Title: (Florida) A woman wants to sue me for "damage to her appearance" years after a fight.

Question:
I'm also a woman but I'm tall and sometimes people call me a man or "tranny" because of my height.

This happened about 3 years ago. I had gone to a dinner with some friends, the restaurant was connected to the mall, they'd gone home but I decided to look around for a bit. As I was walking around Sephora I noticed a woman glaring at me so I went out into the main mall area. She followed me.

She started calling me a fucking man/drag queen/etc. I told her to stop and I continued walking toward where mall security is. She then punched me in the back of the head. I swung around and she tried to punch me again so I pushed backwards, when I pushed her she hit the side of her face, when she got up it looked like she's broken her cheekbone.

All of this happened in front of mall security, the cops where they quickly and I had 10+ witness confirm that I was acting in self defense.

She was arrested and charged with felony battery. She was sent to prison since this wasn't the first time she had punched strangers apparently. She's obviously out now.

She looked up my address and has been sending me letters saying that she's going to get a lawyer and sue me for the damage to her face which is apparently preventing her from finding a boyfriend(yeah totally not her personality at all).

I know she probably won't get a lawyer but could I be liable for the damage to her face in any way?

Answer:
 If she keeps contacting you and threatening you, you might want to apply for a restraining order.Answer #2: IANAL but if you produce the police report proving that she was at fault in the confrontation she will certainly not have any case against you.Answer #3: I would be concerned that someone so unstable had my home address.

Please consider taking out a restraining order against her.Answer #4: All the other information posted here is very good advice to follow.  Having said that, if you do get a notice that you in fact are being sued then you definitely need to respond to it.  The chances of her finding a lawyer to take on a case like this is somewhere south of "slim to none", but she could always attempt to file a small claims case against you.  If that happens then simply bringing the police report, any protection orders you get, etc. to show the judge should be more than enough.Answer #5: Ignore and do not respond (if you want, you can respond once and ONLY ONCE to tell her that if she keeps contacting you then you will apply for a restraining order and seek to have her charged with stalking and harassment).  Save and document all contacts.  Get a restraining order if you feel it's needed.  She's not going to file anything against you, and if she did then she would lose.Answer #6: Restraining order to protect you/hinder her legally, carry permit to protect you physically. I hate to jump to that, but this chick is obviously unstable, and her time in the clink probably didn't help. Considering she knows your name and address, coupled with said instability, I wouldn't risk it.


Title: Came across a questionable site

Question:
Hi all, I'm currently stressed out as I came across this site whilst looking at adult entertainment.
Nnmodels.top (website in question)
I stayed in the site for around 15 seconds and I believe there is CP involved. I'm however not a hundred percent sure but I do not feel like going back. Can anyone please advice as to whether this site is in fact illegal?

Answer: Why the hell would you put the link to a website you think to have child pornography?


Title: Friend was falsely arrested due to mistaken identity. Charges dropped but now being billed for time in jail.

Question:
This happened in Kentucky.  Title pretty much says it all.

Due to police error, a friend was mistakenly arrested at home for a very serious crime which he did not commit (they confused my friend with another person sharing the same name).  He was bailed out by family after a few hours, hired a lawyer to fight this, but everything was dropped about a week later once the police realized their error.  The lawyer is a family friend and was nice enough to refund him his fees in full.

My friend was more than willing to let all this go without much complaint, despite being pretty upset, because he's an easy going guy and realized mistakes happen.  But he just received a bill in the mail for his time in the county jail (3-4 hours).  It's not a huge bill, but this is sort of the straw that broke the camel's back for him.

Does he have to pay this bill?  If they do try to make him pay, does he have any legal recourse against the city/police?  Should he be suing them for wrongful arrest (or whatever the proper term would be here)?  Appreciate any input.

Answer: He should talk to his/your lawyer friend again. IANAL, but I found [this article discussing the same situation](https://www.lexingtondefense.com/pay-jail-fees-time-spent-youre-not-guilty/). The short version is that it is within the letter of the law, but not what the writers of the law intended. The Kentucky Supreme Court has declined to look in to the situation. As of January, 2018, there was a class-action suit over the issue.Answer #2: Bill? Bill for what? Answer #3: Is it possible to write a demand letter to the police force that arrested you? (honest question, not sure if it's possible) You could demand they pay the bill due to their negligence, or risk small claims w/ court fees.


