Title: New York What is my responsibility for bills in a marriage when the divorce process is starting.

Question:
I am looking at filing for divorce after 24 years of marriage. I am looking at stopping my direct deposit to our joint account and opening my own account at another bank. My husband has his step-father managing our bills. I asked numerous times where the money goes but I get ignored. I asked for a breakdown and will only pay 1/2 of the household bills and my debts. He keep telling me I am not allowed to change my direct deposit and  have to contribute 100% of the household bills with my pay. I get no say over my money.

He is also threatening to go to my job and get me fired be stating lies?

What can I do to protect myself before I file for divorce?

Answer:
 This is abusive behavior on the part of your husband and his stepfather.  Absolutely open your own account and have your paycheck deposited there instead of the joint account.

You need to keep helping to pay for joint expenses while the divorce is going on, but it is completely reasonable for you to decide that you will only pay bills that you have actually seen.Answer #2: You can contribute to household bills without having your entire paycheck direct deposited. Just cut a monthly check to your landlord and utility companies.


Title: California, Santa Clara County - Landlady signed rental agreement and allowed new tenant to move items onto property while we were still, in her words, "occupying" the property. More details in text.

Question:
**TL;DR:** Landlady allowed a new tenant to move into the unit my girlfriend and I were vacating before we were finished with the process of cleaning the unit and before we even returned the keys, without our knowledge. Are we responsible for paying for the cleaning and the days after she signed the agreement with the new tenant?

On July 2, 2015, our landlady gave my girlfriend and I verbal notice to vacate the small one-room in-law unit studio that we rented. In July 5, she gave us written notice, with a mandatory move-out no later than August 15. We found a new place and moved all our items on Saturday, August 1. As we were leaving, she made clear to us that she considered us to still be occupying the residence until such time as we had had the unit cleaned and prepared for the next tenant, and as such we would need to keep the keys, returning them upon completion of the cleaning, and would be charged for the days between August 1 and the day we returned the keys.

We had booked someone to come clean the unit today, August 5. We went there after work and let ourselves in. Upon entry, we discovered that someone else's personal effects were within the unit. At first we thought it was just some of her items that she'd moved in there for whatever reason. But we then found a copy of a rental agreement with a new tenant in the closet. It was dated August 2, 2015. The new tenant's personal effects were on site in the closet, bathroom, and living space. Naturally, because the place was occupied by someone who was not us, we left at once, after taking a few photographs as evidence, and canceled the cleaning service.

We were not informed or made aware that there would be a new tenant on site already. She specifically told us on the 1st of the month that she was unable to show the place until we had it cleaned. Clearly that is not the case.

What I want to know is, given that she has (1) signed a new agreement with a new tenant and (2) allowed said tenant to move their effects into the unit, are we still responsible for cleaning the unit? Furthermore, do we have any obligation to pay rent for the days between August 1 and tomorrow, August 6, when we intend to return the keys, given that she allowed someone else to move into the unit in the meantime?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 First, how long did you both live there for? If it were a year or more, she needed to give you 60 day notice (*Calif Civil Code Section 1946.1(b)*).  If she didn't this was an illegal self-help eviction.

And did you say the tenant was hiding in the closet?


Title: [US, FL] Dust Collection in a School Woodshop

Question: So, for about a month now my school has failed to repair or replace the dust collection. As some of you may know, fine wood dust can lead to microscopic cuts along your lungs or even possibly cancer. It concerns me especially due to my asthma and allergies. I love the hobby and I don't want to cause the program to shut down nor to lose my teacher his job. Therefore I've been reluctant to confront the school. Do I have any legal ground in which I can force the school to solve the problem. From what I know in an industrial setting it's illegal to have fine wood dust past a certain level in a shop. We do get general fire inspections but it's not very thorough and as the school is informed beforehand it usually just means clean up and cover up.

Answer: You need to bring it up with the school If it isn't rectified, you can contact the school board to get it rectified. There may be a state government entity that could handle it as well \(like an OSHA equivalent\) but I think Florida is very anti\-government agency.   Everything I can find about school safety has to do with school shootings so I'm not sure where you can go.  If you contact your local safety organization, the city council or [this](http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MSDHS/Home.aspx)  and they may be able to direct you


Title: [MS/TX] Never paid speeding ticket, now getting debt collection notices after 8 years. Should I just ignore it?

Question:
I received a speeding ticket in MS back in 2008. I never paid it and lost track of it over the years. I've recently started receiving collection notices from a company (not the court). The ticket was obviously not reported to my home state (TX) or I would have had my license suspended by now.

1. What are the chances that I have a warrant in MS?
1. If I have a warrant, will paying the debt collector clear the warrant, or will I need to contact the court and potentially pay more?
1. If I don't have a warrant, can I just ignore the debt collector and dispute the account on my credit report because it has been so long and the statute of limitations on debt has expired? (I think it's 4 years in TX)

Thanks!

Answer: Yes, ignoring legal issues will surely make them go away. Answer #2: License suspensions have a way of popping up after you think they are past. Don't ignore. Pay.


Title: We are getting screwed over by Express Scripts and/or Cobra medical coverage. Is there anything we can do.

Question:
So we signed up for Cobra at the end of July. That payment turned out to be retro active. So it was $1700 just to continue coverage. I had to see the doctor in August, so we had to pay another $1700 to Cobra to be covered for August, which is all fine.

I then had to get medication as a result of my doctors visit. Walgreens said I was not covered as of August 10th for prescriptions. So we called Express Scripts. They said only my wife was covered and not the whole family..they said call Cobra. So we called Cobra and Cobra confirmed we were all covered and they had sent this information to Express Scripts on August 5th.

We then called Express Scripts again, they said they could not help us because it was not in their system....and to call Cobra. So we called Cobra again this week. They again, confirmed that we were covered. So finally we call Express Scripts and demand they put our Cobra representative on the line with us. They did, and Cobra again said we were covered, the Express Scripts lady, who was very rude and did not seem to want to help us, actually hung up on us during the call, after saying she can only go with whats in the system.

Cobra said they will send over the information to Express Scripts once again and it will take a few days to process. The problem is, it will be Sept. on Tuesday so we will have to pay another $1700 just to get my prescription. We have decided if they do not have me covered by September I will just pay the $500 for my prescriptions instead of extending our coverage for another month.

So I have not been able to fill my prescription, I was actually throwing up blood when I went to the doctor and found out I have an ulcer. This has been a nightmare.

Is there any way I can get my prescription and force Express Scripts to reimburse the money I pay out of my own pocket?

I am in Loveland, Co.

Answer: soooo, I left some harsh words on Express Scripts Facebook page...they contacted me right away and fixed the problem. Let that be a lesson to you all, if customer service is getting you no where, public shaming on Facebook works.


Title: Can an employer make you work if you have a doctor's excuse?

Question: I live in South Carolina. Yesterday I was diagnosed with H1N1. The doctor told me that I should not go back to work until my fever has broke, and wrote me an excuse for the next three days. When I called my employer about not being able to work tomorrow she basically told me that another employee is sick and working today, and I should be able to work tomorrow. My question is can an employer make you work even if you have a medical excuse not to?

Answer: Nobody can make you work.  But nobody can force your employer to keep you on if you stop showing up, either.Answer #2: They cannot physically force you to come into to work. They can, however, fire you for not coming in.


Title: Disciplinary Writeups after Whistleblowing for Harassment. Retaliation.

Question:
I submitted a formal complaint to HR about how my supervisors were treating me. The complaint was for sexual comments about my immediate family members made directly to me, misuse of company funds, inappropriate behavior,  and Verbal abuse. There were six incidents in total between two of my supervisors. An investigation went underway, the two supervisors had to go in for sensitivity training, and the investigation concluded two weeks ago. They remained my supervisors and business has continued as normal.

&#x200B;

Over the course of the last week I have been called from my work into 3 meetings and reprimanded by the supervisors I previously reported. Before this I have never been reprimanded and have been commended by many other supervisors and employees on the quality of my work.

&#x200B;

On the last meeting I was given a written disciplinary form which included the talking points from the previous two meetings which were to be just verbal warnings. The disciplinary write-up paints me to be an insubordinate and unsatisfactory employee. I asked if I could write a rebuttal, I was told "No." I asked if I could state my case to each bullet. I was told "I guess, if you want." I asked if I could have another party present to hear my case as it was just the three of us. I was told "No." I asked if I had to sign the document even if I didn't agree with it. I was told "Yes."

&#x200B;

One bullet is for unapproved overtime -  The entire warehouse was told that it could come in over the weekend to help with a project. I did not check with my immediate supervisor (one that was involved in the previous report) as it was made known to everyone. Other employees did not check as well via what they told me.

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One bullet is for leaving the work location without informing my supervisor - I was told by my immediate supervisor to build something for another supervisor and that I was to report to the other supervisor for the project. I had to run and purchase more paint as I had run out. I asked the supervisor (the one I was told to report to) if I could go get the paint. He told me yes, so I did.

&#x200B;

One bullet is for discussing my being reprimanded with other employees - I was told by HR to report any behavior that might be considered retaliatory for the previous complaint. I had found out that the other people who came in over the weekend had not been reprimanded for coming in and that they had not checked with our immediate supervisor as the overtime was made known to everyone. I was discussing my being reprimanded to find out if my treatment was unfair or biased.

&#x200B;

Since the conclusion of the previous incident I have reported to my supervisor for everything. If someone needs my help, I make them go get my supervisor and have him tell me to do the task. Every project I've worked on for other supervisors (after getting permission) has thanked me and told me I had done a great job.

&#x200B;

What's my next step?

