jail for the First Time – Court.rchp.com

Bail – Release from custody – Court.rchp.com

Digital Jail: How Electronic Monitoring Drives Defendants Into Debt – Court.rchp.com

Expungement in Missouri – Court.rchp.com

Proof & Defenses in Criminal Cases – Nolo

Necessity Defense – Court.rchp.com

What if police say they smell marijuana? – Court.rchp.com

Obama Isn’t Following Through on Pardons Promise, Says His Former Pardons Attorney – Court.rchp.com

We Need Black Prosecutors Court.rchp.com

Progressive prosecutors scored big wins in 2020 elections, boosting a nationwide trend – Court.rchp.com

The Prosecutor – The Most Powerful Position in the Criminal Justice System – Court.rchp.com

Prosecutors Rarely Pay Price for Mistakes and Misconduct – Court.rchp.com

The Difference Between a Preliminary Hearing and a Trial – Nolo

Protecting your child, lessons from "When They See Us" – Court.rchp.com

Mass Incarceration: The Silence of the Judges – Jed S. Rakoff, New York Review of Books

Crime Won't Decrease, Until Oppression Decreases – Court.rchp.com

Federal Prosecution of Gun Crimes, The New Mass Incarceration Tool? – Court.rchp.com

Statutory rape laws and ages of consent in the U.S. – Washington Post (The Volokh Conspiracy)

The ‘immature teen brain’ defense and the Dzhokhar Tsarnaev trial – Washington Post (The Volokh Conspiracy)

Justice Delayed, Is Justice Denied – Court.rchp.com

Cops Cash In on Sex Trade Arrests With Little Evidence, While Black and Brown Residents Pay the Price – Court.rchp.com

Estate Planning

Pay-on-death can beat probate — but be careful – Jim Gallagher, St. Louis Post Dispatch (Click here to use this form to leave your Missouri real estate without probate.)

Evidence

What are the “rules of evidence”? – Court.rchp.com

'Informed Delivery' From The US Postal Service – New Potential Evidence – Court.rchp.com

What is "Clear and Convincing Evidence"? – Court.rchp.com

Introducing Exhibits at Trial: A Review of the Basics – CJG Law Firm

Family Law

Debt and Marriage: When Do I Owe My Spouse's Debts? – Nolo

Grandparent's Rights – Custody and Visitation – Court.rchp.com

Parents’ Responsibility for Their Child’s Actions – Lawyers.com

Motion to Modify Child Custody (and Support) – Missouir Courts

White Middle Class Fatigue – Court.rchp.com

Health Care

Supreme Court of Missouri Upholds 10-Year Statute of Repose for Foreign-Object Medical Malpractice Claims – JD Supra, by John Mahon, Jr | Williams Venker & Sanders

Racial discrimination ages Black Americans faster, according to a 25-year-long study of families – Court.rchp.com

Immigration

Growing Body of Law Allows Prosecution of Foreign Citizens on U.S. Soil – New York Times

Intellectual Property

Inglewood taxpayers must pay over $110,000 for “objectively unreasonable” copyright lawsuit against critic – Washington Post, By Eugene Volokh, (The Volokh Conspiracy)

Miscellaneous

Dictionary of Legal Terms – Court.rchp.com

Civil Cases vs. Criminal Cases – Court.rchp.com

Understanding Missouri Courts – Court.rchp.com

Plea Bargain – Court.rchp.com

How does a jury work? – Court.rchp.com

Why I Prefer Jury Trials – Court.rchp.com

Importance of Jury Duty – Court.rchp.com

Jury Nullification: The Top Secret Constitutional Right – Court.rchp.com

What a Grand Jury Does – Court.rchp.com

Appearing before a Grand Jury – Court.rchp.com

What does it mean when a jury is "sequestered"? – Court.rchp.com

Avoiding Goliath’s Fate: Defeating a Pro Se Litigant – American Bar Association

Legal Writing – Court.rchp.com

Legal Research for Non-Lawyers – Court.rchp.com

Justice Deferred Is Justice Denied: Too Big to Jail: How Prosecutors Compromise with Corporations – Jed S. Rakoff, New York Review of Books

What does it mean when a law is void for vagueness or overbroad? – Court.rchp.com

Corrupt Judges – Court.rchp.com

Reporting Misconduct by Judges – Court.rchp.com

Brief History of US Law – Court.rchp.com

Federal Protections Against Rights Violations – Court.rchp.com

Government Surveillance – Court.rchp.com

Supreme Court Moves Toward Legalizing Lying In Campaigns – Huffington Post, by Laura Bassett

Bogus Legal Theory of Sovereign Citizen – Court.rchp.com

The Weirdest Law In Every State In America – Thrillist, by Kristin Hunt

What court staff can and cannot do for you – Missouri Courts

Report: 3.7 Million Use Legal Self-Help Centers – Wall Street Journal

Justice is Broken – Court.rchp.com

Better To Be Strong – Court.rchp.com

Sometimes the only person you can depend on is yourself – Court.rchp.com

How Racist is Too Racist? – The Marshall Project

You Can Now Search the Full Text of 3 Million Nonprofit Tax Records for Free – Court.rchp.com

