Title: Landlord spit in my face

Question: My landlord spit in my face last night, intentionally. I am in the US. Is there any legal recourse, or should I have called the cops at that moment (I really don't see what good waiting for the cops would've done in a he said/he said situation like that)? I wasn't going to leave his spit on my face and I know the police weren't going to DNA test.

Answer:
 You can call the non-emergency number or go down to the police department and ask to file a report. You did the right thing by wiping off the spit. Leaving it on wouldn’t have done you any good. Answer #2: That is absolutely assault. If you want to, file a police report. Also, if you have witnesses, they can make a statement.

As a note, it's not uncommon for there to be no physical/video evidence - your testimony is evidence. That said, filing a police report may give you the ability to break the lease if you so choose. Ask the police for resources and ask to speak with victim support - they can point you the right way based on your state/local laws.


Title: You're fired or re-train without pay!

Question:
TLDR: Got hired as a sever, couldn't cover the spread when short staffed. Owner "fired" me on trumped up chargers, then retracted after I gave push back. Essentially Was told you're fired or train 30+ hours without pay - what's my risk/reward to file a grievance?

I started working at a successful burger joint as a waiter in mid-September. This is an ends to a mean after a failed business venture. Essentially, i can make fair money doing this working part time and hold myself through the winter to re-structure my seasonal business.

A good friend put me in to be a server, as I've served before and have a college degree I went in with a good amount of naive confidence that this would be easy. Long story short, this is a high volume one burger/ one beer/per check kind of joint. I trained (paid) the first time with mediocre employees who showed me the bare minimum to get by, once I was trained I ate it pretty hard.

I worked as much as I could to get better, but one day the owner was managing and we were slammed on a lunch shift that doesn't usually get busy. We were down one person and doing the work of 4 people with 2 mediocre servers and a rookie.

Bottom line, I had 3 customer complaints in one shift, the owner took me into the office and told me he was letting me go. I fought back with the support of all the managers. (as I need this job, and wasn't negligent and genuinely did everything I was asked and capable of, and was well liked by my peers) He obliged, but with the terms that I was to:

Be removed from the schedule for 2 weeks. Basically meaning I'm out income.
Pass a menu test -- I did
Re-train (7 shifts, 29 hours with one to go) while unpaid or I'm fired.

I severely doubt this is legal. This is rather clear to me that this is intimidation and a blatant violation of the department of labor and industry of MN. My question; what's my risk of filing a grievance vs the risk of losing my only income?

Answer: It's not legal to have you work and not pay you.  If it were me?  Work the training, ask for payment.  When denied, file a wage claim with the state, let them know you filed the wage claim, then hope they fire you so you can file a retaliation claim on top.  Then file for UI.


Title: Do lawyers ever suggest to their clients that they're better off if certain friends/family dont attend court?

Question:
In Illinois:
Long story short..my pregnant (my kid) ex girlfriend is being sentenced on March 1st for a hit and run. She is telling me that her public defender suggested that she come with only her parents because it doesn't "look good" otherwise, and basically said I shouldnt go. This sounds like complete BS to me. Does this ever happen?

I'm suspecting she'd prefer to have another ex who she has a kid with attend instead of me..and if thats the case whatever. She and I just started talking again and if she is full of shit I'm done. I just wanted to double check with the experts first.

Answer:
 It happens all the time.  Many people have stupid friends and family who find themselves unable to behave appropriately in court.  This does not do the accused any favors with a judge or jury.Answer #2: it happens all the time.

Some people don't know how to act, some people just plain look bad, some people don't really match the narrative they'r trying to sell to the judge about the defendants character for whatever reason, and sometimes the lawyer just wants to ensure they have a lot of control over the situation (more people is less control)

On the relationship advice side of things, why not just be done with her but not done with the kid? you don't have to have a relationship with the mother of your child beyond "Is mother of my child"


Title: How do I notify authorities about distribution of child pornography?

Question:
Okay, so I'll make this about as brief a rundown as I can.

First, I need to point out that I realize that there's a strong likelihood that nothing will happen, but I want to be prepared in case of the *unlikely*.

I have a few incels blowing up my inbox, and one in particular seems determined to have me believe he is going to be sharing a weekend with a 16-year-old girl. Now, his profile describes him as 18 years old, so up to that point, I wasn't seeing anything other than a creep boasting about a fake girl he is going to dream of boning while he spends his Friday *very alone*.

But then he started talking about posting pictures of him getting fellated by this girl.

Again, I know the chance of me actually getting these pictures linked in my inbox are direly remote, but I want to know what to do ahead of time, before he has a chance to make his account disappear, in the unlikely event that this actually happens.

If I understand US law correctly, him making pictures of a 16-year-old engaged in a sex act is child pornography, and distribution of said images is its own separate crime as well. However, I am a Canadian citizen, and I don't know how to go about notifying the proper authorities in the United States (I do believe he is American, because his profile picture is that of the Confederate Flag...).

Can anyone offer directions for this possible eventuality?

Answer:
 https://report.cybertip.org/

That'll get it where it needs to go.


Title: The law of the land (please read before participating in /r/legaladvice)

Question:
All,

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Answer:
 If I ask a question here, and I don't like the advice I get, am I required to continue participating in the thread, or

#Am I Free To Go????


Title: my neighbors child passed a note to me through the wall separating our condo units

Question:
this isn't so much of being mad at my neighbors, as they have to deal with me when im too loud at night. the walls are very thin. on either side of my unit, theres a neighbor who annoys me. on one side, theres a couple with a dog that never shuts up; all it takes is me to hop off the couch and the thing will yelp for the next ten minutes. on the opposite side theres the single father who has different people in and out of the house at random times of the night. if i have sex he can hear everything. one time he knocked on the wall until i stopped. more recently the other night, he was imitating the girl i was having intercourse with by moaning in a high pitch woman voice. tonight i just happened to glance at the corner of the room where there was an empty envelope sticking a few centimeters in with a stick figure drawn on it and a big "HI." can i get something done about how thin the walls here are and the fact that the corners separating the units from each other are not closed 100% (you can even see light through them when my lights off and theirs is on, just enough to not be able to see through). this complex is an old build but i feel like it's private enough for anyone. the floorboards are so creaky it sounds like when my neighbors are walking that they are in my unit because it travels through the floor. some are separated half an inch and are impossible to clean cause theres so much junk stuck in them from the last owner. can someone tell me if the only solution is to look for another place? i would like to stay as the area is really nice. also i live in rhode island and i am renting, not the owner of the unit.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Man, I was expecting something darker based off the title...

As others have said, your best option is to bring it up with your landlord or move.Answer #2: Take it up with your landlord


Title: Is it discrimination to treat a sexual assault complainant differently, or not take them seriously, based on their sexual orientation? [X-posted here at suggestion of /r/lgbt]

Question:
I don't know where to turn to for this information and thought this subreddit might be able to help.

I'm a non-straight poly female who was raped a few years ago by a man. The police department who was involved didn't understand that it was possible for me to be meeting a man socially (for the purpose of finding out if we were compatible as future sexual partners) with the consent and knowledge of my primary partner (my legal husband, who was at that time in a months-long relationship with another female that I was aware of and fine with).

Then police treated me like I was cheating, got found out (except that nobody knew about what happened to me until I said I'd been raped) and was claiming I was raped to avoid my husband leaving me.

Their conclusion did not involve talking with my husband at any point for if they had they'd have learned that he was aware that I was dating other people as he was himself and that we were in a polyamorous relationship and had been for over half a year by the time of the sexual assault.

I made a complaint to a government agency about the police not taking my complaint of sexual assault seriously because they wouldn't acknowledge my non-heterosexual orientation and wouldn't accept the fact that my husband and I were in a poly relationship and I was in no way "running around behind his back" (by ignoring these factors came to conclusion that I'd consented to sex and didn't charge the guy).

An official for that agency told me that the sexual orientation and marital status of a rape victim is "relevant to the issue of consent." The official wasn't willing to clarify or explain what they meant by that.

It doesn't seem right to me that the police can treat a person who's complaining about being raped differently based on whether or not they're married or if they're straight or gay or bisexual--can anyone make sense of this logic at all?

I also think that if it *truly is* relevant to the consent issue, should the police have made sure they had the facts of the matter correct *before* concluding their investigation?

[edit: location, the mid-west]
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 It's hard to say "treated differently" cause who is to say these cops don't treat all rape victims with such contempt? Yes, all facts matter in an investigation so yes nature of your sexuality does play some role. If a DA decided not to charge thinking they could not convict based on the facts or because of the defenses available that would be one thing. The police refusing to investigate is another.

The only real advice I can give is see if you can go over the detective you were working for heads. Maybe reach out to DA directly.


Title: WA - My service animal is injured and can't walk up/down the stairs to my apartment. She is too heavy for me to continuously carry (back issues). Am I able to break my lease as a medical accommodation?