Title: Child support didn't stop once kid turned 18.

Question:
If he does nothing to stop it, is the state just going to continue to pull child support from his paycheck?  Will I have to repay him for the support paid after her 18th birthday (it's the minimum child support but it adds up)?  She's not in school anymore but still lives at home with me.

The divorce decree doesn't say anything about when support would end.

Answer:
 When child support ends varies by state.

http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/termination-of-child-support-age-of-majority.aspxAnswer #2: It looks like Indiana goes to 19 at minimum, 21 max. Most likely, if it’s like my state, she would have to be enrolled in college for it to extend to 21.

Edit: just to clarify, if it is anything like my state, the child has to be enrolled in college (or trade school) in the fall immediately following high school graduation in order for the custodial parent to keep receiving support.Answer #3: I also live in Indiana. My parents had the same kind of order in place. I was living with my mom, who pushed me to go to college because my father was on the hook to also pay for half of college. As long as I was in college the support order continued. I dropped out one semester, my father filed to emancipate. Because I wasn't an active student, the courts approved it. Once that happened, the support stopped.

I can't say I blame him.


Title: Recieved incorrect medical advice online - what next?

Question:
I had surgery overseas and aftercare advice was provided by an assistant from within the USA online. the advice has proved wrong, as a result I am likely to need further surgery. I dont believe the assistant is licensed to give medical advice and clearly had no local supervision.

not sure which state would apply, A quick search suggests the assistant may be in Montana.

where do I stand?

Answer: The surgery you had -- is it legal in the US?


Title: Stealing money from DoorDash?

Question:
On DoorDash there is an option to get your money back from an order and this turns into DoorDash credits by going to “Help”. You can say you did not receive the food by marking “Whole item missing” but you actually DID receive the food. I am wondering what the legal repercussions of doing this is. It is basically stealing money from DoorDash and I want to know given that my friends and I have done this multiple times and nothing has happened. Any thoughts on this would be great. Thank you.
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer: You and your friends are thieves.


Title: Let go from my job before my first day

Question:
I recently signed an employment contract for a new job after handing in my resignation at my current job. 2 weeks after signing the contract the new job contacted me and told me due to funding problems they would not be able to employ me. They offered to pay me a weeks pay, to cover the notice period in the contract, but have since ignored my emails.

I'm not so concerned about the job but I could do with the money to cover job hunting time.

How should I proceed with this? Do I threaten legal action or continue to email them asking for the money?

Context: London, United Kingdom
Topic:
Contracts

Answer:
 /r/uklaw
/r/legaladviceuk

Can also sub to those subs as they are closer to home.

Step 1: file a claim for Job Seeker's Allowance (if you haven't done so) - get yourself on their system ASAP and get them to backdate to the date you were notified of dismissal (i.e. termination date).

Step 2: Have a read through these:

- [Advice Guide Dismissal](http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/work_e/work_work_comes_to_an_end_e/dismissal.htm)

- [Gov Dismissal (Unfair)](https://www.gov.uk/dismiss-staff/eligibility-to-claim-unfair-dismissal)

- [Your rights RE dismissal](https://www.gov.uk/dismissal/overview) (including immediate dismissal reasons)

Step 3: once you're clued up, contact your local [Citizens Advice Bureau](http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/index/getadvice.htm) and get on the ringer for some assistance with it, and to see if there's anything you can do.

If you have specific claims you want to bring forward you can easily bring it up with ACAS in their Early Conciliation system (simply put, they bring both parties together with themselves as referee for the talks), if you can't come to terms during these talks you can quickly escalate to a [tribunal].(https://www.gov.uk/employment-tribunals/taking-a-case-to-an-employment-tribunal)


Title: WA - Teenage daughter is pregnant, what are my legal responsibilities regarding housing or financial support?

Question:
I am not interested in relationship advice, just legal insight. Washington state, King County.

