About Oni Harton, Esq.
Oni Harton is an experienced estate planning and litigation attorney. She has been writing and researching for more than two decades and enjoys contributing to efforts that connect people with critical legal services. Oni contributes to Super Lawyers by creating content and verifying the legal accuracy of articles. Oni is an Indiana University School of Law graduate. She is licensed in Indiana.
Articles written by Oni Harton, Esq.
What Are My Rights When Stopped by the Police?
When stopped by the police, you have a Fifth Amendment Constitutional right to remain silent and can refuse consent to a search without a search warrant. Police officers must have reasonable suspicion for a traffic stop and must have probable cause to make an arrest. Wrongful arrest or use of excessive force is a police misconduct civil rights violation, and you can suppress evidence gathered in an unlawful seizure. Officers can do a pat-down frisk for a Terry stop, but you can ask the reason …
Rights of Student Protesters
Student protest rights protect the First Amendment political expression rights of public school students, including distributing flyers, symbolic apparel, and peaceful protests. School administrators cannot take disciplinary action for free speech unless it causes a substantial disruption under the Tinker standard. School officials can issue suspensions for student walkouts when it violates school policies because it is not considered protected speech. Students have stronger freedom of …
What Are My Rights as a Protester?
You have the right to freedom of speech, the right to protest in a public forum, peaceful assembly on public property, and the right to film police during a protest. First Amendment Constitutional protections require any permit guidelines that limit the time, place, or manner of assembly to be content neutral and narrowly tailored. Civil rights protections do not extend to private property and can lead to dispersal orders and criminal trespass. Victims of unlawful arrest or use of excessive …
Fighting a Speeding Ticket: A Step-by-Step Guide
If you were pulled over for exceeding the speed limit and received a speeding ticket from a police officer, you can pay the ticket and move on with your life. However, you may be thinking about fighting your ticket. Violating traffic laws can lead to fines, your insurance company raising your insurance rates, mandatory traffic school, or a license suspension. If you think your speeding violation is worth fighting, you can discuss your case with an experienced traffic ticket attorney. They can …
How To Write a Letter To Contest Your Traffic Ticket
While it may be faster to pay a traffic ticket and keep it moving, there are some instances where it’s worth fighting the ticket. One way to fight a traffic ticket involves drafting a compelling letter to dispute your traffic ticket. It can go a long way. While it may not get you off the hook for your speeding ticket or other traffic violation, it just might. Anything that allows you to improve your driving record is worth a try. If you need help drafting a traffic ticket appeal letter or …
How To Gather Evidence To Contest Your Traffic Ticket
When faced with a traffic infraction that requires you to make a court appearance for the alleged violation, it’s critical to understand the importance of evidence. Arriving at your court date with compelling evidence allows you to contest your traffic ticket effectively and can substantially improve your chances of getting a favorable outcome. You have the right to challenge the citation and assert your legal rights. Read on to learn about strategies that will allow you to arrive at your …
Traffic Ticket Points and How They Affect You
Operating a motor vehicle is a big responsibility. When your failure to obey traffic laws leads to a traffic offense, you can get a traffic ticket and be subject to other long-term consequences. If you get a ticket, whether it’s for exceeding the speed limit, reckless driving, or any other type of moving violation, you know that you have to pay the fine for the traffic violation. However, you might not know how the infraction impacts your insurance premiums or driving privileges. Continue …
Navigating Insurance After a Divorce
When you go through the divorce process, you probably have essential issues such as dividing marital assets, alimony, and child support payments on your list. Insurance matters probably aren’t the first issues that come to mind after a divorce. However, you need to consider them. You may need to change health, auto, and life insurance policies to ensure continued coverage and ensure your beneficiary designations reflect your wishes. It can be stressful to change your insurance after a …
How To Handle International Divorce Issues
With the ease of travel and technological improvement, more people relocate or move abroad. This can pose difficulties in divorce-related matters. Couples who live in different countries (or states) face unique issues when enforcing or modifying court orders. A state court considers any divorce paper issued outside of that state foreign. Local courts don't automatically recognize foreign judgments for child support, alimony, child custody issues, spousal support, or other matters. If you find …
What Is a Default Divorce?
A default divorce is a court judgment granting divorce when a spouse fails to respond to the filing spouse's divorce papers. The court grants automatic approval to the marital settlement request for shared property asset division, child custody, spousal support. The divorce court grants default judgment and signs the final decree after the unresponsive spouse's refusal to sign, missed deadline, or ignored paperwork. True default divorce is a binding order but the unresponsive spouse may be able …
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