In the wake of the death of 17-year old Trayvon Martin, many important issues relating to law enforcement, self-defense, race and profiling have arisen in public discourse. The questions of whether George Zimmerman’s fatal shooting of Trayvon was justified, and whether the Sanford, Florida police department was derelict in its law enforcement duties for failing to arrest and initiate the prosecutorial process against him are foremost among them.

It would be convenient if resolving these questions were a simple matter of interpreting the Florida “Stand Your Ground” law. But, unfortunately, a complex analysis of the intersection of dangerous racial stereotypes and self-defense principles is required.

Sections 776.012 and 776.031 of the law permit the use of deadly force against another in self-defense or the defense of others, respectively – but only within a narrow set of circumstances. The letter of the Florida statute permits the use of deadly force and says a person does not have a duty to retreat if he reasonably believes such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony.

As set forth, this should be a very high standard to establish; however, the Sanford justice system made the determination simply by taking George Zimmerman’s word for it as Trayvon Martin lay dead, incapable of sharing his side of the story.

This law deals in life and death.  Given the value our society places on life, on its face, the Florida statute warrants investigation of the matter beyond a simple onsite inquiry of the killer. Thus the law’s permission of the use of deadly force, while problematic, is not the chief driver in the Sanford PD’s failure to arrest and initiate prosecution. Instead, it is Section 776.032, the “immunity” provision in the statute, that is a major cause of the Sanford PD’s defective actions.

Section 776.032 makes a user of justifiable force immune from criminal prosecution and civil action, and defines “criminal prosecution” to include arrests, detention and even charging the defendant. Further it goes on to state that law enforcement may not arrest the person for using force unless it determines there was probable cause that the force that was used was unlawful.

Ultimately, this law is flawed for it discourages even the most preliminary steps in seeking justice, namely detaining a potential manslaughterer or murderer. It continues by requiring a court to award attorney’s fees, court costs and compensation for loss of income to a defendant prosecuted when they stand immune pursuant to the statute. Thus, it effectively discourages law enforcement from arresting, detaining and investigating someone like Zimmerman because law officers do not want to be the agents responsible for costing their departments money and jeopardizing their employment.

Despite the law’s flaws, it would seem that it still permits an arrest in this case because the facts and circumstances surrounding Trayvon’s death overwhelmingly establish probable cause to arrest Zimmerman. Zimmerman’s 911 calls make it clear that neither he nor anyone, aside from Trayvon it turns out, was in imminent danger of death, serious bodily injury or victimization of forcible felony. Zimmerman had time to call the police and provide an extensive report of the situation – that alone shatters any claim by him of believing imminent danger. Further, he was instructed by the law enforcement agent on the other end of the 911 call not to pursue Trayvon, yet he continued against those clear instructions. Had he allowed police to arrive on the scene and manage the situation, Trayvon would be alive today and no one would’ve been harmed.

This leads us to the elephant in the room, the role that the race and ethnicity of Zimmerman and Trayvon, respectively, have played in this tragedy. The Florida statute allows for a person’s mind state to impact the legality of a killing. The interpretation by Zimmerman, a White Hispanic man, of Trayvon as a threat because he was a Black teen, dressed in a hoodie, is ultimately the reason why Trayvon is dead today. His belief that Trayvon was a threat at all was based primarily on Zimmerman’s stereotyping of Black teens. There is evidence to this effect abound in the tone of his statements to the 911 dispatcher, which may even include a racial epithet describing Trayvon. This highlight’s what is probably the biggest shortcoming of “Stand Your Ground” laws. Someone’s life may ultimately be taken away based on a person’s biases.

Now that many more facts about this case have been unearthed, there can be little debate that Zimmerman should be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Our justice system’s adversarial process will afford him an opportunity to establish a self-defense fight against conviction, but he should have that burden and it should require more than a simple assertion that Trayvon attacked him.

Beyond justice for Trayvon, Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law must be taken under review as well as those of the various other states that have similar laws to prevent similar tragedies from occurring. For deeper understanding of self-defense laws I recommend a review of my book, When the Cops Come Knockin’: An Illustrated Guide to Criminal Law. The discussion around Trayvon’s death must be elevated so we can move closer to justice. For that to happen all engaged must become more knowledgeable of the criminal laws.

