Title: Elaborations/ Clarifications on the Mike Brown verdict.

Question:
Final edit +14hrs

[Thanks /u/DaSilence! that solves that! It literally only took all day.](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2nd02u/elaborations_clarifications_on_the_mike_brown/cmd3wec)

I was under the impression that because Officer Wilson chose to confront Brown without back up, the criteria for exigent circumstance were not met creating jeopardy. CitiCop somewhat alluded to this above and I've been reading all day trying to find a similar circumstance where the actions of a reasonable officer led to an unnecessary application of lethal force. Research has been difficult in that there aren't many instances of officer being indicted to begin with. Fewer still in the last decade.

I further think it's important that subtle legalese concepts like Jeopardy and exigent circumstance be included in the national discussion. Texas  killed a handicapped man in driveway a few years ago and there's another case of an officer killing an unarmed handicapped man in park (that case I believe is still up in the air).

With the recent perception of officers applying deadly force and a national dialog addressing these concerns, the vocabulary is absent from the discussion. Persons framing the arguments for and against these instances seemingly operate under the assumption that the public fully grasps these somewhat obscure concepts.

Going one further, the attitude of this subreddit went hostile as soon as a layman approached seeking clarification. Stifling discussion and berating those seeking nuanced explanations is outright abominable. I had thought otherwise and was disappointed.

It's fairly clear what Shakespeare was on about with "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers."

What a collection of insufferable asses. Goodness gracious Palomino, somebody call the law.

_________________________________

start. 0700.
I find it odd the Grand Jury didn't allow the incident to go to trail and I feel the public was omitted from very important processes that determine how we are policed. Understanding that an indictment does not levy guilt or innocence but only that there is sufficient data to take it to trail.
_________________________

in consideration:

>A term for exacerbating danger, by failing to utilize "time, talk and tactics," is "officer-created jeopardy."  Some researchers have even suggested that "hasty cops who force confrontations with emotionally disturbed persons and who consequently must shoot them to escape uninjured have used unnecessary force."  Whether excessive or not, in the final analysis, no reasonable officer should want to use any force, deadly or otherwise, if there is the alternative of taking the time to talk and exercise other options.

[ref:](http://www.policemag.com/channel/patrol/articles/2000/03/handling-the-mentally-ill-there-are-no-shortcuts-for-officers/page/2.aspx)

The fact that it didn't go to trial is telling in and of itself. The incident looked like 'Officer Created Jeopardy' from every perspective and yet nowhere in any media anywhere has it been addressed. The term itself isn't used very often outside of LEO circles and law offices and I'd be interested in hearing how the practicality of such a directive evades the public conversation on officer involved shootings.

Can anyone explain to me how the Mike Brown case wasn't Officer Created Jeopardy? In reviewing the evidence as provided by one of the local radio stations, it's all but inarguable that the neighborhood was known for crime, often violent of gang related. Is it unreasonable to suggest that a peace officer would exercise a reasonable amount of caution?

In high crime areas, patrol officers are often paired. Those not paired often call for assistance before interacting with the public. I find it suspect that a city with resources enough to provide MRAPs and other varieties of military-grade hardware would limit personnel due to budgetary constraints.

further reading on OCJ:

http://www.lesc.net/blog/officer-created-jeopardy-reduce-it-strategic-and-tactical-mind

http://www.itoa.org/training_model/ITOA_NEWS_the_illinois_model_series_l_Hayes.pdf       (page 13)

More data available but I'm confident you guys likely have better resources than I.

(edited for the sake of the Bot: I am in Texas/ 75075)
__________________________

downvoted to shit... is there a better place to put these questions?

Answer:
 > In high crime areas, patrol officers are often paired.

STLMPD *sometimes* rides two to a car.

I am unaware of any other local agencies which do- it's nearly cost prohibitive.

How should the officer have reacted in your opinion?

Cite a source for "those paired often call for assistance before interacting with the public."

Because on most routine matters (like moving people out of the middle of the street) that's not true at all and would be a waste of resources.

> I find it suspect that a city with resources enough to provide MRAPs and other varieties of military-grade hardware would limit personnel due to budgetary constraints.

Ferguson has NONE of that equipment. If it's your position that they do, please cite a source.

From my understanding of the apparent chain of events, Officer Wilson does not seem to have violated standard procedures in most departments.
Answer #2: Failure to use appropriate police tactics is not a crime. Failure to exercise caution with regard to one's own personal safety is not a crime. Since these things are not crimes, Mike Wilson could not be charged with them, and thus no grand jury could indict him for them.

Like many people, you seem to believe that "crime", "unlawful act", and "thing the police oughtn't do" all mean the same thing. They do not.


Title: I may accidentally sexted with a minor and I’m scared for my life

Question:
I’m a bisexual man and I have been quite lonely of late. To make it clear I am 20 Years Old. I wanted to meet new people and I didn’t know where else to go so I went to omegle chat. I was sifting through people and I skipped right past anybody that was underage. I found a 3-4 guys that were over the age of 18, as they claimed. And sexted with I believe about two of them on kik. Now I have no idea if they are minors. They both 100000% told me that they were over the age of 18. We stopped sexting and that was it. But my anxiety is kicking me hard. I’m worried that maybe one of the minors wasn’t over 18. I feel like such a fucking idiot honestly. Again I never got a confirmation. That they were under 18 so I technically have nothing to worry about yet I’m still worried. The pictures that were sent to me were never. I’m scared shitless. What should I do? Are the cops on their way?
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 > They both 100000% told me that they were over the age of 18. We stopped sexting and that was it.

Stop worrying.

And frankly, seek medical help for your anxiety - you may be better off learning how to handle such situations without being scared and wondering if they cops are on the way.

Since they are not on the way.


Title: Dispute Over Walkway Between Two Separate Properties

Question:
Background: At one point in time, my father owned a lot in CA. On this property there were two homes that he both owned. Several years ago, the lot was divided into two, with one half being sold. My father still lives on one half, and another family bought the other half of the lot and lives there.

My father's property is on the street side, while the home on "the back"  lot sits adjacent to an alley. The only access the back house has to the street is via a small walkway along the edge of the property that passes through my father's backyard and past the side of his house. There is, of course, access to the alley from the house in the back house.

The Dispute: My father took issue with the family in the back using this walkway through his property. He has since blocked anyone from using this path from the street to the back house by locking a couple gates that sit on the path. He states that since it's his property, and he pays taxes on it, he has the right to block this path, preventing anyone from using the path. He insists that their entrance is in the alley, and they should be using the alley to get into their home.

The family in the back house insist that they have a legal right to this pathway as a means of traveling from the street to their home and vice versa, and shouldn't be forced to only use the alley as their main entrance.

Who is right in this situation? Does my father have the right to blockade the path? Or does the home in the back have legal access to this path?

Edit: As requested, [here is a simple diagram](http://imgur.com/V91Vpek)

Edit 2: I should add that for a long time, my father passively allowed them use of the path. By that I mean he never told they could or could not, they just used it. At a certain point, the party on the back lot decided to make their own changes to the walkway (i.e. having a crew come over and start paving it) without my father's consent. He ordered them off the property and since then this path has been a point of contention.

Answer:
 If there is an easement, they cannot be prevented from using the path. That easement may either be explicit when the land was split or created by prescription. The fact that your father allowed them to use the road without explicit permission works against him. Depending on how long this situation has existed, they may have a prescriptive easement they can enforce in court.Answer #2: IANAL but you should provide a shitty MS paint diagram of the situation. This sub goes nuts over these types of situations.

As a a sidenote, purely from what I've learned lurking in this sub, I'd be surprised if your father was required to provide access through his property when the other plot already has reasonable and legal access to the road unless he agreed to an easement of some sort. I'll leave the specifics to real lawyers.Answer #3: If they have road access through the alley then there is no way they qualify for an easement across his property.
He has every right to lock them out of his yard.
They would have to get a court order for the easement which they wont get since they have access to the road through the alley.

Only if they are landlocked would they need easement access.
It sounds like they are just being lazy about using the alleyway for access and just want to take a shortcut through his yard.


Title: Unintentionally brought a gun through TSA screenpoint. Need advice

Question:
Hey guys, before I begin I know that I made a mistake. Every gun owner thinks they are a responsible gun owner and I never had to think I wasn’t until this instance. I made an honest mistake, very early in the morning when I was running late. I agree that I should be penalized but I don’t want this to ruin my life.

A few days ago I was issued a summons for Carrying a Concealed Weapon - F4  2923.12

The incident happened a couple months ago where I forgot my handgun in my backpack at Cleveland International. I have a CCW permit for the state of OH and carry primarily for work. I drive a pretty nice work vehicle with expensive equipment through some tough areas and stay in hotels constantly. That morning I was running late for a early morning flight and I thought I had already put the handgun in my trucks center console and locked the center console before leaving it. Unfortunately it was still in the bottom of my bag, I had forgotten to make the switch while I was packing my bag.

Fast forward to TSA, my bag was pulled for additional screening and they brought 4 people to assist. They started asking me in depth questions about my plans and my work and the bag. I was completely unaware but figured it was a slow morning for them. Finally the person checking my bag Indicated to a colleague whatever they were looking for was near the bottom. I mentioned that one of the pockets was very deep and  they pulled my handgun out of the aforementioned pocket. This is where my bad day starts.

Everyone gets very tense and I back away from the gun. I calmly tell them that the gun was a mistake and show them my Ohio CCW. That puts everyone at relative ease. Everyone is very calm and they clear my weapon and take photos of the gun and my ID and CCW. I ask the TSA officer what happens and they say that I have to go with police but since I have my CCW the TSA will only give me civil penalties, i.e. fines. Cleveland PD is present and I’m brought to their offices in the airport. (They walked me through the terminals with my gun in a gallon zip lock bag with the ammunition inside, no handcuffs just lots of heavy stares) I make my statement and I’m put in a holding cell to await the FBI.

