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Making the Impossible, Possible   Video Transcribed: How do I adopt my stepchild? Hello, I'm Ty Smith, an OKC lawyer with Wirth Law. This is an important one. The courts really love to see kids get adopted. While there, of course, there are paperwork requirements that you would hire an attorney for, I tell people there are really three big requirements to adopting a … [Read more...] about How Do I Adopt My Stepchild in Oklahoma?

A DUI Could Be the End of the Road for Your CDL   Video Transcribed: Can a CDL driver maintain their CDL licensure after receiving or being convicted of a DUI? Hello, my name's Ty Smith, an Oklahoma lawyer with Wirth Law, and the answer is, it depends, but let's get into it. If you're convicted of a DUI, it doesn't matter if you were in your commercial motor vehicle, … [Read more...] about Can I Maintain My CDL after Getting a DUI in Oklahoma?

It Could Bring 5 Years to Life in Prison   Video Transcribed: What is possession with intent to distribute in Oklahoma? Hello, I'm Ty Smith, an OKC attorney with Wirth Law. This is an important one to know about because there's a misconception out there that there's a certain amount of drugs that you have to be in possession of to be charged with the intent to distribute. As … [Read more...] about What Is Possession with Intent to Distribute in Oklahoma?

Ranking the Risks   Video Transcribed: What does the drug schedule look like in Oklahoma? Hello, I'm Oklahoma lawyer Ty Smith with Wirth Law, and I'm here today to talk about this because it is important for you to know. You may accidentally be in possession of what the state considers a dangerous substance and be completely oblivious to this. Okay. A follow-up also to … [Read more...] about What Does the Drug Schedule Look Like in Oklahoma?

New Name, New You   Video Transcribed: Can I change my name in Oklahoma? Hello, I'm Ty Smith, a lawyer in OKC with Wirth Law. And the simple answer is yes if you jump through certain hoops and requirements. First off, you have to be a resident of Oklahoma. You have to file a petition with the court. You have to request a hearing. Before the judge is going to grant you … [Read more...] about Can I Change My Name in Oklahoma?

What Are Your Fourth Amendment Rights?   Video Transcribed: Can the police use surveillance equipment on my home? Hello, I'm Ty Smith, an Oklahoma City lawyer with Wirth Law. The answer is maybe. It depends. How's that for a lawyer answer for you? Depends on what equipment they're using. Before we even get into the type of equipment, I want you to keep this in mind. You … [Read more...] about Can the Oklahoma Police Use Surveillance Equipment on My Home?

Don’t Waste Time and Act Quickly Video Transcribed: So I just got served with divorce papers, what do I do now? Hey, I'm Ty Smith, an OKC lawyer with Wirth Law. My answer may not come as a surprise to many of you, but I'm going to tell you to go talk to an attorney. Because, and it's not just because I am an attorney. I've been doing this long enough to know that this … [Read more...] about What Do I Do if I Get Served Divorce Papers in Oklahoma?

It Is Also Known as Domestic Assault and Battery   Video Transcribed: Okay. So what's domestic violence in Oklahoma? Hello, I'm Ty Smith, a lawyer in Oklahoma with Wirth Law. And it's important that you know this both, as potentially if you're a potential victim of domestic violence and you're not sure whether you've just been the victim of it or if the state is looking to … [Read more...] about Domestic Violence in Oklahoma: Understanding the Charges and Penalties

A Main Difference Is How They’re Issued   Video Transcribed: Okay, let's do a real quick one. Is a bench warrant different from your standard arrest warrant? Hi, I'm Ty Smith, an Oklahoma City area attorney with Wirth Law. I'm only bringing this one up because I recently had a potential client come and call and add a question and he asks that exact question. And this one … [Read more...] about Is a Bench Warrant Different from an Arrest Warrant in Oklahoma?

There Has to Be Big Enough Evidence to Prove You Are Violent   Video Transcribed: Can an allegation of domestic violence affect your custody visitation rights with your kid? Hi, I'm Ty Smith, a lawyer in Oklahoma with Wirth Law, and we get this question a lot with people who have been accused of domestic violence with their former significant other. The short answer is … [Read more...] about Can Domestic Violence Affect Child Custody and Visitation Rights in Oklahoma?