TRAVIS TOWNSEND, ESQ. is a young attorney and President of the Urban League of Young Professionals in Atlanta, and author of the book When the Cops Come Knockin’

Attorney D. Tennell Lockett of Atlanta based law firm Townsend and Lockett, LLC will address tech entrepreneurs about the legal aspects of start-up companies at the NewMe Atlanta community meet-up on March 15. The NewMe Atlanta meet-up is one of several city meet-up groups inspired by the NewMe Accelerator, a technology accelerator and incubator.  Entrepreneurs Angela Benton (Black Web 2.0) and Wayne Sutton (SocialWayne.com) developed the New Me Accelerator in response to the lack of diversity in Silicon Valley. Launched during summer of 2011,  the NewMe Accelerator helped 10 minority-led technology start-ups further their development  in Silicon Valley by mentoring the entrepreneurs and providing access to a network of influential industry players. In some cases, New Me also provided funding.

Since coverage of the New Me Accelerator aired on CNN’s Black in America 4: The New Promised Land-Silicon Valley, tech entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs hopefuls in different cities started organizing local NewMe Community meet-up groups. These meet-ups provide  entrepreneurs with a chance to network and share ideas. They are also local links of communication to the NewMe Accelerator .

During the March 15 meeting, Lockett plans to focus on his areas of expertise: intellectual property law and technology licensing.

He plans to address the intellectual property components of start-up companies, including telling  entrepreneurs what parts of intellectual property to focus on when starting their businesses.

“The number one problem with start-ups is failing to identify what intellectual property actually is,” says Lockett.

Lockett says business owners tend to face another problem: failing to recognize the distinction between technology and intellectual  property.

Technology is  the product  designed and built by the company, such as software or a widget.
Intellectual property is the bundle of rights that protect the product.

“People typically think of IP as copyrights, trademarks, and other things.  However, intellectual property is legal aspects that protect technology, information, and inventions. Basically, things of intangible value.”

For example, business starters don’t normally think of protecting their client lists.

“You really don’t know what you’re protecting because you don’t know what’s all there. For example, a business owner might say ‘I built this software’ but won’t know how to protect it beyond that finished product.”

However, protecting the product is just the first step. Once business owners recognize the difference between technology and intellectual property, they must take steps to secure each of them- separately.

“You can think of IP as assets just as technology is assets. But the important thing to remember is that they are different assets.”

Sometimes, business owners tend  to consider intellectual property and technology as a single entity, when the two should be really treated as separate assets.

“The physical computer is an asset,” says Lockett. The IP rights are just as real of an asset to a company. You can grant it, sell it. They are just as much a thing of value.”

For example,  a business owner can design a computer, then license it to another manufacturer to build or sell. Intellectual property  protects the manufacturer from selling elements such as the computer’s software designs.

Besides confusing technology and intellectual property,  Lockett says he frequently sees business owners making another mistake: trying handle the legal aspects of their companies  themselves by looking up advice online, instead of visiting a business lawyer.

“There is generally a thought of trying to keep expenses down by doing everything in house. The Internet can be a great tool, but it can also be very dangerous,” says Lockett.

“You usually go to an expert in the beginning or the end. It’s usually cheaper to do it in the beginning”

Lockett’s advice:  take the time to find qualified individuals the first time, instead of visiting a professional to correct business legal woes.

“Unfortunately, I see a lot of those kind of instances,” says Lockett.  “More than I’d like to admit, I find myself saying, I wish they would have come in six months ago.”

However, Lockett says there is nothing wrong with using the  Internet  to do background research before visiting a professional.

“People who are IP savvy can come to the table with some knowledge. They understand the value of what they’re looking for and that can be an asset.”

The New Me community of Atlanta meets the third Thursday of every month. For more information on NewMe Atlanta, visit the NewMe Community website. Social media users can also contact group organizers  Lamar Tyler (@LamarTyler) or Jaheed Givens (@Jaheed) on Twitter.  For information about the New Me Accelerator, visit the website: http://bit.ly/NewMe-Atl.

