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If you have questions about this posting or are interested in Divorce, Immigration, or Estate Law in RI or MA contact Massachusetts and Rhode Island Divorce Lawyer Rui P. Alves at 401-942-3100 or CONTACT him via email.

PROVIDENCE — It was day three of the federal trial of some police officers accused in a lawsuit, and the lawyers were at odds. It was time, on the issue of how to pose a question to a witness, to face the music. And hear some, too. As the lawyers approached the bench, orchestral music wafted through courtroom speakers and, not unlike a conductor striding from the stage, Judge William E. Smith walked out to meet the lawyers in sidebar, trying to get everyone in tune. At least five times that day, the music sounded as judge and legal teams shuffled back and forth in U.S. District Court. Instruments performed sweeping, lush harmonies. The judge and lawyers talked, hand motions in abundance, but to the observer theirs was a silent film with only a soundtrack.

Every time they headed back to the defense and plaintiff tables, the music stopped and questioning resumed.

The music is there to shield the sidebar discussion from the ears of jurors and witnesses, Smith said in an interview.

Anyone who’s sat in at a state District Court hearing or Superior Court trial has heard whispers or more as legal teams and judge strategize in not-quite dulcet tones. In federal courtrooms, besides music, the options can include white noise, a sound played to mask other sounds in a space, during the sidebars, or bench conferences . In some federal courtrooms, in which sidebar conversations are deemed not audible, no sound is played.

Smith had served a year or so in the other federal court building across the street.

“I couldn’t stand that white noise,” he said, and wondered if it might bother jurors.

So about eight years ago, Smith said, he decided to opt for playing music, typically classical. “It’s just a little more pleasant.”

While he prefers to keep sidebars to a minimum for the jury’s sake, Smith said, he has never had one of the conferences run so long that music ran out. He recalled a longer trial where the music — “I think it was Vivaldi” — had become repetitive, so some Van Morrison and a little Bob Dylan filled in during sidebars.

To shroud the conversation, he said, “Van Morrison was better than Dylan because Van Morrison has some orchestra in it.”

But instrumental music is the norm.

“Classical is probably the best choice,” Smith said, “because it fills the space better than almost any other kind of music you could find.” Other music, he said, may have gaps where nothing is being played, allowing some sidebar conversation to be heard. And, he said, given differing tastes, he felt people would largely be amenable to classical.

Classical is a catch-all term for music including several eras: 17th-century baroque pieces, such as those written by J.S. Bach; 18th-century music by composers including Mozart; 19th-century romantic works by the likes of Beethoven, Brahms and Chopin; and 20th-century music by composers such as Shostakovich and Britten.

Outside of work, Smith said, he likes music of his generation and some that his children have introduced him to, bands such as Wilco and The Decemberists. Growing up, he tried his hand at the guitar but said he didn’t think he was so good at it; he had friends who played better.

In Smith’s courtroom, a clerk uses a high-tech console to activate everything from case exhibits on video screens to audio for testimony. She also cues up the music selection.

Smith said the court building had its sound system redone in the last year. Speakers are embedded in wood in various locations.

Don’t expect a television legal-drama moment where an ominous soundtrack accompanies a perfectly scripted prosecutor delivering a speech which, in a real courtroom, might not get past the word “objection.” And there’s no way to make a bootleg recording; cell phones and recording devices are not allowed in federal courtrooms. The music lasts for what’s far from concert length.

But Smith said he’s heard enough of the current choices, so the soundtrack will change again soon. A clerk is bringing in new music. mmckinne@providencejournal.com  

(401) 277-7447

THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL / MARY MURPHY

Judge William Smith prefers to keep private sidebar conferences with lawyers to a minimum, but when they’re needed, he prefers to play classical music so jurors don’t hear.

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If you have questions about this posting or are interested in Divorce, Immigration, or Estate Law in RI or MA contact Massachusetts and Rhode Island Divorce Lawyer Rui P. Alves at 401-942-3100 or CONTACT him via email.

Marie Hartwell-Walker, Ed.D.GET UPDATES FROM MARIE HARTWELL-WALKER, ED.D. Divorced Parenting During the Holiday Season: Flexibility is the KeyPosted: 11/15/11 03:00 AM ETReactAmazingInspiringFunnyScaryHotCrazyImportantWeirdRead moreDivorce , Divorce Ho…

Progreso Latino provides local assistance to permanent residents in Providence, Central Falls, Pawtucket, Cranston and East Providence, in the form of wellness care and immigration programs. If you need the assistance of an Immigration Attorney in RI, …

A recent shooting at a Lowe’s store in NC that was linked to a domestic violence issue between a husband and wife, highlights the need for more control over workplaces and employees who may be victims of or dealing with domestic violence at home.