&#x200B;

Answer: I'm in a very similar situation. All I can say is cover your ass every step of the way. Be annoying about how by the book you are. Triple check EVERYTHING. Be on the lookout for their screw ups and document them and report them. Give them enough rope and they'll hang themselves. Don't seem like you're out to get them though. Get other people to report things if you can.


Title: My dad has dementia (California), he has called the police on my mom and brother who live in the house. How can my Mom protect herself?

Question:
I do not live with my parents but I am worried.  My dad has been diagnosed with dementia and has showed signs/had it for a couple of years.  My brother is responsible for giving him his medicine while my mom works.  He recently had an episode where he called the police on brother because he thought he was a stranger and was trespassing.

My question is, what can I do to help protect my mom financially and medically?  As far as I know she has zero legal documents in regards to a will/POA over my dad.

I am lost and I want to help my Mom/brother out.  I am willing to pay for all legal expenses.

Answer:
 Your mom and brother need to get whatever records they have and go down to the police station to let them know what's up. The police aren't your enemies here -- they're just going to do what's right (which is highly dictated by policy, but still). Make sure they understand the situation you all are in and everything will be cool. Get the medical professionals involved as best you can. They have much experience in these issues and will be a great resource. Answer #2:  It may be time for your father to move to a facility, I'm so sorry to say.

That's what we had to do when my mother started calling the police because she didn't recognize family members in her home.  The presence of a female family member extrapolated to her thinking that her home had been invaded by two obese female palm readers.

The police reported her to a social agency because of the call, and perhaps this will happen with your dad.

Another thing that I noticed with her dementia was that her hallucinations were more real to her than actual reality.  There was no way to persuade her that there was not a huge snake under her bed in the nursing home, for example.

His care must be quite a burden, now, even for two people.  At some point he could wander away, too, if he is mobile.

Malachi_23 is right.  Your mom needs to get to an estate lawyer as soon as possible.

Take care, OP.  I know that this is a difficult time for your family.


Title: I am a 21 year old student who worked in a neuropsychologist's office. I quit, thus losing my income, because my boss (the doctor himself) sexually harassed me. I'm considering a lawsuit.

Question:
Long story short, I am a college aged female from Lexington, Kentucky, who found what was seemingly the perfect job at the beginning of this year. I'm a psychology major, and I found work as an office assistant at a private practice for a local neuropsychologist. I was so proud of myself for landing the position. I was getting great experience and it was going to look amazing on my resume. The atmosphere was relaxed and I genuinely enjoyed the work.

Sometimes my 57 year old boss (the doctor himself) would make somewhat inappropriate comments about my appearance, or get into personal subjects that made me uncomfortable. He also only seemed to hire college girls. Despite this, I figured he was just a slightly awkward old man until he kept me after work late one day, closed the blinds, grabbed me by the waist and tried to kiss me. I rejected his advances, and ran out to my car where I sobbed hysterically. I emailed him a letter of resignation the next day.

I found out soon after that he did the same thing to my 19 year old female coworker, and a former female employee around our age. I feel deeply disrespected and disgusted. This was someone I looked up to, admired, and trusted. I thought he really appreciated the work I was doing, but I realize now that he just saw me as a piece of meat the whole time. I feel preyed upon and taken advantage of by someone in a position of power over me.

But beyond all of that, I am now extremely worried and stressed out about my financial situation. I never got that many hours, but the job paid decently and was enough to support my spending habits, and now I am suddenly unemployed. I have asked my parents for help temporarily, but there's only so much they are able to do. Obviously I am looking to find a new job, but with searching out positions, applying, and going through the hiring process, then waiting for my first paycheck, I can't imagine I'll have an income again for at least a month.

I am considering suing my ex-boss for workplace harassment and loss of income. I am afraid that if I don't do anything, he will continue to do the same thing to other people. However, I have no idea where to start. There were no witnesses, and what happened that day is basically his word against mine. He's a psychologist, so he knows how to get inside people's heads and twist the truth. However, I do have two other coworkers who quit alongside me (one is the 19 year old girl whom he also tried to kiss), as well as corroboration from a girl who used to work there and experienced the same thing.

In addition, he sent all 3 of us who quit a long, insane rambling email that is pretty incriminating. In it, he claims he lost his balance, but also that we tried to seduce him, and he was merely attempting to test how far we'd go. There is almost no way someone could read what he wrote and believe that he's innocent.

Again, I don't know where to start - I don't even know how to go about suing someone, I don't have money to pay for a lawyer, and I'm afraid of my former boss coming after me. He is a powerful and experienced doctor who probably has lawyers lined up, and I'm a student who's taken one civil law class. On top of all this, I already have two police cases open from previous assaults, and I'm afraid of being called a liar.

Another thing that concerns me is this: what if my coworkers don't want to sue? I haven't spoken to them about it yet, and I don't think I could do it without their testimonies.

Please help! How do I proceed from here?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 you should file a police report and get a copy of it (and encourage the other women to do the same). also report the incident to the state licensing board. Answer #2: Maybe the [National Organization for Women](http://now.org) will help. This seems right up their alley. Give them a call (202-628-8669).Answer #3: File for unemployment immediately. Just because you resigned does not mean you're ineligible, even if they initially deny it, you can file an appeal in which your case will be investigated more thoroughly.

I resigned from a six figure job and was still able to collect unemployment because I resigned due to being forced to do unethical and questionably legal actions in the regular course of my duties. My employer didn't contest my unemployment because I imagine they didn't want to invite more attention to the issues.Answer #4: IANAL but I would think any organization he may have his certifications/qualifications(?) through would be interested in information about this from the 3 of you.

Depending on his credentials here's a couple sites I found:
https://www.abpp.org
https://theabcn.org  (the certification exam arm of the ABPP?)
http://abn-board.com

My best thoughts to you 3.


Title: Landlord requesting background check for visitors

Question:
Hi Reddit! I'm currently renting in Florida from a local realtor company. After signing my lease, they informed me that they do not manage the property and I would have to communicate with the landlord for anything I needed. This landlord has been renting the property for at least ten years and has a close knit network with the surrounding neighbors. I've been having some issues with the neighbors informing the landlord of my day to day activity and is now requesting a background check from my girlfriend. I've only lived on her property for a month and have ran into multiple issues with the landlord due to these informants.

Background information:
1. My girlfriend's dog will come and visit as she doesn't want to leave her dog for too long at her house while visiting. He's a 15lb italian greyhound that's completely docile and non aggressive. We finally came to a resolution of paying a pet deposit for the visiting dog to appease her no visiting dog rule.
2. My girlfriend has been accused of being a tenant due to neighbors informing the landlord of her visits. She only stays the night 3 days a week which is allowed in our lease and watches my dog w/ her dog at my house while I work long shifts. My gf has no mail here, doesn't park a car in visitor parking, and all of her information has listed her home address for over 20 years.
3. After coming to verbal agreement that my gf was allowed visit with her dog(after paying an additional pet deposit) she is now requesting a background check on her.

Is requesting a background check on a non tenant/visitor legal in the state of Florida? It seems very fishy and more importantly invasive that she would request sensitive information of someone not leasing her property. We do not have a problem doing the BG check because my gf's record is squeaky clean. However, I have never had a realtor or landlord ever request this kind of information.

Thank you for any info and if I need to see an attorney about this, I'm more than willing to in order to protect my rights and my gf's.

Answer:
 If it's not in your lease that you have to provide a background check, she can't make you do it. If it doesn't say in your lease that you can't have dogs over, you can. Tell her she's being invasive and inappropriate and to leave you alone.

Edit: You shouldn't have paid that extra pet deposit. Answer #2: This is extremely shady and invasive, especially since its not on your lease. You can pretty much tell your landlord to fuck off tbh, but to be more diplomatic, tell her its not on the lease and that you feel like your personal life and privacy is being violated by asking for this and by having your neighbors essentially spy on you. If she doesn't budge, seriously start looking for a new place because these types of  busybodies will make your life a living hell and annoy you at every turn. And tell her if she doesn't want your GF visiting without a background check, she can agree to mutually break the lease without penalty and you can go your separate ways. As for the pet deposit, Id say that's pretty fair tbh. Subject to approval can be interpreted as there might be fees or compromises that need to be made for such an approval.

================================Slightly off topic================================
 This is why you dont live in a community of mostly uptight retirees who dont have better things to do in life than bitch about "Them yungins and their unmarried sinning with their girlfriends" and spy on people and tell on them to their landlord like they're some sort of detectives.


Title: Attorney asking about my sexual partners?

Question:
Hey guys. I’m currently living in SW Missouri and am in the middle of a divorce. I DO have an attorney but it’s Sunday and I cannot contact her.

I recently received the “Petitioner’s first interrogatories directed to respondent” and there were quite a few questions that I felt were odd. One asks if I have been out socially with a member of the opposite sex (not family) within the present marriage. The other asks if I have had sexual intercourse with anyone (other than spouse) since the date of my present marriage. Both ask for names, addresses, and dates of occurrences.

Of course I’ve been out with male and female friends since my partner and I have split. Nothing sexual has happened either but I feel both questions are pretty personal and not relevant.

Is it normal for the opposing attorney to ask these types of questions?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Opposing council can ask anything they like.  Your lawyer can argue specific questions are not relevant or seek a reason as to why they require that information.  Discuss it with your attorney.Answer #2: Sometimes it's used to play hardball in custody battles: "Parent X is bringing home strange men/women".

Sometimes it's used to ensure child safety: "Parent X brought home a registered sex offender!"


