Day: June 21, 2019

Indianapolis, IN (Law Firm Newswire) June 21, 2019 - Attorney Marc Lopez with the Marc Lopez Law Firm is pleased to announce that he has been chosen as a 2019 Best DUI Lawyers in Indianapolis. The website Threebestrated.com uses a 50 point inspection which includes customer reviews, history, complaints, ratings, satisfaction, trust, cost and general excellence.

Attorney Marc Lopez started at the absolute bottom of the Prosecutor’s Office and worked his way up to Marion County’s highly-trained “OVWI Unit.” Along the way, he handled thousands of criminal cases and countless trials. He learned the ins and outs of the courtroom process and was happy to feel like he was making a difference in the community. Over time, though, something changed.

With non-DUI/OVWI crimes, Attorney Lopez was able to provide defendants with alternatives, some of which allowed for the case to be resolved without a life-altering conviction. When it came to DUI/OVWI charges, however, there was no discretion. At the time, the Prosecutor’s Office had a straightforward approach to DUI/OVWI: it is better to go to trial and lose than to offer the defendant a non-DUI /OVWI plea or resolution. Attorney Marc Lopez hated the thought of regular, hardworking people being saddled with a conviction because of a single mistake. This inflexible approach to DUI/OVWI charges started to make him feel like he was professionally obligated to kick people when they were down.

During his time as a Prosecutor, he learned that only a handful of attorneys in the Indianapolis area actually took DUI/OVWI cases to trial. He left the Prosecutor’s Office and started his own law firm. He made it his goal to help the little guy fight back against the State of Indiana, and he made himself a promise: Not only would he be a fantastic trial attorney, but he would learn the science of DUI /OVWI in order to better serve his clients.

Attorney Marc Lopez made good on his promise. In 2010, he completed a week-long Trial Practice course on DUI/OVWI defense led by nationally-renowned DUI/OVWI Attorney Pat Arata and Attorney Mike McDaniel. In 2011, he spent a month at Gerry Spence’s Trial Lawyer’s College in the mountains of Wyoming. While the Trial Lawyer’s College was not DUI/OVWI-specific, he learned valuable trial practice skills and insight into how to meaningfully connect with juries. There was no Internet. There was no cable television. Over the course of four weeks, a group of 50 attorneys shared two landlines. There was no cell phone reception unless you were willing to walk two miles up a mountain. Without distractions, it was much easier to focus on interpersonal relations, and it is impossible to overestimate the importance of good communication, especially for lawyers. Years later, he still gets together with the local Trial Lawyer’s College group to work on cases.

While trial practice is important, he has also learned the science behind blood and alcohol testing. Through the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD), he spent a week in Colorado learning the science behind blood alcohol testing. A separate week was spent in Texas with hands-on learning in the science of blood drug testing. Another three days were spent in Georgia learning about metrology, which is a fancy way of referring to the study of lab tests to determine the accuracy of their measurements. He then also completed NCDD’s Mastering Scientific Evidence seminar held in Louisiana. In 2017 the National College of DUI Defense commended him for completing the NCDD Advanced Curriculum in Forensic Science and Trial Advocacy.

Armed with experience and advanced training, Attorney Marc Lopez is now able to use his knowledge of the physical laws of nature to better apply the normative laws of society. He has helped hundreds of people. He has won cases that were professionally assessed as “hopeless.” He has lost cases at trial that nevertheless produced a better outcome for his clients than the most generous plea offer. In order to keep his promise to himself, he has basically been compelled to learn everything there is to know about an Indiana driver’s license, including how to legally get people back on the road. There is no DUI/OWVI situation where he cannot help. While he cannot promise to beat your case, he can promise to fight like all hell.

Contact:
Marc Lopez, Esq.
120 E. Market St., Suite 710,
Indianapolis, IN 46204.
Phone:(317) 632-3642

Los Angeles, CA (Law Firm Newswire) June 21, 2019 - In the wake of the #MeToo and #TimesUp campaigns, sexual harassment and misconduct in the workplace has been a primetime topic more than ever before. Besides uncovering the enormity of the issue, these viral hashtags and the movement they represent have also started a national conversation about what constitutes sexual harassment and what does not. Most people know that there is a line that should not be crossed; however, where that line is depends on who is asked.

Data from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) shows that between 25 and 85 percent of women report having experienced sexual harassment sometime in their careers. Why the huge range in those figures? That is because sexual harassment is not always clear, and it very often goes unchecked.

“When it comes to your job, you have the right to work in an environment that is free from abuse and harassment. It can be hard to tell what sexual harassment is,” said Betsy Havens, executive director of Los Angeles employment law firm Strong Advocates. “Complicated emotions may further obscure a situation. However, if you feel uncomfortable with something that is happening, that is a good indicator that something is amiss.”

There are two categories of sexual harassment, quid pro quo and hostile work environment, and they are both illegal. Quid pro quo means “this for that” and is a proposition for sexual favors in exchange for a benefit. For example, an employer suggesting that in order to be promoted and get a pay raise an employee would need to perform sexual acts with them is definite sexual harassment. This can be a onetime occurrence.

The lines start to blur around a hostile work environment claim. What makes a hostile work environment is open to interpretation but the basis of it is behavior that is unwanted and based on sex, gender or sexuality. The acts must be persistent too; a hostile work environment claim would not be based on a singular incident.

Sexual harassment takes many forms, and some may be surprising. Recently, presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden has been in the news for hugging and touching female associates and acquaintances too much. Although he is not accused of outright indecent touch such as fondling, his behavior could still be considered harassment if it were persistent enough. For more examples of surprising types of sexual harassment see Three Types of Sexual Harassment That Might Surprise You.

Questioning whether sexual harassment is occurring at work, visit Strong Advocates here for free resources on sexual harassment.