Oklahoma City SKIL Program Providing Hope To Homeless Teens

SKIL (Supporting Kids in Independent Living) is a program providing support for homeless teens in high school. Program director Lanisha Hines, “We get a lot of kids where they turn 18 and their mom decides she doesn’t want to care for them anymore. A lot of kids are the first to even graduate in their family with a high school diploma.”

This past Christmas SKIL had its annual Christmas party that included gifts for close to 25 teens. Each teen put together a list and were given gifts they had asked for, along with being treated to a lunch and Christmas carols. SKIL holds a graduation party each spring for the 35 kids in the program. Its teen service board is made up of students at several local high schools who are responsible for fundraising, gifts, and wrapping that is done by the teen board and local sponsors.

One of the teens, Gabe Mapes, 17, lives with friends and doesn’t see his family much anymore. One of the gifts he received was a set of tools. “I’m a self-employed handyman and have been doing that since I was twelve. I’ve had tools over the years, but every time they have been borrowed. I’ve never had my own.”

For Gabe and many of the other kids, knowing that people still care is important. Many of the things on Gabe’s list were necessities and not just wants. “What I wear to school and what I wear to work every day. It’s getting really hard to do it all myself.”

This past Christmas party was the twelfth annual and some of the kids this year have never received Christmas gifts. “We had a girl last year who hadn’t even opened her gifts yet and immediately started crying because she had never experienced anything like that” said Hines, SKIL program director.

If you’d like to learn more about SKIL (click here) or contact Youth Services for Oklahoma County at 405-235-7537.

 

Hosty Law Office
204 North Robinson Avenue
Suite 1717
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
405-235-4040

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To What Extent Should Social Media Posts Be Protected Under The First Amendment?

In 2010 Anthony Douglas Elonis’ wife moved out and took their two children. Following this action, Elonis began having other problems in his life and began posting comments on Facebook. The comments took the form of rap lyrics describing killing …

The Fine Print On The President’s Immigration Executive Action

On Thursday, 11/20/14, President Obama outlined his changes for the U.S. immigration system to potentially shield close to 4.1 million immigrants who broke immigration laws while entering country illegally.  These changes may go into force without the President going through Congress (an “Executive Action”) and are aimed to protect immigrants from deportation.  Below is a breakdown on the President’s executive action.

Parents:

Protect from deportation and make them eligible for work permits.  These people must have children who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, regardless of whether the children are minors.  Eligibility: parents must have lived in the U.S. for five years.  Each parent will have to go through background checks and pay fees.  After this, parents are granted relief from deportation for three (3) years at time.

Children:

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), which was put into action by President Obama in 2012, will be expanded.  It currently shields children who were brought into the country illegally before 2007.  That date will be changed to 2010, and will lift the requirement that applicants must be under 31 years of age to be eligible.  This will impact around 250,000 children.  Future DACA relief will be extended to three (3) years at a time, which is increased from two (2) years.

Deportations: 

The deportation priority will be lowered for parents of U.S. citizens or legally permanent residents who have been in the U.S. for less than five (5) years and for other immigrants that have been here for more than ten (10) years.  A new policy is being created to focus on deportations of recent arrivals, criminals, and national security threats.

Law Enforcement:

The Secure Communities program will be replaced.  This program currently hands people over to federal immigration authorities who have been booked for local crimes.  The new “Priority Enforcement Program” will establish different levels based on conduct for which immigrants are detained.

Border Security:

Commit increased resources for enforcement efforts at the U.S. – Mexico border.

Salaries:

Increase salaries for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

Business Programs:

Make other immigration changes available to businesses, such as the Parole-In-Place program.  These changes could affect several hundred thousand people.

Green Cards:

Relax eligibility requirements for this waiver program.

The Hosty Law Office understands our country is made up of all types of people who came here for a better life or were born here.  If you find yourself, or know someone, who has been arrested and needs legal representation, we want to sit down and listen to your side of the story.  Call us and we’ll schedule your free office visit.  405-235-4040.

Our Office:

204 North Robinson Avenue

Suite 1717

Oklahoma City, OK 73102

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Phone Encryption Won’t Always Stop Hackers

Cell phone and personal data security are things that most people, unfortunately, take for granted.  In an article published 11/13/14 by the Wall Street Journal, the Justice Department has been “collecting data from thousands of cellphones through high-tech gear deployed on airplanes that mimics communications towers.”  The article goes on to explain that the program has been operational since 2007 and designed to collect a cell phone’s identifying information and general location.