Title: [Michigan] ex employer is suing me 1-years salary + for my current job to fire me over a non compete

Question:
I previously worked as a sales rep for a beer distributor here in Michigan that I mistakenly signed a non compete with. The non compete basically covered that I was not allowed to work in the beer industry in the distributors territory (distributor, liquor store, restaurant) for the length of 12 months after I relinquished my position.

There was no real opportunity for advancement at that job, and I was approached by another beer distributor in the same territory that offered me an excellent sales position + much better pay.

I took that position and I start on Monday. my new company is fully aware of my non compete and have even talked to my old company about it. They told me they're standing behind me on it and not to worry.

I have just gotten word that my old company intends on filing a cease and disist with my new company and will be going after me for a years salary + to get the non compete to stick.

I have no idea what to do. I'm just a 23 year old kid that was looking to move up in the industry and now I'm being met with all of this craziness. My new company has been telling me time and time again that they will stand behind me 100% and fight it with me. They even mentioned helping cover legal fees but when I ask to get something in writing the conversation usually changes to 'don't worry about it, we have  this handled...we've had these exact scenarios happen before.'

I can't help but worry about what's going to happen.

I actually got ahold of another ex employee that this happened to and he states that they had to settle out of court for $15,000!! He had pretty much the same scenario of working in sales and then got a position with a brewery selling in the state of Michigan but because part of that meant the territory that the distributor covers...the non compete stuck.

I just need advice...suggestions what to do...anything...I'm freaking out.

Answer:
 The old employer is going to have to show damages equal to a years salary or any amount for that fact. Were you so critical to the operations of the company that they are going to lose that much money.  Have they hired someone else to do your job - which means they arent going lose that money.  Does the new person make more or less than you?  If less then your value isnt as great as they make it out to be. Also what is the scope of the territory? If you worked for the new company say one county over would you be in a different.  Territories in the scope of the law usually follow some geographic boundaries.  Like Detroit and Sterling Heights would be two territories.  I think they are in different counties, but its been a while. And do they lead in sales in the territories they say they own.  Locking you out of the entire state is excessive.
If they arent number one or climbing to number one because of you then that diminishes their claim again.

Is Michigan a "right to work" state?

Non competes are so vague sometimes, actually most of the time.

There is them acting to protect something and then them acting to just punish you.

You need a lawyer that specializes in this.

edit : words


Title: Just Lost My Holiday Discount Because I Was In A Shooting

Question:
[AL] Hey guys, so apparently I just ruined Christmas for my family. Unfortunately, I was at the mall when the shooting took place Thursday night in Hoover. I didn’t get to leave until around 12:30-1am. I called my store and asked them if they could make an exception, considering the circumstances, and they said no. So I had to go on to work anyways once I got home at around 2:30am. To elaborate more, I work for Walmart, and every year they give their associates a bonus 15% Discount on top of their 10% Discount if you work the Thanksgiving (Thursday) and Black Friday events, without calling in on Thursday or Friday. Well I worked 5am-2pm both days, and honestly, I was overwhelmed with the events that took place, and I had to take a day off to sleep and actually let what happened catch up to me and process it. So I called in on Saturday on the preface and understanding that I would not lose my bonus. Well I came in to work today and I asked HR when we would be receiving them, and I was told that I do not qualify for it since I called in. I asked them if they could take in to account what happened that night, and that since I never call in if they can make an exception, and they just brushed me off like I was just using it as an excuse.

I have been legit stressed out these past few days, and now I just ruined my family’s Christmas, because I use that extra bonus to help my parents, brother, and sisters to pay of their layaways for their kids. And all because I couldn’t just suck it up and go to work. I feel overwhelmed and I don’t know what else to do, is there any legal recourse I can go from here?

Answer:
 It sucks, but legally they aren't required to give you holiday pay, so it's in their discretion to not give you an exception for a bonus they never had to give you in the first place. Answer #2: Legal recourse? None unfortunately.

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There is no law surrounding your right to employee discounts, especially when the protocols outlined in company policy are being followed.

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You've not ruined your family's Christmas. Gifts don't make Christmas, Family makes Christmas. I'm sure your family is understanding, they should be thankful that you are safe, that in and of itself is a gift.Answer #3: Let’s be clear here, YOU didn’t ruin anyone’s Christmas. Walmart ruined it with the help of a gunman. I’m so sorry you are having to deal with this kind of stress on top of the obvious trauma you’ve experienced. Is there anyone higher up you can talk to?


Title: Kid threw drugs at me and am now facing 3 felonies

Question:
saturday night after work a buddy calls me up asking if i still have my bunk police test kit. i say yeah why whats up? he said he was downtown at the bar and found/got/bought (cant remember) some stuff that he thought was mdma but it looked weird so he wanted to check it out. now, me, i gave up da molliez lifestyle months ago because it started giving me panic attacks and i couldnt do it anymore, wound up in the fetal position outside the show at the last concert i went to trying to roll (on half a point). so its been months since ive done it and have no intentions. but. im all about harm reduction, and my friends being safe, bc i know alot of what goes around as "molly" isnt.

so im like "yeah sure I'll come out just throw me like 10 bucks" and i head out there (its 2am and im in pajamas lol i just couldnt sleep and was bored)

so i pick him up at the bar and we pull in a random parking lot full of cars and park, and he pulls it out. its more than ive ever seen before so immediately im sketched and like woah where did all this come from. dont even remember what he said but i bust out the kit and we're taking some out putting it in the vial to test it, and out of the corner of my eye i see what no person ever wants to see.

the front of an SUV with the metal cage on the front, then the words "______ Police Department" came into view. this moment felt like eternity. soon he was staring at me and i recognized him as my old football coach and lieutenant of the police department. so. thats pretty cool.

the kid, i'll stop referring to him as my friend now (you'll see why soon) had his back turned to the window facing me bc we were about to test it. i say "dude theres a fucking cop right next to us holy shit" and he casually puts all the bags on my lap and says "these are yours" then gets outta the car and goes to walk away.   i did what any normal person with a lap full of drugs that isn't theirs, i brushed it off my lap in a panic. the cop asks him whats going on and he starts stuttering so the cop gets out and tells him to get back in the car. he sits back down and the cop comes over to my side, shines his light on the floor and sees the bags and starts yelling asking what it is.

this is where it got extra fucked up.

suddenly i heard a thud and look over to see this kid ripping my car door open and making a run for it. so im like ok great what a fucking awesome time.

cop doesnt even try to chase because he's a bigger guy, he radios the description and starts arresting me. he asked whats going on and i told him what just happened, he says i better help him find the kid or else its all gonna be mine. so in this moment i realized he just royally fucked me, so. i did what i had to do and told the cop exactly where i thought he would be (the bar i picked him up at) and sure enough he was there.

in the car the cop keeps asking who's it was and i keep saying "its not mine" and the other kid didnt say a word so the cop decided we would both get charged despite me telling him what happened and helping him locate the kid when he asked me to. fucking awesome.

side note: the cops had never even seen molly
or a test kit before and this shocked the hell out of me, i live in a fairly big city like wtf???

they were googling it and trying to figure out what type of drug to charge us with. they landed on giving us 3 charges, one for criminal possession of a stimulant (ok makes sense they would categorize it as that not knowing what it was) another for criminal possession of hallucinogens (what the fuck???) and then intent to distribute a controlled substance. 2 class C felonies and a class D felony.

so the kid finally admits what happened on the way to the station, after we were read our rights and charged. fucking cool dude u couldnt have opened ur mouth earlier so i wouldnt be charged? and then this stupid fuck has the nerve to pull another bag of mdma capsules out of his pocket, looks at me and asked me what he should do with it. i said boof it and stay the fuck away from me. so he did.

we get the the police station and about 20 min later while still being booked he tells me its falling out and asks what to do. i slide as far away from him on the bench as possible, fuck if im bout to be caught with that shit from hisss asshole. so he tells the cops he had it. at this point shit was pretty terrifying for me, im just a 20 year old kid.

so we get transferred into a big cell, i get my mugshot and fingerprints finally at 6:30-7am and we are told we will see the judge at 9am ish.

fast forward thru to sitting in the courtroom at the arraignment. me and the kid are co defendants bc arrested together. we go up to the stand. boom, 5k bail in cash or property, no bonds, trial set friday. it was sunday. so now it hits me im gonna be in this place for almost a week. then it hits me it wont be where i was, it'll be the holding center for people awaiting felony trial. felons. people charged with possession of loaded firearms, armed robberies, sexual assaults, shit, even murder.

so, I'll spare all the details but it was FUCKING hell. luckily there is something called Release under drug court supervision, where a probation officer reviews your case and lets you out until trial under the condition you check in with drug court and set up a program. so this finally went thru today, tuesday, but i spent 3 fucking days in there and it felt like 3 months. i thought i was never gonna see the light of day again. but luckily here i am on the outside.

so... any advice would help

Answer:
 You knowingly possessed drugs when you tested them.  Ownership and possession are different things.  You need an attorney.  Answer #2: > and out of the corner of my eye i see what no person ever wants to see.

The clown from IT?

> so, I'll spare all the details...

I don't think that means what you think it means.

You played a stupid game, and you won a stupid prize.  Don't get caught up in drugs and people that deal with them, and you won't get in trouble with the law.

Get yourself a criminal defense attorney for your trial.Answer #3: 1) Stop talking about any of this to anyone who is not an attorney hired by or appointed to you.  That includes reddit, your ex-friend, other friends, mom, dad, Obama or Jesus.  Speak to exactly zero people who are not your attorney.

2) Even if the details as you recount them are true, you were in possession of MDMA.  You had access and control.  Ownership is irrelevant. Completely.

3) The law where you are might not see any value in harm reduction, so that may help or it might work out to a *confession*, since you have to possess the substance in order to test it.