My (adopted) daughter is 16, almost 17. She just announced that she is ~2 months pregnant and intends to keep the pregnancy. The father will not be involved. I am not interested in supporting this decision, especially financially.

I understand that I cannot legally ask her to move out because she is still a child. She will still be 17 when she delivers. But what are my obligations to her future child? Am I legally required to house that baby, or is she?  Does her becoming a parent change my obligation to house her?

I would like to understand exactly what my legal rights and obligations are so I can plan accordingly and give my daughter a clear picture of what she can expect. Thank you for your time.

Answer:
 You have to support your daughter until she is 18.  You can do that by financiallly supporting her and housing her with a relative or family friend if you feel that it's in her and the baby's best interests, and it may very well be.  No one should live with someone who actively resents their existence.

I don't know about Washington State but TX has options for pregnant teens to emancipate themselves and live independently.  This also qualifies the teen for more government assistance, though the parents still often have to pay some support.  That may be something for you and your daughter to research.

Answer #2: >I am not interested in supporting this decision, especially financially.

You realize that even if you somehow could legally boot her out, this decision could lead to serious physical harm coming to your daughter/your daughter's child when their support network disappears? A young single woman pushed to the brink with a child on the way is a ripe target for all kinds of predators. Are you willing to take indirect responsibility if your daughter ends up injured, drug-addicted or dead as a result of becoming a homeless single mother?

>I understand that I cannot legally ask her to move out because she is still a child. She will still be 17 when she delivers. But what are my obligations to her future child? Am I legally required to house that baby, or is she?

*You* are, you selfish dolt.

Answer #3: Not legal advice but why does it matter that she's adopted?  Why even include that?


Title: I got permission to sample from another artist. But it turns out that he didn't have the rights to license the part that I sampled.

Question:
Hi legaladvice,

I am an independent musical artist in my local scene, not big or professional, and sometimes like to blend sounds from other local artists into my tracks.  Usually this means that I contact the artist through a mutual friend and ask if they would be cool with me using some of their work in my track.  Sometimes they ask small sum of money for it, and sometimes it's just credit / attribution in this song title.  I do this over email, so I have a good record of the agreement.

Recently I did this with a local artist, spoke over email about getting permission to sample one of their tracks, and he gave me permission to use anything in that track as long as I gave him credit on the song title.  So I went ahead and sampled some vocals from the track, and uploaded to my social media, and gave credit to that artist.

The other day I was contacted by another local artist, saying that I was illegally infringing on some of his material.  I checked it out, and from what I can tell, it looks legit.  He has some older content with the same vocals.  I messaged him back saying that I'd gotten an agreement from the credited artist to use the material, and got a reply saying that the other artist *did* have permission to use the material, but *not* to license it out.

So I've taken down that album for now, and plan to re-upload it without those vocals.  But the problem is that the album with the track with his vocals in it had something like 1000+ downloads (roughly that I can count from social media) and had earned me a couple hundred bucks (most of the downloads were free downloads, I do 'name your price').

This might be putting the cart before the horse, since I don't know if he will be asking for monetary compensation or how much it might be, but I was wondering what kind of liability I might have?  Obviously he is probably owed some money, but I don't know how the free downloads would count into it, or if the fact that I reasonably thought I had a valid license for the material would change anything.

If it turns out that he wants a large sum for infringing, I'll definitely get a lawyer.  What would be the usual name of the type of lawyer I'm looking for? IP defense lawyer? something more specific? Or something dealing with contracts?

I'm also interested how to protect myself from this from happening again.  I can obviously tell when my own work is legal, but when working with other people's work, is there any way to reduce my liability?  Is this something that would require a 'real'/'exhaustive' contract to protect myself?

Sorry for any naivety in the post, and thanks for the help.

Location: Georgia, US
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 You'd want an intellectual property lawyer (as you noted) if you end up needing one. If you do incur financial losses here, you may have a case against the artist who miss-represented the lyrics as his own. Clearly, he didn't have the rights to re-license the work to you but made it sound as though he did. A contract that specifically states that the artist granting you the rights has the authorization to do so and it responsible should he/she not actually have those rights would be something good to consider for the future.

