Happy New Year to each and everyone of you!
I hope you have an absolutely fantastic 2016!
Americans are truly blessed to live in this land of freedom and opportunity.
Over 1 million people in Times Square last night and our Government kept them ALL safe.
The price for this freedom?
3 things.
1st you’re forced to pay taxes. Everyone agrees that paying taxes is a royal pain.
Remember the cartoon below?
A–how much money do make?
B–send it to us.
Interestingly though the taxes we pay in America is pretty low compared to other countries.
Remember that Beatle song about England’s taxes called The Taxman?
If you were doing very well financially in England you were paying 95% of your taxes to the government.
So we are in pretty good shape in that regard.
The 2nd time the government forces you to do anything is to serve our Country.
In other words to get drafted into the Army etc.
Even that doesn’t apply these days since we know longer have a draft.
The 3rd time the government forces you do something is when you are told to report for jury duty.
Yeah everybody knows that you can get it postponed a couple times. But sooner or later, you have to go to the courthouse and sit there for jury duty in a criminal or civil trial.
You might even get to serve on a jury.
When you sit on a jury, you’re fulfilling one of the highest duties of citizenship in United States.
Why do you think that is?
Because without Juries our Country would be in anarchy.
I am always fascinated with jury trials.
You can get people who are biased, prejudiced and hardheaded sitting on a jury.
But when they go back to deliberate and decide someone’s fate, something magical happens.
Those very people you would never think could be fair and impartial turn out to be some of the best jurors an attorney could have.
They actually listen to the legal arguments the attorneys make before they decide to case.
Amazing.
So that is it. That is really all the Government requires of us to live here in America.
It is a good deal.
The last point I want to talk about in this blog is the effect that the 3 new Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices will have on the law in Pennsylvania.
This past November Pennsylvania selected 3 new justices to serve on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
That is the most openings we’ve had on the court in quite a while.
A lot of times people ask whether it even matters who is on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Pittsburgh wrongful death, medical malpractice, car accident and criminal defense attorney Bernie Tully thinks it is hugely important who is sitting on the Pennsylvania Spring Court.
Why?
Because their judicial philosophy will shape the law in Pennsylvania for decades to come. And we have 3 new good ones!
In closing, let me wish you and your entire family a very happy new year.
Thanks
Bernie the attorney.