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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL Threads that seem at odds with each other Legal trends started by Genarlow Wilson opinion Dear Readers, Last week, I started to address the sad case of Genarlow Wilson, a 17 year -old young man sentenced to 10 years without parole, as a mini mum sen tence, for having consen sual oral sex with a 15-year old girl. Jim Rockefeller The “Law” man Changes made by the Georgia legislature did not apply to him which, today, would make the same activ ity a misdemeanor - a chasm of difference. The Georgia Supreme Court, humanely, found Wilson’s punishment “cruel Growing interdependent team members The best teams are not filled with well rounded people. Teams are well-rounded when filled with a variety of very capable people, each will ing to volunteer his or her unique capabili ties to Dennis Hooper Leaders Building Leaders accomplish the objectives of the team. Think of any successful team. Is it composed of indi viduals who all do the exact same thing to the same level of competency? Of course not. An orchestra requires more than violins! A foot ball team would never be successful with eleven wide receivers on the field. This past weekend, my pastor asked me to read the scripture relevant to his sermon. The passage, 1 Corinthians 12, refers to the various abilities provided by the Holy Spirit to a congre gation. An analogy is made to our physical bodies: “The eye can never say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you.’” So it is with your organi zation. You have objectives you want to accomplish with Foot problems can be serious Neuropathy is a condition that makes it hard for indi viduals to feel injuries or sore spots. Diabetes can damage nerves in your feet and also cause neu ropathy. Diabetes changes the blood flow mak ing the process of foot heal ing a slow Dr. Sarvepalli Jokhai The Foot Doctor one. Due to the slow healing process, minor problems of infection can quickly turn NOTICE OF SURPLUS SALE The Houston County Board of Education will conduct a surplus sale on November 19, 2007 from 1:00PM until 4:OOPM at 1701 Houston Lake Road, Perry, GA 31069. Items to be sold include vehicles, furniture and other equipment and supply items. Items will be for sale by written bid and/or by marked price. Property is as is, where is. There are no warranties. There is no preview of sale. Property may be inspected only on the day of sale during sale hours. ANY AND ALL BIDS SHALL BE ON HOUSTON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION BID FORMS. ALL BIDS MUST BE RECEIVED AT SALE SITE, NOT LATER THAN 3:30 PM, November 19, 2007. LATE BIDS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. THE HOUSTON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY AND/OR ALL BIDS. FURTHER, THE BOARD RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ACCEPT THE BID WHICH IN ITS OPINION IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. THE BOARD ALSO RESERVES THE RIGHT TO WITHDRAW ANY AND OR ALL PROPERTY FROM SALE. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. ITEMS SHALL NOT BE REMOVED FROM BOARD OF EDUCATION PROPERTY UNTIL PAYMENT IS RECEIVED BY THE BOARD. THE BUYER SHALL REMOVE PURCHASES FROM BOARD PROPERTY NOT LATER THAN THE DAY OF SALE. BUYER SHALL BEAR ALL COSTS FOR MOVING PROPERTY. and unusual” and threw out his conviction. Additionally, I mentioned that Judge Bryant Culpepper, Jr. (Bibb County) had recoiled from being forced to sentence a man 25 years in prison, without parole, for kidnap ping his girlfriend and her children (whom he did not even place in the car) and driving them to the inter state, so he could leave town. Culpepper used the same reasoning applied by the Supreme Court in the Wilson case to find this sentence was also “cruel and unusual.” This week, I want to look at the trend that might have been started by the Wilson opinion and the legal threads that seem at odds with each other. In Wilson’s case, the per verse issue was that the so the individuals you have available to you. And each individual has a variety of different capabilities. When I work with leader ship teams, we typically con duct two different assess ments. One of them deter mines natural talents. These aren’t talents like painting, singing, or dancing. These are naturally recurring pat terns of thought, feeling, or behavior that can be produc tively applied. You might characterize these patterns as “person ality traits,” and they are likely not going to change, no matter how much train ing or feedback you provide to the individual. For example, let’s con trast two ways of relating to people. You may prefer deep relationships with a few close friends. You want to Understand your friends’’* feelings, goals, fears, arid dreams, and you want them to understand yours. Someone else on your team may prefer the challenge of meeting a large number of new people, learning their names, and asking them a few questions to find areas of common interest. Both talents have a place in most organizations. Can you see how your team would be limited if every person preferred one extreme or the into major problems of infec tion leading to the hospital. Listed below are the signs that foot problems can include: H Red spots, blisters, corns, or calluses Hi Drainage on your sock fH Dry, cracked, or scaly COMPREHENSIVE HEARING HEALTHCARE U 1 Sheri Marshall M.S. I.ia-iiscd ~iij>isl Hearing Associates, Inc. 302 Margie Drive, Warner Robins, GA S HIGHLY DEDICATED AND EXPERIENCED STAFF s DOCTORS REFER TO US OFTEN / COMBINED AUDIOLOGIST EXPERIENCE OF 50 YEARS called “Romeo and Juliet” changes made in 2006 (to provide for more lenient treatment of consensual sex ual activity and exploration between teenagers) were not made “retroactive” by the Georgia Legislature. When laws are made, they general ly only apply “prospectively” - or