Martinson & Beason, P.C.
The next episode of the Mo Show Live will air Wednesday, October 16th at 3:00 PM central time and will feature William Hampton, the founder of Huntsville Revisited. Morris and William will be discussing the history of Huntsville, why it’s important to William, and what we can learn from our history in moving forward.
The next episode of the Mo Show Live will air Wednesday, May 15th at 3:00 PM Central Time and will feature Beau Cowan who frequently speaks on his personal story with cerebral palsy and what others can do to raise awareness and help. Morris and Beau will be discussing what it’s like living with cerebral palsy, why Beau is so passionate about sharing his story and how he has overcome disadvantages to get to where he is today.
A new bill seeking to reduce penalties for simple marijuana possession took its first step through the legislature on April 17th by an 11-0 vote in the state Senate Judiciary Committee. This could mean significant reform for the way personal amounts of marijuana are charged, prosecuted, and sentenced.
Current Alabama law divides marijuana possession into two categories: first- and second- degree. Possession of any amount for personal use is a second-degree conviction and a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by not more than one year in jail and a fine not more than $6,000. A first-degree conviction is a Class C felony carrying a punishment of not less than one year and not more than ten years in jail, for any amount and for any purpose other than personal use. First-degree possession also includes any subsequent charges for personal use after the defendant has been previously convicted of misdemeanor second-degree possession.
The next episode of the Mo Show Live will air Wednesday, March 6th at 3:00 PM Central Time and will feature Alabama State Trooper Curtis Summerville. Morris and Trooper Summerville will be discussing distracted driving, the graduated driver’s license system, safe driving habits for teens, and more.
Trooper Curtis Summerville is the Public Information and Education Officer with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. He serves as the liaison for the State Police and the media and to provide presentations to the public regarding traffic safety, alcohol, drugs, and other law enforcement related topics. He has been a State Trooper for over 27 years and works out of the Huntsville Post. Trooper Summerville is from Eutaw, AL where he graduated from Paramount High School in 1982. He attended Alabama A & M University and Athens State University where he received a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. He also is a Graduate of The Alabama Military Academy and was commissioned as an Officer in 1996. He served in Operation Enduring Freedom from 2002 - 2004 in Afghanistan as a member of the Alabama National Guard.
Earlier this year, an Alabama high school basketball star sued the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) over her one-season suspension imposed for receiving improper monetary payments. However, this is not a story of illicit or illegal money being paid by corrupt coaching assistants like we have seen in the FBI investigation of “pay for play” schemes in college basketball. Instead, this seems to be a perfect storm of innocent mistakes that may cost Ms. Maori Davenport an opportunity to play out her senior year. AL.com has done a terrific job in covering the story, which you can read about here.
Ms. Maori Davenport is an exceptional basketball player at Charles Henderson High School in Troy, Alabama. She has signed to play with Rutgers next year. In the summer of 2018, Maori played for the U18 Team USA basketball team in an international tournament in Mexico City. That November, Maori received a check from USA basketball for $857.20 for her participation in the tournament. The amateurism rule in the AHSAA handbook prohibits high school players from being paid in this way, and the punishment is a mandatory one-season suspension. The Executive Director of the AHSAA, Steve Savarese, has stated that he has no discretion to issue a less severe punishment.
The next episode of the Mo Show Live will air Wednesday, October 10th at 3:00 PM Central Time and will feature Johnnie Finch attorney and author of the new book Black Lawyer Confidential – Keys to Success. Morris and Johnnie will be discussing his new book, Johnnie’s legal career, what inspired him to go to law school, and what he hopes readers will get out of the book.
Johnnie Finch is a North Carolina attorney and has been practicing law since 2013. He practices in the areas of criminal defense, personal injury, catastrophic injury and wrongful death. Johnnie went to law school out of his passion for advocating for others. After college, Johnnie counseled teens who had been charged with crimes while working for the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice.
In Black Lawyer Confidential, Johnnie highlights situations and learning experiences that many students encounter in and after law school, such as time management, student interaction, race relations, and coping with heavy pressure. Johnnie also provides insight on what it’s like to practice as a minority lawyer.