If the artist who actually does own the rights to the music demands compensation, you should probably talk to a lawyer if it's more than a few thousand dollars.


Title: (FL) My 34F sister was just sentenced to 15 years in Fed Prison in FL for trafficking. Is there a chance of early release?

Question:
She was caught with a large amount of drugs. Part of a larger operation. She did not “cooperate” (rat) and she received 10 years for the conspiracy / trafficking and 5 years for the gun she had on her when she was caught.

Her whole life has been ruined. I know she did this to herself but I’m just wondering with federal sentencing is there any way she may get parole after a certain amount of time?  She will be almost 50 when she’s released
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 Federal parole has been abolished. This is a good, short article:

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/is-federal-parole-system.htmlAnswer #2: The best person to answer this is her attorney. It depends on how the sentence is structured. For example, do you know if the sentences are set to run concurrently or consecutively? Answer #3: She will have to serve a minimum of 85% of the sentence, even if she gets time off for good behavior.


Title: Where do I get a copy of my birth certificate? Idaho, Born in California.

Question: after searching online it seems like there are a number of websites that I can buy my birth certificate from, But Isn't there a building I can go to? I've checked the DMV website and they don't have any options for it. If I was born in another state do I have to contact a specific organization to get my Birth Cert?

Answer: You go to the county clerk or registrar's office in the county where you were born.


Title: NYC Speeding ticket, Officer Mistaken as to Speed Limit

Question:
I got pulled over today on I-695 in NYC and issued a ticket for 68-50. I don't argue I was going that fast but it was the speed of traffic and when the officer pulled out of his speed trap, about 5 cars when to pull over but he pointed at me, oh well.

Went he came over to me, he said the interaction was being recorded and told me the speed limit was 50 mph and issued a ticket for that much. I took his word for it at the time, but later on, I went on google street view to see where it happened and noticed there aren't any speed limits signs on the road.

So then I went to the NYS DOT website and they have a roadway inventory and I looked up the road I was on and the speed limit is actually 55 mph.

Now, this is a big deal because in NYS insurance rates can't increase for speeding tickets under 15 mph over the limit. So even if it is just amended as a "clerical error" I'm happy.

But... Is there any chance this could be used to dismiss the ticket? I know that clerical errors don't void tickets, but getting the speed limit wrong seems like a bigger deal. It could call into question the credibility of the officer.

tl,dr: Officer wrote up a ticket for 68 in a 50, but the speed limit is 55 and possibly unposted, any chance at dismissal?

Edit: Looks like it can't be dismissed, but does anyone know if there is a way to get the ticket corrected without having to go to the TVB.

Edit 2: After a lot of research the case will be heard by the TVB which is an administrative law court. The rules for the hearing are established by 15 NY CCR 1I. The ALJ(Administrative Law Judge) can only rule guilty or not guilty, they may not reduce the charges or amend them. Speeding over the posted limit is a violation of §1180(d)(1) which is what I am charged with. However speeding over the statutory limit of 55 mph is a violation of §1180(b) a different charge, which means the ALJ should have no choice but to find me not guilty of the violating the section I am charged with. The People(City) is not represented in TVB there is only the ALJ so no one has the power to amend the charges.

Answer: 68 in a 55 is still speeding. If the 5mph makes a difference you can probably get the ticket reduced.


Title: My school said that I when do the pledge of allegiance, I have to include the "Under God" part. They said I don't have to say the pledge at all but if I do I have to include the god part. Is this illegal

Answer:
 It’s illegal for them to make you say the Pledge of Allegiance at all at a public school. I imagine a private school could compel you to, but for sure a public cannot.

As an adult, I find the Pledge kind of creepy. Answer #2: Public or private school?


Title: Possession of Adderall

Question:
I was caught with four Adderall 20mg pills during a camping trip. I have a completely clean record, college student, 3.0 GPA, and was highly involved on campus during my time at school. I graduate this upcoming May and have an internship on the line that I plan to do this summer. My first court date is next month and I am trying to find out as much information/gain a little hope that I am going to be okay.