For more information  on D. Tennell Lockett, visit his profile http://townsendlockett.com/attorneys/d-tennell-lockett/  or follow the firm Townsend & Lockett on Twitter at @TownsendLockett.

Townsend & Lockett, LLC is an Atlanta, Georgia based law firm which specializes in: Bankruptcy & Reorganization, Business Organization & Transactional, Civil Litigation, Corporate & Securities, Criminal Defense, Franchise Law, Intellectual Property Law, Labor and Employment, Mergers & Acquisitions, Residential & Commercial Real Estate, Secured Lending & Small Business Administration Finance, and Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning. Townsend & Lockett attorneys understand their client’s needs and  provide convenience, flexibility and 360 degrees of service. To find out more, please visit Townsend & Lockett http://www.TownsendLockett.com

Contact
Shauna Stuart
pr@kachucreatives.com
P: (404) 870-8501

DUI citations are very serious. Penalties go well beyond paying a small fine. Punishment for DUI may include:

1. serious fines of $1,000
2. suspension of driver’s license,
3. many hours of community service, and/or
4. jail in most states.

Beyond the legal ramifications are the social stigma associated with conviction of DUI. Many employers find an employee that has been convicted of DUI to be an employment risk due their poor judgment. Some professional licensing authorities will even go so far as to suspend professional licenses of individuals with a DUI. Needless to say, the stakes are HIGH when it comes to dealing with a DUI.

That’s why it is imperative that any motorist stopped for suspicion of DUI obtain l”Receiving a traffic citation, while annoying, is basically an accepted hazard of driving. With the seemingly unlimited traffic laws on the books, it is virtually impossible to operate a vehicle without committing an infraction of some sort. Many law enforcement officers will tell you in moments of candor that if they want to stop a motorist and issue a citation, all they have to do is observe one on the road long enough as it is just a matter of time before every driver does something wrong. That said, one major traffic violation that is not a routine lump to be taken is a driving under the influence (DUI) citation. DUI citations are very serious. Penalties go well beyond paying a small fine. Punishment for DUI may include 1) serious fines of $1,000 2) suspension of driver’s license, 3) many hours of community service, and/or 4) jail in most states. Beyond the legal ramifications are the social stigma associated with conviction of DUI. Many employers find an employee that has been convicted of DUI to be an employment risk due their poor judgment. Some professional licensing authorities will even go so far as to suspend professional licenses of individuals with a DUI. Needless to say, the stakes are HIGH when it comes to dealing with a DUI. That’s why it is imperative that any motorist stopped for suspicion of DUI obtain legal counsel from an attorney experienced in defending DUI’s at the first opportunity. Treating an impending DUI conviction like a routine traffic violation can be detrimental to your very livelihood. In the event you are stopped for suspicion of driving under the influence, if there is a moment you can contact an attorney without alarming the attending officer, try to get counsel to the scene of the stop real-time. In most cases such an opportunity will not present itself; in these cases it is advisable to request legal counsel, assert your right to remain silent and call an attorney immediately upon arrest. When you contact the attorney, engage them officially as soon as practicable so that they can commence the process of saving your license and keeping you on the road the same or next day. Every second delayed counts down to expiration of the opportunity to maintain your ability to drive as there are certain procedures that must be implemented within a short window of being stopped for DUI. From there, your counsel can do the good work of limiting the fallout from your DUI stop. Do not gamble with your livelihood by delaying to secure counsel in the midst of a DUI stop. Do it right away. You’ll be thankful you did. Contact Townsend & Lockett for assistance with your DUI case by calling (404) 870-8501 or email us your matter now.

At Townsend & Lockett we provide 360 degrees of service, from start to finish. Contact us today for all of your legal needs!”