Don't get angry at The Man or the system, keep your emotions in check.  Deal with the legal environment you're in as-it-is.  People who go off about "This shouldn't even be illegal, man.  X less harmful than alcohol, man.  This is bogus" etc -- while they might be correct -- are generally speaking to people who think alcohol is man's friend and MDMA is "hardcore worse than heroin times meth^^LSD "

And lastly, talk to exactly zero people who are not your attorney.


Title: bar fight

Question:
at a bar the other night had to many drinks,guy was getting into it with my friend. I tried to intervene with words and tell him to stop, guy threatened  to kill me and knock my teeth out. I struck man once and he fell to the ground and I left immediately. The guy found me on facebook and said he was going to press charges I did not reply and he then said he was going to fuck my face up and kill my family. what are the chances of this going anywhere legally? and can I use his written threats as a defense if they do ?
Ohio, United States

Answer:
 Well it would certainly be advisable for him to *either* report this to the police or kill your family, doing both seems counter-intuitive.

At this point, all you can really do is wait.  I would block him on facebook, and see if the police contact you.  If they do, don't talk to them and get a lawyer.  Do not explain your situation to the police.  They will not take sympathy based on your explanation, they will use it as an admission of guilt.

As far as his threats go, you might be able to use them to support your claim that he threatened you before you hit him, but maybe not.  At the end of the day, you did hit him first, hard enough to knock him down.  I would screenshot them before he deletes them just in case.

In Ohio, simple assault is defined as

>Knowingly causing or attempting to cause physical harm to another or to another’s unborn.

According to [this](http://statelaws.findlaw.com/ohio-law/ohio-assault-and-battery-laws.html) website,

>Simple Assault: In most cases assault is considered a first degree misdemeanor and is punishable by up to 6 months in jail and fines up to $1,000. May include restitution to the victim.

I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice.


Title: Can a program manager enforce a dress code when there is no dress code in the employment contract/union contract? - California

Question:
Hi,

I am more curious than anything since I don't plan to fight this, but it would be nice to know.

Long and short is that I work IT in a local government office. We are unionized and have employment contracts. No where in these contracts does it say anything about a dress code. In fact it has been confirmed by multiple people who work here that there is no dress code due to issues raised in the past.

Now while there is no dress code my boss insists that we don't wear shorts or sandals. If we do, he technically can't reprimand us, but it is an unspoken fact in the office that he will make your life hell if you do.

The same goes for facial hair.

Now I have never pushed shorts but I did grow and braid a beard which I know he didn't like. While he never directly confronted me on it he did make comments and jokes about when I was going to trim it or how long I would keep it.

The main reason I ask is that I recently found out I didn't get hired into a new position in part because he felt I did not look professional enough. When talking with my supervisor (Boss if above sup) he didn't directly say that my facial hair was part of that but he heavily implied it.

What I am wondering is if I decided to say fuck it and start wearing shorts/sandals and he retaliates is that legal or would I have grounds to sue?

As to where my boss sits on the totem pole: He is the PM for IT and reports to the Assistant Director of the county organization that we are part of. The only person above the AD is the Director (Who, ironically, liked my facial hair and complimented my on multiple occasions) and above the Director is the County Board of Supervisors. From my understanding my Boss has to ground to stand on enforcing a dress code and is skirting lawsuit territory with it. We use to have 1 guy who quite who would push the issue now and then but eventually gave up.

Answer: Take it up with your union. They may or may not go to bat for you. But there doesn't have to be a formal documented dress code to make it legal to fire somebody for breaking it.


Title: Houston TX, worked at a job for 4 months, JUST received my first paycheck and the paycheck is $700 short. What laws has my employer broken?

Question:
Okay so here are the details. I started working at this job on 7/21/15. The company is a large chain and is very well known. To respect their identity, we'll refer to them as my employer or "---".
 My second day working there the manager who hired me was fired. (He had hired another employee before their background check was completed. When his background check was returned to our employer he had a bunch of felony's and awful stuff attached to his name.)
So on my third day, the "next guy in line" (who was maybe an assistant manager) was forced to step up and take over for the ex-manager. The new manager of course, had 0 experience as he was of course thrown into this new position. After working there for well over a month, I still had not received my first paycheck. I was already working a second job and I was trying to fit in as well as I could at ---, so I was not bugging the new manager at --- about the paycheck. A paycheck would have been extremely nice however, and I am well titled to it.
Flash forward to October, when my first paycheck arrived. The fact that it had been well over 2 and a half months is extremely agitating. To add to all of this, my paycheck was $103.67 when it should've been closer to $800 for all of the hours I worked. At this point, it is now November and I have received my paycheck (2 and a half months late) and I am short $700. This is where I need legal advice. I think I might have a case against my employer. Maybe a big court case or even just a small one. I need to know what laws and rights they violated and what steps I can take to receive compensation. Thank you so much for your replies and please ask me about any details as I am sure I may have accidentally left some out.
TL;DR I worked at a large chain job for 3 months - just got my first paycheck and it's $700 short. What laws have they violated?

Answer:
 Why don't you just talk to HR or the dept. at your work that does payroll?

It seems like they just made a simple mistake that could probably be fixed. A simple conversation would the best place to start. Assuming that you have been clocking in and such they do have a record for how many hours you worked and such.

You are entitled to your damages if the court case goes your way. That's 700 bucks. Then you would have to pay your lawyer. Good bye money.

There might be a way to solve this with out resorting to something that could be expensive. Answer #2: You didn't asked to be paid for over 2 months?Answer #3: You can file a wage claim with Texas Workforce Commission. http://www.twc.state.tx.us/jobseekers/texas-payday-law


Title: Friend sold adult content to a minor without knowing customer was a minor?

Question:
So I have a friend who does adult stuff online through Reddit. She only posts her services in  NSFW subreddits and today she ended up having a minor for a customer. Now I know this could be considered statutory "rape". Not sure if it is or not. She accepted a payment from said customer but upon finding out he was underage immediately returned it. She's very upset with herself for it and keeps freaking out favour her going to jail.

I think she's in the clear because one the customer would need to report her. Two , he actively sought her out via various adult subreddits that have warnings on them.

Tl;Dr friend sent adult content to a minor for money. Upon finding out customer was a minor promptly returned money and ceased contact. She's pretty distraught over this. Wants to know if she could get screwed big time.

Edit: She lives in the US.  unsure about the customer

Answer: What service did she provide?


Title: [Germany] A laptop repair service I went to diagnosed a defect graphic chip and swapped it. After taking it back and paying, I see at home that it's still broken. Now they say I rebroke it at home.

Question:
I live in Germany / Munich. Somehow location bot doesnt accept that.

So two weeks ago my laptop was extremely hot while using it and a couple of days later it broke completely. No problem, I asked a tech-savy friend of mine to what shop I should bring it to repair. So I go to a shop called PCLaptopRepair Munich and they agree to diagnose it for 40€ and fix it for 150, no matter whats broken the price won't change.

Two days later I go get it from them because they called and said its ready to go. I completely trust these guys, so I stupidly forget to let them show me that it runs.

I went home and tried to start it, nothing. The same error picture as before, the same I told them when we talked the first time. It starts for a second and shuts off immideately after. At this point I'm thinking about to get my money back.

So I drive to the shop the next morning and tell them whats happened. After a brief waiting time, one of their workers tells me that they encountered the recharge port was broken. They also tell me their engineer tried my laptop and it worked, and that because I tried to start it with a cable I couldve broke the motherboard. They also told me I can't have my money back.

Now the problem is they told me it's fixed when they gave it back. Why should it be my fault that something breaks when I start it, assuming it's fixed?

Answer:
 "because I tried to start it with a cable I couldve broke the motherboard" - what the fu?

IANAL -  You should read your contract/their terms but I am pretty sure that if you give in your laptop for general repairs and these are unsuccessfull they have the repair it again. If they refuse to do so the initial contract is void and they have to repay you all your expenses.(atleast that's how I remember it from my law classes last year)


Title: Accused of molestation

Question:
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Get an attorney immediately and don't talk to anyone, especially the police. Answer #2: Nothing you can say to anyone who is not your attorney can help you right now.  That includes Reddit, by the way.

It also includes cops, therapists, the family of the kid, the kid, your family, Obama, Jesus, John Wayne and Batman.

Exactly zero words to any person or thing who is not your attorney (which it appears you will get appointed if charges are filed).

Until then, no more noises with the mouth on this subject.Answer #3: 1.  Don't talk to anyone.

2.  That child was almost certainly abused by someone, if he/she is giving details of molestation.  That is not something that small children come up with on their own.

3.  If you are accused, you will get a public defender.  Cooperate with them.Answer #4: You are in bad trouble. Young children very rarely lie about sexual abuse, like maybe 1% to 2%. You can go to prison based on their testimony, but the prosecutor will do what they can to make it not go to trial. It's very traumatizing to the child to testify. Like everyone says, do not talk to the police, ask for a lawyer if you are being questioned or arrested, and do not have any more contact with the child or their parents.

If you truly did not do this, then most likely someone molested that child. Sometimes little kids will name another person when naming their true abuser is too scary, particularly if they were threatened by the perp. I hope they have a good forensic interviewing center to talk to the kid. They are usually good about figuring out what really happened.Answer #5: Why do you think this child is saying those things about you?


Title: Estranged, mentally-ill "daughter" sueing me for embezzment, identity theft, fraud.

Question:
My daughter has a mental illness and uses drugs, and I have been keeping her dividend payments using her SSN. She is now sober and married, and is suing me for identity theft and fraud. I was never her legal guardian. It bears mentioning she was alerted by the IRS and Social Security as to over $2,000 in unpaid taxes on a transaction(s) she never knew about.

