Civil Litigation Procedure

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07.28.11 2:59 pm

Pleading
The process of a civil litigation starts with the plaintiff lodging a complaint against the defendant. This stage is known as the pleading stage. It gives the defendant an option to fully go through the complaint and contest certain elements of the complaint, which he feels are irrelevant or frivolous. If the defendant is able to convince the court that the language of the complaint needs to be amended, then the court may direct the plaintiff to rework the complaint so that it can be refiled.

Discovery
After pleading, the next stage in the civil litigation process is known as discovery. In this process, each side comes up with substantial evidence to support their claims. This stage also marks the interaction between both the parties and their lawyers as the contesting parties are allowed to check the supporting evidence and questions. Normally, the questions are either asked through written or oral format, known as interrogatories and deposition respectively.

Motion of Summary
The next step in the process of civil litigation is a motion of summary judgment. This motion is filed by the defendant to claim that the evidence presented by the plaintiff is insufficient and does not support the claim against the defendant. The court considering all the evidence that is presented by the plaintiff, has to decide whether the lawsuit will be entertained or abandoned. In case the lawsuit is rejected by the court, the plaintiff has the option to file the complaint in a higher court.

Trial
If the motion of summary judgment is in the favor of the plaintiff, then the next step in the course of a civil litigation is that the defendant needs to stand on trial. Usually, both the parties try to seek out a middle path to the conflict by taking the help of a mediator. Not only does this allow to settle the matter quickly, but it also saves a lot of time and money that goes into a trial. If the concerned parties are not able to reach an agreement, even after having mutual discussions, then there is no other option for the court but to start a trial procedure. The trial starts with the clerk of the court nominating individuals who can act as jurors in the case. These individuals are interviewed by the trial judge and the respective attorney, so that ambiguities if any, can be looked into. When both parties agree on the composition of the jury, the jury members are given an oath, and the formal trial begins.

Closing arguments
With the commencement of the trial, each side presents their case, after which the court allows the attorneys from both sides to have closing arguments. This is the ultimate time for the attorneys to convince the jury members to decide in their favor. The jury members too are briefed by the trial judge on the relevant laws that might be applicable in the case.

Political Effects of New Deal

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07.10.11 1:53 pm

Even though there is no questioning the efforts of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, one has to ponder on whether the New Deal was really of any help or did it cause more damage than help. Even today the success of New Deal is a topic of raging debate, which has left the leading economists of the world divided into two groups – those who think it was successful and those who think it failed miserably (In fact, the second group even argues that the New Deal was responsible for aggravating the economic crisis in the United States.). By and large, the effects of New Deal revolved around the changes it brought about on the political and socioeconomic front in the United States of America.

Political Effects of New Deal
On the political front, it made Americans realize how the Federal government works and why its presence is important in smooth functioning of the nation as a whole. Before Great Depression, the Federal government was not of much importance for the citizens as Federal regulation of stock market or programs like social security and farm subsidy programs didn’t exist back then. The introduction of such programs as a part of New Deal made people realize why Federal administration is important.

The New Deal also brought about a political realignment in the United States; wherein the Democratic Party – with its liberal ideas, got a majority in the House. (In fact, the Democrats ruled the White House for seven out of the nine presidential terms between 1933-1969). The Republican Party, on the other hand, was divided over the issue with some Republicans opposing the entire New Deal as bad for business and growth, and some accepting it in part. These changes in the American politics brought to the surface the concept of New Deal Coalition which dominated the US elections until 1960s.

Socioeconomic Effects of New Deal
On the socioeconomic front, one of the most prominent effect of this deal was the fact that Federal government was given more powers for regulating the economy, and this in turn allowed the government come up with policies for the welfare of nation as a whole. This deal came as a boon for American farmers in particular, with programs like the Farm Credit Administration and Agricultural Adjustment Act helping them resolve issues like overproduction, fall in market prices etc., with ease. The New Deal also marked the beginning of several social programs which were directed at the welfare of people and growing power of labor unions. Several agencies, including the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), provided employment to many people across the United States, and also contributed to public works during that period.