Townsend & Lockett, LLC is an Atlanta, Georgia based law firm which specializes in: Bankruptcy & Reorganization, Business Organization & Transactional, Civil Litigation, Corporate & Securities, Criminal Defense, Franchise Law, Intellectual Property Law, Labor and Employment, Mergers & Acquisitions, Residential & Commercial Real Estate, Secured Lending & Small Business Administration Finance, and Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning. Townsend & Lockett attorneys understand their client’s needs and  provide convenience, flexibility and 360 degrees of service. To find out more, please visit Townsend & Lockett www.TownsendLockett.com

Attorney Travis Townsend of Atlanta based law firm Townsend and Lockett , LLC will be a panelist at Hair She Goes: State of Woman, a women’s business conference and entrepreneurship boot camp presented by DryerBuzz, a publication of Sistributions Media and Publishing. The conference, which will be held at the Loudermilk Center in downtown Atlanta on March 17, is a series of interactive workshops and speaking events designed to educate and empower female entrepreneurs and entrepreneur- hopefuls to reach their consumers, protect their businesses, and become leaders in their industries.

Townsend’s panel will cover; business organization and structure, including formalizing business deals and protecting content and intellectual property.

“I’m a firm believer in educating entrepreneurs the best I can, and showing the community how to operate their businesses,” says Townsend.  “I’m excited to be part of a forum of women coming together to educate and empower themselves.”

Townsend is no stranger to teaching on panels, having spoken at the Urban League Young  Professionals boot camp. While he’s excited to teach woman important business skills, he also says  he’s excited to learn from them.

“I’m seeing women doing much better in business and entrepreneurship. What I’m seeing now is that  business women are starting are doing well.”

The reason?  Townsend says female business owners know how to target their audiences.

“They have a strong business intuition when it comes to consumers. They are the primary consumer, and because of that, they know what they want in products and services, so they know what to provide.”

Townsend says he’s seeing female entrepreneurs emerge in all industries, from marketing to software development.  While this trend is increasing, Townsend says he’d like to see more female entrepreneurs acquire businesses as well as selling to consumers.

“Many entrepreneurs are focused on selling a product. I’d like to see more female entrepreneurs buy businesses, then turn them around and resell them.”

Townsend says part of his panel is geared towards helping woman entrepreneurs excel in business acquisition, and he will focus on his favorite areas of business practice: equity funds, capital, and mergers and acquisition.

While women show a lot of strengths when starting their own businesses , such as effective use of  social media, Townsend says quite a few female entrepreneurs face one problem in the business world: waiting in the background.

“Women may be hesitant to put their positions and businesses out there. There may be push back or interaction with possible partners not taking them as seriously as they should.”

If any women are  hesitant about starting their own businesses before the conference, Townsend hopes they will feel bolder after his panel, especially since he plans to give attendees information they can use right away.

“If they come in to the conference  over the weekend and say ‘Hey, I want to start a business on Monday,’ then we’ll give them information they can use to start on Monday.”

Registration for State of Woman Biz Camp is $125. Please visit http://www.dryerbuzz.com/about/sowspring2012/ to sign up for the conference, as well as find information on available discounts.

Social media users can also follow Travis Townsend on Twitter at @TravTown.  You can also follow his firm, Townsend & Lockett on Twitter at @TownsendLockett

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Townsend & Lockett, LLC is an Atlanta, Georgia based law firm which specializes in: Bankruptcy & Reorganization, Business Organization & Transactional, Civil Litigation, Corporate & Securities, Criminal Defense, Franchise Law, Intellectual Property Law, Labor and Employment, Mergers & Acquisitions, Residential & Commercial Real Estate, Secured Lending & Small Business Administration Finance, and Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning. Townsend & Lockett attorneys understand their client’s needs and  provide convenience, flexibility and 360 degrees of service. To find out more, please visit Townsend & Lockett www.TownsendLockett.com

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Contact:
Shauna Stuart
pr@kachucreatives.com
P: (404) 870-8501

Townsend & Lockett obtains case dismissal for female college student defendant facing 7 years for drug possession and intent to sale charges. The speedy trial demand filed by Townsend & Lockett’s attorneys was instrumental in successful case resolution. The defendant’s entire record will be expunged. Lead attorney Robert J. Daniel stated, “this is a complete victory for our client,” and co-lead attorney Travis Townsend, Jr. says he is, “happy to be able to achieve such a comprehensive success for our client considering her absolute innocence and promising future. Justice was definitely served.”

