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Rosa Parks: An Advocate to End Violence Against Women

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Many people think of Rosa Parks as the strong-willed woman who refused to give up her seat, however, Parks was an advocate for change even before that. Parks was a secretary for the NAACP long before this and helped investigate acts stemming from racism and sexism.

In 1944, Parks was sent to investigate the gang rape of Recy Taylor, a black woman from Abbeville, Alabama. Parks ended up founding the “Alabama Committee for Equal Justice for Mrs. Recy Taylor,” based on Taylor’s story. The white perpetrators were never arrested nor indicted for any crimes stemming from this act despite one of the men coming forward and admitting that he was involved.

Parks and Taylor continued to speak out against these acts of hate and the Committee drew national attention to the violence towards black women. Both women continued to advocate for survivors of violence until their death.

 

Sources:

Rogers, Laura. “National African American History Month: Remembering Rosa Parks’ Work to Address Sexual Assault.” The United States Department of Justice, 20 Jan. 2021, www.justice.gov/archives/ovw/blog/national-african-american-history-month-remembering-rosa-parks-work-address-sexual-assault.

“Mrs. Recy Taylor (1919-2017).” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/people/mrsrecytaylor1919-2017.htm.

 

How To Find Hidden Money In A Divorce

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When couples get divorced, one party may feel that the other is hiding money, whether it be in an undisclosed bank account, a safe deposit box, or in an offshore account. When this occurs, attorneys have tools we use to identify undisclosed or hidden money.

During a divorce, the parties have the opportunity to engage in a process generally called “Discovery.”  During this phase, we issue what is called “interrogatories and request for production of documents” to one another. Interrogatories are essentially questions that are propounded upon the opposing party.  It is the opportunity for the parties to ask each other questions to get information that might lead to the discovery of hidden funds. The request for production of documents is exactly what it sounds like.  It allows the attorney to ask for documents that may be used to help identify marital assets. Both forms of discovery are commonly used because it is an efficient way to get information. Both parties are under oath when responding to these requests, so lying can carry harsh penalties.

Once an attorney gets the names of the companies that hold financial accounts, an attorney may issue what is called a “subpoena.” A subpoena allows an attorney to request documents or testimony from a person/company for the case at hand. If there is thought to be missing monies, an attorney would subpoena the financial account statements then look at these statements to see where the money went. If the money is going to another bank account that the party has not disclosed, the attorney could subpoena the statements of THAT account.

Continually issuing subpoenas is not always the easiest way to find money. Often, attorneys hire a forensic accountant, who traces the money and can be used as an expert in court to testify about money that a party has hidden. This can be useful in contentious divorces between high earning parties.