Municipal Law

What is Municipal Law? – Court.rchp.com

Municipal Court Reform or Sneaky Maneuver? – Court.rchp.com

St. Louis County Municipalities, Better Together or Apart? – Court.rchp.com

How Municipal Bonds Work – How Stuff Works, by Dave Roos

Ferguson, MO – Court.rchp.com

Uplands Park, MO – Court.rchp.com

Municipal Search Warrants in Missouri (PDF) – Missouri Municipal League, by Paul Martine

Warning about new St. Louis City Parking Meters – Court.rchp.com

City of St. Louis Continues to Harass – Court.rchp.com

St. Louis City's Culture of Corruption – Court.rchp.com

St. Louis' Racial Oppression – Court.rchp.com

Constitutional Challenges In Municipal Court and City Ordinances (PDF format – Texas document, but Federal Law also applies to Missouri)

St. Louis Municipalities Weaponized Ignorance – Court.rchp.com

A city full of poor black people poisoned! – Court.rchp.com

Yes! You Can Fight City Hall… and Win! (Note: Author refers to Michigan law, but general concepts apply)

So you want to fight city hall. Here’s how: Pt 1/3: Build a citizen advocacy organization; Pt 2/3: Develop an understanding of political decision-making and power politics; Pt 3/3: Going to War

The Injustice System – Court.rchp.com

Inglewood taxpayers must pay over $110,000 for “objectively unreasonable” copyright lawsuit against critic – Washington Post, By Eugene Volokh, (The Volokh Conspiracy)

What is the Erie Doctrine? – Court.rchp.com

Police

Don't Talk to the Police – Court.rchp.com

Black St. Louis Ex-Cop Tells the Truth about Race and Policing – Court.rchp.com

When the Miranda Rights Must Be Read to a Suspect – Court.rchp.com

How Officers Trick People Into Giving Up Their Miranda Rights – Court.rchp.com

Long History of Police Brutality – Court.rchp.com

Why White Cops Kill Black Men – Court.rchp.com

My 87 Year old Father Fears the Police – Court.rchp.com

More Unarmed people killed by Police, than officers killed while on duty – Court.rchp.com

Are some police officers addicted to killing? – Court.rchp.com

Are The Police Allowed To Lie?– Traffic Law Stop

What is Excessive Force? Don’t ask the experts! – JD Supra, by James Thornton | Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP

“We’re Coming for You”: Is There a Hidden Agenda to the Florida Sheriff’s Anti-Drug Message? – Court.rchp.com

Your Rights When Recording The Police – NAACP, by Khyla D. Craine, NAACP Assistant General Counsel

Police officers have no constitutional ‘right of privacy’ in records of their official misconduct – Washington Post (The Volokh Conspiracy)

Police Lives Matter and so do Body Cameras – Court.rchp.com

Protest Songs Inspired by Police Killings – Court.rchp.com

Poverty Law

When you have nothing you have nothing to lose – Court.rchp.com

Property Law

Castle Doctrine protects people, not property – Court.rchp.com

Protest Rights

Protester Rights – Court.rchp.com

St. Louis Protest Organizations – Court.rchp.com

Where Protest Fails, Violence Prevails – Court.rchp.com

Protest Minus Disruption or Violence Equals Failure – Court.rchp.com

No, You Cannot Prohibit Employees from Protesting or Discussing Their Wages – JD Supra, by Richard D. Tuschman | Akerman LLP – HR Defense

Protest Songs Inspired by Police Killings – Court.rchp.com

Real Estate

Foreclosure: The Basics – Nolo

Foreclosure of A Rental Unit – Legal Aid of Missouri

Missouri’s Landlord-Tenant Law – Missouri Attorney General's Office

You and Your Landlord: St. Louis area guide to tenant responsibilities and rights – Legal Services of Eastern Missouri

Tips Before You Rent – Legal Aid Programs in Missouri

Missouri Rental Laws – Landlordology

Repairs to a Rental Unit – Legal Aid Programs in Missouri

Federal Law Protects Tenants Living In Foreclosed Properties – Legal Aid in Missouri

Home Equity Theft: How a Man’s Home Was Seized Over $8.41 in Unpaid Taxes – Court.rchp.com

Housing Violations – Court.rchp.com

Eminent Domain – Court.rchp.com

Indianapolis' worst renter owes thousands, but landlords can't collect – USA Today

Taxes

Missouri Hancock Amendment – Court.rchp.com

How to Complete Form W-4 to Keep More Money in Your Pocket – TaxAct

Missouri Property Tax Credit – Seniors & Disabled – Court.rchp.com

Earned Income Credit for the Working Poor – Law Offices of William A. Taylor

The IRS has been quietly confiscating millions from small business owners – WREG News Channel 3, Memphis, TN

I Know A Tax When I See A Tax – (Hancock Amendment info, PDF) – Missouri Municipal League, by Lyndel H. Porterfield, City Attorney, St. Charles, Missouri

Should You Challenge Your Property Tax Assessment in Missouri? – Nolo, by Fred S. Steingold

Procedures for Challenging Your Property Tax Assessment in Missouri – Nolo, by Fred S. Steingold