It works by using a two foot square device attached to a small plane that mimics cell phone towers to have a cell phone report it’s unique registration information.  The planes are being flown from at least five metropolitan airports.  The names of the specific airports have not been released.

Cell phone encryption measures by large companies such as Google (message encryption release PDF) and Apple have become essential and also marketing strategies to shield photos, documents, contact lists, notes, and other personal data from hackers or anyone else trying to gain access.  U. S. Attorney General Eric Holder, FBI Director James Comey (video) see these measures creating problems for law enforcement to investigate criminal activity.

Jonathan Turley, constitutional law professor at George Washington University Law School, “Police can still obtain evidence through traditional court warrants.”  “Citizens should not assume that these (cell phone) encryption devices will necessarily prevent government from intercepting communications.  If history is any guide, the government will find a way to penetrate these devices.”

Mr. Turley’s comments bring up another point: all data coming to and leaving the device is not always encrypted and may pass through a number of systems.  This means that your data can be captured by investigators, hackers, and anyone else.

The Hosty Law Office asks that everyone is vigilant toward protecting his or her personal information and constitutional rights.  There are companies in Oklahoma providing increased digital security for businesses, homes, and mobile electronic devices.  Most importantly, use good common sense: have malware / antivirus software on all your electronic devices, don’t blindly open every email because it may contain a virus or take you to a website that will install malware, be wary toward any new WiFi connection you choose, and don’t click on a link without understanding what it is connected to.

The Hosty Law Office (email)

405-235-4040

204 North Robinson Avenue

Suite 1717

Oklahoma City, OK 73102

OKC School District Considers Employee Policy For Drug Testing

To start, let’s make sure we understand what is being considered.  Pre-employment and post-employment testing, NOT during employment testing.  The question “Why isn’t this already in place” is a different question and one that’s possibly more frustrating to answer. Brandon Carey, …

What happens to your online accounts when you die?

Most people may not have considered what I’m going to cover in this blog entry.  They should.

We take these accounts for granted, but when the account holder is no longer alive many Terms of Service (TOS) agreements state only the account holder may legally access the account.  What then?

Grieving members will want to access the account, financial matters may need to be settled, and there are other reasons for access.

The Uniform Law Commission members, appointed by state governments to help standardize state laws have endorsed a plan that would give loved ones account access.  Control of the account is not part of the plan, but access to the digital account unless specified in a will.

For this to become law in a state, the Legislature would have to adopt it.  This would cause a person’s online life to become part of estate planning.

“Our email accounts are our filing cabinets these days,” Suzanne Brown Walsh, of Cummings & Lockwood, who chaired the drafting committee on the proposed legislation.  Without this type of legislation a state will not give you access.

It is probably presumed that is you have the password, you’re free and clear. Nope.  Anti-hacking laws and most TOS prohibit anyone from accessing an account that isn’t theirs.

Where do you go from here?

1. Contact an attorney to create a trust or living will. In it specify what is to happen with your digital accounts and each username / password.
2. Keep a spreadsheet of all your accounts and how to access them.
3. Eat your vegetables to help you live longer.

Tom Hosty has over 23 years experience defending Oklahomans and protecting their rights.

Once you have been arrested, time is critical.

Call today and schedule your FREE office visit with Tom so you can start the process to protect your freedom.

The Hosty Law Office are experts in defending people arrested for drunk driving, DWI APC, drug charges, felonies and misdemeanors.  Call us so we can help; it’s what we do.

405-235-4040 (click to dial office)
405-210-3462 (click to dial Tom’s cell phone)

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Oklahoma City’s Parking Stress Is About To Ease, For Awhile

Warning– geography of downtown Oklahoma City is a prerequisite to reading this article.

 

If you’ve been downtown for any length of time, you have noticed that parking spaces are limited in most areas.  While it’s good to know the situation is going to change soon, but it may be a short honeymoon.

Oklahoma City is seeing a renaissance of older buildings keeping their character while being renovated.  This is causing many businesses to move downtown and into midtown.  Currently there are nearly 1,800 parking spaces under construction from the Arts District to Midtown to accommodate the parking shortage and prepare for more people coming into the area.