Question:
Hello to all,

I'll try to keep this post relatively short. My service dog (50lbs) is undergoing TPLO surgery today on both of her hind legs and is extremely limited in how much she can walk. I live on the top floor of an apartment complex with no elevator and will have to carry her up and down the stairs for months to come. The issue with this is that I have back problems and know that I'm risking a serious injury/flair up.

I'm locked into my lease until May, but I'm wondering if the law would be on my side and see this as a medical accommodation. I need to break my lease and move into an apartment with an elevator or a ground floor unit. This is in Washington state.

Answer:
 > TPLO surgery today on both of her hind legs

This dog sounds like it should be retired and no longer be a service dog. I'm assuming it's a self trained dog? Most SD organizations will help you in this situation.

You should definitely talk about this with your landlord and see if maybe they'll let you change locations. Maybe they'll be understanding and allow you to break the lease. Service Dogs are seen as medical equipment. So depending on what service is being provided is going to impact whether it's reasonable to make accommodations for the care of the medical equipment. Like if the dog helped you walk and now you have no dog, then you have reason to ask for accommodations. If the dog is a PTSD dog or other non-mobility dog then the landlord is going to be far less enticed to accommodate you. Answer #2: > My service dog (50lbs) is undergoing TPLO surgery today on both of her hind legs

First things first, is this a true service dog or is it an emotional support animal as they are two different things? Answer #3: Have you approached your apartment management about getting a bottom level floor?


Title: HR has evidence against my friend and it could cost him his job. Is he legally allowed to see it?

Question:
We work in California. With the company we work with they have a zero tolerance Frat Policy, which for them is no dating between managers and any coworker. Well some of the managers brought it up that me and my friend, who is a manager, are dating to the general manager, so we had to make statements about it. We basically said something along the lines of "We are not dating, we are just friends," and that's the truth. Well I had to quit on the spot because the managers weren't treating me well after this and even the general manager was bullying me. My friend is now telling me that HR apparently have messages showing evidence that we are in fact dating, and he was asked if he wanted to change his statement. Is he legally allowed to see it? We aren't dating, so we are both very curious about the evidence, which could cost him his job.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: They don't have to show you anything. Your narrative is confusing. Are you dating or aren't you?


Title: So i am 17 in texas and i was in a crash with a vehicle on school ground

Question:
So I was going out for lunch and I hop onto my friend's car and he gasses it. I start hitting on his car to stop and I am verbally yelling stop! He doesn't and he hits a turn so I fly off and got horrible road rash all over my body. I need to know what to do. I am still at school, I don't think I have a concussion, should I be reporting this to the cops do I the ability to do anything about this or am I in the wrong... After I fell off he saw I was hurt but drove off what can I do

PS still a little shaken up but I will try to answer all questions
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: Go to the school nurse and get your head checked out.


Title: California ticket for using a phone. Can I avoid a point on record by submitting a Proof of Correction?

Question:
Hello,

I received a ticket in Redwood City, California for operating a phone in my hand while driving. I was tapping on the GPS map.

The ticket says... Traffic: (Y) |||| Correctable Violation. ||||  NO 23123.5 (A) (basically you can't use a cell phone)

The court sent me a letter few weeks later saying:

\*Amount Due Without Proof of Correction: $160\*

\*Amount Due with Proof of Correction\*: \*\*N/A\*\*

This is where I'm confused. The ticket says it's a Correctable Violation, but the court letter says "Not Applicable" when it comes to proof of correction.

Can I avoid a point on my record by going to a police department, showing the officer that I've installed a GPS windshield mount so I don't have to hold the phone anymore, send the $160 fee and the officer-corrected ticket to court, and avoid the point on my record? Or going to School is the only way to avoid the point?

This is my first ticket, and every official site I've used for info has been very confusing. Thanks for reading.

Answer: It's not a correctable violation.  That's a fix it ticket for something like an broken tail light.


Title: Friend was robbed in Campbell, California. He just texted me this: "Insurance says they won't cover us because this is my property, not hers and it doesn't cover my property because we are not married."

Question: Is there any recourse here? He lost about $15,000 in bicycles. Unrecoverable at his present income. His GF has Geico.

Answer:
 > Is there any recourse here?

Yes.  He can sue the thief.

The insurance policy only has to cover what it's written to cover.  It sounds like your buddy assumed he was covered under his girlfriends' renters or homeowners policy.  He can review the policy to see if it should cover him.  Answer #2: You need both a lot more information and clarification of terms.

"Robbery" usually indicates the taking of property by force or coercion.

Where were the bicycles stored?  Who owned them?  Who insured them?


Title: Being harassed and slandered.

Question:
Another Reddit user is making stuff up about me, including claims I’ve sent lewd pictures of my penis, which didn’t happen. When I ask for proof it’s excuse after excuse as to why she can’t when she and I know the real reason; because it didn’t happen.

I usually let this shit slide but the past two weekends she’s been doing this and it’s becoming annoying. What she’s doing is wrong and illegal in some kind of way for sure. I would just block her but I feel I’m not the only target and I don’t want my name to be associated with that kind of garbage of harassing and sending pics. Is there anything I can do? I’ve been waiting for an admin to step in and request proof, and then ban her when she doesn’t have any but that doesn’t seem to be happening.

Edit: how specific do I have to be on my location. I’m in the US.

Answer: Block and move on with your life.


Title: [PA/MI] $1000+ of Walmart orders placed for pickup in another state. Can I have them arrested?

Question:
Title says it all. I woke up this morning with confirmation emails from Walmart.com saying that my site-to-store orders were processing. I checked the pickup information, and the dummies didn't even bother changing my password or my name as the pickup person. The location is set for a Walmart in Michigan. I live in Pennsylvania.

I called Walmart.com and had all of the orders cancelled (six TB hard drives, a laptop, and an iPhone 7 Plus). I also called the actual store and warned them that someone might be coming in later today to pick up a big order, and will probably be upset when they find out that it's cancelled. They have no way of knowing. My email is double verified through my phone and there have been no new sign-ins (thanks, Gmail).

Can I and should I call the local police in Michigan? My issue is resolved, but these people are stupid, petty criminals that will probably try to do this again.

Answer: Change your walmart password and change the password of any other account that has the same password.Answer #2: Oh, $1000 of store equipment theft is at the very bottom of the threshold for felony theft in Michigan.  If you report this the police might actually care about it due to this.


Title: My former band member threatened to kill me if I didn't sign over the rights to my songs...

Question:
I did end up signing them over. I was young and stupid. The lawyer advised against it too and when I brought it up to our band member he threatened to "slit my fucking throat" if I ever brought it up again. I stayed in the band for a couple more years and then quit and they continued playing my songs, opening up for national acts and getting licensed to MTV.

I own about 12.5% of my songs at this point because he controls the ASCAP account and knows my social. I've tried to bring this up to him (he is now signed to Warner Records in another band) but he stops talking to me when I do.

I have reached out to ASCAP and they said I need a copyright lawyer. I haven't had any luck so far with the few I've contacted. I have reached out to more today, but if anyone has another suggestion or referral, that'd be great.

This affected me way more than I thought. I didn't perform for 7 years after this happened. It crushed my self-esteem and sent me into a deep depression. I'd just like this to be over with.

Edit: I am located in Missouri

Edit: Also, the original lawyer won't contact me back because I think she knows how messed up this was.

Answer:
 >Also, the original lawyer won't contact me back because I think she knows how messed up this was

Maybe she doesn't want to deal with it because you ignored her advise when it was important to follow it. You're now 9 years late trying to regain a copyright with the only basis criminal activity you never reported, I'd say your chances are grim.Answer #2: Certainly not a lawyer but if your songs have gotten you on to MTV and opening up for national acts you clearly have talent in writing songs. Instead of trying to get your songs back look at creating new and much better songs. There are lots of music acts out there where they split from a band and either formed a new band or went solo. Phil Collins and Genesis comes to mind.

Good luck!Answer #3: Legally, a contract is void if made under duress (and death threats would certainly count).  Unfortunately, you have a couple of problems that make it unlikely you will be able to do anything about this.

1.  You waited too long.  The statute of limitations for contract issues in Missouri appears to be [5 years](http://www.moga.mo.gov/mostatutes/stathtml/51600001201.html).  There are some exceptions (notably for fraud), but I don't think your case would qualify.

2.  You haven't mentioned having any evidence of the threat.  Without having some concrete, it becomes your word against theirs about the threat.


Title: Rear ended by multiple people

Question: Today I was rear ended by 3 motorcycles, in the state of Florida there are no requirements for motorcycles to carry insurance. My little civic is now totaled and I was not at fault, the people who rear ended me have no insurance.... where do I go from here?

Answer: You file with your insurance and have the uninsured motorist coverage compensate you.  Your insurance may or may not go after the motorcycle drivers.