FBI guy shows up. Incredibly calm, very understanding. Says it happens all the time and I’m lucky that the laws changed a few year ago so that I wasn’t put in jail. Asks me some questions, determined in just a normal guy who made a mistake and assured me that I’ll probably only have to pay TSA fines. He tells me that he has to pass my case onto the Attorney General but that he’s confident nothing will ever come of it. He releases me to Cleveland PD who walks me outside of security so I can start all over again.

Back to the beginning- the state of Ohio is charging me Carrying a Concealed Weapon - F4. This charge is only a felony when a gun and ammunition are present together and holds according to one website I checked a minimum of 6 months in prison. This would completely ruin my life.

My defense obviously, is that I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon in Ohio and that I had my weapon unknowingly and I had no intent to cause harm with it. I’m a 20 something male with nothing prior on my record. Not even a speeding ticket. The gun was bought from a registered dealer and has only been fired at the range.

I’m looking for any advice on the topic but again please hold off on the “forgot where your gun is dog pile”. I understand that I made a mistake and that laws are in place to punish those who would do this maliciously. I take full responsibility for my actions. But I don’t think my crime is worth an F4 felony.

Fun fact- According to TSA 70-80 guns are found in carryons each month and the TSA has a less than 15% success rate in finding dangerous items anyways. According to ClePD I was the 22nd person to do this just in Cleveland Hopkins this year.

Answer:
 There is no scenario in which you get the advice and help you need from us.

You need to be on the phone with a lawyer this morning.  Like, the office opens at 0900 and the phone is already in your hand, ringing on the other end when that happens.Answer #2: Get a lawyer and go to court. Your lawyer would be the best possible person to argue on your behalf that it was a mistake, and can get statements from those involved that you cooperated and showed proof of your CCW.

That’s really the best legal advice. That’s what a lawyer is for and since you have a court date, I’d find a good one post haste.


Title: [TN] I accidently got my girlfriend pregnant. She wants to terminate but I want to keep it. Do I have any rights?

Question:
I was dumb, I admit it. I was going to leave her due to some other drama but we made up and as they say one thing lead to another. I didn't have any protection but we went ahead anyways.

She is now 6 weeks pregnant. The issue is that her ex and her are still close and he has convinced her to terminate. She went to the doctors Monday. State law requires a 48 hour waiting period before she could medically terminate. That's what she wants to do but I don't believe in abortion and want to keep it.

Do I have any rights?

Answer:
 No, she is free to terminate without your consent.Answer #2: You have no rights.  It is her body and she is free to do with it as she pleases.  You cannot force a women to remain pregnant against her will in the US.Answer #3: https://family.findlaw.com/paternity/fathers-rights-and-abortion.html

> If a man's pregnant partner seeks to have an abortion, the father's consent isn't legally required. A woman may choose to terminate a pregnancy against the objections of the father. The legal reasoning for this is twofold, based on a woman's right to privacy in her medical decisions, and in the fact that the mother is more directly affected by pregnancy.

> The Supreme Court has found laws requiring a spouse's consent for an abortion to be unconstitutional. In Planned Parenthood v. Danforth, the Court reasoned that a husband's refusal to consent would in effect veto a woman's choice to terminate a pregnancy. While both prospective fathers and pregnant women have an interest in the decision, when the two disagree, only one partner's position can prevail. According to the Court, since the woman actually carries the pregnancy, "the balance weighs in her favor," preventing the husband from vetoing her choice.


Title: I'm an Artist. I make poems and songs about my Ex, Love, and relationships. Her friends send my poems to her, she doesn't like it and accuses me of harassment.

Question:
My ex (F21) doesn't follow me (even has me blocked) on Instagram and she has told me not to contact her, which I have complied with. But her friends follow my Instagram stories (they don't follow me, they just stalk my profile so it doesn't look like she's stalking it) and send my poems to her (specifically the ones about her). My poems and art are ways of self-expression and a way of me dealing with emotions. I never intentionally sent the poems to her, they were copied by people who don't follow me.

&#x200B;

Now I'm scared to post more poems and art relating to her and our relationship because I'm scared of charges being pressed against me for harssment. This is the question I want answered: Can charges be pressed against me for a poem about her (without mentioning names directly) that exist on my profile, that has no way of reaching my ex besides her or her friends stalking or looking for it i.e. if I have something on my profile that is subjectively offensive/hurtful, am I responsible for "harassment" if the victim seeks it out voluntarily?

&#x200B;

This is in Ontario
Topic:
Canada

Answer: just move on. not worth it.


Title: US-NV My mother in law told my husband to take her to court for custody of his 10 year old.

Question: I have been with my husband for 7 years. I actually met his mother first as we worked together and then met my husband at the same job shortly after. She gained custody of my hubbys daughter when she was born because my husbands ex did meth the day my step-daughter was born-thus the state stepped in and my in laws took over. At the time, my hubby was 19 and lived at home with his parents. Who had custody wasn't the issue at the time as they were all under one roof. 19 months later, my hubby & his ex gave birth to another daughter, this time meth free therefore they had custody and still lived with at home with his parents. Before I met my hubby his mother would gossip around the office about her home situation and how if her son or his ex would ever want their oldest daughter back she would take off with her and how she had money stashed away in case this ever happened. She would say how her son and ex daughter in law were no good, did drugs, got in trouble. To be fair- my husband did get in trouble when he was 17-20 years old and is a recovering addict. He did go to rehab before I met him and cleaned himself up. I never told my hubby the nasty things his mother said about him until recently, I guess because who wants to hear how much their parents dislike them? When I met my hubby his girls were 2 and 3. They are now 9 and 10. We also now have a 4 year old son. For the past 7 years we have been raising our 9 and 4 year old under one roof and get our 10 year old every weekend-unless my mother in law decides to change plans which happens every 2-3 weeks. The girls mother barely calls them or sees them. I know my hubby has had guilt for being a "bad guy" in his youth and has allowed the odd living arrangements to go on until recently. He asked his mother if they could have a serious talk about his oldest staying with us ALL summer (not just a few days during the week) and long term as she is stating junior high this year. His mother told him he will never get her and that he doesn't make the right decisions for his kids and that he can take her to court. My hubby is actually crushed, can't sleep, and I don't know how to help him. He is a great father who loves his kids and should raise all of them under one roof, they deserve it. Please reddit, just point me in the right direction. I don't want to tear apart a family just simply help a father and daughter have the relationship they deserve.

Answer:
 He takes her to court. She has legal custody. And has raised this child for 10 years. He wants legal custody. She has the right to say that. Or he can maintain the status quo. If he takes her to court and wins physical custody, know that she will get a visitation schedule. So you will all still have to deal with her regularly. Answer #2: You get a lawyer. File in court, hopefully start out in mediation, "my step mom has been an amazing role model for both myself and my children. She will always have a very important and active role in my children's lives. I feel that it would be in my daughters best interest to live with me and her siblings at this time." Chances are they will establish a visitation schedule for you guys as a starting point. I would suggest right off the bat to have her start therapy. Don't talk bad about the mother in law, don't let yourself get heated. Just focus on, "I believe it's in the Child's best interest" statements.
In my experience family court is a lot of baby steps through mediation before you ever even see a judge. Play nice, be respectful and you'll have a fighting chance here.
Try to be compassionate. She has raised this child for ten years. It's pretty reasonable she doesn't just want to hand her off.


Title: Got my first speeding ticket. Worth fighting in court? (IL)

Question:
Hello everyone, as the title says, I got my first speeding ticket on Thursday. I am a pizza delivery driver for a somewhat small town and was doing a run at the time of me being pulled over. The road I was on is a warehouse road and I was leaving a warehouse after bringing them their pizzas. The officer wrote me down as doing 50 in a 30. It is a $120 fine.

I would normally take my lumps in a situation like this but there are a few conditions that make me want to challenge this ticket. For starters, I asked the officer what the speed limit was on the road because previously there was no signs on the road. She told me it was 30 and that the signs were just about a month old. I rarely deliver down to these warehouses so it had probably been a month since I was down there last. Another thing is that there was a big rig traveling down the road about 15 feet in front of her and when she handed me my ticket she said "I thought you were going faster than 50 but the radar didn't get a good reading", which I thought was odd for her to tell me that. I admit I was not doing 30 (more like 40) but I do not believe I was doing 50. I was also in a rental vehicle at the time due to my vehicle being in the shop fixing some damage from an animal strike. I was still getting the feel for the vehicle because I had just rented it that day before and had hardly driven it.

I unfortunately don't have the conversation with the officer recorded so it would be my word vs. her's in court. I also, being too focused on getting back to work because I had more deliveries waiting, forgot to ask the officer for the number on the radar gun. Do I stand a chance if I challenge the ticket? Should I just pay for it? It's my first ticket ever and I have been driving for around 7 years now (i'm 23). What should I do in a situation like this?

Answer: The signs and the rental car make no legal difference to you at all.  You are responsible for keeping any car you drive at or under the speed limit, and you are responsible for knowing what that limit is.


Title: Not going to Jury Duty

Question:
Location: California

I've receive a jury summons about every 2 years for the last 15 or so years. I simply shred the letter and never appear. I never get a follow up letter. I did go once a long time ago and it was for some asshole who shoplifting and there was video evidence,  obviously we convicted him immediately,  but that waste of my time and money turned me off to jury duty.

Whats the worst that can happen if I keep shredding the jury summons? I would go if I received the letter via certified mail, but that's never happened.

Answer:
 >Whats the worst that can happen if I keep shredding the jury summons?

A warrant for your arrest for contempt of court, followed by a jail sentence. I'm not saying it's *likely*, just that it's the worst possible result.Answer #2: California does not send jury summonses by certified mail.  They are not legally required to do so, and frankly, for anyone who works during the day, it would cause more hassle than benefit.