Can she do this? She has been in contact with her uncle, the Trustee, and refuses to speak to me personally. He let her know she had "misconceptions" on the situation, but she is still seeming to want to sue bc we refuse to apologize to a schizophrenic and will not pay her for the taxes she is on the hook for, as she needs to learn responsibilty.

What can we do? Her Uncle is a Doctor, and CANNOT go to court for this. It might ruin his reputation to go to prison for helping me take money from his niece to give to me.
What are your thoughts?

Answer:
 Why have you need keeping her payments? And if you have all the payments why does she need to pay taxes for it?

Edit: looking at your RBN post it looks like her uncle is the trustee for her payments. As a trustee he is only allowed to spend the money in a way that is to her benefit. It sounds like you all took the money, lied to her and then spend the money for your own benefit. Possibly because you don't like how she is living.

That's a crime, in fact it may be a number of crimes depending on how exactly you went about this. I have no idea why you think she should pay taxes on the money you seem to have stolen from her.Answer #2: Make sure to read OPs post history. She admits elsewhere she stole this money and her daughter is now fine, sober and married and got a surprise tax bill for the money OP stole. Answer #3: What do you mean by "daughter"? It sounds like the trustee (uncle) diverted distributions to you instead of her and did so in violation of the trust. If that is the case, you need a lawyer, may be looking at jail time, and could owe 3x distributions plus fees and costs.


Title: I [F20] want to leave my parents, they're making me miserable [MA].

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You can move out of your parents house today, and support yourself with your own money.

It's not cheap. (You could easily do it with 1k in the midwest, sounds like MA will be harder.)


Title: Fort Mcmurray fire restoration crew needs help!!

Question:
So as I'm sure most of you have heard Fort Mcmurray was recently devastated by a wildfire. I am on a restoration team that is getting the city back to a habitable state. The hiring process for this job was very rushed as you might imagine and it seemed like a good opportunity to do good and make some money over the summer.

Upon getting to Fort McMurry it was clear that the company that hired us was a little on the shady side, very disorganized, I still do not know who my direct supervisor is, who to give my time sheets to, there are minimal safety standards in place. Not only that but people have been moved around from camp to camp going from a 50 minute drive to the city to a little over 2 hours each way!

This travel time is where things get really sticky. I took this job for the awesome overtime that was promised but now we work around 8 hours depending on bus times with that and travel time we are on duty for 14 hours a day. When taking the job I was told I would be paid from the time I left camp until I got back which is fairly standard for camp jobs because of how much time you give up.

Today without warning people are being told that all travel time will be minimum wage pay. As far as I know from looking up info on the Albert employment Standards website and speaking to an agent on the phone this is illegal. They have to inform us before a pay period begins if they want to pay us different wages for travel time. Am I correct? Also I cannot find info on how over time would be calculated with two different wage sets. Please help!

Tl;dr Got a job, pay changed without notice can they do that?

Sorry for the wall of text and any mistakes, I am in Alberta Canada. Please PM me for any clarifications 186 hard working people need help.

Answer:
 I am one of those 186 people. Upon hearing the rumours of the wage change I called the company to review the paperwork I signed, to make sure what wage they specified. This is the response that I received.

"I spoke with my management here and I am being advised to give the required document when you return back to Edmonton."

It seems as though they are purposely withholding this document from me and I can't think of any legitimate reason for why they would. Just further evidence of some shadiness going on.


Title: Am I legally required to communicate information about my boyfriends kids to their mother?

Question:
My boyfriend has 2 children with his ex.  He's got full custody and she's got visitation.  She doesn't like me and has recently become very hostile with me.  I have taken to the simple adage of 'If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all'.

Friday she she came to pick them up and asked me about a dentist appointment for one of the kids.  We have tried to make contact with her to provide her the information, but she refused to answer or return the calls and messages.

I simply told her that the child had gone to the dentist and then shut the door in her face before answering her questions of more information.  She started pounding on the door, so I slide the chain lock into place to indicate that I was not having a conversation with her and she eventually left.

My question is do I legally have to provide her any of this information?  I know that she is entitled to it and I have every legal right to share the information with her, but do I have to?  I am not married to the childrens father and have no legal rights or responsibility to the children.  The father has all the info and is more than willing to share, but she refuses to actually attempt any contact with him.

Answer: You have zero obligation to share anything. Your boyfriend does, as you know. Your boyfriend needs to figure out how to communicate this info. This has nothing to do with you, and really it would probably go smoother if you were not the one conveying the info if she doesn't like you. Your BF needs to figure this out with his ex. Answer #2: You are not legally obligated. He is. He is going to have to figure out how to get her the information. I would suggest certified mail. I know it’s a pain, but it proves she was sent the information, so she can’t go to court later and say he is withholding medical information. You could also try email, if she has one that is known to you. Any type of paper trail is going to be better than verbal communication. That way you can set up a system through the court- the results of all medical appointments will be sent to Mom through email or the mail within 24 hours of the appointment... or whatever... then you can just refer her back to the order and avoid the drama at pick up and drop off. Answer #3: You don’t, but he likely does. Why is he putting you in this position?Answer #4: Your boyfriend needs to email or text her the info and keep screenshots or back up the emails. The Mom doesnt have to respond for the Dads obligation to disclose info to be satisfied. I send my ex "info" emails/texts when needed. He rarely responds. But, if we ever end up in court I have a 4 inch binder full of printed out emails and texts that show I fulfilled my part.


Title: Prolonged traffic stop turned into unnecessary search of my vehicle

Question:
This happened in a small town in Northeast Ohio earlier this month

I was driving with my girl friend to get dinner when a cop pulled up behind me at a red light. He began following me into a heinens plaza until my girl friend and I parked and left the car to get Panara Bread. While waiting for our food we noticed the officer circling the parking lot almost like he was waiting for something. Once we left Panara Bread we pulled out onto the road and noticed this officer and another officer in a SUV start to follow us. This went on for about 3-5 minutes with the officer tailing me very close until he put his lights on. The officer came up to my car and asked for my license and registration. I could not find my current registration but he said that was no problem. I asked him why he pulled me over and he said he would tell me in one moment. He went back to his SUV with my license and returned a short moment later to tell me he had stopped me because my dealership frame was partially blocking the stickers on my license plate and that he also thought he saw me flick something out the window of my car when i was pulling out of the Panara Bread parking lot. He said he was going to review the dash cam footage in his car to verify if I flicked something out the window and then return to write me a ticket. He returned after about 10-15 minutes and said he was going to write me a ticket only for my obstructed plate. He then asked if I had any weapons, drugs, etc in the car which I replied with "No" and then asked if I would consent to a search and I again replied "No". He said "ok" and returned to the car once again. He returned after a couple minutes and told me that due to the fact the car smells heavily like perfume and that I seemed nervous and shaky he was going to have a k9 unit come to the scene to do a sniff. About 5 minutes later the k9 unit shows up and another officer asks us to roll up our windows so the dog can sniff. My girl friend recorded this with her phone while the dog circled my car. The dog jumped up many times on my car and the officer said he indicated there were drugs in the car and that they were going to perform a search. We were told to exit the vehicle and stand on the side of the road. During this time my girl friend asked the k9 unit officer how the dog indicates and he said this particular dog either sits or lays down to indicate drugs and that his dog indicated he smelled something by the driver side door where I was sitting (There were no drugs on the drivers side). After searching my car they found 3 jars of marijuana in a bag on the front passenger floor, a separate bag of marijuana in a book bag in the back seat, a scale in the book bag, a vaporizer in the book bag, a grinder in a carved out book, a pipe in the carved out book, and my girl friends red purse which contained a small bag of marijuana and a vaporizer. Instead of arresting me they said we could make a deal where I would have to do 3 controlled buys for them in their jurisdiction and help them bust someone more high profile. I told them I would consider it so that I would not go to jail and set a meeting to see them 5 days later at 7pm. They did not issue me any tickets and said I could drive my car home. I was advised by a lawyer not  to attend the meeting because since i was never issued a ticket there was nothing they can do. About two weeks after I missed this meeting an officer called me to say I had to come into the station to get my citations. I told him he had the wrong number and ended the call. Should I have any reason to be concerned and can they legally issue me a ticket for this even though they let me go?

According to this they should not have been allowed to search my vehicle http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/police-cant-extend-traffic-stop-to-wait-for-sniffing-dogs-justices-say/2015/04/21/9a4901c6-e867-11e4-9767-6276fc9b0ada_story.html

Answer:
 You should be concerned cause obviously they know you, are watching you, and this whole thing was a sting.

From your narrative, it was only 5 min wait for the dog which I don't think would couldn't as an "extended" traffic stop. The case they were talking about had a guy wait 2 hours on the interstate. 5 min in a residential I don't think counts.

They knew you were carrying, the dog was on standby. They were trying to turn you into an informant. I would cut all drug ties now, some shit is about to go down, good time to turn the straight and narrow.Answer #2: If I had a dollar for every one of those "Cop wanted to search my car for no reason and then the drug dog indicated. They found drugs/marijuana/paraphernalia but it was obviously a bad search because reasons" Answer #3: They can't extend the stop to wait for a dog *without cause* to do so.

They had cause- the odor of a masking agent and your behavior. That probably gave them the necessary reasonable suspicion (a low burden of proof) to prolong the stop.


