Page 12 - Sonoma County Gazette June 2017

Night Sky June 2017
By Tre Gibbs, LAAS
On Tuesday, June 20th at 9:15pm Summer returns to the northern
hemisphere. For a couple of weeks before this and a couple of weeks after,
the sun will rise and set at their furthest northern points on the horizon. As a result, the sun’s path across the sky will be the highest – or most furthest north - for the entire year. As you probably know, Earth is tilted. It’s axis is about 24 degrees o of what would be considered straight up and down. As Earth orbits the sun, it’s axis just happens to point to the same spot in space, a star about 433 light years away, “Polaris”, which is Latin for “pole star”, since Earth’s North Pole points to it – hence it’s more popular name, “The North Star”. As Earth continues it’s orbit around the sun, there are times when the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun and times when it’s tilted away from the sun. The Summer Solstice is the time when we in the northern hemisphere,
or the top half of Earth, are tilted toward the sun. That’s why, in summer, the sun appears high in our daytime sky as opposed to winter, when the northern hemisphere is tilted AWAY from the sun, and therefor appears much lower in our daytime sky. However, after this day, and as the sun continues it’s journey around the sun, the days slowly begin to get shorter, although it’s not very noticeable until sometime in mid to late July.
Saturn is back! By mid month, Saturn rises in the east-southeast just as the sun sets in the northwest. Spotting Venus, Mars and Jupiter is pretty easy since they are some of the brightest, non-twinkling objects in the sky. Saturn however is di erent. Due to the fact that it’s so far away, Saturn looks more like one of the countless distant stars in the night sky. Only it’s not - one look through a small telescope or a good pair of binoculars will reveal a hint of it’s magni cent ring system. To nd Saturn, wait until the night of June 9th. This month’s
“Full Strawberry Moon” will rise along with Saturn, but just to the left of the quintessential gas giant. The two will travel the night sky together until dawn, though the moon will be continuously inching it’s way east of and away from Saturn. This becomes evident the following evening, when, on June 10th, the moon trails Saturn almost an hour later.
Look for bright Jupiter high in the south at sunset this month, but slowly moving further westward as the month progresses. Jupiter is larger than Saturn but also much closer to Earth than it’s ringed neighbor, which is why it appears so bright in our evening skies.
So that’s it for this month. Enjoy the return of both Summer and Saturn – and if you get a chance, Google NASA’s Cassini mission, which has been exploring Saturn since it’s arrival in 2004. The mission ends September 15th, 2017 as
the Cassini spacecraft is running out of fuel and will do 22 consecutive dives between Saturn and it’s rings, and then, in a grand nale, it will dive into the surface of Saturn, becoming part of the planet itself.
DEAR READERS: Do you have a legal question on your mind? If so, please email me at debra@newbylawoffice.com. Your name will remain con dential. This Q & A Legal Column is intended as a community service to discuss general legal principles and does not create an attorney-client relationship.
[Note to Readers: In lieu of my typical “Q & A” monthly column, I’d like to present a three part series on the wide array of free legal services offered to the public through our local court system and community based programs, and staffed in-part by law students. Be informed. Share with others. Enjoy.].
Justice. The word itself conjures up images of a fair and truthful world. A world governed by principles that can be trusted; a system propelled by the input of the “common man” as he or she sits in one of the most powerful seats in the courtroom – the Jury Box. But what happens if access to Justice depends on the financial worth of the accused or harmed? Does a rich man gain “better access” to the courts? Can a poor man get a fair shake at what is due?
Deep rhetorical questions – fodder for a jurisprudence class – yet the inquiry morphs into a real problem for the single mom who just received an eviction notice or the senior citizen who has no estate plan. Not everyone who has a pressing
legal issue can afford a private attorney. A vacuum is then created, and without local resources and a safety net, that single mom and/or our deserving senior falls through the cracks. Without Justice for All, there is No Justice.
So...what to do? Well, the Sonoma County Superior Court, in conjunction with Empire College – School of Law and community-based legal assistance programs (like Legal Aid of Sonoma County) has created no less than six free legal clinics. The basic structure works something like this: The law student (who must be a 3rd year law student—i.e. the last year of law school) registers for one of the six clinics for credit (up to three units) toward their law degree. The student gains invaluable “lawyering skills” (listening, client interviewing skills, problem solving skills, etc.) under the supervision of a licensed and practicing attorney. The prospective client receives clarity.
Mike Mullins, Dean of Empire College – School of Law for the past three years and our former District Attorney of Sonoma County, intuitively understands the value of the legal clinics – both to the law student and to the prospective client. “Our legal clinics serve as a type of clearinghouse for the individual”, comments Dean Mullins. “There is nothing worse than facing some type of problem that looks like a legal problem that you can’t do anything about. But, if you could just at least talk to a lawyer, a key question may be answered – do I need a lawyer or not?”
Last month’s column profiled the Small Claims Clinic at Empire School of Law,
a popular clinic that helps litigants prepare for small claims court, an ideal venue for disputes valued at $ 10,000 or less. The other five legal clinics generally address the following areas of civil law: 1) Family Law; 2) Immigration Law; 3) Elder Law; 4) Disability Law; and 5) Areas covered by Legal Aid (Restraining Orders, Domestic Violence, Evictions, and Guardianships).
Let’s just look at the Family Law Clinic for now (I will address Immigration and Elder Law in July’s column, followed by Disability Law and areas covered by Legal Aid in my August column).
“I know the courts are appreciative of our law students helping out at the Family Law Self Help Center because 80% of our family court litigants represent themselves”, states Dean Mullins. The law student can help the litigant with issues such as child support, visitation, divorce, spousal support, parentage, and guardianship – guiding them toward the appropriate forms they will need.
The location of the Family Law Facilitator is premium real estate – located in
the Family Law Courthouse at 3055 Cleveland Avenue in Santa Rosa. The clinic predominately operates on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 8:00 am to 11:30 am. Afternoon hours are available on Mondays. Call 707-521-6545 or visit the court’s website at www.sonoma.courts.ca.gov.
Stay tuned for next month’s column – Part Two of Three: Immigration and Elder Law Clinics, also staffed by the remarkable students at Empire College – School of Law.
Debra A. Newby is a resident of Monte Rio and has practiced law for 35 years. She is
a member of the California, Texas and Sonoma County Bar Associations and currently maintains an active law office in Santa Rosa which emphasizes personal injury law (bicycle/ motorcycle/motor vehicle accidents, dog bites, trip and falls, etc.). Debra can be reached via email (debra@newbylawoffice.com), phone (707-526-7200), or fax (526-7202).
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