Title: [Pennsylvania] I’m a college student and one of my professors said “if anybody answers this question right I’ll give you 200$” he was very serious and not in a joking manner so I answered it correctly and now he refused to pay me

Question: I don’t mean to be one of those kids but I am very broke and two hundred dollars could really help me out during this tough time. The professor must of thought no one remembered the correct answer but I had it on my mind. I Obviously have no money for anything big so am I just out of luck? Thanks for your time!

Answer:
 Are you willing to spend $80 in filing fees plus a similar amount of money on service of process in the hopes of recovering $200 plus your fees back from him in small claims?

If you reasonably believed from context that the offered reward was sincere, you may have a shot. However, for $200 it might not be prudent to pursue it - and it'll _definitely_ alienate your prof. It might, however, be worth sitting down privately with your prof and the head of your department and discussing whether wagers or backing out of wagers are appropriate classroom conduct.


Title: A family member developed a severe medical condition in a Third World Country and their passport has expired. What can we do to fly him out so he can get treated back home (Canada)?

Question:
My cousin is currently bedridden. The doctors say that it is a heart condition(not clear exactly what but possibly a clogged artery) and he is being oxygenated and given blood thinners daily. He was puking for a couple days and then he started to have chest pains. Right now he can barely move or talk. He was diagnosed by a Doctor that visits maybe once or twice a year. The medical team there is not licensed and they are highly under trained. At the moment we want to fly him out so he can be treated here in Canada but his passport has expired and the closest consulate is maybe a 40-hour drive which he is no condition to partake. Another problem is that the flight back to Canada is about 13-16 hours. What makes it all worse is that his passport expired 2 months ago and he never renewed it. Honestly, the way it's looking is that if he isn't given proper medical attention immediately this could be fatal.

What can we do legally to fly him out as soon as possible?

Answer:
 Well, a private medical flight may be a solution, you still might have to deal with legalities after landing, but at least he'd be in Canada at that point. And being that he's presumably a Canadian citizen, what are they going to do, deport him?

It's expensive but it's a possibility. Passports are generally more important when entering a foreign country than they are returning home


Title: What are your rights as far as being observed or not during a urine drug test?

Question: I took a pre-employment drug test once and it was in a completely private single-person restroom that nobody could see in. That made sense to me, because I'm not on probation, I'm not a criminal, and thus I have not 'given up' my right to privacy in the restroom just because I applied for a job. But when I posted something to this effect on another reddit thread regarding drug tests, a few people responded saying that you absolutely *can* be observed even for a non-probation drug test. That seems absurd to me! Anybody know the legality of it all? (I'm asking generally, but if the answer must be state specific, might as well answer for California please since that's where I am..)

Answer: They can require whatever they want, and you can choose to comply and not be employed.  You're not being forced to take the drug test.


Title: (Texas, USA) Could a person pursue a criminal claim against their spouse for transferring money out of a bank account in only their name, even if they provided said account information to their spouse?

Question:
I'm going to use hypothetical names here, forgive me.

Say Bob has an account at The Best Bank in only his name. He gives his wife Lisa his login and bank information so that she can pay bills from this account. Later, Bob and Lisa separate but do not divorce. Lisa still has all his bank account information but no longer pays bills with that account. Bob still sends her money for their kids on a semi-regular basis, but Bob abruptly decides to start another family/relationship (although still technically married to Lisa) and stops speaking to Lisa or sending money for the kids.

If Lisa transfers the money left in his Best Bank account to her own, or to their still-active joint account, is it theft when they are technically still married?

TIA

Answer:
 Of course it's theft.

He could report it to the police and it would be up to the prosecutor whether or not she gets charged.


Title: Concerns over an incident that occurred last year

Question:
Hey everyone,

I'm not entirely sure if this question even belongs in this subreddit but I figure it's worth a shot:

Last year 3 of my friends and I were travelling from an eastern province in Canada to Montreal to attend the Osheaga music festival that occurs in August. Along the way, we ended up taking a wrong route and ended up reaching the border into Maine. We didn't have our passports on hand at the time but we're forced to go through any ways. The border patrol ended up searching the car, which didn't seem like a big deal at the time. However, unbeknownst to me at the time, two of my friends in the car were in possession of small quantities of marijuana and needless to say they found it inside their bags and we ended up being interrogated   as to whose it was. This resulted in two of my friends having to pay a 500$ "fee" which my other friend and I had to go to an ATM to get the money for them as they weren't allowed to leave. After we paid the fee, the US border patrol let us into the states and we ended up travelling north and entering Canada from there without any issues.

Any ways my question is since I am planning on travelling to the US and also Europe this summer (not with this same group of friends), should I be worried about anything not allowing me into the country? I wasn't responsible for the fee, however I realize that I was involved just being there and I don't doubt that my name was put into the system at the time of it happening. The whole situation was a bit of a mess, and I'm looking to be able to travel without any issues in the future.

Thanks!

Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 there is no marijuana fee payable in cash at the border, your friends got shaken down for a grand by a dirty border guard.Answer #2: Did all of you have Enhanced Driver's Licenses, or a NEXUS, FAST/EXPRES or SENTRI card ?   An ordinary driver's license is insufficient ID for a Canadian citizen to enter the USA at a land crossing.

Was anyone given a citation or receipt for this cash "fee" ?

When you smuggle even small amounts of marijuana into the USA, the CBP procedure is always to block your entry into the USA.  You will then need to apply for a waiver for any future entry into the USA.  This costs hundreds of dollars in fees and can take many months to process.

Sometimes you'll be prosecuted by local authorities and fined, but you would definitely have been given a citation.   The fine for possession of under 2.5 ounces in Maine is $600.

The fact that you were allowed into the USA at all, and were "fined" by the Border Patrol and not a local Maine police agency, both suggest that the CBP officer shook you down for cash.

If I were in your shoes I would contact the US CBP preclearance office at the Halifax airport and ask them if there's a process for making sure you're cleared to enter the USA.


Title: Refused trademark on video game because of "liklihood of confusion" with a card game

Question:
USA-AZ. Working on a video game intended for release on PC and consoles further down the line, registered trademark under intent to use trademark class 9 (computer programs, specifically video games). There happens to be a card game under the same mark under international classification 28 (toys and sporting goods, specifically card game).

The following line seems to be at the crux of the issue. "consumers are likely to be confused and mistakenly believe that the respective goods emanate from a common source" which I don't think any reasonable person would make the connection between this obscure card game and an asymmetrical multiplayer shooter despite them both being in the crime genre.

Is my trademark dead in the water or could it be argued that the entertainment medium (one being physical cards, mine being an audio/visual experience comparable to a movie or TV show) and aesthetic is different enough to justify the mark?

Answer:
 There are many video games that are based on card games. Magic: the Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, and the like.

There are many card games that are based on video games. Pokémon TCG is the prime example.

There are hybrid video-card games such as Hearthstone.

There's the potential for confusion there.


Title: Canada - Healthcare

Question:
We live in a more remote region of Canada that has a full sized hospital. Our family doctor routinely cancels appointments on us and wait times to see them are upwards of 6-8 weeks. My wife was victim of a massive infection after the birth of our child that was apparently very easily treated had she been seen 3 months after the birth as intended. Her doctor cancelled and rescheduled every 3 months for a full year, causing the infection to grow to the point where she was bleeding for a month straight.

Our doctors have cancelled and rescheduled almost every single appointment we've made for the last 2 years often resulting in wait times of 2-18 months to be seen for potentially time sensitive issues.

I was told to wait 2 months to see my family doctor for surgery follow up while I was actively bleeding from my jewels. Do we have any kind of legal recourse here? We're tired of getting constantly dicked around by the terrible healthcare services here.

Do we have any recourse? Is there anything we can do short of contacting elected representatives who are actively slashing healthcare budgets in our province and likely not to care about this anyways?

Answer: Just in a practical sense you have a couple options. One is to travel to a larger community for services. The other is to go to the ER (which I am assuming that your full sized hospital has).


Title: I “stole” a flag, now I have a charge for a misdemeanor.

Question:
It was some time last semester I walked through the student union of my college, and saw a flag on the ground. The union was closed so I thought to pick it up and return it in the morning. I slept until noon the next day and it was reported stolen. What do I do? I didn’t have any intent and I’m uncertain of what this could mean for me.

Edit: in Louisiana. Age 19.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: So you were arrested and charged? Or the flag was just reported stolen?Answer #2: IANAL. That's theft in only the most technical way. Give the flag back, and if it looks like they're gonna charge you, clam up and lawyer up.


Title: What is the legality of renting out personal parking garage or renting out the curb around the house? - ON, Canada

Question:
Is the curb considered public if there are no meters?

What are the rules with them?

How can it be used to make money?

Sorry for stupid questions. Just asking for friends living near university that need cheaper parking.

