IPS Network Blog

Thank you to all the members who have donated money to various Massachusetts Police Departments. More than $10,000.00 has been donated thanks to your contributions (yes I know, our website editor put the wrong amount on our home page :-] ). Police Officer's, EMT's, Firefighter's, etc. all do a wonderful public service and deserve respect and recognition for their work. As a legal support network, it's our duty to give back to them. Our Network has done a great job this year. Can you believe that we have delegated over 9,500 service requests since Feb 2007 - Dec 2007? It's true! Login for more facts about our Network for this year. From December 21 st to January 7 th we will not be delegating any services. We're closed between the aforementioned dates. Happy holidays to you all and I'll see you at our New Year's Eve party. Remember, you may invite your family and two friends. For more information about our New Year's Eve party, please login.

So last Tuesday, Judge Robert Restaino was removed from the bench because of a bit of an outburst. Back in 2005, Judge Restaino was hearing a domestic violence case when someone’s cell phone went off. And the judge simply went off the rails : "Everyone is going to jail. Every single person is going to jail in this courtroom unless I get that instrument now. If anybody believes I’m kidding, ask some of the folks that have been here for a while. You are all going." And sure enough, when nobody fessed up, the judge had all 46 people taken into custody and tossed into the city jail. Most posted bail, but the fourteen who couldn’t were shackled and bussed off to the county jail. It didn’t take long for word of this story to get out, and after the press started calling later in the afternoon, Judge Restaino ordered everyone released. --------------------------------------------- Imagine that you're in court supporting a friend when suddenly you hear someone's cell phone...

The following distance learning schools/colleges have been approved by our Network: The Paralegal Institute -- an accredited two year college that offers various paralegal and criminal justice related programs. One of the oldest and most respected paralegal schools in the country. Washington Online Learning Institute -- This school is regionally accredited and offers many programs relating to paralegal studies. The only downfall about this school is that they're fairly new. For all we know, the school might go out of business in a year or two. (Note: "fairly new" in this context = under 10 years old). Blackstone Career Institute -- This school is accredited and offers basically the same courses that The Paralegal Institute offers. National Paralegal College -- This college offers basically the same courses that Blackstone Career Institute and The Paralegal Institute offers. The downfall about this school is that they're fairly new. Our Network attorney has verifie...

Thanks to Lyle R. Hasley, a Constable for Mashpee, our Network has learned that a Constable's badge should not bear the Sigil of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts unless he/she is in regular employment as a Constable. Furthermore, a Constable may not use the seal of the Commonwealth on any business advertisement, according to MGL. The 'Process Server' page, which has a Constable badge as an image, will be edited shortly. Thanks again Constable Hasley for bringing this matter to our attention. To those that may need a Constable and/or a Notary Public in the Mashpee area, be sure to contact: Lyle R. Hasley 508-360-6575

To hell with your supposed Constitutional rights - we need our money! Boston and Washington, D.C. are pissed off about the fact that folks are going to court to contest parking tickets, taking away revenue from the cities. I mean, why should citizens take advantage of their right to have their day in court? So D.C. is phasing out the right to challenge any parking citation. And in Boston and other Massachusetts cities, folks “cannot challenge a $100 parking ticket in court without first paying a $275 court fee,” a fee which is not refunded if they’re ultimately found innocent. Looks like Bush’s attempt to turn our country into a Constitution-free zone is contagious. Visit the full article by clicking here.

Hey everyone, I wanted to take the time to thank all those who attended our network meeting this afternoon. It was really wonderful meeting all of you and I look forward to speaking to you all again real soon. For those members who were unable to attend, please log in and watch the video of the meeting. The meeting covered the following topics: Paralegal Ethics - (Speakers: Korey Humphreys & Amanda Hyde) ; MA Process Server Laws/Rules - (Video Courtesy of MPSN) ; How to properly perform your duties as a Notary Public - (Speaker: Ashley) ; Member Questions/Comments A verbatim transcript of the meeting will be available in 5 days. Be sure to log in to download the transcript in PDF format. Thanks, ~Ashley, "Primary" Member~

As required by majority vote, I was required to research possibilities for CLE (continuing legal education) training. Specifically, I was asked to check out the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) and determine whether or not this national accreditor is acceptable for members of our Network. Therefore, my findings follow. DETC is a "national accreditor" recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). DETC accredits entire institutions and the programs they offer. Since DETC only accredits institutions that offer more than half of their programs through distance learning, the Accrediting Commission’s examining teams are experienced specialists and practitioners who ensure that an institution’s programs and services are designed and delivered appropriately for distance learning. Is national accreditation equal to regional accreditation? Yes. The U.S. Department of Education recognizes all accrediting ...