Erection Bill…On the Rise?

01/27/2026 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

It’s back. Senate Bill 2088 – “Contraception Begins at Erection Act.”

It shall be unlawful for a person to discharge genetic material without the intent to fertilize an egg.

Upon conviction of a violation of this section, a person shall be fined as follows, and the fine shall be payable to the woman whose egg was fertilized as a result of the act:

One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) for a first offense;

Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) for a second offense; and

Ten Thousand Dollars (10,000.00) for a third or subsequent offense.

This section shall not apply to the discharge of genetic material:

(a) Donated or sold to a facility for the purpose of future procedures to fertilize an egg; and

(b) Discharged with the use of a contraceptive or contraceptive method intended to prevent fertilization of an egg.

This “Bill” is dead on arrival, but it is thought-provoking.

It makes it illegal to fertilize an egg without the intent to fertilize it. Recreational intercourse is outlawed by this bill! No exceptions for marriage or otherwise. And to guarantee its failure the fine goes to the woman that was impregnated! You know the Government is going to always get their$!

Its ultimately a harmless bill intended to shine some light on perceived gender inequalities

Matthew Thompson is family law attorney and gets a chuckle out of bills such as this.

Child Support, General Legal, Opinion

Non-Custodial Parent’s Bill of Rights; DHS, Child Support and Making You Pay

01/22/2026 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Interestingly, Mississippi passed the Foster Parent’s Bill of Rights in 2023. This session, 2026, proposes a Non-Custodial Parent’s Bill of Rights.

The Noncustodial Parents’ Bill of Rights and Responsibilities which shall be provided to all noncustodial parents.

The Department of Human Services shall extend the following rights to noncustodial parents:

(a) Advance notification of all hearings concerning proposed modifications of child support;
(b) Advance notification concerning the representation of the noncustodial parent in court proceedings, which does not require an attorney;
(c) That the noncustodial parent shall have the same rights as the custodial parent concerning the receipt of any notification;
(d) Advance notice of information regarding scheduled meetings concerning the child;
(e) Advance notice of all meetings concerning all the agency’s crucial decisions regarding the child; and
(f) The ability to communicate with department personnel or representatives twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week, for the purpose of aiding the noncustodial parent.

This is not a sea-change, nor profound. The non-custodial parent is already entitle to notice, the right to counsel, the right to information, notice of meetings and decisions. The last item, the ability to communicate 24/7 seems unreasonable, but maybe that just means you can leave a message or send an email. Who knows?

Non-custodial parents already have rights! **Of note, there has yet to pass a Parent’s Bill of Rights in Mississippi law** However, even without that, parent’s have a fundamental right, guaranteed by the US Constitution to raise their child as they see fit.

Matthew Thompson is custody attorney in Mississippi and has represented hundreds of moms and dads in family courts throughout the state.

Divorce

Will Irretrievable Breakdown Breakthrough in 2026?!?

01/21/2026 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Senate Bill 2029, ( Sen. Brice Wiggins) proposes some common-sense change to Mississippi Family Law…for the umpteenth time in the last 20 years.

This Legislation proposes to add a 13th ground.

“Thirteenth. Upon application of either party, the court may grant a divorce when the court finds there has been an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage and that further attempts at reconciliation are impractical or futile and not in the best interests of the parties or family.“

This change would bring Mississippi in-line with 48 other states and Puerto Rico, all having true No-Fault divorce laws.

The other piece of this legislation eliminates the willful and obstinate aspects for abandonment and only requires “Continued * * * desertion for the space of one (1) year.”

But I am entitled to a divorce if I want one, right? NO, Financial/divorce blackmail is legal in Mississippi under its current law.

Mississippi does NOT have a no-fault divorce option. Either you have fault grounds or an agreement to all issues and if you have neither of those, you cannot get a divorce in Mississippi.

These are common-sense changes in MS family law and would actually prevent protracted litigation and messy, expensive contests.

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney and reminds you this Bill is contrary to the divorce attorney’s best interests and I am in support of these changes!

Adoption, Child Custody, General Legal, Opinion

Proposed ban on Sharia Law in Family Law in Mississippi; a Solution looking for a Problem.

01/20/2026 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

It’s that time of year again. Proposed law/legislation is being kicked around by the State Legislature.

House Bill No. 11, proposed by Representative Arnold, seeks “TO PROHIBIT THE APPLICATION OF SHARIA LAW IN DIVORCE AND
CHILD CUSTODY CASES; TO AMEND SECTION 11-63-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CLARIFY THE PROHIBITION AGAINST USE OF SHARIA LAW IN COURT ORDERS.”

To date, this scribe is unaware of any Court’s using, applying or considering Sharia law in the State of Mississippi, as same would be contrary to the MS Constitution anyway.

Of interest, the Bill includes that a Mississippi Court “shall not enforce a foreign law that violates the Mississippi Constitution, any laws of this state, the United States Constitution, any laws or ratified treaties of the United States and the territories of the United States * * *.”

The Bill likewise bars enforcement of ” (b) Any order by a court, arbitrator, administrative agency or other adjudicative, mediation or enforcement authority that seeks to enforce foreign law in violation of paragraph (a) of this subsection (2) shall be void.”