Answer:
 >Is the curb considered public if there are no meters?

Yes

>What are the rules with them?

Depends on the city and even the street. Sometimes you need a permit, sometimes you can't park overnight, sometimes there are no restrictions on parking.

>How can it be used to make money?

For a city? Permit parking only that you must pay for.

For you? You cannot make money off of public parking.


Title: My husband and I are divorcing. I have a tax refund from last year and he owes. He says he is entitled to my refund to pay for what taxes he owes.

Question:
We were married all last year. We have only been married two years. Our finances were always separate except we did have a spreadsheet of who pays what monthly expenses that we both agreed upon. It was based of our income and debt. He makes $10,000 more per year than I do and has no debt. I make less and have student loans. So I pay less of our monthly expenses. Nothing in that spreadsheet agreement mentioned taxes. Other than that, we are separate. Never had a shared bank account, no shared debts, don't own any porperty, none of that.

Basically, I have a $1500 refund this tax season, and he owes $3200. I guess both our W4s were fucked in opposite directions. He INSISTS that my refund should go to what he owes because we were married all last year. I want my refund because I am trying to move out on my own and it would help me so so much. My losing that $1500 will hurt me much more than him paying the $3200 that wasn't even his in the first place... He has so much more money in savings than I do, he makes more money overall. I feel like he is making a grab for my money that I worked for, it belongs to me it's just that the government had it for a while. My argument was that if I magically had no refund and owed $0, would he ask me for $1500 from my bank account for his taxes? The answer is no.

I want to know who is legally right here. I also would like to know do I have to have his consent to file separately? He is threatening to sue me over this...

Answer:
 I kinda think if your tax return was meant to pay his deficit, the IRS wouldn't have given it to you at all. Like, if that was their money they would have taken it.

 You can  just call the IRS and ask, though:
https://www.irs.com/articles/contact-the-irs


Title: [AZ] Roommate one week late w rent :(

Question: I paid full amount for 2 bdrms expecting a quick pay, not late rent, owes me money situation. We just started living together. So very sad and hate conflict. I'm a doormat. Says their bank acct is negative but can borrow money from family as last resort. Steps? So very sad right now. I have bills to pay and was just laid off. They work but what if it isn't enough?

Answer: The advice given by /u/thepatman is solid, but one thing to mention for OP; The rent still has to be paid on time, even if your roommate is flaking out. If you don't pay the full amount you open yourself to eviction procedures, etc. So the best thing to do is pay first and then take your roommate to court.Answer #2: Are you both on one lease?  Separate leases?  Answer #3: If you haven't already file for unemployment immediately.


Title: [NYC] Got a littering ticket for cutting my nails on a bench in Central Park, NYC. I wasn't littering, I was catching my nails in a bag and would throw them in bin after finishing. What should I do?

Answer:
 If you don't think it's legitimate, challenge the ticket.

What's the code number?


Title: [LA] Can I Be Fired For Calling In Do To Inclement Weather?

Question:
So I work part time at a chain food joint and there is currently really bad weather and 2 tornadoes have been spotted in my area. They've had a sign stating if anyone calls off today (for Halloween) they'd be terminated, effective immediately. I already don't like driving in just rain, but when I tried to leave I could barely see ~ 10 feet ahead of me so I turned back. Only made it about 2 miles. I live around 30 minutes away by highway. I'd really rather not put my car in a ditch for $7.50 /hr dead end job. So I was wondering if they could actually fire me for this? Also 18 if you need that.
Will post updates.

UPDATE 1: At work, unsure whether or not I'm fired yet. Head manager left before I got here.

Answer:
 Yes. You can be fired for calling out of a shift. You can be fired for anything.

If you're canned, file for unemployment.


Title: [Pa] When I started a new job, supervisor told me I must clock out for lunch, after reading employee hand book it states "All employees get a paid lunch"

Question: Not to get into to much details but I have been working there for like 5 months now and I work 9-5 Monday through Friday with a thirty minute unpaid break. I got bored so I decided to read the employee hand book where it states "all employees get a paid lunch" is there anything I can do to get the wages that I lost? Thanks for the help

Answer:
 I would first ask HR if that policy is still in effect.  No one is going to fire you for asking a question about a policy in the handbook.  Answer #2: So you work essentially 7.5 hours a day, or 37.5 hours per week? Do your pay stubs reflect 37.5 hours per week or are you being paid for 40 hours? You may want to confirm that they aren't actually paying you for 40 hours per week before potentially acting on this.Answer #3: So is he supposed to work 7 hours a day or stay until 6pm or come in at 8?

Answer #4: Are you salaried? Some places do this just to track time. Answer #5: We clock out, yeah, but it's more for insurance purposes than losing money.  We still get paid, but since we leave the job site our safety is on us.


Title: My affair partner may be pregnant.

Question:
My affair partner may be pregnant. For the sake of this post, I will assume so. Here are some details:

* I'm married, with children
* She is married, with no children
* Unsure of who the Father is, a paternity test will be done
* Location: Savannah, GA

&#x200B;

My questions are:

* What can her husband do legally to spite me if the child is indeed mines? Or in other words, is there anything that I should do in order to protect myself in the court of law?
* On the FAQ section, it states "It is in your best interest to request a paternity test"; the obvious reason is to make sure whether or not the child is mines, but are there any other reasons which I may be unaware of?

Answer: What outcome are you looking for here? What outcome is your partner looking for? Is her husband aware of the affair?


Title: An elevator door closed on my mom, resulting in serious shoulder pain. She just found out that security footage of the incident exists. Should she get a lawyer, and think about filing a lawsuit/seek a settlement?

Question:
[Georgia, USA]

The incident happened a few weeks ago when she was at the hospital visiting someone. Ever since the incident she has been dealing with some pretty serious pain. She recently went to the doctor, but doesn't know exactly what part of her shoulder was affected or what her prognosis will be yet.

When she called the hospital yesterday, the security guard found video footage of the incident. They asked her to come to the hospital so that she could sign something that presumably will start the process of them paying for her medical bills. I should say that we are skeptical that whatever they have her sign will cause her not to be able to sue/ get a settlement. (For this reason, my siblings and I are thinking she should get a lawyer before signing whatever it is they want her to sign.)

My mom says she would honestly be okay if she could just have her medical bills paid, but we are thinking this might be grounds for her to sue/seek a settlement. After all, the pain she is dealing with may never go away, or may leave her with a life-long injury or debilitation.

As I asked in the title, should she get a lawyer? Is this incident grounds for legal action? Is it reasonable to suspect she may get a settlement from this incident that goes beyond the cost of her medical bills?

Answer:
 Tell your mom not to sign anything they give her. Have the document looked over by a lawyer before she does anything.

More importantly find out the full extent of her injuries. Hopefully they are minor but if there is some form of permenant damage (I doubt this is the case) she needs to know


Title: i feel like im paying my molester

Question:
i cannot edit that titlle - NYS - or figure out how to - this is really hard to write.  i may leave stuff out.  please ask questions.

ill start where i am now.  for the approx last 10 years or so i have been paying my uncle 100$/month.  this was for 1- a house 1 of his companies financed for me, then i lost the house, couldn't pay the mortgage and he took it back and 2 - for $ that i had initially thought (this is about 15 years ago now) we were spending together on my vehicle.
*
*
*
*
removed all stuff relating to molestation.  thanks .

*
*
*
*
*
so   the money.  we had continually 'built' my car.  it was all the rage then, and judging by the cars on the streets seems to still be.  modifying the cars.  so, we did this.  never ONCE did we talk about repayment or him keeping track or anything like that.  now i know better.  time came when i started spending less time with him and more time with my friend.  shortly there after he said i could not meet deadlines and fired me.  shortly there after i lost the house because i could not afford the 250$ a week mortgage. shortly after that i was presented with an agreement to sign, saying i was liable for alll the $ spent on the car and the $ for the house.  i signed it.  he wanted 100$ a paycheck.  i told him 100$ a month.  the total debt will have me paying him until i am in my 60's...he will be long passed.    shortly after that i lost the Mercedes because i could not afford the ins and payment; both of which were being paid through his company that i was working for.

so here i am.  32.  paying him 100$ a month.

  TIA.  i really appreciate any advice you can give.

i am asking if i signed this under duress.  i thank you.

Answer:
 Do you have an actual legal question? I'm not exactly sure what I read above. You are unclear as to what happened and why due to your extraneous detail and stream-of-consciousness writing style. Were you molested? If so, contact the police if you are within the statute of limitation where you live. I don't know because you did not include your location.

If you owe him money, that has nothing to do with any molestation.


Title: Fellow Lawyers, could there be a potential lawsuit?

Question:
Here is the backstory link:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/2mrdom/phishing_site_is_top_sponsored_link_on_google_for/

Summary: Basically I lost 1.7 bitcoin ($25,000) to a phishing website that had their advertisement placed at the top of the Search Engine. I googled "Binance" the  second biggest crypto currency coin exchange market.