Title: Forced to write a witness statement at work

Question:
Firstly, I work at a hospital in an alzheimers and dementia unit specifically for people who also have intellectual and developmental disabilities. Several months back, there was an investigation done in regards to one of my coworkers supposedly violating a patient's rights. The day of specific incident at hand, I was working. However, I was not around when it happened to witness said incident. During the investigation, I was pulled in by supervisors and questioned. After I explained that I was not present in the location it happened and witnessed nothing, I was still given a witness statement sheet and made to write a statement. Wasn't a huge deal and nothing came of it. But now there is another investigation happening for unrelated reasons and I have a feeling I'm going to be interviewed again and made to write a witness statement (again on something I did not witness). Can they legally make me write these witness statements? They are a huge hassle and furthermore, I feel uncomfortable putting something legal in writing for an event I did not witness.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 No. They cannot force you to write something. They can certainly fire you for refusingAnswer #2: What's your problem?

The way these kinds of investigations work, they have to ask everyone who could have possibly seen something -- and get documentation of what they saw, even if what they saw is "nothing because I wasn't there."

This is necessary so that if there is a lawsuit, there are no surprises. There is no question whether /u/Borats_Gypsy_Tears saw anything because they have a statement from you already.

Given that you're being paid the same whether you're changing bedpans or signing a piece of paper that says "I didn't see anything" -- what is the "hassle" and why do you feel uncomfortable?


Title: Employer hasn't paid me and I signed a serious NDA. I'm trying to collect my money, but I don't know what I can say.

Question:
I am wondering if anyone knows the legalities behind me talking about things in a NDA if my employer hasn't paid me for the work I did for him.

There are individuals asking about the legitimacy of the business I used to work for, but I feel compelled to stay quiet since I signed a non disclosure agreement to not talk about anything related to the business that is not posted on their website. I am trying to sue my previous employer, and I've been talking to several people and have to be cryptic with what I say. I know that I can be subpoenaed in a legal case if it's pertinent to the courts decision, but do I have to still abide by the NDA?

I am located in Texas, US.

Answer:
 Disclosing just about anything to _your own lawyer_ is almost certainly fine. An NDA that purports to stop you from seeking representation is not effective.

If you are subpoenaed and you have reason to believe the material might be covered under your NDA, you should retain a lawyer. Your lawyer can advise you on what to say, and on whether you should ask that your testimony be sealed or otherwise protected from public disclosure. Ultimately, if an NDA and a subpoena conflict, you have to abide by the subpoena, and deal with the fallout afterwards, but if handled carefully it's generally a non-issue.

Disclosing the facts relevant to a wage claim to your state's department of labor generally won't cause trouble, though a particularly stupid employer could try to sue you over that. That's your wages owed and the reasons for those wages (the relevant clauses of your employment agreement, your hours worked, your start date, and so on); you don't need to go into detail about the company's business to do that. If you're worried that that information may fall under your NDA, again, talk to a lawyer, but generally your employer cannot stop you from seeking redress for a wage complaint by binding you never to speak of your pay.


Title: Business opened up with same name as mine minus one letter. Creating confusion among customers. Anything I can do?

Question:
I own a photography studio, lets call it "Camerabug Studios". I've been in business 11 years. Last year, in my same state (New York) another photography studio started business called "Camerabug Studio". Same name as mine, minus the S at the end. They are based in a different city, but they are clearly a larger operation than mine with a lot more money,  because thetly have a 15,000sqft studio and mine is only 2300 sqft.

This is creating so much confusion with potential clients as they are finding this other business on Google, social media, etc.

I never trademarked my business name. Is there anything I can do?

Answer:
 Talk to an attorney. Even without registration, you may have enough protections available to at least force them to use another name, although the odds of you receiving any further compensation are slim unless you can demonstrate specific losses.

Timeliness matters, so get a referral from any of your state's many lawyer referral services and go from there.


Title: Unwittingly used as a money mule in a fraud.

Question:
Hi.  Thank you to anyone who read this and offers some advice.

Without knowing it, I have unwittingly allowed my account to be used as a money mule in a fraud.

I used to live in Japan and I lent about 1mil Yen (about $10,000) to a man who I thought was a friend, when I lived there.  He was slowly paying this back to me over time at about $300 per month.  I took ID from him and made him sign a contract with respect to the loan.

With about $1,000 left on the loan, this guy told me that the rest of the money would be paid off by a guy who owed HIM money (the original nonpayment of this was the alleged reason why he needed the original loan).   Since neither I nor my "friend" lived in Japan any longer, he said that HIS friend would send the debt to my Japanese bank account, and asked me to send any excess over to his account in Malaysia.

When the money came in, it was about 3mil Yen ($30,000) which was a lot more than I had been expecting.  I guess alarm bells should have been going off at this point, but I was really busy with other stuff so I didn't really think about it.  I just subtracted off the $1,000 owed to me and sent the rest over to his Malaysian account.  I didn't make the transfer from the Japan account; I had enough in my UK account to transfer an equivalent amount from my UK account.

That was in December.  About two months ago I was contacted by a Japanese lady who told me that the money that had gone into my account had been defrauded from her by my "friend".  She sent me a load of documents showing that this guy had posed as an estate agent and that she and her husband had thought that they were buying a house when they sent this money.  Obviously I was really shocked about this.  I told her that I was really sorry about what had happened and explained that I had sent on all of the money barring about $1,000.  I told her that I would gladly speak to the Japanese police to offer any information that could help, and also that I would be happy to return the $1,000.  I also contacted my UK bank to explain what had happened and to see if any of the sent money could be reclaimed.  I contacted the UK police, and lodged an official report, but they refused to follow up the case as they said that no crime had been committed on UK soil (Im British and live in the UK now).

I am in touch with this "friend" still (he does not know that I know), and he is travelling in South America (presumably on this stolen money).  I have told the Japanese lady this, but the Japanese police say that they are unable to apprehend him outside of the country, and the UK police are unwilling to pursue the case at all.

With the real criminal seemingly difficult to capture, the Japanese couple have informed me that they are going to attempt to reclaim the full amount from me.  Whilst I am obviously not happy about this, since I was not aware of the crime and I did not keep the money, I understand that they may feel that it is their only option given the situation.

I spoke to the Citizens Advice Bureau in the UK who advised that I contacted a Japanese lawyer.  I spoke to a Japanese lawyer who advised that I should not be legally responsible for the money if I was not aware of the crime (which I was not).  It seems that the Japanese couple have been advised that I can be pursued for the money, since it is difficult to prove that I was genuinely unaware.  My Japanese lawyer also looked into the case and told me that he believes the Japanese couple have been genuinely defrauded, and are not part of a fraud targeted at me.

I told the Japanese couple that I have been advised that I am not legally responsible, and I advised them not to spend a lot on legal advice battling against me, as I don't want them to lose any more than they've already lost.  As such, they made me an offer to drop the case if I repaid to them half the amount - 1.5mil Yen ($15,000).

It's a horrible case to be involved in, and I would prefer to avoid a legal battle.  I don't think that it's fair for me to have to pay half of the damages when I was unaware of the crime and not complicit.  However, I am not 100% sure of the legal situation - My lawyer says that I am not responsible if i was genuinely unaware (which I was), but the Japanese couple are allegedly being advised that they can reclaim the full amount and that I could even receive criminal charges.

I would be happy to pay a smaller amount of around $5,000, as I do feel partially responsible and I feel that that is a fair amount given their loss and the inadvertent part that I played.

I would really appreciate any advice on:

1) Can we catch the real culprit?
2) Am I really legally responsible here?  Either criminally or for the full amount of money?

It has been an absolute nightmare obviously, I know that I made a mistake but it almost seems I have been made into the criminal.

Thanks!

Answer: Almost nobody here is familiar with Japanese law. You need a lawyer certified to practice law in Japan. Follow their advice. It seems you've already started on that pay. Keep doing that.


Title: Drug test used at pain Doctor that showed somethings that I wasn't prescribed.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Evidence that you use recreational drugs certainly might impact the outcome of the worker's comp case.

However your bigger issue now is you are likely to have your pain medication prescription stopped.


Title: How hard is it to break a lease? Roommate refuses to treat his contagious parasites.

Question:
The people I live with and I have been dealing with a skin parasite for the last six weeks. We have failed several medical treatments, and I am assuming this is because one particular stubborn roommate refuses to properly keep the environment clean and also has been refusing medical treatment.

Obviously, having a skin parasite is taking a toll on all of us mentally. Some of us are unable to return to work until it is resolved, and we are running out of money fast. We want to break the lease and move out early (lease ends in May). Subletters are not allowed.

Is it difficult to break a lease with a landlord? If I explained that continuing to live there is a health risk, what are the odds that a landlord would be understanding?

Thank you.

Answer:
 What's the parasite? Was it present in the unit before you moved in, or was it brought in by you or your roommates?Answer #2: All of this starts with "talk to your landlord."

From there, it may be "Talk to your roommates" if you're on a joint-and-several lease.

Landlords really want two things - minimal headaches and the rent to arrive on time. Keep that in mind when you open up your conversation, as "I'll call the health department on my roommates because one of them has a contagious disease and sue you if you don't let us off the lease" will most certainly cause headaches, whereas "We understand we brought a parasite in and will pay for professional cleaning out of our deposit upon exiting the premises to ensure the next tenants don't catch it" will reduce it.


Title: My father recently passed while waiting for SSDI backpay on a case he had won, the check arrived today. Is anyone entitled to this money?

Question: The title pretty much covers everything. My father had been fighting for disability since March 2017, he had recently won. A check arrived today for him, I would figure it was the back pay but I haven't opened it. The money would cover the cremation and service. My question is does the family have any right to this money? The state we live in is Pennsylvania. Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!  THE MONEY DOES NOT BELONG TO THE ESTATE!!!!

First, it must be confirmed that it is SSDI, not SSI.  This makes a difference.  If a deceased individual worked a fair bit, then it is probably SSDI.  The fact that you refer specifically to SSDI tends to suggest that you're sure it's SSDI, but you'd want to make sure.  You can tell by looking at the top left corner of the SS notices you receive.  It should say "Retirement, Survivor, Disability..." instead of "Supplemental Security Income."

Once you're clear that it's SSDI, SS has a very specific priority list as to who gets the money in [20 C.F.R. Sec. 404.503\(b\)](https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/404/404-0503.htm).  First on the list is the surviving spouse.  Second, the surviving children.  And so on.

You probably want to go down to your local district office, and provide them with any and all information such as death certificate, marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc.  In addition, there is also a lump sum death benefit.  In addition, there are potential survivor's benefits on top of the backpay (for example, some surviving widow's may qualify, and children generally 18 and under may qualify for child's benefits).

Very sorry for your loss.  If you have more questions, please feel free to ask.


Title: Got Heavy Speeding Ticket Out Of State

Question:
I was recorded as having done 35 over on a Parkway in New York state, I received one ticket which was listed as

Tr Inf [ x ] Misd [ ] Felony [ ]

I have the option to plead guilty or not guilty.  I can handle the bill (not that I'm ecstatic about it or the to-be insurance hike).  It's the possibility of jail time that I'm freaked out about.  What is the likelihood that if I plead guilty, that I get the jail time (there's no minimum and there's a maximum of 30 days)?

My situation, which can be absorbed from the ticket is that I'm an out of stater (I'm from Maine), and I'd been driving for 4 hours already (part of my statement).

So, new state, and I thought the speed was a little higher, and I thought I was going a little slower.

Finally, if I plead guilty by mail, and am assigned jail time, what happens?  How do I find out, just by mail?  Will I be given time to get my affairs in order, or will I be expected to report to jail in a matter of days?  Can I fulfill it as something else, like community service?  Can I fulfill the time in a local jail so that I don't have to ride hours back down state to attend jail?

Answer:
 If it’s listed as you say, it appears you were cited for a Traffic Infraction (ticket) not a misdemeanor. If you plead guilty by mail and send in your fine, it’s likely settled.

Answer #2: 35 over is equivalent to reckless driving in most states.  Fight it if you can.  As a trucker I can tell you that would end my career even if it was in my personal vehicle as opposed to a truck.


Title: [Toronto, Canada] Employer denying right to sleep on breaks. 12 hr shift work. Close your eyes, lay down in your car, you're fired.

Question:
Employer is instituting new policies, which include firing anyone who is caught sleeping on breaks. Breaks are paid on any shift over nine hours. Most workers do twelve hour shifts with one hour being a paid break.

According to my supervisor, the policy means that if you recline and close your eyes in the lunch room you are fired. If you go to your car in the parking lot, turn on music and close your eyes, you are fired. Even if you're not sleeping. Just closing your eyes.

Some shifts (under eight hours) have unpaid breaks. In this case, if you sleep on shift, it is trespassing. If you drive your car off property to sleep and return a second late from break you are fired for time-theft. People are late from break all the time going to Tim Hortons or smoking a cigarette.

My supervisors are powerless and are completely silent, they are just relaying the information. Managers listen to us, but it's just lip service. Should I seek a labour lawyer? Would any lawyer work pro-bono on a case like this? There are rumours that another employee is having a lawyer look over the documents, but I would like to know answers too.

We work in a stressful call-centre. People are constantly quitting because they can't handle the volume of work we have to deal with. I'm considering quitting too because I can't sit in a chair and stare at a computer all day and not be allowed to lie down and close my eyes on break. I've never been late back. Some people have been caught sleeping for 4+ hours and been fired. Requesting advice please.

Answer:
 >In this case, if you sleep on shift, it is trespassing.

I would love to see that argument being made to a cop.Answer #2: I've browsed the Employment Standards Act (find [here](https://www.canlii.org/en/on/laws/stat/so-2000-c-41/latest/so-2000-c-41.html?autocompleteStr=employm&autocompletePos=1)) but I can't find anything definitive.  It's an interesting question, but it *feels* like it should be illegal, I just can't prove that it is.

I'd try to find an employment lawyer who is willing to offer a free consultation and move on from there.

Good luck!Answer #3: I never understand this.  Why wouldn't they just run with 8 hour shifts or something?  From a practical viewpoint, this seems crazy.

Answer #4: I think you're going to have to contact the [Labour Board](http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/feedback/) about this.

I can't imagine that firing you over this would be justifiable under the Employment Standards Act.  Which would mean that your employer would owe you severance pay and you'd be eligible for EI.

But I'm not a lawyer, and can't say for certain.  Please let us know how this turns out.


Title: Help? 93mph on 65mph highway, first offense ever, 18 years old in Texas.

Question: Hello, basically I was driving back at 11pm from waiting tables and I was super tired because I just got the job. It was a stupid decision I made; but I was cruising at 93, not weaving in or out of traffic though, and I was staying in one lane. I got a ticket for speeding and now I'm unsure of what to do since this hasn't happened before. I want to I talk to the clerk at the courthouse but I'm not sure of what to say. I would like to get the fine reduced because I don't think 28mph over will get dropped, but I would also like to get it off my record and take defensive driving since I haven't before. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: Hire a traffic lawyer to get the ticket reduced to a non-point ticket.  That is your only hope of getting this off your record.  If you try to do it yourself and are not successful , your insurance will increase and that will cost much more than just hiring a lawyer to do it for you now.  As an 18 year old you do NOT want your insurance company seeing those points on your license.


Title: Frostnip from cryotherapy tank

Question:
Hey all,

I went to a cryotherapy session (one of those liquid nitrogen tanks that the health/fitness industry has been promoting recently) and the next day woke up with a rash on my left "love handle" that has now turned into a larger purple-red blotch. It's pretty hot where I live right now and I was sweating when I arrived to my session. In the back of my mind I vaguely remembered that water/moisture can dramatically increase your chances of frostbite but the changing room didn't have any towels for me to dry off with. My frostnip isn't as serious as frostbite - I don't have any necrotic tissue - but I'm pretty shocked that the place didn't require me to dry off before getting in the tank. I've been there 3x now and I've never been asked to dry off but I really think they should require it and provide towels at the very least in the changing rooms. Is there any legal action I can take to make the place enforce this?

Answer:
 [Look, I know a guy who had some pretty bad experiences with this kind of treatment.](http://www.thegreenhead.com/imgs/lifesize-star-wars-han-solo-frozen-in-carbonite-walldoor-decal-4.jpg)

Anyway, you'll find that these businesses use weaselly language to avoid actually being regulated as a health product, because they know damn well it's new age bullshit.

I suggest talking to your state senator and state representative to agitate that they be regulated more stringently.Answer #2: It's a freaking *liquid nitrogen* bath what the frak were you expecting?

I'm sure they had you sign a waiver that covers this besides which "frostnip" is an extremely foreseeable risk of voluntarily immersing yourself in bloody *liquid frakking nitrogen*.

Jesus, some people. Answer #3: > (one of those liquid nitrogen tanks that the health/fitness industry has been promoting recently)

[Yeah...](http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/tom-delonge-wtf1.gif)

> Is there any legal action I can take to make the place enforce this?

Try taking it up with (and I'm going *way* out on a limb here) LA health department.


Title: This might sound stupid but hear me out. On the Getty images website there’s a photo they’re selling, with me in it, even though I’m clearly not the focus of the image. Is there any way I could be entitled to some, if only a tiny fraction, of the profits from the photo?

Answer: Was the picture taken in a public place?


Title: [MA] I want to use spent shell casings in art, but am concerned about them being considered ammunition.

Question:
Hello!

Bit of a weird question, and I was hoping somebody knew something about these specific laws. So in Massachusetts, shell casings are considered ammunition components, and thus require a FID or LTC to possess. I personally have possession of an LTC (and would be collecting my own brass next time I'm at the range), but others who might come into possession of the art might not.

If I were to fill the inside of the casing with epoxy (thus rendering it permanently useless for reloading), would that be sufficient to make them legal? Are there any other weird laws I should be wary of?

Thanks!

Answer:
 I think your best bet at getting an answer is talking to the FID issuing body.

A thought, could you use spent casings from impact hammers/nail guns instead? Those are basically .22 brass. Answer #2: I wouldn't risk it in MA, honestly. The charge has been primarily used as an add-on with other firearm charges, but why take the chance? [Even non-functioning those shells are illegal:](https://law.justia.com/cases/massachusetts/court-of-appeals/volumes/44/44massappct903.html)

>However, as to ammunition, the definition in s. 121 (as appearing in St. 1973, c. 892, s. 1), provides only that it be "designed for use in any firearm"; **in contrast to the firearms provision, there is no requirement as to current functionality.**


Title: (VA) Parents took husband's life insurance money.

Question:
TL;DR-My husband died and left me with 3 policies 4 years ago. I misplaced the checkbook but had one loose check so I wrote the full amount over to them. How do I legally approach this to obtain the remaining amount?

Anytime I bring it up, we get in heated arguments. There is 100,000 left that they will not hand over. They said they invested it.

My family will attempt to embarrass me if I had to take this to court, etc.

I had a terrible time after he died and drank heavily. I still have issues at time and some of this money could help to resolve those problems by seeking decent long-term treatment.

Sorry for formatting. This has become a very upsetting situation. The relationship with my family and I is irreparable at this point, so I don't need try to keep the peace by demanding my money back.

Answer:
 I'm sorry for your loss.