A judge can issue an order to show cause, followed by a bench warrant for your arrest.


Title: [CA] Friend wants a gift back and is threatening to sue

Question: Pretty much the title. About a year back back, a friend(I guess not anymore) gave me a gaming system with the intent of a gift. He wants it back and is threatening and occasionally assaulting me. When that didn't work, he is threatening to sue. I want to know if this is a valid are and if I can counter it with the counts of assault and threats. We are also still technically minors, so that may be a factor.

Answer:
 Generally speaking, gifts that are freely given become the property of the recipient once gifted.  It sounds, however, like there's some debate over whether this *was* a gift.  Do you have specific evidence that this was a gift?

Separately, you can call the police if he assaults or threatens you.  That doesn't affect the status of the gaming system, however, and you shouldn't threaten to call as a condition of keeping the system.


Title: Is giving money to a financial dominatrix considered "solicitation" in Arkansas?

Question:
I recently gave money to a financial dominatrix. I am paranoid that this is considered "solicitation" in the Arkansas. Is it?
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: What, pray tell, is a "financial dominatrix?"


Title: NYC former friend keeping all of my possessions that were stored at his house.

Question:
I would like to know if I have any legal recourse. I purchased a lamp and invested about $50 in items used to pursue a hobby of wargaming with a friend. He decided to lock me out of his house over something personal and now refuses to return my possessions to me and will not buy me out of the items I invested in with him, like we had agreed when we bought them. I have no receipts, I trusted him as a life-long friend. Do I have any recourse?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: You could sue him in small claims court, but you would need some kind of proof. How much money are we talking about here?


Title: My father was discriminated against by the HOA. What legal rights do we have against them?

Question:
My father is an Australian immigrant of fairly dark skin. He has been in America for around 30 years and is 50 now. He has lived and worked here most of his life. Now you would not think australians would be a target for racism or just general discrimination, but he was.
One of the HOA board members an elderly woman has been constantly harassing him for the past few months. She came over a few days ago, and started calling him a terrorist, a fucking foreigner, and a spic (He's tanned, but not remotely hispanic looking).
He got a restraining order against her.
However is there any further legal action we can take to stop her from harassing us?

I thought I should add this is in the panhandle of Florida. He is not a citizen but has a green card.

The Restraining order is specifically for the property. She still walks by the house all the time and yells stuff at him. She's on the sidewalk and will record the house and yell slurs at him.

Answer:
 Racism is not the same as discrimination. She may be a racist bitch, but unless she's actually denying him something or preventing him from exercising a right because of his race, that's not discrimination.

Example:  "I don't rent to black people" - racism, discrimination

"I don't like black people, but you can live here" - racism, not discrimination.


Title: NJ DUI last night.

Question:
Okay legal advice, definitely need some help here.

I'm a 26 Year old male from NJ.

Last night I had a few drinks at the bar with some friends.  The designated driver took me home, and I took a nap.  My mother woke me up and asked me to go to the store to get her a pack of cigarettes and I agreed. I ended up going to the bank first, getting cash and then on the way to the store I was pulled over for swerving.

The first officer who came out took my information, and then two more showed up. they asked me to step out of my vehicle and I complied.  They told me they smelled alcohol on my breathe. I let them know I had been drinking earlier that evening.  they then asked me to do a field sobriety test.

The second office started the test to conduct it, using the pen method.  I wear corrective lenses and I told them that it was extremely hard to see due to my eyesight.  (I wear glasses)  He did the pen test and seemed quite unsure, so he got the third officer to conduct the test.

The next test that was given was to walk heel to toe.  I let them know that I have a back and neck injury from a deployment in Iraq. (I have the paperwork to prove this as well). The third test he had me do was to hold my foot 6 inches from the ground, I cannot do this at any time due to my injuries.

I was then detained and they brought me in for a breath test.  The officer asked me my height and weight, and during some small talk told me that his pet peeve was DUI's.  The first time he had me breathe into the machine he said it wasn't good enough and that I had to blow harder.

The second time I blew into it, the reading came out at a .12 BAC.

This would be my Second DUI, the first one I was arrested in 2006. (underage and a .11 BAC) Is there any way I can legitimately fight this?  I am seeking legal consultation at this time but I would definitely like some help from a non partial party as well.

The Charges are DUI, Careless Driving, and failure to provide proof of insurance (The insurance card is in my vehicle, but is stuck in between some other paperwork.)
Topic:
DUI

Answer: You blew a .12. On what grounds are you going to fight it?


Title: trying to get my property

Question:
Hi reddit , a little background on me to avoid any confusion, i’m 16, & in california, fresno to be specific if that’s of any help. My mom & him have 50/50 custody over myself , in the form of them having us one week each respectively.

on January 13th of this year, my “dad” kicked me out of the house after a verbal altercation. and i left with only what i could carry in 2 bags , meaning that i left behind a good deal of clothes at his house.

with this being said, what could i do to go about getting my clothes & other miscellaneous belongings back ? i don’t want any issues , but my dad , nor my stepmom are being cooperative, i truly just want my stuff.

not to ask for a pity party, but my dad is extremely aggressive , which makes me reluctant to just walk up to his house and demand my stuff.
Topic:
Douche

Answer: You could contact the police and ask if they would do a civil stand-by while you retrieve your property.


Title: (San Jose, CA) Forgot to clock out, do I still get paid?

Question: I forgot to clock out one night and then I realized and came back 15 min later and wrote down the time I left. I told my boss the next day and he said it was fine. My boss now, 2 weeks later says he's not obligated to pay me for that shift. Does he legally have to pay me?

Answer:
 He legally has to pay you for all hours worked. There is no if's and's or but's.

They can discipline you or fire you for not using the time clock per policy, but not paying isn't an option.Answer #2: File a [wage claim](https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/HowToFileWageClaim.htm), if your employer is unwilling to cooperate. The State of California will set him straight.Answer #3: Yes, he has to pay you. He cant just decide not to because he feels like it. If he continues to refuse, file a wage claim.


Title: [Tompkins County, NY] My room through university housing is incredibly noisy.

Question: edit: you guys are fucking useless. worst subreddit ever

Answer: earplugs


Title: Waitress brought out and charged me for twice what I ordered

Question:
(us-ca) Nice restaurant with a friend.  Explain we're first timers.  Friendo orders two items off the menu,  I order the ten course tasting menu.  Am convinced I said I'm ordering,  not we're ordering.

Didn't realize Waitress was serving us the ten course menu for two until 2/3 through the meal.   Felt like I was enjoying and eating everything so it was my fault and responsibility.  Also too embarrassed to ask about it. Signed check and left.

Well today is a new day and I feel like if Waitress was asked and was honest she would realize her mistake.   Would I have any claim for a partial or full refund if that was the case?  Am not sure since we did eat everything and signed the bill no questions asked

Answer: You ate the second meal, right? Which means you conferred the benefit of having that second meal, right? Then you're legally obligated to pay for the meal you ate. If you had a problem with it, you should have disputed it when the plates came out, or at least when the time the bill arrived. The restaurant may comp it for you, but they don't have to.


Title: (IL) I ate at white castle and contracted salmonella.

Question:
I ate at the popular fast food chain on Monday the 9th with a friend (who has similar symptoms but has yet to get tested).  I had diarrhea the next day all the way till a few days ago (April 16th)  when I admitted my self to the er due to this illness; at the er I had stool sales collected &  potassium administrated, all is well I go home,  - then got severely sick with pain and nausea. Called 911 because symptoms got excruciatingly painful. I was later  diagnosed with colonitis ( intestines and colon inflamed), released again went home in agonizing pain then went back to the er in the morning.

Today I got a call from the health department stating I have salmonella, I did their survey over the phone and they have all my info on what could have caused this. I also called the white castle's general manager and she filled out an accident report this includes proof of purchase she also went back to look at security footage and went in the system to find my order.

My question is what kind of attorney should I contact? The health department won't let me come back to work for a week till my new samples are inconclusive since I work in food service industry. Can I seek compensation? Or do I even have a case?

Answer: It's possible. You'll want a personal injury attorney.


Title: Free money? About two weeks ago my credit card information was stolen.

Question:
The person tried to book a hotel room for $1,200 at a casino/hotel in the Bahamas. The credit card company flagged the transaction and immediately called me to see if it was accurate. I told them "no" so they cancelled the pending transaction. They then issued me a new credit card.

A few days later the casino hotel credits my credit card for $7,600. I called the credit card company because I was really confused. They just told me that I was being credited for the amount that was originally supposed to be withdrawn, which made no sense because I was told it was $1,200 and the transaction never went through.

Do I just wait and see if the casino hotel asks for their money back? Or should I ask for a check from the credit card company for the credit balance and deposit it in my bank account? I live in Omaha, NE.

Answer: I think your hesitation answers this one.  In other words, what you DON'T want to do is put yourself in a position where you take the money and can't give it back.  Whatever explanations you get when questioning the validity of the credit, get them in writing too.


Title: Is it illegal to do someone's homework by paying them for their efforts?

Answer:
 ..you’re paying someone to do their own homework?

If you pay someone to do YOUR homework, while not illegal it is extremely unethical and considered plagiarism. That is a serious “offence” at a College/University level and could result in a ban which restricts you from attending College/University again.

It’s not illegal, it’s stupid and risky, but not against the law.


Title: [Georgia] Divorce decree states ex must pay the credit card. It is now "unworkable". Anything I can do?

Question:
My ex husband and I divorced in February after almost 3 years of being separated. We had an open Best Buy credit card that we haven't used in years (thus I forgot about it) and he and his girlfriend made an $1800 purchase on a laptop in January. When I received notification, I immediately closed the account but the damage was done. Since it is a joint account, we are both responsible for the debt.