I understand I will not get the money back, I understand that this situation is unfortunate. What really bothers me is that there has been multiple phishing websites that replicate binance.com over the last three months. With their paid google advertisements these scammers are able to put their listing at the top of the list.

How is google not catching on with this scam? Some phishing websites are out on the internet for over two days straight.

These websites have different URL's. The real binance website URL is www.binance.com

The fake one for example that I fell for was www.binance.us. How do these slip past google. Binance is probably one of the most popular searched keywords on google to date.

I know chances are slim but could this potentially be a lawsuit?

Answer:
 If you’re computer literate enough to set up crypto wallets and exchange accounts you should be able to tell a genuine site from a fake one and check the security certificate.

If you asked to be your own bank then this is the price you pay.

SELL $BTC

SELL $BCH

SELL $ETH

SELL $NEO

SELL $LTC

SELL $XMR

SELL $XRP

SELL $XVGAnswer #2: Simply put it is not their problem.


Title: Possible Paypal scam?

Question:
Sorry if this is the wrong place. I really don't know any other subreddit like this.

I put up a Craigslist post to sell my computer. I got someone saying that he or she will send me the money via Paypal and that we will use that person's FedEx account to send the item.

Really hesitant to do any transactions of large amounts over the internet. What are some ways I can go through with the deal but lessen any risk of a scam? Or, if I end up going through with it, and it is a scam, what do I do?

Again, sorry if it's the wrong subreddit. If it is, could someone tell me where to go?

Edit: I'm in California but the buyer seems to want me to send the package to Washington (I'm assuming state).

Answer:
 Paypal lets people dispute charges and refunds the buyer pretty much 100% of the time.

Sell locally only. Preferably for cash.

It makes no logical sense for someone to pay for a computer and shipping for a used computer, unless it's super unusual.

Also, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.


Title: Can someone explain to me whether or not Netflix commited sexual harassment here? (NSFW)

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 Sexual harassment, as a legal issue, arises in a limited number of contexts. The biggies are:

* In the workplace;
* In education;
* In access to government services; and
* In housing.

Dave Chapelle is not employing someone, is not restricting anyone's access to education, is not preventing people from accessing the DMV, and is not your landlord.

It is legal - in fact, it is _protected speech_, to exactly the same degree as inclusive speech is - for someone to make off-colour, bigoted, or racist/sexist comments, in general. It is legal for someone to build a comedy routine out of it, and it is legal for someone to carry that routine on a streaming platform.

The answer to your question is "there is no legal problem with Chapelle's troubling jokes."

Section 230 is irrelevant, as this is not user-submitted content. However, it's also irrelevant as there's no legal action to protect Netflix from. Recourse for this is through the marketplace, not the courts.


Title: My mother killed my tarantula, can I take her to court?

Question:
I had a tarantula as a pet for a few months. I have no friends so I like raising pets to keep me company. My mother has been harassing me for months. She is a narcissitic control freak and she hates that I have pets. While I was at work, she actually picked my lock and let herself in. She "re-arranged" my place, including using Raid to kill my tarantula. That just broke something inside me.

I called the cops. I wanted to press charges but the officers basically guilted me into not having my mother arrested [for the record, she hightailed it out of there when I called 911]. They also told me that there was nothing that can be done since she didn't steal anything and it was just "a stupid spider". I have no idea if I can trust their word or not. Are they right?

state: NJ
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 To be clear, you do not live at home, she broke into your apartment/home, not one you share with her?

Get a better lock (talk to your landlord) and cut her out of your life.Answer #2: >I have no idea if I can trust their word or not.

Broadly, no, do not trust legal advice from a cop.


Title: Los Angeles Rent Control - Code violation apartment

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 First, please specify: Are you trying to permanently remove them from the apartment, or are you looking to have them move out long enough for necessary remodel to be complete, and then they move back in?

Second: What is the remaining term of their lease?

Third: These necessary remodels - are they required to be done within a certain amount of time by a government/insurance agency, or are they something you can hold off on doing for a moderate length of time?

These questions will help people here when trying to give you an answer.  Best to edit your submission to add these details in.


Title: [California, USA] Franchise contract has "waiver of RICO rights" clause

Question:
I'm reading through a franchise agreement document and near the end there is a small clause:

>WAIVER OF RICO. THE PARTIES HERETO AGREE TO WAIVE, NOW AND
FOREVER, ANY AND ALL RIGHTS EITHER MAY HAVE UNDER THE FEDERAL STATUTE
KNOWN AS RICO.

I can't quite make out what the goal of it is, so I glanced over the wikipedia page on the RICO act, and it says, among lots of things, this:

>RICO also permits a private individual "damaged in his business or property" by a "racketeer" to file a civil suit.

Is the clause in the franchise contract basically saying that by agreeing to the francise agreement that, if the franchise becomes a party to a RICO act proceeding (for lack of a better phrase), that I would not be able to bring a civil suit against the franchise for any possible damages that arise because of their status in a RICO act proceeding?

And is this even an enforceable clause if it requests waiver of rights under a federal act?

Answer:
 I would seriously doubt such a clause is enforceable.

I would also demand an ELI5 as to what in the shit this franchiser is expecting me to waive and would not plan on signing said contract.

If you’re starting a business you should have an attorney. Said attorney should be able to review and advise you on this. Answer #2: I don't know the answer to your question -- I hope someone that does comes by to answer it. But from my admittedly a naive perspective, this sounds shady as fuck.

If it was narrowly tailored to waive right to civil suit under RICO only if there were a RICO case between the franchize and its corporate, then it would still seem shady but at least by narrowly tailored. The fact that it's broadly written to waive RICO civil suit regardless of who is involved, that makes me uncomfortable.

I, for one, would love to know what the hell these people are up to that they believe they can not only get nailed for RICO charges but create a situation where the counter-party to this contract can sue for the triple damages allowed by RICO.

Look, for all I know, this is commonplace and totally normal. But I wouldn't sign it until and unless (1) I had a competent attorney review it and tell me their thoughts and (2) it was revised so that only RICO cases involving the franchise and corporate (and no one else).


Title: I witness an attempted murder and don't want to be involved. I need options

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You can avoid the cops but you can't ignore a subpoena.Answer #2: This is a deadly violent assault. If your loved one was almost killed, you would want the police to take any and all measures at their disposal to identify and arrest the suspects.

That said, you are under no obligation to talk to the police at this time. See if they are willing to talk to you over the phone and record it or see if they will come out to your house on your off day. However, if you receive a subpoena you cannot ignore it.Answer #3: You can continue to ignore the police if you'd like. They are correct however, you may be subpoenaed if/when the case goes to trial and legally compelled to testify.Answer #4: Are you worried about your safety ie a gang related issue?  Are your bosses anti-snitching?  I'm genuinely curious why this is an issue for you since you do want to help the guy but there's something holding you backAnswer #5: Im calling them tonight and am going in to make a statement. Im not going to be an ass.

You guys are right, and we are all sure her and her loved ones would appreciate it.


Title: [ON, Canada] Legality of archiving a webpage that outlines the disciplinary decisions of a licensed professional.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Legally speaking your friend needs a better hobby :)

What happens if wrong info ended up on one of those source sites by accident and your friend is now spreading potentially libellous assertions on forums/blogs?


Title: Renting a house for the first time.

Question: I have recently found a house for rent finally. The landlord is asking me to send the security deposit and the first months rent via bitcoin atm transfer. Is this a safe method for me to send my money? I just don’t want to get stolen from I mean I have his full name and the address of the house he owns. He currently lives in Texas that’s why he’s asking for the bitcoin transfer.

Answer:
 Are you sure that you are talking to the actual owner of the house? Have you visited the house in person?

This has all the signs of a scam


Title: Pennsylvania - my girlfriend and her ex-boyfriend bought a house before they broke up. She has lived there alone for the past 3 months but he is now trying to move back in. Does she have any way of keeping him from moving back in?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Moving in to his house that he owns? No. Not really. Answer #2: If he co-owns the house - as in, his name is on the deed/title - then no, she can't prevent him from using the property as he sees fit.  Just as he can't prevent her.


Title: Popular gaming PC company sent me a defective product, now they are trying to get out of the 30 day warranty.

Question:
On July 27, I received a water-cooled PC from a very popular gaming pc prebuilt shop. I had only used it for a week before one of the pipes popped right out of the motherboard and sprayed water all over the inside of the rig, which was powered on at the time, possibly frying multiple components inside.

I contacted them immediately and the guy in customer support was extremely unhelpful. Telling me I had to wait for an email from then to proceed with the return.

Two days go by and no email, so I call them back. Same guy is on the line, he tells me I'll get an email within 48 hours this time.  It's Thursday, and I'm thinking they are probably closed on Saturday, and guess what I'm right, and no email arrives.

