Justice of the Peace
Newsletter
NOVEMBER 2006
It's not too late (but almost)! Please come
to the
In This
Issue:
CONNECTICUT JUSTICE OF THE PEACE CONFERENCE
$30 for www.jpUS.org members, $35 for non-members As wonderful a program as we had last year (and have planned for the
conference coming up THIS Saturday), JPs who attended last year's conference
will tell you that the best part of the day was meeting and talking with
other JPs. This year there will be even more opportunities to do
just that. Starting with a continental breakfast, you'll mingle with
colleagues at round tables during the morning program in the
Constitution Room in Memorial Hall. After lunch, everyone will take a
short walk across the green to the Student Center, where they
participate in two breakout
sessions. This year, discussion groups will be smaller and
more intimate. Each group will have its own room and everyone will have the opportunity to share their thoughts on the topic.
Breakout Session Topics:
Civil Unions Workshop, JP Primer for Newbies, Marketing Your Services, A
Year of Civil Unions, Cultural and Religious Traditions in Your Ceremony, Pricing Your Services. Register Now and choose
your Breakout Sessions. Share your experiences on any of these topics. Send to:
newsletter@jpus.org CONNECTICUT JP CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FORM
I
will attend the JP Conference on Nov. 18, 2006. Enclosed is my check for $
______.
First
Name
(for nametag) _____________________
Last Name ____________________________ Address
__________________________Town/City ___________________
State
_____
Zip_______ Phone
________________________
Email
____________________________________
Please indicate your preference for both Breakout Sessions.
Session A: 1:15 - 2:10: Mark your choice. A. Civil Unions Workshop
B. JP Primer for Newbies
D. Marketing Your Services
Session B: 2:15 - 3:10: Mark your choice. E. A Year of Civil Unions
F. Cultural and Religious Traditions in Your Ceremony
H. Pricing Your Services
Please mail with check to: Justice of the
Peace Association • 8 Webb Road • Westport CT 06880
Directions to CCSU are at
http://jpus.org/conferencedirections.htm
and will be emailed upon confirmation.
Please let us
know if you prefer not to receive this Newsletter
CT JP Conference
In the News
A Friday the 13th Wedding
JPs Q and A
When a JP Moves
"Sharing
Concerns, Building Community"
Constitution Room in Memorial Hall
Central Connecticut State University
New Britain, Connecticut
Date:
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Time:
9:30 a.m. to 3
p.m.
(Registration
from 8:30 a.m.)
At the door: $40 for all.
Fee includes admission to all program events, continental breakfast
and a catered lunch.
In the Vendor area at the Student Center, there will be books on wedding and civil union ceremonies for sale as well as new designs in robes and
stoles and other merchandise especially for Justices of the Peace. All
this in addition to our great speakers: Susan Bysiewicz, Secretary of
the State of Connecticut, on The State of the Connecticut JP;
Harland Henry, Director of Community Outreach,
on JPs as a Small
Business; Elizabeth Frugale, Registrar of Vital Records, Dept. of
Public Health, with an Update on civil unions. A special
guest will be Hans Maurer, Fraud Prevention Manager from the U.S.
Department of State. He has fascinating (and sometimes heartbreaking)
stories about marriage as a means to enter this country illegally. We expect several Town Clerks to also attend the
Conference, with answers to your Frequently Asked Questions.
Online at
www.jpUS.org/conferenceregister.htm#form.
Or print and mail the form at the bottom of this newsletter.
Well, maybe not hundreds!
JP conference grows
By: Francine Maglione, Herald Staff 11/11/2006
New Britain Herald - New
Britain,CT,USA
One year after Connecticut legalized civil unions, justices of
the peace are more popular than ever.
On Nov. 18, hundreds of justices of the peace will converge on
Central Connecticut State University to attend the second annual
Justice of the Peace Conference. ...
READ MORE
In the News
7 of 8 States Approve Gay Marriage
Ban
On November 7, only Arizona voters refused to approve a ballot
initiative outlawing same-sex marriage. The other states with
similar propositions all approved measures supporting traditional
marriage. The
states are: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Rutland Vermont JP Write-ins Fail
By: Brent Curtis, Rutland Herald Staff 11/9/2006
More than 4,800
votes for Republican justice of the peace candidates were written
in on the Rutland ballot Tuesday.
But in the end, the Democratic candidates won by landslide
margins.
Republican candidates for the 15 justice of the peace positions in the
city were left off the ballot because of an oversight in September
when the party's leadership failed to hold a caucus to choose
candidates. About half of the candidates were incumbents.
READ MORE
Q:
What happens when a JP moves out of the town where s/he was
appointed? Can s/he still perform ceremonies?
A:
Last month, Elizabeth Frugale, CT's Registrar of Vital
Records, answered this question with a No, explaining: "The JP is nominated or appointed by the
town in which s/he lives....so if s/he moves out of that
town ....the JP appointment is forfeited."
Other states have
different rules.
JP Sally
Masters of Easthampton, MA, informs us: "In
Massachusetts, even if a JP moves out of the town for which they
were appointed, their commission remains in effect until the
expiration date. At that time, they would have to reapply for
the new town."
And from Roberta Wilkins of Nashua, NH: "In New
Hampshire, as long as you live in NH, you can perform your
duties."
New Jersey Courts Grant Marriage Equality
On Oct. 25, 2006, the New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously ruled
that same-sex couples and their families have a constitutional
right to the same benefits and protections as heterosexual
married couples.
The court gave the
Legislature 180 days to adopt legislation to comply.
Options for the legislature include amending state
marriage laws to include gay couples (considered unlikely) or
providing for civil unions, as in Connecticut and Vermont. New Jersey already has a domestic partner law that provides
some protections to gay couples.
Idea for a Friday the 13th Wedding?
The groom wore black.
So did the bride, and most of the wedding
attendees.
Even John E. Mehfoud, a local justice of the peace who conducted
the ceremony, had to chuckle when he mentioned the couple's
wedding date in their vows "on this day, Friday the 13th," which
also happens to be Jessie's birthday.
Well Wishes for Rita Katona, Wallingford CT JP
$30 for www.jpUS.org members, $35 for non-members.
(At the door: $40 for all.)
For
further information: 203-226-1710 or Email: conference@jpUS.org
Saul Haffner saulhaffner@jpus.org