In the divorce decree, it specifically states he is responsible for paying it off. Considering he has no job and never had any intention of paying off the debt, it has accrued to $2185 with interest. I called Citibank who holds the debt and since it has been so long since any payment was made (none, actually) it is now "unworkable" meaning no online payments can be made nor any payments over the phone. My only recourse to is send them a check to a specified address.

I spoke to 2 different Citibank reps and one said ultimately it's not worth paying on. However, it has WRECKED my credit.

Is there any legal actions I can take? There is already a court order through the decree for him to pay it but that hasn't done anything. I don't know if me paying it off and taking him to small claims will do anything so I am here seeking any advice. Thank you!

Answer:
 NAL

Suing him in small claims seems pointless.. a court order is already in place that requires him to pay the debt.

You can [file a motion to show cause/contempt](https://www.georgialegalaid.org/files/6FCBD72D-B465-109D-9EC1-5A4F52A74EE9/attachments/D9BCDD22-24E4-4FA3-B68B-A6F0E57DCB12/contempt_packet.pdf) because your ex has not paid the debt as directed by the court in the divorce - (though check if there was a time limit specified that the debt had to be paid by first).. The court can then impose a penalty for his failure to pay, and increase that penalty if he still refuses to pay, until he does. The court may also be able to order that the debt be placed solely in his name so it's no longer against your credit.

Answer #2: This was specifically ordered by the court so you need to go back to that court asking them to order something to enforce that order.  If he has a bank account you can discover you can ask that they order the assets seized from that account.  If he has a regular job you can ask for a garnishment order to get the money paid off over time.  You can try to seize his car.  You can *definitely* try to seize that laptop he bought.  Answer #3: You might want to consider paying off the card because eventually it will get sent to collections, and they will go after both of you for the debt. When they do, if you do nothing, you will get sued by collections and possible wages garnished


Title: Letting Police into Apartment Building

Question:
Location: Ontario, Canada

More a curiosity than looking for actual advice; we live in a low rise apartment building. Our superintendent lives in the building, but it's not clearly marked on the intercom and we're unit 1, so if people don't know who to buzz it's usually us. Today I answered the buzzer and they identified themselves as local police. I realize I probably should have gone to the entrance and verified who they said they were, but other than that I had no reason not to let them in. I looked out our window after and there was a cruiser parked outside so I'm confident I didn't let someone impersonating a cop into our building. They left shortly after. Just wondering if there's any justification to not letting them in, or redirecting them to call our super instead? Is it the same thing as letting an officer into your home?

Answer:
 I'm not a lawyer, I'm a landlord.
While you may not be legally required to buzz the police into the building, here are a few examples of times I've done so:

- domestic assault in progress.  EMTs attended right after.
- call about a suicide attempt (they ended up kicking in the suite door)
- next door neighbor called 911 after seeing someone break a ground floor window.  Suspect found in the building laundry room.

So, by all means, exercise your constitutional right and tell the police to fuck off and get a warrant (or the battering ram.)

Answer #2: You don't have to let them in without a warrant.


Title: JTH Update: The Plot Thins

Question:
Update on [this right here](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3clxyd/the_nonjuvenile_and_nonheroic_juvenile_traffic/).

Anyways, went to the Juvenile Court today (don't worry, my lady friend drove. No need to take risks if my license is indeed suspended). Got copies of all the paperwork. The clerks said everything should be cleared up if I go to the BMV.

Head to the BMV. Wait in line for a time. Get up to the counter. Talk to the girl behind the counter. She copies my paperwork. I pay the reinstatement fee ($40) at her request and to get my driving privileges back immediately. She faxes court paperwork to headquarters to see what the dealio is. HQ faxes back. The administrative suspension was indeed erroneous. She refunds me the reinstatement fee since it was unnecessary. Wishes me on my merry way.

So should be able to deal with the "failure to reinstate" no problem.

As for the speeding ticket...Well, I'm tired, the consequences are not that dire now that I'm an adult and going off to college, and I just want it to be over with I think.

Figure I should still probably plead not guilty to that charge at the arraignment in 5 days anyways? I'll let you guys decide what I should do for that.

Special thanks to my lady friend for driving and shoutout to /u/AnotherGuyinOhio.

As always LocationBot, Ohio.

Answer: Thank you for the shout out. Now go back to the bmv and gets proof that your suspension was deleted not lifted. It is rare, but I've seen them completely delete suspensions from driving records if you push hard enough. Proof of this is important for your case and your insurance rates going forward (which will be sky high already due to your inability to drive within the speed limit).


Title: I've been fired from my job for not standing for the national anthem.

Question:
You read that right.

For obvious reasons, I won't be disclosing the name of the company I work for, but I will talk a bit about it. I started working at this company in February of 2018, and without a shadow of a doubt, this is the best company I've ever worked at. Every Friday management will buy breakfast for the staff, we have cookouts about once a month, and we have summer and winter events funded by the company. This year's summer event was a baseball game that everyone happily agreed on. Last night we attended the game. We all showed up to the stadium, took our seats and chatted for a bit before the game started. I received a call from my mother, she was watching my son for me. I took the call, talked with her for a couple minutes, then hung up. When I looked up at my coworkers to excuse myself, my boss was looking at me with a bitter look. I was on the phone during the national anthem and didn't even notice. Now, my boss has always been rather conservative, not bible thumping or a gun nut, but he's a huge patriot and he's proud of being American. Fast forward to this morning, I get into work and I immediately get called into his office. He tells me that he was appalled at that I was taking a call during the national anthem and that he was terminating me for unacceptable behavior during a company event.

Do I have any legal legs to stand on? I don't want to sue, I just want my job back. I think it's absolutely ridiculous that I'm being fired for something that happened outside of work, sure, it was a company event, but I was distracted by something that concerned my son.

Answer: Not illegal. Shitty, for sure, but not illegal.


Title: Looking to start a cannabis business

Question:
So I'm looking to selling everything, move to northern California and start a mj farm.   Where do I start?  Who can I talk to for advice?  What are the legal hurdles I need to be aware of, especially in the first 2 years?  Is growing preferable to distributing ?
Any help or advice is appreciated.

Answer:
 Do you have a few hundred thousand dollars in start up capital? Preferably a couple million, really. Because if not, you're already dead in the water. Answer #2: Literally your only advice is going to be to talk to a Cali attorney.

We cannot plan your business for you. Starting a business is hard work and requires a lot of research, planning, and risk. If you cannot figure out a lot of these questions on your own, you are not going to be able to run your own business.


Title: Can you pursue legal action if a car dealership claims to have a used car at a certain price and confirms it is in stock. Upon arrival the dealership claims they no longer have the car (2 hours after claiming they have it). They also refuse to provide information about when the car was "sold".

Answer:
 How do you know they didn't sell it?

They have no obligation to tell you about the sale.


Title: [Big Telco] has been charging our nonprofit $81/month for "website hosting" for several years-- but they don't host our website. How can we claim some sort of refund? (Ontario, Canada)

Question:
I recently joined this nonprofit, which until now didn't have anyone with a techie background. After going over our phone bill I noticed two fixed monthly charges, a "Web Hosting Enhanced Plan" and a "Web Hosting Premium Plan", which added up to $81 before taxes. This was surprising, since to my knowledge this agency has been hosting its website elsewhere for at least 6 years (possibly longer, I am still going through old paperwork).

I called the telco, and after much digging they figured out what the two domain names are. One of them, the $26/mo "Enhanced Plan", has as a url a short version of our agency's name (let's say shortname.ca). No-one at the agency knew we even had that domain. I entered shortname.ca into a browser and it just shows a 90's "under construction" page: http://i.imgur.com/z7uQl3x.png. The guy also confirmed there were no email accounts on it, so it has been sitting unused.

And the other plan, "Premium" at $55/mo, is for our current domain name! I told them they are not the ones who host it, and after the guy checked he said "you're right, it's not with us anymore, however it's the client's responsibility to notify us of any changes". Sure... but wouldn't the telco have known about this change? From what the guy said we had registered the name using them... and as far as I know a domain name can't change hands without the name registrar's cooperation.

In the end all they could offer was one month's refund, for services that have not been used/provided for years... which doesn't sound fair to me.
However I don't know enough about local laws to figure out if we have a case. Athough I don't think there is a lot we can do about "shortname.ca", in my view they should have stopped charging for our current domain once it changed hands, and I can't imagine how that could have happened without their knowledge.

As a nonprofit every dollar counts. Hopefully there is a way to get this money back, every dollar saved will go to services. Thanks for reading!

Answer:
 > but wouldn't the telco have known about this change?

No. If you sign up for a web hosting deal and then go host elsewhere, they won't know anything unless you tell them.

If you then keep paying them for months/years, it's also not their fault.

You don't really have a leg to stand on here, unless you can find evidence that someone did try to cancel and they ignored it. If someone just forgot, you're SOL.


Title: (WA) I got a flat tire on my brother’s car. Who’s responsible?

Question:
The title is not super well worded. In short, I was driving my brother’s vehicle when I got a flat tire on the freeway. It was a huge piece of metal that slashed the tire and it has to be replaced. The tire costs $460 plus shipping and installation (large, new SUV). I know I’m stupid for driving other people’s car but we were at a barbecue af my brother’s, he had some beer and couldn’t drive so he asked me if I wanted to get something from a store 2 miles away. My car was blocked by other guests’ cars in the driveway so my brother said, “oh, just take mine, it’s 2 miles away”. Well, dumb me did that and this happened. I installed the spare tire and drove home.

My brother said I have until tomorrow to order the new tire since it will take 3-4 days to arrive from another state. I’m super pissed but hey, I’m the idiot here. Anyway, I was wondering if my car insurance is good for anything in this case or I’ll just have to pay out of pocket. $500 for a piece of metal on the freeway. I’m trying to pull this money together because when I told him it may take a few days to get it he said he’ll sue me if his car is not drivable by the end of the week. I don’t wanna get sued. Am I in any legal trouble here?