Their website says they will give me an RMA number, and that if I don't have this number then my return will not be accepted.

At this point I have until the 27th of Augues to return for a full refund but they are seriously giving me the runaround.

Can I reverse charges on my card and send it back anyway?  The return center is in CA and I live in Washington State.

Answer:
 > Can I reverse charges on my card and send it back anyway?

Ask your credit card issuer.


Title: Boss threatens to cut my pay, but I'm already working for minimum wage.

Question:
I live in Georgia, USA, and I work part time in a Growler store 3 days a week. The only employees are one co-worker and myself. Each business day the store is run by one employee for the entirety of the day. Along our boss who owns and over looks the store but doesn't work any shifts, these are the only people involved in the business.

I live in a college town so a big part of what we do involves Keg retail. I often receive calls to reserve a keg to hold until the customer can pick it up and pay for it the day of their event. Yesterday I was supposed follow through with one of these reservations and promised a keg on our inventory list to a customer over the phone, but when she came to pick it up we didnt have it in stock. The inventory sheet had not been kept up to date.

I did manage to talk them in to buying another Keg, but upon telling my boss what happened he started flipping out on me about not being able to make a sale and that the next time it would happen he'd deduct his losses from the missed sale from my paycheck saying 'you know, that's my money here.'
He said that 3 different times in his speech, but he was talking fast and I wasn't about to interrupt. I guess I'm just frustrated because I know he had to have been the one to sell that keg and not update the inventory. The other girl hadn't worked yet this week. I JUST saw that keg in the back a few days ago, and it's not atypical for him to come in and make a sale for a keg before we open and leave the clean up for me when i open up.

I think he might be bluffing, but just in case something like this happens again and he cuts my pay below minimum wage who should I notify?

Answer:
 The Department of Labor in your state.
Answer #2:  Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), a deduction for loss or damage may be made if two conditions are met:

The employee signed a written agreement prior to the shortage (at the start of employment or when the policy related to deductions is adopted) by which he or she agrees to such a deduction; and
The deduction does not bring the employee's hourly rate below the minimum wage.Answer #3: He can't do that.Answer #4: Your boss is a moron anyway, how the hell did you selling them another keg mean there was a lost sale?

Also, I highly suspect your boss is making those extra sales off the books, that's why inventory is not updated (that and the fact that it's he's making the sales outside regular business hours)


Title: I hear kids screaming below me and I live in a apartment, and can hear the dad's voice through the floor. Should I be worried.

Question:
Backstory: I am a teenager who lives in the Sacramento area. Also, this family is ghetto as hell. Also I fall asleep very late, and can sometimes hear the dad screaming his head off at 11 PM.

Anyways I hear screams that do NOT sound like screams of pissed dad.

Most times it goes something like this:

One of their SEVERAL young kids screams.

Dad: \*Unintelligable yelling and cursing\*

Kid starts crying and bawling his eyes out.

One time I even heard something along the lines that one of them had gotten PREGNANT.

What on Earth should I do?

Answer: Call a non emergency line


Title: Middle Eastern traveling to US, what are my rights with regards to being searched?

Question:
Hello!

I am a Middle Eastern traveling to Boston from the UK next week to attend a conference that I was accepted to. I have a valid US tourist visa that I've not yet used (expires in 2020).

Being from the Middle East, my parents are a bit paranoid about me traveling to the US on my own. I will have everything with me to prove I am visiting for that conference (i.e. an invitation letter with contact information from the conference organisers, proof of return flight, proof of hotel accommodation) but someone today told me to delete any tweets I have mocking Trump and to change my phone passwords before I go.

I have no posts on my Twitter account since it is public-facing, but on Facebook (which is private to only my network of friends) I share some videos that discuss Trump policies as being bad etc. Nothing insulting or humiliating to Trump, but I disagree with most of his policies and stances on topics like immigration and global warming.

If I am asked by border patrol to give them my phone, I really have nothing to hide. I am more than happy for them to search it. But I need an intellectual response in case I end up with someone at border control who will treat me unjustly or unfairly for being from where I am from, something unfortunately I did not choose in life. What are my rights when it comes to being searched?

Disclaimer: I messaged the mods under a different account to ask if this question is relevant and was kindly given permission to post.
Topic:
Immigration

Answer:
 The truth is: border control have (in effect) absolute control when it comes to this situation. You have the right to refuse a search, they have a right to refuse you entry.

>But I need an intellectual response in case I end up with someone at border control who will treat me unjustly or unfairly for being from where I am from, something unfortunately I did not choose in life. What are my rights when it comes to being searched?

Basically none. You agree to the search or you get refused entry.Answer #2: Boston is a very good place for you to enter this country.  CBP can be a dick anywhere, but generally Boston has short lines and reasonable employees.

 If anyone asks for your cell phone password or asks how you feel about Trump, tell the people who organize your conference.  Massachusetts' economy is based on tourism, education and science, and we simply cannot allow the CBP to hassle brown folk unreasonably.

 Our Senior Senator and Attorney General went to the airport to work with people who were caught in transit during Muslim Ban 1.

Another option, clear customs in Dublin.


Title: I'm [24f] pregnant and I dont want my [27m] bf to be involved at all. Options? [Ontario]

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 > How can I best ensure that he doesnt get custody?

Hire an attorney. None of your questions are simple, so they are outside the scope of the sub. Good luck.Answer #2: You can file for full custody as soon as possible after the child is born and present your case as to why he shouldn't be allowed to parent the child.  Your likelihood of success depends on what he's doing, and whether he fights you for it or not.  You cannot permanently ban him from seeing the child, because his circumstances may change in the future and he can petition to modify custody at any time there's a change in circumstances.


Title: Set off the TSA's "groin alarm" and was forced to go through waist, buttocks, and crotch search (MI, USA)

Question:
I set off the TSA's groin alarm after going through one of the full body scanners (in which you lift your arms and spread your legs apart to be scanned). They did not give me the option to go back through the machine or leave the airport, they said I was required to do the search. I opted for a private screening with the presence of my travel companion and an additional TSA agent and experienced a rubdown and patting of my waist, crotch, and buttocks, after which they tested me and their gloves for residue. I am not looking for sympathy or snarky comments about what I should be comfortable with, just answers for:

1. Did they follow proper procedure? I am reading some stuff online that says they should have allowed me to go through the body scanner again or consented to a visual inspection instead but I'm not sure if that's outdated information.

2. What would have happened if I had just left the airport instead of consenting to the screening?

Answer:
 Google has most of [your answers](https://www.tsa.gov/blog/2010/11/16/opting-out-advanced-imaging-technology-and-pat-down-doesnt-fly).

That said, tripping an alert and then saying "Oh, uhh, I guess I'll just leave" wouldn't fly anyway.  No pun intended.  I'm no big fan of a lot of the measures the TSA have in place, but doing that is like turning around at a DUI checkpoint - you're basically asking them to escalate the situation.Answer #2: I routinely get patted down after going through the scanners. My bra’s underwire and an area at the back of one of my knees are always the culprit (no idea what is going on with the back of my knee as I don’t have any pins or anything like that). In any case, they never send me back through the machine. I always get a female assist to pat me down and they send their gloves through the machine afterwards. I’d say what you had happen was standard procedure (I’ve had this happen at multiple major airports across the country).


Title: [CA] Housemate threatened several times to assault me in self-defense if I was ever nude in front of him, in response to accidental nudity

Question:
TL;DR - Am I the asshole, is he, both, and whom has legal standing here?

Yesterday night I was doing laundry with all my clothes in the washer. I was wearing a blanket out in the living room, trying to clean out my fridge when my blanket slipped form me, and Housemate B walked in on me, butt-naked, cleaning out my black beans which had gone bad. I hand't noticed my blanket slipped,as I was hyper-focused cleaning. Housemate B simply said, "I'll come back later" ad I immediately covered myself and apologized.

I am on the Autism Spectrum, and have documented proof of this. Though I admit this is far out of league for my usual slip-ups.

This morning, I received a group text from Housemate A, asking if Housemates B, C and D were okay with me being naked around the house. I texted him in reply expalining the context, but he told him he didn't care.

After he continued texting, I knocked on his door, and we got into a verbal argument where he called me various names and alleged my nudity could be sexual assault. I scoffed at this, taken back, and left back to my room for several hours to diffuse the situation. I did not touch him, nor did he me, in any capacity.

About an hour ago, he knocked on my door demanding proof of my disability, which I had tried to explain as to why I didn't feel the blanket coming off. After initially refusing him proof, I gave him a summary of my diagnosis, for which he apologized, yet still asserted that he could assault me in "self defense" if I was nude and would not hesitate to do so if I was nude again.

My question is - is he in the right for claiming he could assault me in self defense? Would my nudity be considered sexual assault under CA law? Am I the asshole, is he, or both?

Answer:
 ESH.

Wait, wrong sub.

Flashing your roommate is a stupid and avoidable move, and you should make every reasonable effort not to do that. A creative prosecutor might find a way to get public indecency to stick, or find another petty crime to charge you with, if you were to make a habit of it. It sounds like you have this on lock, though, so I don't think you have anything to worry about - just put some pants on before cleaning the fridge next time.

Your roommate would be legally in the wrong to assault you for being naked. Self-defence applies to violence and physical danger, not personal offence. If your roommate lays hands on you, you have grounds for a police report. I do hope you understand that your roommate isn't in the wrong _not to want to see you naked_, and might resort to over-the-top language for rhetorical effect, but if he follows through, it's assault.


Title: (NC) Permission slip I'd have to sign for my kid to go on a field trip at school requires me to hold everyone involved in transporting my kid on this trip entirely harmless, no matter what. Is this actually legally binding?

Question:
In order for my kid to go on a school field trip to a college fair, it seems I'd have to sign a waiver of ALL rights to seek any type of damages/compensation/legal action against any and all people involved in transporting my kid to the fair. This includes other student drivers, volunteers, etc...and I don't have a say as to who my kid gets into a car with.
Realizing I don't have to sign it, I can just tell my kid she can't go, I still wonder if this is legally binding if my kid is harmed in any way due to the driver's negligence and/or unlawful/illegal driving maneuver.
Will post pics of the actual form in the comments.

[Permission slip](http://imgur.com/a/lTTS0)

Answer:
 See [this article](https://www.mcguirewoods.com/news-resources/publications/SEL_June_2008.pdf).  Waivers in NC are generally enforceable; but there's a "public interest" exception, and in other states (but not specifically in NC) courts have ruled that a waiver can't bar a claim for gross negligence or willful acts.
Answer #2: In some cases you could still sue the negligent actor. For example if one of the parents purposely pushed your kid off a bridge and he was injured, that waiver wouldn't protect you from suing him for medical expenses.


Title: Assaulted By Bouncer HELP

Question:
Friend got punched 3 times in face by bouncer, for calling him a dumbass.  Do we do anything?

In Ohio

Bouncer questioned his very REAL ID, and wouldn't let him in.  Which is garbage because he has a real ID , so reasonably called him a dumbass, all in presence of the manager

Answer: It is generally recommended to call the cops when assaulted. So, you could do that.


Title: (Northern Ontario) Friend has been off work for 4 months after getting a bad concussion at work. She is still too sick to work but they want her to resume working, what can she do?

Question:
I'm not really sure how much detail is needed but here it goes! Basically my friend works in a group home with disabled adults (DSW). About 4 months ago my friend was supposed to take an individual out to an appointment and because he has very high anxiety, she had to make a detailed plan for success with her supervisor. The plan was made, but on the day of, she was told that she would be sharing a van with other staff members and individuals from the group home. Due to the condition of the individual she was looking after, and because no one told her of these plan changes, the individual reacted very badly and started beating her in the head, giving her a bad concussion.

She's now been off work for 4 months and is slowly recovering, but worker's comp is insisting she goes back to work. She works half an hour away and because she has to drive there, work her shift, then drive back, she feels very sick.

She's currently getting paid 85% of her normal wage, same as when she was off work, even though she is working again.

The doctor she saw about it after the incident was pretty useless as well, he didn't do any tests to check the severity of her concussion besides making her walk along a wall. I'm not a doctor but the fact that it's been 4 months and she is still too sick to drive herself to work and work a 3 hour shift seems really off. I'm worried for her health and angry that she is being put in this situation, even though her work is at fault for her injury. No one was reprimanded or even spoken to after the incident and her work is essentially benefiting from her injury because they're not even paying her for being back at work, worker's comp is responsible for paying her wage.

She also doesn't have benefits from work because she's still technically on probation, her accident happened right when her probation was supposed to be up and her benefits were supposed to start and she was meant to get a raise then as well.

The whole situation is stressing her out a lot because she would ideally like to go back to school at some point but her concussion is making that impossible right now. Is there anything she can do? Is this worth pursuing legally? She's only 25 and has a lot of school debt already so it's not like she can sit on her ass much longer not working and feeling sick all day. Any advice would be really appreciated.

Answer: Please get  her to another doctor this sounds like a serious medical issue.  There is no way she should be feeling the effects of a concussion four months later


Title: Are there consequences for subletting an apartment without landlords consent? [San Diego, CA, USA]

Question:
I am worried about a family member of mine moving out of her apartment that she shares with two other tenants. Tenant 2 will remain on the lease and Tenant 3 was added just recently. However, when Tenant 1 (my family member) moves out, she will not be removed from the lease and wants to sublet her room to a new person (without consent from the landlord) until the lease ends. Subletting is prohibited in the lease agreement. *I just want to know what sort of legal trouble or consequences my family member and the other tenants could face if the landlord were to find out that the room was being subletted.*

Thanks

North San Diego County, CA, USA

Answer: Everybody on the lease could get evicted


Title: My intuition tells me this Craig's List ad requesting a logo design is a scam, but I could really use the extra cash and portfolio boost if it's real. Could you take a look?

Question: Is there a strong possibility that the person on the other end of [this ad](http://i.imgur.com/OZE0SS9.png) will just steal my artwork? How should I word any submission email in order to protect my ownership of the work until a payment is made?

Answer:
 From a designer, please don't participate in unpaid spec work. It's ruining the industry.

If you want to build your portfolio, and can't find paying clients, offer your services for free to local non-profits or visit [BriefBox.me](http://briefbox.me/) and work through some of their design briefs as personal projects.


Title: Want to play piano (highly sound muffled) with a very sound-sensitive upstairs neighbor

Question:
Hello wonderful Reddit legal people,

It's my first post on Reddit about an issue that’s causing me tons of strife. After the end of a 5 year relationship, I’m moving back to an apartment that I’ve kept. I've rented this apartment for 18 years. I live in mid-century building where sounds carries a lot.

My upstairs neighbor is extraordinarily sensitive to noise. Previously, she’d requested that I wear only slippers in the house, as my shoes disturbed her. So, I do wear slippers in the house.

In the time I’ve been away, I’ve taken up piano. I have small console piano. I knew this would be an issue, so I’ve packed the back with acoustic-absorbing egg crate, covered it with wool blanket, more foam, and then a packing quilt. I’ve tested it, and the decibel level is just what you’ve have with conversation. It is in no way loud, and  I am not loud in general.

I’ve proposed to my neighbor a two-hour per week practice schedule. She has yet to even hear the piano (I have tested it with all other neighbors, they can’t even hear it).

She will certainly be stressed by the playing, yet the playing is no louder than music or TV at a reasonable level. I can hear hers, she exercises, I can hear her. It's okay with me; I expect in an apartment that I'll hear my neighbors. She wishes to never hear me. She is freaking out, even while not yet experiencing the sound level of the piano.

My question is: what are my rights? If I am operating within my apartment within utterly reasonable noise levels, but these noise levels cause her stress (admittedly by her, hyper-sensitive to noise).

Can I be evicted for this? I’m in a super-cheap rental in Oakland, and can’t afford to lose it.

Thank you!

tl;dr - Want to play my profoundly sound muffled piano within reasonable noise levels in my apartment. Upstairs neighbor is on a rampage. Can I be evicted?

Answer:
 You are way overly patient with her demands. You can wear shoes in your house and you can play piano.

>what are my rights?

You have the right to live your life and not have to wear slippers in your house. You have the right to not have your neighbor have to approve of your piano practice schedule.

You are TOTALLY overly accommodating to this neighbor.

Let her call the police because you practice the piano at a reasonable hour or don't wear slippers. Let her complain tothe landlord.

You have the right to live your life and be human and make some noise. Noise happens

If you become [these people](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IRB0sxw-YU)? You need to calm it down a bit.

Like happens and noise happens - she's freaking out when she hasn't even heard the piano? Wow.

Good luck. She's going to be an issue but unless there is a "no musical instrument" clause or you are being really obnoxious at 3 am? I think you're OK.


Title: Getting divorce. Wife asked several times if I had a "secret bank account." What is she up to?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: She thinks you're hiding assets. Don't talk to her, because if she's convinced you are, well, you can't prove a negative and nothing you can say will change her mind. Let your attorney handle it.Answer #2: Obviously you spoke to your attorney about this and got competent advice, right?


Title: My father cashed out a $15,000 "parental loan" for school without telling me and now I'm stuck with the debt.

Question:
I'm still not 100% sure on how this happened which is why I'm coming to you guys.

So a few years ago I started college as a freshman and got some student loans to help. My (abusive) father made me take out this "parental loan" or something like that for $15,000 to pay for school. I was 18 at the time and didn't really know the details, he basically took the loan out himself. Long story short, I ended my abusive relationship with him a year later and dropped out of school to deal with my mental health issues and lived with my mom for a while.

Fast forward to now: I'm trying to apply to another school and my old school is telling me that my transcripts are being withheld. Apparently my father cashed out the loan, took the money for himself, and didn't make any payments or inform me of what he did. (So technically I owed all of that money to the school now?) The school was sending him bills and and notices to pay and he was just ignoring them and not telling me about them. There were so many missed payments on the loan that it eventually went to a collection agency. Now they're telling me the only way to get my transcripts back is to pay back all of that money.

Is there any legal recourse I can take? I really don't know what to do right now.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Edit: I live in Atlanta, Georgia right now but the school I went to was in NYC. My father lives in NY also.

Edit 2: Thanks for all of the advice guys. I'm gonna talk to my school and the lender to get all of the details and try to figure this out.

Edit 3: So from what I can tell this loan does not show up on my credit report (my credit seems fine actually) so I'm pretty sure it is under my father's name. It just seems strange to me that he would destroy his credit score by not paying this off just to screw me over. Does the fact that a collection agency has the debt now change anything?

Answer:
 What does it say on the loan paperwork about who is obliged to the loan? This is important: there are "parental loan" student loans where the obligation falls on the student, and there are some where the obligation falls on the parent, and there are some where the obligation is shared.

Call the lender and ask if they can send you a copy of the agreement.

Edit: on further consideration, there may be two separate issues here. One is the loan. The other is your tuition. Did anyone, at any point, pay your school for the courses you took? _You_ are on the hook for that debt, and it's separate from the loan if the money from the loan was not used for your tuition.Answer #2: OP, what type of loan is this actually?  What entity granted the loan?
  What company serviced the loan?  (Not the collections agency, but rather the company that should have been paid.)

Why is the school going after him/you and not the servicing company?  Did your tuition never get paid?  If the loan itself never got paid I don't think the school would care very much since they don't deal with that, though you would probably not be able to get another loan yourself.

When you say "he basically took the loan out himself", did he have you sign anything?  If he forged your signature/agreement then things could get very messy.

If this is a FAFSA based loan then the proceeds of the loan are only to be used for education related purposes.  (Tuition, books, room and board, etc)  Assuming your father has assets, and he misused the funds, you may have a chance at getting your money back.


Title: Fell on wet concrete while holding son at hotel, resulted in fractured skull to son...

Question:
Long story short while staying one day at a hotel my son and I fell while I was holding him on painted concrete with no texture. The hotel had signs posted only when. It rained stating the surface could be slippery, but the sign was not visible where we slipped. The sign was  propped up on the back of a pillar not in site.

I slipped because I wasn't wearing shoes and we both hit the ground hard. We had 911 sent paramedics and my son went to er. He is under 4 years old they did a cat scan and he has a skull fracture and concussion.

We had to cancel plane tickets and eat that money, plus pay over double once he was able to fly back home.

Luckily he is healing and seems to be ok without any major issues, but we still have to do our follow up with neurology...

I am currently in contact with the hotels claim department. After we got all of our Dr bills what is the best way to proceed with recouping lost wages, flight, time, and pain and suffering due to my son being handcuffed with anything more than staying inside all summer to let his skull heal.

The hotel moved the sign after the paramedics left I took pictures after we fell showing the wet concrete without proper signage, and also pictures after once they moved the sign to be visible.

Answer:
 Without knowing location, this sounds like something you can bring to a personal injury attorney for a consultation. However, I'm not certain you have a good claim. Answer #2: >The hotel moved the sign after the paramedics left

That fact will likely not help to strengthen your position.  Because the law encourages "remedial measures".  Otherwise, if you were able to use the hotel's movement of the sign after the incident as an argument to support your claim, in the future hotels would never move a sign in fear that doing so would prove their liability.  That would result in even more danger to other people.


Title: I was raped in Texas, what will happen to my rapist if I report him?

Question: Can't find anything from searching the internet...

Answer: Anything from nothing to life in prison.


Title: [AZ] Is it illegal for a school crossing to alter traffic laws like the ability to U-Turn at a certain intersection?

Question:
Crappy Drawing of the Layout at hand: http://imgur.com/nD7tJs9

When I leave my home in the morning for work, I go to the main road and take a right off "My Street" into southbound traffic.

Immediately there is a school crossing, and typically on my right turn I go to the far left lane into an immediate lane for U-turning right where the crosswalk is located.

Because of the portable signs they bring out into both north and southbound traffic, and they way they only cater to stopping traffic momentarily going north and south while it backs up quite a ways in both directions because it is a main road - the crosswalk suddenly becomes a place where U-turning is no longer an option.

My question is essentially whether or not this is illegal?

What happened to me this morning was incredibly frustrating and forced ME to make an illegal move in traffic in order to even get out.

I was in the u-turn lane, and it didn't take me but a minute to realize I was going to be stuck there for a long while, since traffic was backing up like crazy both ways due to the crosswalk and all the kids coming in the morning.

There became no way for me to get back into southbound traffic, and absolutely no way for me to ever make the u-turn, since the crosswalk guards would stop traffic whenever a kid came, but never leave a moment for people in the u-turn/turn lane to make their move. They would just cross a kid and then north and southbound traffic would continue which meant it was literally impossible to ever take a u-turn into northbound traffic.

Due to where they place the signs, to make a turn around it into northbound traffic I had to move my car over the crosswalk lines to prepare for the turn and right when I was going to get a chance they summoned a stop and began crossing a kid, in which case they ended up walking them *around* my vehicle to get to the other side.

Yet even then, instead of holding traffic for just a moment so I could make my turn, they vacated the road and let northbound continue as normal and so then I was stuck...stuck in the middle of the crosswalk in their way, and with no way to ever get out until the crossings ended completely or morning traffic completely died down.

If I didn't illegally bail right and onto the side street by crossing two lanes of southbound traffic, technically making "passes" in a school zone, then I would've been stuck there still this morning because I know my city and I know the area and I can tell you traffic won't die until 9:30 in that zone, and the school crossings probably end at 9, so essentially I could've sat there for 30mins in their way and they would've just kept walking kids around my vehicle giving me nasty looks.

But here's the thing, I never intended for myself to get in the way, and in all honesty, their operation effectively shuts down the u-turn/turn lane which I believe may be illegal...

I rolled down my window and asked them if they were allowed to disable lanes of traffic just because it was a school zone and they had no reply. I'm sorry, but if they aren't trained in traffic control, then policemen need to be the ones out there every morning regulating the crosswalk because they are simply put there by the school and they clearly have no regard for anything besides getting the kids across safely and then letting regular traffic continue, but due to the nature of how many times they halt traffic, they really should be regulating it like a 4 way stop and letting traffic take turns after kids cross before letting north and southbound continue to flow. It makes sense and would resolve any issues, but instead the way they operate makes the u-turn not even possible, and I'm pretty sure you aren't allowed to change traffic laws outside of the regular AZ school zone rules (they are basically making a turn lane into a no turns allowed lane during that time, which seems illegal to me).

Can anyone help me research this...I'm having trouble getting a definitive answer and honestly if I am right I will take the time to write the school board and the city because in my opinion what just happened to me this morning was not about the inconvenience, but the danger to myself in my own vehicle and the kids crossing to the school as well.

**important to mention**: in AZ both lane changes and passing are illegal in a school zone regardless of whether the crosswalk is being used when you make such an action.

To pull out of the u-turn lane and go back into south ound traffic is thus a lane chane and since the turn lane exists inside the "zone" that would make that action illegal.

This is the essence of my issue, because that means pulling into the turn lane means you are bound there by law once you get into it, yet during school zone times the operations of the crossing guards and their way of doing traffic control effectively disabled the turn lane until the zone is cleared and all signs are removed and traffic returns to normal flow.

Let not forget too that this is a question of legality and whether or not qualified law enforcement should be controlling traffic in a high profile zone like this as opposed to the school guards who are not trained for major traffic control.

Answer:
 > What happened to me this morning was incredibly frustrating and forced ME to make an illegal move

No, it doesn't.  You're never forced to make an illegal move.  You could have moved back into southbound traffic.  No, it's not impossible.

You can contact your local police department to see what they can tell you.  Most likely, this temporary change in traffic patterns is not only allowable, but reasonable given the amount of foot traffic.  You live near a school - you have to accept that this will occasionally cause you issues.Answer #2: AZ statute 13-2906 says: "A person commits obstructing a highway or other public thoroughfare if the person, alone or with other persons, does any of the following... *Having no legal privilege to do so*, recklessly interferes with the passage of any highway or public thoroughfare by creating an unreasonable inconvenience or hazard."

Obviously, a crossing guard has a legal priviliege to do so, so it sounds like you're out of luck as far as legalities. So with that said, your next best option is to complain to their supervisor or the police. And keep going up the chain until you find someone reasonable.