About Townsend & Lockett

Townsend & Lockett, LLC is a multi-service law firm dedicated to providing dynamic legal solutions and services to its client base.
The firm represents a broad cross-section of clientele in simple and complex litigation, employment litigation and counseling, business disputes and a variety of business transactions, such as corporate formation, corporate finance, secured transactions, and corporate acquisition and sale. Townsend Lockett specializes in providing comprehensive legal representation to start-up and emerging sophisticated companies and has developed expertise in servicing companies at every level of corporate growth: from pre-formation, to large contracting, to intellectual property development and management, to compliance with labor and employment laws, through execution of tailored exit strategies, including company sale or initial public offering. The firm’s attorneys hail from the world’s elite law schools and have developed their considerable knowledge of the law and legal practice at the country’s most preeminent law firms.
Visit Townsend & Lockett online at: Http://TownsendLockett.com

The Law Firm of Townsend & Lockett, LLC (“Townsend Lockett”) is engaging in new ways to become its clients’ chief legal counsel. In order to provide greater personalization, Townsend Lockett is increasing its staff, expanding its portfolio of legal solutions, releasing a bold new service focused website and incorporating social media as a key avenue for educating its clients.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 8, 2011 Atlanta, Georgia– The Law Firm of Townsend & Lockett, LLC (“Townsend Lockett”) is engaging in new ways to become its clients’ chief legal counsel. In order to provide greater personalization, Townsend Lockett has added experts, increased its staff, expanded its portfolio of legal solutions, launched a bold new service focused website, and incorporated social media as a key avenue for educating its clients.

“More access and more options mean more value for Townsend Lockett clients,” states Travis Townsend, Managing Partner. With the addition of services like; Small Business and Asset-based  Lending, Bankruptcy, Real Estate, Patent Prosecution, Criminal Defense, Wills, Trusts and Estate Preparation, Townsend Lockett offers 360 degrees of services for individuals and companies.

With the launch of Townsend Lockett’s criminal defense and trial practice departments, Townsend Lockett adds the expertise of chief trial attorney Robert Daniel. Daniel is a graduate of the Emory University School of Law with an aptness in both civil litigation and criminal defense, and state and federal practice. “Our selection process for new counselors is rigorous, and Robert Daniel will bring his unprecedented expertise to our clients and give them the winning edge”, states Townsend.

With the proliferation of new businesses and mergers, Townsend Lockett is uniquely positioned in matters involving Law and Technology. Start-ups and emerging companies can appreciate Townsend Lockett’s knowledge of patent prosecution, government contracting, and commercial real estate – just to name a few of the newest services available. The new website and blog reflects Townsend Lockett’s focus on the integration of technology and how businesses and individuals can protect themselves.

Townsend Lockett invites you to visit its new web presence at townsendlockett.com, “Like” it on Facebook, follow on Twitter and connect on LinkedIn. Each of these platforms shall serve as a springboard to share changes in the legal community and interact with current and potential clients.

For any further information about Townsend & Lockett, LLC, please contact: Travis Townsend, Jr., Esq.

Townsend & Lockett, LLC Phone: (404) 870-8501

Fax: (404) 870-8502

Travis.Townsend@TownsendLockett.com

http://TownsendLockett.com

For media inquiries, please contact: Lauren Brown Jarvis

Kachu Creatives

Lauren@KachuCreatives.com

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Townsend & Lockett, LLC is an Atlanta, Georgia based law firm which specializes in: Bankruptcy & Reorganization, Business Organization & Transactional, Civil Litigation, Corporate & Securities, Criminal Defense, Franchise Law, Intellectual Property Law, Labor and Employment, Mergers & Acquisitions, Residential & Commercial Real Estate, Secured Lending & Small Business Administration Finance, and Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning. Townsend & Lockett attorneys understand your needs, provide convenience, flexibility and 360 degrees of service.

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