to case from that point forward - and not “retroac tive” to past sentences. This is especially true for criminal laws. Thus, a person convict ed after a date a law is made effective is treated different ly, be it more or less harsh ly, than those before. This meant that Wilson had to continue to serve his draco nian sentence, even if today; the same deeds would only result in a misdemeanor. The Georgia Supreme Court could not let this dis other? Each ability has value for the team, and the great est value occurs when each person’s talent is applied in an appropriate role. The other assessment we conduct measures the degree of competency each individual has in a variety of leadership attributes, such as listening, business acu men, delegation, and con flict management. No leader has superb competency in all of the attributes. Yet all these skills are learnable. Any individual can improve these skills with the proper education and practice. So what does this all mean for your leadership team? First, as Jim Collins writes in Good to Great, “get the right people on the bus.” Further, the “right person has more to do with charac ter traits and innate capa f'biljties than with specific knowledge, background, and skills'?’ Then, with the right people in the right roles, encourage each to build their skills in areas that you and they agree will better equip them for their roles. There is no rea son to be theoretical about this - research shows that the best development occurs right on the job. Which existing strengths should be enhanced to provide great er satisfaction and results? skin Hi Thick, yellow, or ingrown toenails ■ Slow-healing sores HI A tingling, cold, or burning sensation Hi Numbness | Red streaks or changes in skin color y FULL DIAGNOSTIC TESTING S' HEARING AID MANAGEMENT “Better Hearing For Better Living” 478-953-2705 Mon. - Frl. 9-5 ♦ Open 1 Sat, per Mo. by Appt. OPINION tinction stand. It concluded that this failure to fully “fix” the problem - imprisoning teenagers for at least 10 years for consensual sex - created an unbearable ineq uity, and was an affront to our Constitution. However, in doing so, the majority found itself noting, paradoxi cally, that while the legis lature clearly felt this was wrong, by the “Romeo and Juliet” provisions the legisla ture could be ignored for not choosing to fix the problem retroactively. Why would judges do this, e.g., overrule legislatures? Because things have gotten out of control. Starting with the State of New York, led by Gov.r Nelson Rockefeller, legislatures throughout the country have passed laws requiring mandatory sen And which limitations are impeding current success? These questions define the predominant focus of any development effort. Your objective is an inter dependent team, composed of confident, capable play ers. Each individual knows the abilities and interests of each other team member. Individuals willingly vol unteer for challenges they know they can handle. The other team members encour age their stepping forward, complimenting their willing ness and achievements. Egos exist, but they are stroked by appreciative team mem bers who put the success of the team ahead of personal pride. Dennis Hooper helps lead ers build leaders for the future. Contact Dennis at dhooper2@juno.com or at 478-988-0237. Joseph Stephen Lomboy, MD HAPPY THANKSGIVING BHii' ?■ mm?' ;?■ ; , ' Joseph Lomboy, MD Board Certified in Internal Medicine Annrllr R. Peppard All. l>. Doctor of Audiology (478) 987-7444 Clinic Hours: Monday - Wednesday, Friday 8:30 - 5:30 pm Thursday. Saturday 8:30 -12 noon ACCEPT MOST INSURANCE. NEW PATIENTS WELCOME. 56501 South Hduston Internal Medicine, LLC 1031 Keith Drive Suite B Perry, GA31069 Open Saturdays •Arthritis •Asthma •Cholesterol Management •Diabetes •Dementia •Emphysema •Heart Disease •Hospice SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2007 ♦ tences, taking away judi cial discretion to mete out an appropriate sentence. Recently, judges, even the current conservative United States Supreme Court, have been “pushing back.” There is a sense that legislatures are passing politically popu lar strict sentencing laws, without regard for the indi vidual. Is this a good development, judges challenging legisla tures? Some would say not, because it smacks of disre garding the will of the peo ple. Yet, the reality is that a sentencing decision is a dif ficult one requiring balance and wisdom ... both of which are lacking from mandatory sentencing provisions. We see the dark side of nonjudicial robotic sentenc ing with Wilson having his Assessing Your Leadership Skills -SBS/person- A ' Transportation to ATLANTA W HARTSFIELD AIRPORT 8-10 TRIPS DAILY \ For reservations tall -VIP SHUTTLE @°tt 478-922-6677 OR 478-822-9643 1 discount coupon per passenger • Expires 12:31-07 \gj ; •Minor Surgeries •Nursing Home •Preventive Care •School Physical •Stroke •Women's Health •Advanced Wound Care •Hypertension life nearly ruined for youth ful indiscretion; we also see such a ham-handed result in someone being sentenced to 25 years in prison for tak ing people in a car, merely to have directions out-of-town. In both of these instances, a little judicial discretion can go a long way towards achiev ing a just result; something our elected officials rarely consider. Local attorney Jim Rockefeller owns the Rockefeller Law Center and is a former Houston County Chief Assistant District Attorney, and a former Miami prosecutor. E-mail confidential legal questions to ajr@rockefellerlawcenter. com. Visit www.rockefeller lawcenter.com for Frequently Asked Questions and Jim’s blog, The Rockefeller Report. F. Dennis Hooper Certified Leadership Development Coach Building leaders and organizations of excellence (478) 988-0237 Am fm i m I ill JhH BPlr Marietta Lomboy. ANP. CWCN Adult Nurse Practitioner 5A 543,18 dhooper2@juno.com w ■ 55629’ 56370