Most of the Time It Involves Houses and Locations   Video Transcribed: Okay, so we've talked about what a warrant is. We talked about what an arrest warrant is. Now, what's a search warrant? Hello, I'm Ty Smith, an OKC attorney with Wirth Law, and a search warrant, as the name might suggest, is a judicial authorization to search for evidence of criminality at a given location … [Read more...] about What’s a Search Warrant in Oklahoma?

There Has to Be Enough Evidence for an Arrest Warrant   Video Transcribed: Okay, so we've previously spoken about warrants. Today let's talk about arrest warrants. Hello, I'm Ty Smith, a lawyer in Oklahoma City with Wirth Law, and I think arrest warrants are typically much more interesting for people to learn about because they involve the taking of a person and not just … [Read more...] about What is an Arrest Warrant in Oklahoma?

A Warrant Needs a Judge’s Authorization   Video Transcribed: So what the heck even is a warrant? Hi, I'm Ty Smith, an Oklahoma City attorney with Wirth Law, and this may seem like a relatively straightforward question. Many people who watch crime dramas like Law and Order and CSI are probably pretty familiar with what a warrant is. Some of you in the audience may be … [Read more...] about What's a Warrant in Oklahoma?

Battery Requires Physical Contact, While Assault Doesn’t   Video Transcribed: So, can I be charged with assault and battery? Hi, I'm Ty Smith, a lawyer in OKC with Wirth Law. And assault and battery, this is kind of a part two of the "What is assault" video I made previously. Now, assault and battery, I covered assault already in a previous video so you might want to go … [Read more...] about How Can I Be Charged with Assault and Battery in Oklahoma?

Assault Is Not an Action, It’s an Attempt   Video Transcribed: So can I be charged with assault? What about battery? What about both? Well, hi, I'm Ty Smith, an Oklahoma City attorney with Wirth Law, and we get this question a lot because there are a lot of misconceptions about what is assault, what's battery, and why am I charged with both. And we'll break this down a little … [Read more...] about How Can I Be Charged with Assault in Oklahoma?

It All Depends on the Child’s Best Interest   Video Transcribed: When does my child get to pick which parent he or she lives with? Hi, I'm Ty Smith, a lawyer in Oklahoma City with Wirth Law Office, and we get this question a lot in custody cases, cases in which folks are either divorced or were never together to begin with, but they have kids together. The kids are … [Read more...] about When Does My Child Get To Pick Which Parent They Want to Live With in Oklahoma?

You Could Be Charged with First-Degree or Second-Degree   Video Transcribed: Can I be charged with burglary? Hi, I'm Ty Smith, an attorney in OKC with Wirth Law, and we get this question a lot with individuals who come in and they've been accused of burglary by the state and they don't exactly understand the ins and outs of what's required of the state to prove for them to be … [Read more...] about How Can I Be Charged with Burglary in Oklahoma?

There Are Three Levels to the Sex Offender Registry   Video Transcribed: Can I be put on the sex offender registry for the crimes that I'm accused of? Hi, I'm Ty Smith, a lawyer in Oklahoma City with Wirth Law Office, and I'm here to answer a question that we get sometimes from individuals when they're accused of crimes that are sexual in nature in some way, and the Oklahoma … [Read more...] about Can I Be Put on the Sex Offender Registry for Crimes I’m Accused of in Oklahoma?

You Are Not Forced to Be with Your Spouse   Video Transcribed: Do I need a good reason to divorce my spouse? Hi, I'm Ty Smith, Oklahoma City Area Lawyer with Wirth Law. When people come into our office or call me, they ask me this question way more often than I thought people really should. The quick answer is, no, you don't need any reason at all to divorce your spouse. … [Read more...] about Do I Need a Good Reason to Divorce My Spouse in Oklahoma?

There Are Two Types of Sentencing   Video Transcribed: Hello, this is Ty Smith, Oklahoma attorney with Wirth Law, here for part five, and our final portion of this series, The Process of Being Convicted of a Crime in Oklahoma. Now, we are to the sentencing portion. Either we've pled guilty, or we've been found guilty in a trial, but either way, guilty is the way we're … [Read more...] about Crime Conviction Process Part V: What Types of Sentencing Are There in Oklahoma?

