Burns Legal & Political Affairs

01/10/2025

BLPA will be closed on Friday, January 10, 2025 due to the inclement weather. Stay safe!

04/04/2020

Just a quick message on the "shelter-in-place" directive, and its impact on Blount County visitation orders: As the local bar association president, I have spoken directly with both Judge Burns and Judge King, and they have indicated their preferences:

Judge King has indicated that he expects his visitation orders to be followed. He pointed out that the order from the state health officer allows for travel to visit relatives, and that the shelter-in-place should not be used as an excuse to not follow his visitation orders. His expectation is that all attorneys will advise their clients accordingly.

Judge Burns' approach is different for Juvenile Court and Child Support Court cases ONLY: prior to today's shelter-in-place, a Standing Order existed in ALL juvenile court cases involving DHR that effectively suspended visitation until further notice. However, today Judge Burns expanded that Standing Order to include ALL juvenile court cases and ALL child support ("CS") cases. She also indicated that parties currently exercising visitation that are scheduled beyond tomorrow night's 5:00 deadline are to terminate visits/exchange at 4:00 PM tomorrow, and be back in their homes by 5:00 per the Governor's orders.

The most important thing is that all parties behave like adults with a cooperative spirit in these difficult times. This crisis is not anyone's fault (locally anyway), and folks need to do everything that can to get along for the time being. there are enough things out there to worry about as it is. Please do your best to avoid confrontation or trouble with visitation during this time - both judges impressed on me that they would have ZERO TOLERANCE for parties that looked to exploit the shelter in place to gain advantage with custody or visitation. Thanks and be safe!

12/17/2015

Excited for the fine folks at the Campaign for To***co-Free Kids, and our allies at the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society American Lung Association, and a cast of countless others who are celebrating policy victories in the passage of the 2016 Federal Spending Bill. The omnibus bill was dropped late last night as Congress scrambles to meet the deadline to keep the Federal government functioning for a the 2016 fiscal year. The coalition worked hard to prevent big to***co from hijacking the budget bill with riders that would 1) carve out an exemption for certain ci**rs from FDA oversight, and 2) weaken the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and To***co Control Act by allowing new e-cigarette products to avoid pre-market review by the FDA. Big to***co pressed legislators hard to include these riders in the spending bill language, quite literally up until the eleventh hour last night. Specifically, the industry targeted the portion of the bill passing out of the Ag Appropriations subcommittee, chaired by Alabama's own Robert Aderholt. Chairman Aderholt is to be commended for his courageous stance in the face of pressure from the to***co industry as well as an internal party push from Republican leadership to include the riders. For years now, Chairman Aderholt has maintained a consistent stance in his objection to these clandestine tactics by big to***co. I appreciate the Chairman for taking time to talk to me on several occasions about the issue, and his subsequent, well-informed action on the topic.

11/16/2015

Very excited to have had my 3rd published case in 14 months on Friday, another appellate victory for a client. In this case, the AL Court of Civil Appeals overturned a trial court decision to change custody where no hearing was held and no evidence presented to indicate that the change in custody was in the best interest of the child. You can read the opinion here:

https://acis.alabama.gov/displaydocs.cfm?no=697325&event=4HQ0JW3GW

Appellate law is something I really enjoy - the research is fascinating, and crafting a compelling argument is a real challenge. Then the day comes when you get that notice in your in-box telling you that the Court has made a ruling - what a crazy adrenaline rush.

08/23/2015

With Alabama being one of the states with an early primary date this year, we're sure to see all of the candidates stumping here soon. Jada & I got a chance to visit with Scott Walker in Talladega yesterday. He's very relatable, and his successes in Wisconsin, a very blue state, are quite impressive. It's no wonder he's one of the hottest names in a crowded GOP field for 2016.

08/22/2015

At the Superspeedway in Talladega attending the AL GOP State Executive Committee Summer Meeting, listening to 2016 GOP Presidential hopeful, Scott Walker. Enjoyed his message.

08/19/2015

After experiencing and being subjected to some frustrating depositions tactics by opposing counsel of late, I came across this intriguing article in the Florida Bar Journal. Practitioners, please take note: not only is it bad form to instruct your client to not answer a question in a deposition, it may be grounds for sanctions. The discussion in the article centers around the relevant Florida Rules of Civil Procedure (1.310(c)) and Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (30(c)) language "Evidence objected to shall be taken subject to objections." Interestingly, Rule 30 (c) of the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure models this language verbatim. The only legitimate objections in a deposition are to "form" or "privilege." The most compelling point made in the text of the article or the decisions cited therein is in the opinion of the Court in Shapiro v. Freeman, 38 F.R.D. 308 (S.D.N.Y 1965), a bell-weather case on the issue: "It is not the prerogative of counsel, but the court, to rule on objections. Indeed, if counsel were to rule on the propriety of questions, oral examinations would be quickly reduced to an exasperating cycle of answerless inquiries and court orders." Enjoy.


http://www.floridabar.org/DIVCOM/JN/JNJournal01.nsf/76d28aa8f2ee03e185256aa9005d8d9a/6e9868100a6a059685256bdb006552f4?OpenDocument

02/14/2014

Glad to have spent some time with Governor Bentley "in chambers" with Judge Burns back in August while he was out on the Road to Economic Recovery Tour.

Gov. Robert Bentley on the Road to Economic Recovery tour in Blount County, Ala., August 13, 2013. (Governor's Office, Jamie Martin)

10/23/2012

Just want to take a second to remind everyone to get out and vote TODAY. Polls are open 7A-7P, and I would much appreciate your vote. I'd like to bring the same type of leadership and commitment to District 34 that I've displayed in helping clients out through my practice. Please get out and vote - I need every one I can get. And tell at least 10 others to go to the polls, too. THANKS!!! -Bill

09/14/2012

http://www.facebook.com/BillBurnsAlHouseDistrict34?ref=hl

It's time for the people of District 34 to stand up and say no to career-politicians and good-ol boys. We can't continue to elect the same people to public office and expect a different result. Vote for Bill Burns on Oct 23rd.

01/02/2011

Thanks to all that supported me in my first year of practice. I consider myself blessed to be able to practice in Blount County and to be able to work with so many great people. Looking forward to a great 2nd year in 2011.

09/24/2010

Thanks to my good friend Ellen Reynolds for sharing - so glad to see that Gov. Perdue is following through with this legislation that we worked so hard on passing in GA last year. This is fantastic news!

Students in Georgia will soon have to participate in an annual fitness assessment that will measure cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition.