Is It Ever Best to Choose a Jury Trial?
June 24, 2014 | Adriel B. VillarrealIf you are deciding to bring a case to trial, it can be difficult to make the choice between a judge or jury trial. There are many reasons why one may be better than the other, but in some cases, a jury trial may be the best option for you to get the outcome you want. What is a Jury Trial? A jury trial is a trial that is brought before a jury of “the peers of the accused” in a criminal case, who have no prior knowledge of the case or anyone involved in the case. The jury makes the decision on whether the defendant is guilty or not guilty and the judge is only in charge of making sure the law is upheld. Note: the jury only determines guilt, the judge is still responsible for deciding on the penalty. Choosing a Jury Trial The reason that many people choose a jury trial over a judge trial is because they feel like they can make a better case with sympathy than with evidence. A jury is much more likely to be swayed by emotions than a judge would be. Choosing a jury trial would beneficial in cases such as sexual harassment, emotional abuse, or other cases of being victimized by another person….
Read MoreAttorney Joan Quade named to Achieve Services Board
June 16, 2014 | Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.The law firm of Barna, Guzy and Steffen is proud to announce that Joan Quade (Shareholder and Litigation Group Practice Manager) has been elected to the ACHIEVE Services Board of Directors. Achieve Services is a nonprofit serving the Twin cities area and particularly the Anoka area, providing day training and habilitation programs that serves adults with developmental disabilities. The program recently celebrated 50 years of service with an open house, tours of the facility, and an evening of fun with bowling and other activities at Brunswick Zone XL in Blaine. Achieve gives training that helps to provide its participants a job at the Achieve site or to be placed into the community in a productive job. Achieve builds skills, careers and independence for its participants who gain the confidence of being employed. Achieve has done great things for this community and Joan Quade is proud to be a part of its mission!
Read MoreCoon Rapids Heart Safe Community
June 5, 2014 | Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd.This week, BGS took part in the Coon Rapids Heart Safe Community initiative receiving bystander CPR training from Coon Rapids Police Officer Bryan Platz. We received important instruction on CPR and using the firm’s own AED Device. The Coon Rapids Heart Safe Community initiative was launched by Coon Rapids Police Officer Bryan Platz in an effort to increase the survival odds of someone who suffers sudden cardiac arrest. Nationwide, only about 8{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3} of people who suffer sudden cardiac arrest (outside of a hospital setting) will survive. Officer Platz has been on the scene of such events where bystanders were too afraid to help, and he hopes his efforts to inform the community will increase the survival odds for the next victims. His program trains people in hands only CPR and explains the basic instructions to use an AED Device. Medical experts report that if an AED and CPR are used during the crucial first two minutes of a case of sudden cardiac arrest, there is an 85{a0c01d20c42349884e67ff80c137866b0a9fe47aaae8f8a86a605a369ae487c3} success rate in revival. However, if the public doesn’t know what to do, they wait for emergency responders to arrive and miss this opportunity. The Heart Safe initiative is hoping to inform the community and increase the success and survival rate for those suffering from SCA….
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