If you have been involved in domestic violence in RI of any kind, contact Alves Law at (401) 942-3100 or use the contact form HERE for more information.

Local employers to learn how to prevent domestic violence in the workplace

Melissa Hankins
September 21, 2011

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) – A stunning display of how domestic violence can spill over into the workplace occurred locally Monday night, leaving Lowe’s employees devastated.

A woman was working the register when her husband came in and shot her to death. Then, he killed himself.

“Oh, it was just absolutely heartbreaking. But it really highlights the reason we’ve been planning the summit for months now,” says Kelly Coyne.

Coyne works with United Family Services. The Charlotte non-profit will host a conference October 7th and 8th, designed to help businesses prevent tragedy.

“What’s really important for employers to know is that they have domestic violence victims that are already there,” Coyne says. “This isn’t something that happens to those people that work at those types companies. It is really prevalent at all companies.”

“Telling Amy’s Story” is a movie to be screened at the summit, and it tells the story of a woman murdered during her shift at Verizon. Her death inspired managers there to make huge changes.

“They have a fabulous domestic violence in the workplace policy and have really put their money and their training where their mouth is,” Coyne says.

Verizon gives employees time off to get restraining orders and other help, it provides conference rooms for conversations that can’t be held at home.

The company relocates workers if they need to move – the lists goes on, and it all benefits both victims and the company.

“If the compelling reason to save lives isn’t enough for an employer, it really impacts the bottom line. The Department of Labor estimate $5 billion dollars per year is lost to due to domestic violence,” Coyne says.

Statistics regarding domestic abuse in New York show that the “least safe place for a woman… is her own home.” With “44 percent” of them killed by a partner. If you are being abused, or are ready to leave an abusive relationship, contact an abuse helpline service or your local police before you do anything to ensure your own safety and the safety of the rest of your family.

And when you are ready to legally separate from the union, contact me for help at (401) 942-3100 or use the contact form HERE for more information.

I’m Establishing a Non-Profit to Offer Divorce Help to Abused Women
Jeff Landers

A few weeks ago, I ran across a truly jarring statistic, and I still can’t shake it from my thoughts.

Data collected by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice shows that, for the second year in a row, 44 percent of all women killed in New York were killed by an intimate partner.

As State Division of Criminal Justice Services acting commissioner Sean Byrne pointed out to WCBS, “That means the least safe place for a woman in New York State is her own home.”

Unfortunately, I’ve seen firsthand just how true this statement is. Over the years, I’ve been retained by quite a few women who, at the time, were in physically and/or mentally abusive relationships.

We all know that even under the best of circumstances, divorce is complicated and emotionally trying. For these women, though, the process is exponentially harder. Typically, they know very little about their family finances because controlling husbands are extremely secretive about financial matters. And, of course, women in abusive relationships live under the very real threat of physical violence if their husbands get angry and/or suspicious.

Many are simply frozen with fear. They’re terrified about their own safety and the safety of their children.

It’s something I’ve seen far too many times, and I’ve decided I’m going to do what I can to help. Currently, I am in the process of establishing a non-profit charity that will help abused women get the legal and financial advice they need to divorce their spouse.

After all, physical abuse is usually associated with what Jeffrey A. Friedman, Executive Director of The Retreat, calls “financial abuse.”

The Retreat, which is located in The Hamptons on Long Island, NY, is an organization that works to break the cycle of family violence while also providing safety, shelter and support for domestic abuse victims. As Jeff sees it, the correlation between physical and financial abuse is strong and can lead to long-term debilitating consequences.

“Domestic Violence is all about power and control,” he told me. “More often than not an abuser can control a victim by controlling the finances in the household. Money is the means that they can ensure financial dependence. Financial abuse can mean: preventing you from getting or keeping a job, having you to account for every penny spent, denying access to check book/account/finances, threatening to force you out of the house and make you homeless and demanding your paychecks. Financial abuse can have serious and long term effects. Victims can become trapped in a cycle of poverty, can experience unhealthy physical and psychological effects and feel hopeless and trapped in the abusive environment.”

Continued HERE

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If you have questions about this posting or are interested in Divorce, Immigration, or Estate Law in RI or MA contact Massachusetts and Rhode Island Divorce Lawyer Rui P. Alves at 401-942-3100 or CONTACT him via email.

FACTS: A Massachusetts mother who leaves the state for another part of the country, taking along the children in the middle of the night without any notice to father. Attorney Alves obtained an Emergency Order returning the children to the father, a…