Answer: Just to be clear, your brother asked you to go to the store for him, and suggested that you use his car?Answer #2: If your brother wants his car back sooner than later, he should order the tires and then ask you for the money if he thinks you owe him. If he sues you, it is not a big deal. The most he can collect from you is $460 even if he wins, so no rush either way.


Title: Father is threatening to sue library, how can I defend them? (California)

Question:
I'm a teenager in the California bay area.

My local library has computers that they let people play games on. I'll regularly go there to play games, watch YouTube and hang out with other people, sometimes instead of doing schoolwork. I don't too much homework, but I still have decent grades.

My dad (a paranoid madman) has threatened to sue the library. He says that by not forcing me to do my homework, they are contributing to the decay of my education. He repeatedly calls the library when I'm there, telling them to make sure that I'm doing my homework. Telling them to ban me from the space. I should make this clear: I SUPPORT THE LIBRARY AND DO NOT WANT THEM TO GET SUED. I also don't want my dad to embarrass himself.

The people that work at the library have told me that a) they cannot ban me from the library, and b) they can't stop me from playing games on the computer (as long as there's no pornography, ofc). They have encouraged me to try and work it out with my dad.

Long story short, we can't work it out.

I'd like to know how I can protect my library, and my ability to use their computers. Can my father prevent me from going to the library?

Answer:
 You don't have to do anything to defend the library.

That will get laughed out of court.  They'll talk about it for MONTHS.

But he can absolutely prevent you from going there.


Title: [BC, Canada] My employer did not let me go to the washroom for 1 hour and that resulted in me going to the emergency room. Although I came back from there volunteeringly, I still think legal action needs to be taken. Advice?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: I'm sorry, can you explain how not going to the bathroom for an hour landed you in the hospital?


Title: Sent home from school trip unjustified?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: Might I suggest (without mention to the legality of their search) that transporting the vodka from its original container makes it difficult to assess that none has been consumed? Have you informed your parents of this matter?


Title: Tx/Co: caught with cocaine during traffic stop, detective is making a dangerous request

Question:
TLDR: Pulled over for rolling through a stop sign, car smelled of weed, cop found less than a gram of coke. Was detained and given the choice to turn in 3 people or receive a felony.

My sister attends a Christian college in Texas. She normally resides in Colorado. She was pulled over for rolling through a stop sign. Her car smelled like weed, the cop searched her car and found 2/3 of a gram of coke. She was detained but not ticketed. She was given the phone number for a detective who told her that she could either turn in 3 people or "have her case filed"...he also said that it would be a felony charge but isn't sure of what the exact charge would be. It sounds very odd to me.

She didn't want her education or future career to be impacted by a felony charge. So she chose to turn in 3 people. She explained everything to her boyfriend, who she thought was very trustworthy. A month or so down the road, her and her boyfriend split and he runs to her drug dealer and tells him everything. People start contacting her with death threats. She comes back home to CO once school is out for summer. She explains to the detective that she is afraid for her life and cannot do this. The detective then tries to bully her into continuing with the original plan. He said that he is putting a warrant out for her arrest and that if caught in Colorado she will be sent back to Texas. He really does not care how scary this is for a young girl living in a state without family close by.

Is it legal for the detective to give her these choices? His wording makes the whole situation seem fishy with the extreme options. We understand that she made a mistake and she certainly should face the consequences for her actions. Telling on people who have expressed wanting to kill her or having a felony seem over the top to me though.

She plans on hiring a lawyer soon.

Answer:
 >Is it legal for the detective to give her these choices?

Yes, and pretty common, too.  Flip on some people and help the cops find bigger fish to fry, or face the criminal charges for the illegal activity she was taking part in.

Retaining a lawyer is an excellent idea.
Answer #2: Of course it's legal. She committed a serious felony in a state that has notoriously serious drug laws. Answer #3: I love the Christian college part and she does coke. Anyways yes if she doesnt keep flipping on these people the cops will make her life miserable. If she was small time she probably has nothing to worry about. If she was big time or owes money she is screwed.

Either way you should stay out of it. She made serious mistakes and you dont want to get involved in this. Lawyer is a good idea tho


Title: Employers and Hipaa

Question: I have an employee who I feel could be a risk to herself and others. She has called my office several times and left messages that were ramblings and make no sense whatsoever. She goes from being happy and cheerful in the messages to crying in literally 2-3 seconds. She was recently asked to visit my office so that we could speak with her about an incident that happened but she never made it to the office, one of my co workers spent 40 minutes with her on the phone because she was lost and had no idea where she was and if she would be able to make it home. During this 40 minute phone conversation she was crying uncontrollably one minute and was happy and cheerful the next but throughout the entire thing she was speaking only in broken sentences and gibberish. She was recently removed from a job site due to a sexual harassment allegation and the manager of the site also said he feels like her mental stability is in question because she is a grown woman who plays with dolls on the job site. Now I'm not an expert by any means but I am concerned for this lady. I feel absolutely certain that at the minimum she needs to be evaluated. My question is: If I am her employer can I call stating that I believe she could be a risk to herself or others and have someone evaluate her? I certainly do not want to violate any laws but I feel concerned for her and if she does actually need help I want her to get the help she needs. Thanks Legal Advice

Answer:
 No, your opinion about her mental health is not relevant to HIPAA. [Also](http://www.hq-law.com/blog/employment-law/health-privacy-not-protected-by-hipaa-at-work/).

 You may be legally obligated to provide  a safe environment for your other employees, btw.


Title: My mother will not release my information associated with the three main credit unions (FL)

Question:
Hi legaladvice.

For the last few years, while I've been in college, my mother has retained control over my credit. This is to say that she created accounts/logins with the three big credit reporting agencies (TransUnion, Equifax, Experian) and kept my credit frozen.

This wasn't a big deal to me since so far in my life, she's retained a lot of control over my finances. I've been trying to move away from allowing her to do this, but she is abusive and has been very uncooperative. When I asked her to relinquish my information, she said that once I was on my own she'd give it to me.

Well, after a falling out with her, she's excommunicated me from the family. Told me she's cutting me out of the family insurance and that I need to find my own auto insurance as well (til now, I'd been giving her money to keep me on their plan since it was cheaper for me).

But the problem here is that I cannot access my credit score/info, and without that info, I can't apply for insurance. I can't look at quotes. She keeps it frozen. I can't get into the accounts; she has the passwords and logins.

I have emailed her several times asking her to relinquish this info, but she's ignoring me.

What are my options, and is it legal for her to withhold this info from me? Thanks for your advice.

EDIT: I mean credit reporting agencies. Whoops. Sorry.

EDIT 2: Contacted Experian and Equifax and they told me to create an account to get help from them. Too bad I already have an account associated with my one and only SSN.

EDIT 3: Visited my local credit union where I'm banking - they said they couldn't help me. Gave me an outside business's phone number. I'm going to try and call the credit bureaus again.

Answer: I assume you have your SSN and DOB. Call the credit reporting agencies directly and ask what need to be done to get control of the accounts. Skip your mother and go straight to them.Answer #2: If you are really in that bad a position with your mom, you could file a police report.  This will piss off your mom though.  The police report could help when you talk to the credit agencies.


Title: (Ontario, Canada) My upstairs neighbour is suing me for not paying my portion of our shared WiFi

Question:
When I moved into my current residence (Sept 2015), the upstairs tenant (51, F)  offered for me (23, F) to share her WiFi (Bell Fibre Op). No contracts were signed, nor was my name put onto her account.

She didn't tell me how much the bills were, and initially said not to worry about paying her. She told me she would tell me what I owed during the next billing cycle. Being the trustworthy person I am, I didn't think anything of it.

On or about October 15th, 2015, the upstairs tenant had slipped a note under my door saying I owe her $113. 64 for two months of using her unlimited WiFi-- she also gave me a cable box, which I never used as I don't have a TV.

On October 27th, 2015 she changed the WiFI password.

Being a student, I didn't have that kind of money. I wasn't able to work all that much, as my program is difficult. When I first moved in, I got my student loans in one lump sum payment, so I was better positioned to pay her. By the time she asked me, my finances were tight. I hadn't budgeted for $60. I had no idea how much she was going to charge me, but didn't expect that high of an amount.

Yesterday, I got a letter from her Toronto lawyer (I live in Northern Ontario). She is suing me for the full amount, plus interest-- if I don't pay her immediately.

As much as I know just paying the money would solve this issue, I also want to fight it. I've heard that verbal agreements are legally binding, but I don't feel as though I knew the terms of the contract prior to entering it. She is an awful human being, and I don't want to give her the satisfaction.

What are my options?!

Answer:
 lol, who gets a lawyer to sue someone for $113?  are you sure it's not a fake letter?  ask to see the bill.

personally, you'd be fine just ignoring her as this is probably a violation of her terms of service with the internet provider anyways.


Title: Can my sister sue?

Question:
When my sister was 14/15 she was injured at a public park (city withheld) due to stepping on a ditch in the field and then needed surgery. Fast forward to a few years, she’s now 18 and occasionally complains of leg pain and will eventually need to lengthen one of her legs (the one she hurt since they removed the growth plate).
Would she be able to sue the public park (it’s a city owned park in Illinois)?

Answer:
 Really depends on the circumstances. If the ditch was obscured,if there was no reason for her to believe that the ditch was there, if the city was negligent about the ditch...

No claim was made at the time of the accident?


Title: Can I sue my workplace for exposing me to cancer causing materials without telling me?

Question:
I work in a warehouse where you take parts out of boxes and put them in bins all day long, repack. I read one of the boxes and these certain parts say they contain a chemical known to the state of california to cause cancer and reproductive harm. We do not normally read the boxes as we are supposed to do this quickly.