We were originally pulled over for having glass on the river. We were doing a float trip. I was very cooperative and told him I had them in order to avoid any more issues in the event he found them. I was not aware I would be facing a felony charge for this and am worried a felony on my record is going to affect the outcome of my life.

So my question here is, what are the odds and things I can do to help achieve those odds when it comes to reducing the felony, whipping it clean, and/or making sure this process is over before graduation in May.

This all happened in the State of Missouri in July of 2017. I was just served in January. The officer told me I had to call the Prosecuting Attorney's office after 4 weeks and find out what my charges would be. I called after 5 weeks and was told that there was no report filed. Just a few days ago, I had a paper in the mail with a court date on it.
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 The odds are significantly better if you hire an attorney. That's what you should do. Then direct your questions to them.Answer #2:  You should accept that your life might not go the way you originally planned on.  Amphetamines are a serious drug and possession in Missouri is no laughing matter. What you do now is wait, you wait for your attorney to tell you what to do. Make sure you get to your court dates, that’s imperative. You might go to jail now but skipping then means you will go to jail. Answer #3: If you can't produce a prescription record or evidence of a prior diagnosis from a doctor, you're out of luck. Seen many people get burnt for the same thing and have been consulted on this advice for years.

Best case scenario is that you can try to provide reasonable doubt and maybe a urine screen to show it's not in your system, but even then it's not a great outlook. Possession is 9/10ths of the law.

Best advice I've seen in this thread: lawyer up where you will be tried and don't say another word until instructed.


Title: (FL) Felony charges over false sexual allegations were dropped. 15k in debt. Litigation?

Question:
Hi,

I made a post here before concerning the situation if you want to see all the details. A trusted family member of mine, innocent, had false allegations against him of video voyeurism and dessemination of said voyeurism. Those were 2 felony charges and they have been dropped by the prosecutor.

Now, from the bail and lawyer we're about $15,000 in debt over crimes that he did not commit.

I got good advice from the last post for the most part, aside from a few users' presumption of guilt. I am making this post to discuss the possibility of litigation.

Hypothetically, who would be responsible for the financial damages? The accuser for making the false accusations (libel/false police report)? Or the police department for charging an innocent man with 2 felonies? That is my main question. Of course we are making use of his lawyer, but I'd like some general hypothetical advice here before moving forward.

How does the litigation process work? Is this something for small claims court?

Also, how much will it cost to litigate not including the cost of a lawyer (another family member is a lawyer, and they would likely help with the process for free)? Would it be worth it if he was represented for free, or even if he had a good civil claims lawyer?

Thanks. It is great that in the USA we have the legal concept of innocence until proven guilty; though, this situation has made me question that because even though the charges were dropped, his life was still ruined (debt, school, social standing, etc.).
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: If your family member is going to litigate this, then you should really let them answer these questions.


Title: (Missouri) my towns police department said they would arrest anyone dressed as a clown on halloween. Is that legal?

Question: I have a pennywise costume and was going to wear it for halloween. Is it legal for them to arrest me for that? It seems like thats against my rights

Answer:
 In my opinion, the legal principle at work here is "we have the guns and the badges".

If your town's police force decides that for one night, dressing like a clown is per se disorderly conduct, then the holding cells will be filled with Pennywises and Bozos.

Is it a violation of your First Amendment rights ?    Probably.

Then they're going to release everyone in the morning, and the city attorney is going to shake off his hangover and start brushing up on [42 USC Section 1983](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/1983) defenses.

The ACLU is very busy right now trying to keep the USA from being steered off a Constitutional cliff by our chief executive, and I fear they're not going to be able to do much about freedom of clowning.Answer #2: How would they even enforce such a rule? What constitutes a clown? Do you have to have a red nose? What about a mime costume? What about a Trump costume? Answer #3: Surely it is more of a "if you menace or harass people because it's just a prank bro" their will be consequences type to thing. Answer #4: I was told by co-workers about it. The one has a step brother at the pd that said about it. But i dont know of any statment from police so this is a "i heard from a guy" thing Answer #5: Surely they made a public announcement to this effect so that everyone knows right?