More Information on Navy Personnel

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07.05.11 3:43 pm

Out of all the individuals enlisted in the navy, around 15% of them are commissioned officers. The rest of the numbers are made up by enlisted sailors and midshipmen who are being trained. The commissioned officers are divided into Staff Corps (people who have professional experience in law, medicine, civil engineering etc.), Restricted Line Officers (people who perform engineering and maintenance work but do not engage in direct combat) and Unrestricted Line Officers (people who are trained for combat and can subsequently command units and squadrons). The order of ranks for commissioned officers in the navy are as follows.
•Fleet Admiral (FADM)
•Admiral (ADM)
•Vice Admiral (VADM)
•Rear Admiral (RADM)
•Rear Admiral Lower-Half (RDML)
•Captain (CAPT)
•Commander (CDR)
•Lieutenant Commander (LCDR)
•Lieutenant (LC)
•Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG)
•Ensign (ENS)
Apart from this, there are also the enlisted sailors who are also known as Petty Officers. These sailors form around 80% of the United States Navy, but they also need to follow the navy chain of command. Failure to uphold this chain of command is seen in a very bad light so this is avoided at all costs. All said and done, the President of the United States who is the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Armed Forces, is the supreme commander of all the naval forces.

World’s Most Dangerous Nations

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06.27.11 3:03 am

Mexico
Though the country has one of the most beautiful beaches, the increasing drug cartel vs police war has been the cause of many issues in the country. The US government has been advising its citizens to avoid Mexico because of the increasing instability in the country. The country is a large market for drug trade and the nation witnesses drug related wars and murders on a daily basis. Most resorts and tourist destinations in Mexico are not considered safe due to the lack of government control which leads to a rise in crime and violence.

Iraq
No one is safe in Iraq. Despite the rich oil reserves that can make this country one of the richest in the world, Iraq is a nation that is torn in war, violence and confusion. After the US invaded the country in 2003, nothing has been stable in this country. The civil war began which led to the deaths of more than 700,000 civilians. The country is filled with insurgents from various terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and many more. These groups use people as suicide bombers and keep blowing innocent civilians and countless US soldiers. Since the war, almost half of the Iraqi population has left their country and most of them cannot be found.

Colombia
This nation is known for its enormous drug trade and kidnapping cases. Every year the country witnesses more than 1000 kidnappings and most of the victims are killed by their captors. Colombia is ranked fourth in the world for murders. Mayors and diplomats are killed in dozens every year. This country is also the main center for drug trade as it supplies more than 80% of the world’s cocaine. READ MORE

Characteristics of Oligarchy Government

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06.21.11 7:55 am

The following are the vital oligarchy government characteristics:
•Oligarchies are generally governments run by few elite families
•In such a government structure, the children in the elite family inherit power and topmost administrative position from senior rulers upon attainment of maturity
•Oligarchies are often criticized as the government run by rich people for favoring the rich as this kind of government does not focus on uplifting the weaker sections of the society
•Oligarchy government is also referred to as a form of dictatorship in which the role of common people is extremely limited
•In such a government, common people might not be granted fundamental rights which are essential for any individual to live a good life
•Oligarchy government may resort to violent methods to curb any kind of public uprisings to protect its power and ruling status in the country
Effects of Oligarchies

Concentration of Wealth
Concentration of wealth in the hands of a few privileged people can perhaps be the biggest disadvantage of the oligarchy government. In such a government, most wealth is with the elite class and this affects the standard of living of the common masses. Concentration of wealth can be disastrous for the nation as a whole.

Lack of Education
Educational and career opportunities are scarce in oligarchies. Most of the times, people from the lower section of the society do not have access to best educational institutions, or simply cannot afford the cost of education. Low awareness of education in such countries can lead to low literacy rates and rising crimes. READ MORE