&#x200B;

I checked the MSDS and nowhere in that book does it mention anything that the parts are actually made of, just the cleaning chemicals and the batteries for the hi-los.

&#x200B;

my question is, do you think I could actually get paid and pursue a case?

Answer:
 Everything causes cancer to CA.  My dishes are labeled that.

Most metals for example can cause cancer if you inhale them while they are being machined. But simply handling isn't a dangerAnswer #2: Are you licking the products before putting them in the bin?

If no, you are safe and do not have a viable lawsuit.

If yes, you should consider a different job. Answer #3: Are you handling the parts directly? Are you consuming them?Answer #4: Considering how California says basically everything causes cancer, no. Besides, assuming you used proper handling procedures, there is little to no risk of exposure.


Title: School Prank

Question:
Hello, I'm 18 years old and a senior at a Texas school. Recently we decided to pull a prank on our teachers. In our school, if you're parked without a permit your car receives a sticker with a warning telling you to not park there again. A couple of my friends and I decided to buy our own stickers and stick them on teachers windows to make it look like their car was illegally parked. Only to trick them and have a few laughs. Well after the prank was done the school cops took it as a serious offense and are talking about charging us with Criminal Mischief, Vandalism, and Theft. They believe we stole the stickers from the school but we bought them on our own. Our stickers aren't even the same as theirs so obviously  we can't get charged with that. We have proof of purchase and pictures of how our stickers look to compare to theirs. My next question is can they charge us with Criminal mischief or vandalism. As far as I know vandalism falls under criminal mischief, so they can only charge us once. Furthermore, the lowest offense for criminal mischief is less than $50 property damage and/or causing substantial inconvenience. First off, we didn't damage any property whatsoever. The stickers are easily removable so no damage was done. Second, I don't believe me made a "substantial" inconvenience. No cops, paramedics, fire depts, etc. were called. We didn't have to shutdown school or lock it down or anything. We didn't have to shut down power, water, etc. In our defense we didn't do anything "substantial". It was a harmless prank that even teachers laughed about.
I'm just looking to see how can I defend myself from these charges.

Answer:
 > My next question is can they charge us with Criminal mischief or vandalism.

Sure.  The statute you posted includes 'substantial' inconvenience, which is not otherwise defined.  Depending on the sticker, substantial effort may be needed to clean it properly.

Realistically, don't worry about it unless you're charged.


Title: My Sister Got Punched in the Face by My Niece’s Bully’s Mother - NY

Question:
Hello

My niece (12) and her mother (my sister) were at a graduation party thrown by my nieces friend. All of her friends parents were there as well. My niece’s bully was giving her a hard time, so my niece told my sister. My sister told her bully to please leave my niece alone. The bully went to her mother and made it seem as if my sister yelled and screamed at her (she did not, just asked her to leave my niece alone). Her mother runs up to my sister wagging her finger in her face screaming “don’t you talk to my daughter like that!!” My sister told her to get her finger out of her face, and as soon as she said that the mother cocked her fist back and punched her in the face in front of everyone.

My sister has a black eye. The police were called (there were multiple witnesses), but by the time they got there the mother had left with her daughter. When the police went to go question her at her house she was not there (they think she’s hiding). When my sister and parents went to the police station and my sister was questioned, they said there is no point to press charges because the woman will just get a ticket and it will “go on her record”. Apparently my mother spoke to a lawyer who told her the same thing. None of this makes sense to me.

What do you guys think?

Answer: Who cares if it goes on her record? She was literally assaulted? That’s crazy. I’m sorry for your sister


Title: [Maryland] Driving through the state, my car battery died, took it to a local shop to get the alternator tested. Got back on the road, engine destroyed itself.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: What exactly do you think the garage did wrong to cause this? Also, for future reference, don't drive your car when it is overheating and throwing warnings at you.Answer #2: You destroyed the engine by driving it with all the warning lights on it.  All the shop would have done is strand you in the middle of nowhere while you wait for a tow.


Title: I'm getting offered half of someone's drug money check. What legal pitfalls can come my way if I accept?

Question: Basically this guy's who's a friend of one of my clients for a recording studio business I run hit me up with a 2500 check on Instagram. He wants me to meet him at my bank and split the money I cash into my account for him. He doesn't have an account. He got the money from trapping. Is this illegal since I'm dealing with drug money? What are the pitfalls?

Answer:
 scam, check is probably rubber.Answer #2: the check is bogus it will bounce and you will ower the whole amount to the bank.

&#x200B;

drug dealers  don't take checks


Title: My boss hired me a lawyer when my previous boss tried to sue me. I left the company and she wants me to pay for it.

Question:
This is my first time posting so forgive me if I do anything wrong! I have to be a little vague about some details because of legal reasons.

I am in my early 20s and worked with Company A for about 8 months. My first boss was absolutely crazy and I did not realize it until it was too late. I left there and took a break for 4 months from working and then went to Company B. Boss A then sent me a legal notice that I was violating a non compete contract and I needed to end my affiliation with Company B or he would take me to court.
Company B is a main competitor of Company A and the two owners have had previous issues before I even came along. My boss at Company B encouraged me to fight Boss A and told me she would contact her friend that is a very well known lawyer. I am very non confrontational and wanted nothing to do with a legal battle but Boss B was extremely encouraging.
We went to court and won one part (there was no non compete) but Boss A would not give it up  so we settled with some small terms.
The whole thing made me very uncomfortable and I told everyone from my friends to my lawyers and Boss B that I felt weird about the whole thing. The lawyer she got is apparently a very pricey one and I had no say in it.
My anxiety and depression from not only that but personal and family matters made it to where I couldn’t even function at this new job without getting sick to my stomach. The environment was not good and I felt trapped. I told Boss B I wanted to leave the company for now and take time off from working to spend more time with my family who are hours away.
She is now saying I have to pay the legal fees. I don’t remember signing a contract with the lawyers and was never told I would be responsible for it. I did not want to go to court in the first place.
This bill could be $10,000 - $20,000. I am just now getting my credit and my life on track. I don’t know what to do. The lawyer has asked me to call her and I have put it off for tonight because I’m sick to my stomach about it. I do not make a lot of money at all and all parties involved know this.
Do I have any protection against this bill being put on me?

I of course realize now that I should never let someone talk me into this but I felt very pressured. I’m not naive(or so I’d like to think so) so I’m really beating myself up over this.
I’m sorry if this is confusing! Just ask if you need any clarification.

Answer:
 No one here can answer your question without additional details. For starters:

1. What state did this occur in? Laws vary from state to state.

2. Did you sign an agreement to pay the attorney’s fees if you left within a specific timeframe? If so, what did the agreement state?


Title: [NV]Got in an accident & pulled over to exchange info. The other guy came at me really aggressive/intimidating (I'm female) and I panicked and took off before exchanging info. I received a $900 ticket

Question:
The accident was just clipping the back of his car while trying to switch lanes because he came to an abrupt stop. I talked to a detective afterwards and he believes me that I did not have any intention for a hit and run.

I also have to go to traffic school ($130) to get a point taken off. I'm assuming that is not really negotiable.

Is it worth going to court to reduce the ticket or should I just accept it and pay? Even if I do have something to contest, will the overall fees come out to more than the current $1k that I'm going to have to pay? Thank you!

Answer:
 If you feel you did nothing wrong and feared for your safety and reported it to the police, why wouldn't you go to court?Answer #2: In Oregon they will usually give you some sort of discount if you show and make an explanation. I don't think it could hurt. I mean if they reduce it even by 50 or 100 dollars would it not be worth it ?Answer #3: Which statute were you charged under?

My read of the Nevada statutes is that you don't really have a defense here.  If you didn't stop to exchange information, then you committed a hit-and-run.

Did you call the police to report the accident?Answer #4: >I talked to a detective afterwards and he believes me that I did not have any intention for a hit and run.

How immediately does the word "afterwords" actually mean in this case?


Title: Made drunken phone call to coworker at 3AM and I am now being reported to HR.

Question: I work for an IT company(Company A) in the USA that is then contracted to do work for another company(Company B). I was drunk and bored and decided to call an employee of Company B at 3AM this Saturday. I called and asked my coworker to do something which was work related but you could obviously tell it was just a joke. My coworker hung up and texted me saying that he was extremely pissed off and that he was going to HR of company B. Any idea of what could possibly come of this?

Answer:
 Anything from "nothing" to "you get fired."

Realize that at least on paper, you didn't drunkenly call a coworker-- you drunkenly called *a client*.Answer #2: The stupid, it burns.  But to keep this on topic, you didn't do anything illegal, but I'd pack your desk on Tuesday.Answer #3: This isn't a legal issue at all, as its entirely an internal company issue. Results could range from a stern talking to all the way up to firing if they want to do that.

Do you have an employment contract?Answer #4: I guess I am the only one who feels like if a coworker drunk texted/called me at 3am over some super inappropriate stuff ("joke" or not), even if it was work related (to some extent, anyway), I would be legit pissed off. Again, this is all contingent on not having a friendly relationship with coworkers, and still getting what I would call harassed by them outside work hours.

That being said, I'm a girl, and it feels like sometimes I can't give someone my number without them automatically thinking "oh, this girl wants the d". If you're two guys, it might be a totally different situation. Still, though, I would be pretty pissed if a work friend called me up at 3am to talk shit about the company we work together at...especially if we had to be in the next morning early, lol. Answer #5: Just tell them you had a dream and were sleep dialing.


Title: Detectives want to talk about a police report I filed a few months back

Question: A few months back I filed a police report about threats my ex had made to me when we were together. I already had a protection order against him when I did this. Today 2 detectives came to my house and asked if we could speak in regaurds to a police report I filed on my ex, I was just leaving so we rescheduled for tomorrow. Now I’m wondering if I should have a lawyer, or if I  leven have to talk to them at all, this all made my ptsd horrible and I don’t know if I can deal with it right now

Answer: If you're the victim and filed a report, why would you need a lawyer present?