You Can Decide Which Trial You Want   Video Transcribed: Hi, I am Oklahoma attorney Ty Smith with Wirth Law. And now we are getting to part four of the process of being convicted, maybe, of a crime in Oklahoma. And this is where it gets really exciting. We've decided to take it to trial. This is the next step. If you haven't pled guilty to something at this point then … [Read more...] about Crime Conviction Process Part IV: What Are the Different Types of Criminal Trials in Oklahoma?

This Is Where You Announce How You Want to Plea   Video Transcribed: Hi, I'm Ty Smith, an Oklahoma City area lawyer with Wirth Law and this is part three of my little tutorial walkthrough of the process of being convicted of a crime in Oklahoma. Last time we talked a bit about the preliminary hearing and once more, that was only if you were being charged with a felony. But … [Read more...] about Crime Conviction Process Part III: What Is a Pretrial Docket in Oklahoma?

Plea Bargains Are Offered during This Phase   Video Transcribed: So what is the process of being convicted of a crime, part two? Hi, I am Ty Smith. I am an attorney in Oklahoma City. Last time we left off at the initial appearance and the arraignment. The next step after that is going to be what's called the preliminary hearing conference. At this point, you will have … [Read more...] about Crime Conviction Process Part II: What Is a Preliminary Hearing Conference in Oklahoma?

The First Step Is Being Arrested   Video Transcribed: So what's the process for being charged with a crime and ultimately maybe going to jail? Maybe. Hi, I'm Ty Smith, an attorney in Oklahoma City with Wirth Law. Even if you find yourself somewhat familiar with the criminal justice process, every little step along the way can sometimes be a bit confusing. Even if you're … [Read more...] about What Is the Process of Being Charged with a Crime in Oklahoma?

They Have Differences in Prison Time and Fines   Video Transcribed: What is a felony as opposed to a misdemeanor? Hi, I'm Oklahoma City lawyer, Ty Smith, with Wirth Law Office. I get this question a lot from people who have never watched Law & Order, or any other criminal shows, and of course have never been convicted of a crime themselves, which is great. Glad that … [Read more...] about What Is a Felony as Opposed to a Misdemeanor in Oklahoma?

Here Is Some Recent Good News for You   Video Transcribed: Do you have an outstanding warrant? Maybe one that's a couple of years old, and for a Class A offense, such as speeding, or maybe fooling around with a laser pointer. If so, we got good news for you. Hello, I'm Ty Smith, an Oklahoma attorney with Wirth Law. The Oklahoma City Council just voted to extend a … [Read more...] about Can I Get My “Class A” Offense Fine Reduced in Oklahoma City?

If You Bond Out, Judges May Think You Can Hire a Lawyer   Video Transcribed: When do I need to hire a criminal defense attorney? Hi, I'm Ty Smith, Oklahoma City criminal defense attorney with Wirth Law. This is a question that comes up a lot with people who are new to the criminal justice system, which is a good thing. You don't want to have a lot of interactions with the … [Read more...] about When Do I Need to Hire an Oklahoma Criminal Defense Attorney?

Divorce and Legal Separation Have Some Differences   Video Transcribed: Should I divorce my spouse or just legally separate from him? Hi, I'm Ty Smith, an attorney in Oklahoma City with Wirth Law Office. And a question we get a lot in client interviews, at least initial client interviews, should I divorce my spouse or just legally separate from him? The difference is small … [Read more...] about Should I Get a Divorce or Legally Separate from My Spouse in Oklahoma?

Comply if There Is a Warrant and Be Respectful   Video Transcribed: Okay. So what do I do when the cops show up to serve a warrant at my house? Hello, I'm Ty Smith, an Oklahoma City area attorney with Wirth Law, and the short answer is to comply with the warrant. Well, let's make sure they've actually jumped through all the necessary hoops before you just let them in your … [Read more...] about What Do I Do When the Oklahoma Police Show Up with a Warrant?