All the new areas under construction are marked in red car icons.

How about underground parking?  Bricktown developer Don Karchmer is waiting for a study to determine the amount of track lines needed north of Main Street.  He plans to link to The Underground pedestrian tunnels that serve the central business district.  Bond Payne is working to redevelop the former Journal Records building at NW 5th and N. Robinson.

“We’re continuing to see positive absorption of downtown office space,” Beffort said, “In the next twelve to eighteen months, I expect we’ll need at least 500 – 800 more spaces.”

Original article: (click here)

Tom Hosty has over 23 years experience defending Oklahomans and protecting their rights. 

Once you have been arrested, time is critical.

Call today and schedule your FREE office visit with Tom so you can start the process to protect your freedom.

The Hosty Law Office are experts in defending people arrested for drunk driving, DWI APC, drug charges, felonies and misdemeanors.  Call us so we can help; it’s what we do.

405-235-4040 (click to dial office)
405-210-3462 (click to dial Tom’s cell phone)

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Mobile Device Security Is Now A MUST

Mobile devices are becoming increasingly available to hackers, by the device design and by users not taking effective precautions.  Many people do not set up a passcode because they don’t want to go through the extra steps.  However, with the increased use of banking apps, multiple email accounts and other sensitive data on your phone it is now a necessity.

Apple and Samsung have made biometrics available on their newest phones.  This allows the user to have the phone scan a fingerprint or their face to unlock the device.  LG’s newest G3 phone uses patterns to add security, but with a twist.  An image is broken into quadrants and the user taps the different quadrants in a specific pattern.  It’s a minimum of three and maximum of eight taps, giving more than 80,000 combinations.

The moral to the story is that you must make your mobile devices, and all other electronic devices, more secure.  If you don’t, you’re allowing a potential problem to be bigger than you want.

Tom Hosty has over 23 years experience defending Oklahomans and protecting their rights.

Once you have been arrested, time is critical.

Call today and schedule your FREE office visit with Tom so you can start the process to protect your freedom.

The Hosty Law Office are experts in defending people arrested for drunk driving, DWI APC, drug charges, felonies and misdemeanors.  Call us so we can help; it’s what we do.

405-235-4040 (click to dial office)
405-210-3462 (click to dial Tom’s cell phone)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Road Rage Incidents Increase As Temps Increase

The summer of 2014 is seeing an increase in road rage incidents.  The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is concerned because they cannot be in all places at all times.

Shayla Stout was forced off the road near Tinker AFP over the past weekend.  OHP isn’t sure why the man was acting and driving the way he was, but Stout says he rammed another vehicle and then attacked him.

On 7/16/14, police say Benny Newcomb, a semi-truck driver, fired a gun at another truck driver while both were going down the highway.

Lt. Betsy Randolph, Spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, says she see this behavior each year when the summer temperatures increase. “Temperatures rise and we see an increase in people’s … not necessarily violence, but they get irritated easier.” Randolph said.

If you have been a victim of road rage and a police report was filed, we know what to do.  A formal case may be an option- call for your free office visit with Thomas Hosty, the Hosty Law Office.

Thomas Hosty has over 23 years experience defending Oklahomans and protecting their rights. 

The Hosty Law Office are experts in defending people arrested for drunk driving, DWI APC, drug charges, felonies and misdemeanors.  Call us so we can help; it’s what we do.

405-235-4040 (click to dial office)
405-210-3462 (click to dial Tom’s cell phone)

204 North Robinson Ave, Suite 1717

Oklahoma City, OK 73102

http://www.HostyLaw.com

  

Burglary Stopped By Property Owner

Brandon Eugene Evans, 29

At times people make decisions that are in poor judgment.  Yesterday, 7/18/14, Brandon Eugene Evans, 29, was discovered being in the garage of an empty rental home by its owner.

The garage door was open, which initially caught the attention of the owner, Charles Crosby, who went to investigate.  When he got there, the found Evans going through items in the garage and held him at gunpoint until the police arrived.  It seems that Evans may have entered the garage to steal items from the location.

Evans is being held in the Oklahoma County jail on $5,000.00 bail.

The Hosty Law Office, you defense team

• Traffic Violations
• Criminal Defense
• Expungements
• White Collar

405-235-4040

204 North Robinson, Suite 1717

Oklahoma City, OK 73102

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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