So far, it’s basically saying MS Court’s will not honor foreign laws or Orders that violate MS law or Constitutional law or are based on factors contrary to MS law/US Constitutional considerations. Makes sense.

However, the Bill includes one other tidbit that could prove to have unintended consequences, “In Sections 11-7-301 through 11-7-309 “foreign judgment” means any judgment, decree or order of a court of the United States * * *. The term “foreign judgment” shall not mean
or include any judgment, decree or order from any jurisdiction outside of the United States or its territories, or any judgment from another state or territory of the United States that applies law from a jurisdiction outside of the United States or its territories.

This last paragraph seems to invalidate any “foreign judgment” that was not secured within the U.S.

Why do you care? Is that foreign Adoption, which is a Judgment, valid?

That “foreign” quickie Divorce in Haiti or the Dominican Republic? Are they valid?

Up and until this Bill, Mississippi and the United States have routinely recognized foreign judgments IF they were obtained in a procedural and substantive manner consistent with that foreign entities jurisdiction and law. This is called Comity and it’s a necessary legal concept.

Does HB. No. 11 unintentionally seek to overturn Comity? I argue that it certainly may and that’s no laughing matter!

Matthew Thompson is a Family law attorney and has handled multiple matters that involve foreign decrees and clients from all over the world.

Food Related, humor, Opinion

Club Spud: a Baked Potato for Meal

01/19/2026 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

I do food reviews for most of the restaurants that I dine at.

I take photos, write and post reviews of the food, the service and atmosphere.

They are honest reviews, but I look for positive things to say. These are posted on Google Maps.

When you are looking for a place to eat in your area the google map brings up restaurants and has reviews related thereto.

I recently reviewed a place in Arkansas that served a baked potato that I described as microwaved. They responded it was not microwaved and asked how do I suggest they make it better?

I decided to make a better potato. Introducing the Club Spud…

Scrubbed clean so you can eat the skin if you so desire.

Poked with a fork so they don’t “explode” and will cook faster.

Salted w fresh ground, pink Himalayan salt.

Baked in the air fryer. It’s just a convection oven.

It’s ready. Splitting them for stuffing.

Pats-o-butter. Real Land-o-Lakes butter.

To be Toppings; Colby jack, white American cheeses, smoked, shaved turkey and bacon!

Air-fried until melty and bacon pieces added.

The potato was soft and creamy. The skin was just crisp and salty. The toppings were hot and melty with a bacon crunch.

This was a proper Club Spud.

Enjoy!

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney and his back up plan if law school didn’t work out was culinary school.

Divorce

It’s time for candidates to qualify for Judicial elections.

01/09/2026 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

Jan. 2, 2026 – Feb. 2, 2026, are the start and end dates for certain Judicial positions to be eligible to be on the ballot come November.

These elections include Circuit Judges and Chancery Court Judges.

Circuit Judges hear criminal cases and car wrecks and personal injury type cases.

Chancery Judges hear divorces, custody, adoptions, wills and land disputes.

(there are other legal areas, respectively, but these are the broad strokes.)

The Mississippi Secretary of State has a current listing of candidates, qualification requirements and deadlines.

See the current listing here and it is updated daily. https://www.sos.ms.gov/node/1825

Some races will be interesting with multiple candidates in open seats and some with incumbents!

Matthew Thompson is a civil litigation attorney in Mississippi and reminds you good lawyers know the law, great lawyers know the Judge!

Divorce

Some “Crazy” Mississippi Laws…Cat Meat For Sale.

12/22/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

It is illegal to sell cat meat in Mississippi for human consumption.

MS Code § 97-27-19

If any person shall sell or offer for sale as human food, the flesh of any animal which shall have died a natural death, or been killed or injured by any accident; or shall sell, or offer for sale, or ship for sale, as human food, the flesh of any diseased animal, or of any dog, cat, or other like unclean animal, such person shall be fined, on conviction, not less than one hundred dollars and imprisoned not less than thirty days.

Maybe this one isn’t so crazy…

Happy Holidays!!

Matthew Thompson is a family law attorney in Mississippi and is grateful for the farmers/cattlemen and chicken farmers throughout the State!!

General Legal

Thanksgiving Roots…

11/27/2025 BowTieLawyer Leave a comment

The roots of Thanksgiving celebrations began when President Washington called for a civic celebration to unify Americans in the shared blessings of freedom in 1789.

He called upon our Creator to “render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed.”

Seven decades later, factional divisions split Americans into Civil War.

In 1863, Lincoln issued a proclamation to celebrate Thanksgiving Day on the last Thursday of November.

For years leading up to President Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation, a prominent author, Sarah Josepha Hale, lobbied for a national day of thanksgiving to unify Americans. She advocated for the holiday to become an “American custom and institution.”

Just a few months following the Battle of Gettysburg, the deadliest battle of the Civil War, President Lincoln signed the proclamation to implore “the Almighty Hand” to help “heal the wounds of the nation.”

Happy Thanksgiving!!🦃🍁