Title: My airline did not board me for my flight and now I am arriving 7 hours later to my destination.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You never had a boarding pass, it was only a document to get you through security.

You are also supposed to be at the gate 30 minutes before departure.

IMO you are not entitled to IDB reimbursement.Answer #2: You weren't forcibly removed from the flight, you just mismanaged your time.Answer #3: Sounds like you were on standby and not a ticketed passenger..


Title: Rear-ended on the fast lane of highway (Ontario, Canada)

Question:
Sorry if this situation is too common/basic, I just need to know what could happen next due to certain details in the accident.

 I was rear-ended tonight on the highway while going home from work. We were on the fast lane (far left). The car in front of me was following too closely to the one in front of him. He hit the brakes all of a sudden. I barely stopped in time, but I DID in fact stop before hitting him. (I have dash cam footage to prove it). The vehicle behind me wasn't able to brake in time and rear ended me hard enough that I crashed into the car in front of me as well.

OPP (provincial police) arrived almost immediately and guided us to a parking lot so that we wouldn't block the highway. The OPP officer checked our driver license and insurance. The three of us involved in the collision had a very civil exchange of details, valid licenses, insurance, numbers, etc.

My concern and fear, as this is my first ever vehicular accident, is this: What's next? Because for me, it isn't so cut and dry as girl rear ending me causing me to rear end man.

1. During the exchange of information, the man could barely take a proper photo. Not because of injury or anything. It's like he didn't know how to hold the phone steady to snap a picture, he didn't know how to turn on flash. I helped him do all of that because he couldn't seem to be able to do it right. He said he lost his glasses in the accident (?) but he had an extra pair so I'm not sure what his issue was.

2. I caught a glimpse of the text on his phone and his font was like EXTRA-LARGE. He was maybe in his late 40s/early 50s, so I'm not sure what someone with that kind of eyesight is doing on the fast lane of the highway at night?

3. He was following the car in front of him really closely. Immediately (seconds) after I braked and was rear-ended, one of the first things that I noticed - because my car rolled slightly into the left shoulder - was that the multiple cars in front of him were already gone far off. Perhaps my sense of time was warped from the collision, but he had braked hard enough that you would assume traffic had come to a standstill. It felt like there wasn't enough time for all the cars in front of us to take off if they were really paused/slowed down. * I'd like to note that I've read we should always leave enough space so that in the event you are rear ended, you do not end up hitting the car in front of you. I should have and could have left more space. That's a hard lesson learned. But I'd also like to add, I'm not an aggressive driver and I stay aware of the traffic ahead of the vehicle in front of me. I wouldn't have driven at the speed I was driving and at the distance I was keeping if I felt that the flow of traffic didn't allow for it. As we moved along too, off of the highway, it wasn't very busy at all. I still feel quite adamantly that the man stopped way took abruptly.

4. I am experiencing whiplash symptoms and I reported some injury when I went to the Collision Reporting Center. I'm going to the doctors tomorrow, but anyways. I am worried the girl who rear ended me will be penalized in some way for my injury since it's been reported, when I feel like the man has serious vision issues.

I have not called insurance yet since it's my mom's car that I use for work, and they want to talk about it further tomorrow. But I am wondering what the other drivers will do? Is this going to get taken to court? Would it more likely be the girl or the man who does it? I just want to be mentally/emotionally prepared for what's coming next. And what should I do if my injuries are more serious than I thought?

I know the general rule is that the person rear ended is never at fault (the man in this case), or rather that the person who rear ends someone else is always at fault, but if this situation is escalated by one of the parties, is there a viable case against this man from what I observed of his vision and simple motor functions? (Although I suppose his phone stuff could be attributed to just being technologically inept).

Thank you.

Answer:
 Report this to your insurance and let them handle it.

Near and far sighted are different things.


Title: Removed an outside gutter downspout at lady's house while fall cleaning and forgot to replace it. Her basement now has water damage and she wants me to pay for it.

Question: As the title states. I am in Minnesota .I just recieved the call so she hasnt threatened about court or anything, I just told her I will try to figure it out and call back. I forgot to put back her downspout after doing lawncare and now she wants me to pay for her damages in the basement. I dont feel responsible for it as she should have had a sub pump and not relied on a single gutter to protect her basement. Would this be something I would be forced to pay for?

Answer:
 >I dont feel responsible for it as she should have had a sub pump and not relied on a single gutter to protect her basement.

That is not your determination to make. If your error caused this to happen, you would be liable for the damages.


Title: [CA] My friend wants me to sign a "joke" contract, but he misspelled my name. Is it binding?

Question:
As the title says, this isn't for a real contract, but more something my friend made as a joke. He started the contract with
> I, u/Lil_Bots, promise to ...

Since I'm u/Lil_Bits and not u/Lil_Bots, if I were to sign this, would it be binding?

Answer:
 No, that "typo" in and of itself would not likely protect you.  So unless he puts a little term at the bottom which says "this is just a joke contract" why would you sign it?Answer #2: Depends, but misspelling your name is not the reason it would be invalid.Answer #3: This sounds like there's something else going on.

I get the odd feeling that plausible deniability is going to help people here though...Answer #4: IANAL. Don't sign the contract. If it has somewhat plausible clauses (i.e. stuff a contract might feasibly require), *definitely*  don't sign it.  Why would your friend need your signature on a "joke" contract?

A while back, some kid signed "souvenir checks" for several people. This is the story /u/Lehk is referencing. [It did not go well.](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3cd6oj/im_in_highschool_and_money_was_stolen_from_my/) Unless every clause of this joke contract is nonsense (e.g. a knock-knock joke) don't touch it. If your friend is trying to pass off a serious contract as a "joke," it may be unenforceable for any number of reasons, but the best way to make sure is to not sign it in the first place.Answer #5: Just pay it off with souvenir checks.

But seriously don't sign it.Answer #6: Don't sign any contract you do not wish to be binding. Not a hard concept...


Title: [CALI] Is it better to kill a trespasser or injure them in self-defense?

Question: I have moved to the country where police presence is scarce and response times are lengthy. I have bought a shotgun and handgun for my protection. Luckily no situation has happened which would force me to shoot a trespasser. My question is if such a situation arises where I am forced to shoot a trespasser would killing them put me in a better position legally speaking compared to just injuring them?

Answer:
 It makes no difference if you use lawful deadly force. Either you have the right to use deadly force to protect yourself or you don't.  All firearms are considered deadly force. There is no right to "shoot to wound" if you do not already have the right to kill them in self defense

If you unlawfully use deadly force then it is much worse for you if they die.  If they don't die it's attempted murder at worst but possibly assault with a deadly weapon. If they die it's just murder.


Title: I rode my motorcycle to the harley dealer for a new tire and had to pick it up in pieces, what do I do?

Question:
Location is California

I recently purchased a used bike and it needed a new tire and had a very minor oil leak.

I took it in for the new tire and signed off on the repair and then told them while they're in there please visually inspect the bike and see if they can see where the oil was coming from. I told them not to take anything apart to diagnose if it was going to cost me $ but to call me instead so I could weigh my options.

2 days go by so I call and ask what's going on. They say they haven't done the tire but they turned it on and some gas leaked from the exhaust pipe, weird but whatever I assume they didn't turn off the gas line. I rode the bike in there 20 miles and had no issues so I didn't say much. They just said they turned it in and saw gas so they put it away for the next day.

Next day rolls around and I get a call from them. "Hey man it's gonna be $1300 to fix the leak". I can afford that right now so I tell them I'll come ride the bike home and bring it back once I save for a month. They then tell me the bike can't be ridden because they took it apart already and that it would be $400 to put it back.

I flip and demand to talk to the owner of the dealerships service department ad he says they'll put it back for free and that I can get it in 4 days. At this point I'm mad but I let it go.

Now it's pickup day and the guy calls me and says the engine can't be out back together because it's completely ruined and would need to be replaced.

I refused to let them touch anytbing else at this point and bring a truck to get my bike.

It was rolling but given to me with 5 pounds of pushrods and nuts and bolts and cranks etc.

My point is I rode my bike in no problem and didn't authorize them to take it apart or sign anything other than the tire replacement (which they never even did)

Can I take them to court? My bike is in my garage just as it was when I got it. I also have pictures of them loading it into my truck and the box of parts.

Wife followed me there and can attest to the bike being fine.

Answer:
 Best bet is to send them a demand letter for what it would cost to pay another shop to put the bike back together. If they don't respond or refuse, just sue them in small claims. Make sure you have all of your paperwork.Answer #2: [California Consumer's Guide to Auto Repair](http://www.bar.ca.gov/pdf/Auto_Rep_Guide.pdf). Unless you authorized, in writing, a teardown, with estimate, it looks like they've broken the law here. I would also call the Bureau of Automotive Repair (800-952-5210) to:

1) Make sure that this was in fact a licensed place

2) Report the issue to them for disciplinary action

3) Confirm your right to sue and get whatever assistance they may provide.Answer #3: To summarize. I ride my bike working perfectly fine with a minor leak. Asked them to visually inspect and call me to authorize and charges more than a simple estimate. They took apart my motor without permission, wanted $400 then said the motor was seized and that they couldn't put it back.

I rode it in, they broke something and I couldn't ride it out. Instead I had to tow it and a box of parts Answer #4: California has some pretty specific laws about auto repair.  I know that a written estimate is required before the repair facility can charge you for the work, but I don't know if the written estimate is required before they can actually do anything.


Title: Raped by my dealer while buying drugs, should I still report it?