It feels like there's something missing from this story. A life insurance policy generally bypasses probate if it has a named beneficiary, and goes directly to the named beneficiary. Who were the named beneficiaries on the 3 plans. If they were, then that money is theirs. If you were, why did you give them $100,000 (if that's what you did)?


Title: Family of 4. Three are Naturalized US citizens. One is Mexican citizen. How difficult would the process be to petition 4th member for US residency?

Question:
Sorry for bad formatting, on mobile.

As the title suggests we are a family of 4: mom, dad, daughter, and son(me). We came to the US as a family in 2005 with an L type visa. My sister was either 20 or 21 when we came. After she graduated from University, she was no longer covered by my dad's visa  and she had to either go to grad school to get a student visa or get married. She did neither and had to go back to Mexico in 2008 so as to not be deported.

Fast forward to a couple weeks ago, my dad mentioned that one of his work friends had petitioned one of his family members for US residency since they were all US citizens. My question is how arduous is the process? What steps do we need to take in order to insure success? I understand we will have to fill out another long form but what happens next? The USCIS website gives this information
 https://www.uscis.gov/family/family-us-citizens

However it states that she will have to wait until a visa is available. How long does that usually take? And will she immediately receive a green card or will she receive some other type of visa and would have to go through the residency process to get her green card?

Thank you all for your responses.
Topic:
Immigration

Answer:
 It's likely to be a long process.  If I'm understanding your post it is at least likely to be doable since your sister left the country and is not here illegally.

Your best bet for success here is to hire an immigration attorney to shepherd the process.


Title: Asked to forge documents by employer

Question:
Hello,

I've been asked to change final numbers on paid invoices that we will send to our client to audit.  I've been told that the client is aware that this is happening, but the whole thing seems shady to me.  I know very little about law, but this is illegal, correct?  If I comply, can I be found liable for fraud?

Thanks for your advice.

Answer: That is indeed illegal. You can be complicit in fraud. If your boss wants it done, then he can do it himself.


Title: Should I?

Question:
Can I sue the Air Force for denying to move my husband to a base closer to me while I was pregnant and after they had received a petition under special circumstances due to a pregnancy complication that ended in a miscarriage at month 4?

The baby was pre-diagnosed with LBWC at week 13. I reported severe anxiety to my doctors, which began after realizing I was pregnant and would have to be alone in Seattle, doing grad school and pregnant. At the time, moving in with my husband was not an option because I was on a contract to complete grad school under a full paid assistantship. This information was shared with my husband's supervisors and formally on a "special circumstances" type petition after they told us there was something wrong with the development of the baby. Anxiety got 1000 times worst after I was told that the petition had not been approved. The petition also explained that I couldn't move to husbands state because of my contract with school.

I had a miscarriage at week 17 and severe depression following a D&C procedure. This also left my husband and I in debt as a result of last minute flight tickets and hospital bills that were not completely covered under insurance. I spent my summer in doctor's offices and emergency rooms in California and Alabama as part of pregnancy complications.

Can I start a legal case against the Air Force for the inhumane decision they made? Yes, I understand my husband has a contract to respect and follow all and any military decisions, but I do not. This military decision affected me physically and emotionally even though I tried to find a solution that could have greatly relieved the anxiety and stress military distance was causing.

I would appreciate some legal opinions. Thank you in advance.

Answer:
 > Can I sue the Air Force for denying to move my husband to a base closer to me while I was pregnant and after they had received a petition under special circumstances due to a pregnancy complication that ended in a miscarriage at month 4?

I'm not going to bother to read the rest. The answer is no, literally no. As in 0.00% chance.

I'm very sorry that you went through that ordeal but you have zero recourse here.


Title: (Texas) My dogs were killed by pit bulls.. we are starting the process of a civil suit. Where can we go from here? [Serious]

Question: Two of my families' dogs (a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a Yorkie) were killed by loose pit bulls from a few blocks over this weekend.. they jumped the fence and got into our yard. Apparently the cops said there wasn't anything they could do and expected my mom to file a civil suit. Where do we start in this process? The woman who owns them got her dogs back without even a slap on the wrist.. we suspect the dogs were bred for fighting (they had large swollen heads and many deep scars). Any advice would be great. Thank you.

Answer:
 I'm so sorry for your loss.

Did you contact Animal Control directly?Answer #2: I'm sorry to hear about your dogs.

You can sue in small claims for the monetary value of your dogs. You can contact your local law court and they should be able to instruct you on how to do this.

If you suspect the dogs are dangerous, then you can contact Animal Control and make a complaint. They will take it from there.


Title: Neighbor's daughter backed into my vehicle, informed me of the collision and shared insurance information, but is now avoiding contact from her insurance company [NM]

Question:
I think the title covers the gist of it, a neighbor's daughter backed out of her driveway and into my car which was parked on the street. She came to my door and informed me of the damages then exchanged her contact an insurance information.

It has been a few weeks since I filed a claim and sent pictures of the damages, but she is avoiding calls from her insurance company and does not seem to be responding to me either.

Wondering what the best way to proceed from here might be, or what steps I may need to prepare to take.

Thanks

Answer:
 File a claim with your own insurance if you have full coverage. If the damage is less than your deductible, you will need to sue in small claims court. Usually being sued gets people to respond to their insurance's inquiries. Answer #2: Have you informed your insurance company? They may fight on your behalf depending on your coverage.

If not you need to put pressure on her insurance company. It is their problem that she will not respond to them, not yours.Answer #3: >Wondering what the best way to proceed from here might be

For the most part, when an insurance claim from the at-fault party cannot be paid (for whatever reason) your best alternative is to file a claim against the collision portion of your own policy.  You'll pay your deductible which may be recovered for you by your insurer when they subrogate the claim.

Alternative you can file suit against the other driver.Answer #4: Had the same thing happen, luckily I called my insurance the day it happened and they kept in touch. When I told them the other insurance was trying to get a hold of their client and couldn't my insurance started pressuring them more. The clients insurance took full responsibility and from talking to my agent they never actually talked to their client. The insurance agent is going to have to make a determination with or without the clients information.Answer #5: Insurance companies file suit against policy holders all the time in situations like this. In my experience, it’s ALWAYS in your best interest to involve police instead of just exchanging information. You get a police report done proving the damage was caused by a crash not of your making, and insurance companies are able to move more quickly with claims.


Title: What do I need to do to have my mother's doctors share all of her treatment and diagnosis information with me and let me help decide?

Question:
Mother lives in Alabama/USA
Aged mother (92), middle stage of dementia. TIA

 As I read this from the NIH website:

Sounds like Doctors have a lot of leeway here.
Does HIPAA allow a health care provider to communicate with a patient’s family, friends, or other persons who are involved in the patient’s care?

Yes. In recognition of the integral role that family and friends play in a patient’s health care, the HIPAA Privacy Rule allows these routine – and often critical – communications between health care providers and these persons.  Where a patient is present and has the capacity to make health care decisions,   health care providers may communicate with a patient’s family members, friends, or other persons the patient has involved in his or her health care or payment for care, so long as the patient does not object.  See 45 CFR 164.510(b).  The provider may ask the patient’s permission to share relevant information with family members or others, may tell the patient he or she plans to discuss the information and give them an opportunity to agree or object, or may infer from the circumstances, using professional judgment, that the patient does not object. A common example of the latter would be situations in which a family member or friend is invited by the patient and present in the treatment room with the patient and the provider when a disclosure is made.

Where a patient is not present or is incapacitated, a health care provider may share the patient’s information with family, friends, or others involved in the patient’s care or payment for care, as long as the health care provider determines, based on professional judgment, that doing so is in the best interests of the patient. Note that, when someone other than a friend or family member is involved, the health care provider must be reasonably sure that the patient asked the person to be involved in his or her care or payment for care.

In all cases, disclosures to family members, friends, or other persons involved in the patient’s care or payment for care are to be limited to only the protected health information directly relevant to the person’s involvement in the patient’s care or payment for care.

Answer: I think that what you're looking for is a medical power of attorney.


Title: Can adults under 21 own alcohol for legitimate culinary purposes?

Question:
My parents gave me some [Japanese rice wine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirin) that my roommate and I have used several times in various meals. Since it's technically alcoholic, I was curious as to where this all stands legally.

Imagining that one or both of us was under 21, would it be legal for us to possess or purchase it? Is there a legal distinction between "alcohol for drinking" and "alchohol for cooking"? What about something like rubbing alcohol, is that illegal for minors to possess as well?

Location is California, though I'd be interested in answers for other jurisdictions as well.

Answer:
 At first blush, the California code prohibits the selling and buying of alcohol to and by minors, and the consumption of alcohol "on sale premises" by minors. But I don't see that it criminalizes merely owning alcohol or drinking it in the confines of your own home.

It also defines an "alcoholic beverage" as needing to contain at least 0.5% alcohol by volume and is "fit for beverage purposes" (alone, diluted, or mixed).Answer #2: Not in the Canadian province of Ontario, where good things grow as long as they're not oranges. If you can drink it without it blinding you, it's liquor and you can't possess it under 19 (with two exceptions that mostly don't matter).

Interestingly, customs agents in UAE are either unclear on the distinction between liquor and wood alcohol, or they just don't care; if it says alcohol on the label they'll seize it as haraam even if you really shouldn't drink it.Answer #3: here in PA we have relatively strict rules regarding sales of alcohol; that being said, you can purchase cooking sherry at the grocery store with no proof of ID required- so in answer to your question, i would think that if it's freely sold it's legal to own.

IANALAnswer #4: If it's the kind with salt added you're fine - you can buy it from the supermarket normally without ID.