Question:
This is a throw away account. An ex-coworker who is my dealer  now met up with me a couple nights ago in the regular area so I could buy from him (its in Schedule II Controlled Substances) and got in a nasty argument because I couldn't necessarily pay him for everything right away just finish to pay him for the last time and I was getting frustrated that he was getting so mad and going to not sell to me until I could pay and he starts to threaten me, I slapped him and he immediately struck me across the face and I struggled for a bit before he got my pants off and raped me over the hood of my car. Im scared of him, but Im scared of the police also, I know if I report it I would have to tell that I was there to buy drugs but I dont know how they might be because Im reporting a rape, Im so nervous I dont know what to do. I didnt want to go have a rape kit done I just went home showered and bagged the clothes I wore I just dont know what to do any advice is welcome and if you think that I might have negative legal consequence on my end because i was buying drugs, I will not report this for my own sake.
I dont spend so much time speaking English sorry if its written weird at all

I am in Oregon
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 I'm sorry this happened to you.

Only you can decide whether or not to report it. There could be repercussions for the (attempted) drug purchase, but I would guess that it's unlikely.

No matter what you choose, I would recommend that you contact a [rape crisis counselor](https://rainn.org/get-help/national-sexual-assault-hotline) to try to talk to someone about this.Answer #2: I just wanted to say that I am so sorry this happened to you. If choose to you talk to any mental health professional (counselor, social worker, therapist, psychiatrist) they'll keep your confidentiality completely and you won't be in trouble for telling them anything. It's up to you whether you want to go to the police - and I'm not sure what the repercussions will be from telling them about the situation this occurred in the context of. In any case, please do (or don't do) what feels best for you.


Title: rear ended - evidence driver has a history of phone usage while operating a motor vehicle in past

Question:
Hey y'all,

Context:

So I was rear ended last night and it damaged my SUV incredibly badly (the entire back is destroyed but the frame/bumper is okay from what I can tell) ; it will most likely be totaled because insurance probably won't want to pay for repairs on such an old car (2004). I'd like to get enough money \[at least!!\] for me to get my car repaired as it works perfectly fine otherwise and I've had a lot of work done on it to keep it working as well as it does. Also, why buy a new/used car that probably costs at least $10,000 when you could just repair a car that only needs a few thousand (probably $5,000) put into it??

Question:

I believe the man who rear ended me has a history of phone usage while driving and I'm wondering if it is worth bringing up to the insurance company. The reason I know this is because I found the man's facebook and his current profile photograph is a selfie of him in a car while he is driving (evident through a reflection in his sunglasses). Even if he doesn't admit to phone/electronic usage while driving right before the incident last night, would I be able to use this against him? What would the pros/cons of bringing this up potentially be? Would it be qualified that I had "stalked" him because I found his facebook profile and may use it against him?

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Answer:
 You were rear ended. He's basically automatically at fault. Your "evidence" won't make him any more at fault than he already is.

You're entitled to be made whole. So the rough street value of your car, if it was totalled. Not the price of the money you put into it, or the price of a new car you think is equivalent. The price of *your* car.


Title: (NE) I was accused of sexually assaulting a minor roughly 10 years ago. How will this affect my fiancé finding a teaching position?

Question:
I'm not entirely sure if this is the correct place to be posting this. If not, I will promptly remove it.

A little bit of back story. From when I was 9 to 15 my parents were foster parents. They took in approximately 50 kids in that time. The last group of kids was all from the same family and they ranged in age from 5-10. Their mother was a meth head and they got removed from the home because a meth lab was found in the basement.

After the 5 had lived with us for around 3 months, the 5 year old lied to her case worker and said that I had touched her inappropriately. The kids were immediately removed from our home and I had to go through a pretty long process of defending myself against her claims. The district attorney wanted to press charges on me because when I was 4 I was sexually assaulted by a neighbor kid and it got reported to the police, and I guess kids who get sexually assaulted are more likely to repeat that act later in life.

While the DA was taking statements from all 5 kids, 1 of the older girls let slip that their mom told the youngest to accuse me of sexual assault because my family is wealthy and she needed a way to pay her legal fees. The case was immediately dropped and I thought that was the last I had heard of it.

Just this last week I decided to apply to be a Mentor for a program with kids from single parent homes. One of the requirements was to sign an information release form for HHS. The program found out through HHS that this case happened and they were worried about the circumstances so I was told I was not eligible to volunteer in that program.

My fiancé is now freaking out and worried when it comes time for her to find a job in the next year that this will show up in their background checks and she won't be able to get a job because of me.

Since I've had ~10 jobs since that happened and none of it ever showed up on background checks to my knowledge, are her worries unwarranted?

Answer:
 > 1 of the older girls let slip that their mom told the youngest to accuse me of sexual assault because my family is wealthy and she needed a way to pay her legal fees

Dosen't sound like she let slip to me, sounds like she made the right moral choice.

I have never heard of a teacher background check including the criminal history of family mambers or SOs.  For example, my dad went through a similar background check, and my mom's legally difficult undocumented hippie birth didnt come up. Then again, this was in California and background checks are different in different places. Answer #2: If the charges were dropped, why don't you try to get it expunged?Answer #3: How old were you when this happened? I don't see how it can affect your fiance, do you guys live together? I would talk to an attorney to get that record expunge. I'm assuming the only reason HHS has it is not the arrest but the CPS report correct? I don't think those get expunged but I don't see why they would run your name.


Title: [NETHERLANDS] Got robbed while working, now I have to refund the stolen items.

Question:
Hello,

So yesterday I was working, I'm a delivery-boy at New York Pizza,
we deliver pizza's with moped's/scooters in these so called " hot bags" in the box at the back of the moped.
Whilst I was working, I got a fake order and my pizza + hot bag was stolen, it happened right before I wanted to leave the residence where the fake-order was placed.
They took it straight out of the delivery box and just ran whilst I was on the Moped. This means that there was no violence or any contact with the robbers

After I noticed them running away instantly called my boss, he told me that the hot bag is worth 250,00 euros and that I have to pay for that all by myself.
I also tried looking around ( maybe the dumped it ) but no luck.

I still have to wait until I can file a report at the police department, since I need all the insurance info about the moped that i had driven that night and what not.

What should I do? I'm 16 so I work for bare minimum wage and 250,00 euros off the bat is quite high. I also think it's weird that they are letting me pay for it since I'm the victim in this situation.

I really hope there is a solution to this problem.

Thanks alot.

Answer:
 Als slachtoffer van diefstal is je werkgever hier gewoon verantwoordelijk voor, maar met zo'n typisch 0 uren contract heb je verder ook niets meer als hij er een probleem van maakt.

Weiger hoe dan ook te betalen en zoek ander werk, want zo iemand als baas wil je ook niet.


Title: Stolen pet.

Question:
((I'm located in Illinois, if that helps any))
((I don't know if this is the right place for this))
Last night we caught two kids trying to take our cats, my grandfather chased them away. However, we couldn't find one of them, and this morning he wasn't out there, we looked everywhere for him and couldn't find him.
We were walking by one of the kid's house, and there he was, sitting on the window, so we went to talk to the parents, who refused to let us see the cat.
We went to talk to a local police officer, and he said there was nothing they could do unless the car was chipped, are we had a DNA sample.
I'm worried for my cats life, because the kid who took him has a reputation of killing/abusing animals.
What should I do?
Update:We found the cat, he was in the shed of an old house, he doesn't seem injured, besides a small cut on his back paw. The boy didn't do it, but the girl he was with (Who we didn't suspect at all, since she's very sweet) did.

Answer:
 Speak to a supervisor. Theft is illegal.

Do you have any pictures of you with the cat?Answer #2: Just in case the cops will not help, since animals are property in the eyes of the law a property lawyer can file for an immediate injunction to return the cat to you. It is expensive tho, but if you run out of other options...


Title: Hahahahah, FUCK you, Legal Advice!!! A.k.a. How I was correct.

Answer:
 *Sigh.*

You won a settlement out of court. That doesn't mean you were legally in the right, or that you would have won in court. It just means that the landlord was nice to you. That doesn't invalidate the legal advice you got here.

Congrats on fooling us with your location. I'm sure that helped folks give you valid advice so that you could just ignore it.

Has anybody ever told you that you're a bit of a tool?Answer #2: Summary of Legal Advice offered:

> There's probably no legal recourse, but you can always ask your landlord if you can break the lease without fees or move to another unit.

Summary of what OP actually did:

> Asked his landlord if he could break the lease.  Landlord agreed.

Summary of how OP acted towards forum that gave free, accurate advice:

> Suck it

Summary of OP:

> Dick

Summary of what landlord is doing tonight:

> Smoking a cigar with the newer tenants, celebrating that the asshole upstairs is leaving.Answer #3: While I suspect this is stdh.txt, the only realistic possibility for them giving you two months free and an early out is that the offending neighbors are on lease for longer than you are and it's more cost-effective to get rid of you than it is the neighbors.

Edit: or also that you've proven to be such a pain in the ass they figured that you would continue to be a problem no matter what.Answer #4: Well, happy to see you can be graceful in victory.


Title: Repo company took the wrong car

Question: A family member of mine, had their car stolen. Turns out, an insurance investigator has tracked the car down via drone. A repo company took the wrong car and it has been sitting in their lot since November. Company did not attempt to return the car nor reach out to the owner to say it was a mistake. They went through the stress of renting a car for months, trying to save for a new car. Inconveniencing others for help and mental and emotional stress of having your car stolen from right in from of their home. Should legal action be taken? Repo company’s website says its insured for accidental repo. What’s an attainable compensation amount? Car has been gone 6 months and will be getting it back tomorrow

Answer: If the car has been sitting since November without being run, have a mechanic inspect it. The battery may be breaking down. The fluids (oil, fuel, transmission fluid) may be gunked up. If there are problems needing a mechanic, those must be covered by the thieves also.Answer #2: Was the car reported stolen to the police?