So it would be easy for you to PM me a link to the news story about it so that I can verify that you're telling the truth.


Title: Feel ripped off by my lawyer

Question:
I had a very minor domestic violence arrest that resulted in a DA reject. I never made a threat of any violence nor struck/touched my accuser but the details are beside the point.

I had very limited contact from jail, one call to my sister when I first got there, then one call 24hrs later. Instead of posting a ridiculous bond, my sister paid an attorney recommended by a friend $4500 for an all inclusive defense without my knowledge or consent.

As you can imagine, I'm now on the hook to my sister for the $4500 in which the attorney made about 5 phone calls, never showed to my court date that was cancelled so I just sat in court holding all day not knowing what was going on, and then ghosted me after a week. Didn't return text message of simple questions I had regarding a TRO, etc.

I'm thinking of sending him a letter requesting a partial refund, expressing displeasure, etc.

How would you folks respond? Had it been me, I would have just done a retainer, because I knew the facts of the case and that it would have been an easy defense, if it came to that. Do I have any recourse at all?

Answer: If your sister paid, she's the only one who can ask for a refund or cost reduction.  But you also haven't explained what this attorney did or didn't do that you think warrants a cost reduction.  Lawyers aren't cheap, and you not feeling like it was that hard isn't a reason not to pay an agreed upon price.  She agreed to pay a set fee, she got what she paid for.  Answer #2: You want to ask for a refund for money that you didn't pay?


Title: Arkansas - new car totaled before registered, insurance won't pay me

Question:
I bought a car in March of this year. 2 weeks after I bought the car, I was on my way to work when someone hit me head on and totaled the car. After a battle with his insurance company, they accepted full fault. Because it was totaled so soon after buying the car, I had not paid the sales tax or registered the car. Until I do, the insurance company will not send me the check to pay off the lienholder.

I've been out of work since my wreck, injured, with no income. If I am not able to register the car, they will send the check to the titleholder and "repo" the car in my name.

Is there any way around this? This is the first car I've ever bought, and my lawyer hasn't been much help. He told me to find some way to pay it. Do I have any other options? I was not aware that the insurance company wouldn't pay you if it wasn't registered.

Also, my friend is trying to tell me that the title is in the bank's name because they financed the car. On my title it shows the previous owner, not the bank. To my understanding, this John Doe will get the money, not the bank.
If that were the case, why would it matter if the check were just going right to the lienholder?

Answer: You need to find some way to pay it. If you are not the registered owner of the car, they cannot send you a check compensating you for the car, no matter how much they want to.


Title: When can a DNR be revoked?

Question: Sorry if this is all a bit unorganized first and foremost. My mom is/was a caretaker to an older woman (over 80). She recently signed a DNR including no tubing to assist with food and water intake, I'm not too sure of the medical terminology. Two weeks after signing the DNR she had a stroke and is still in the hospital. She cannot speak or swallow but is conscious and can nod her head and tries to get out of bed to walk even though she has weakness on one side of her body. My mom has been visiting her and noticed that she is not allowed food and water because of the DNR but given morphine to not make her scared. Whenever my mom visits she seems happy but today her son messaged her saying she becomes confused whenever my mom leaves and she should not visit for a bit. My mom sees that she is suffering and believes she wants food and water but no one has listened or believe they are respecting her wishes. Is there anything she can do despite the DNR or is the hospital doing what is in her best wishes?

Answer:
 Is this an old style DNR form or a newer version POLST form. Who signed the form, your mother or another family member on their behalf. Is there a health care proxy or power of attorney. If not, you need to set up BOTH of these as these are different. The POLST is described as a "menu" where the DNR, DNI, other life saving measure stuff is front page. Comfort care stuff is on the back. It sounds like you want the back side amended. If any family member is authorized to speak with the physician that signed it, start there, but you'll need the health care proxy and or power of attourney done to change it yourself.

Power of attourney - make all decisions for the patient.
Health care proxy - make decision for the patient if they do not have the capacity to make decisions for themselves.
Is she NPO meaning no food or water due to airway issues, such as issues swallowing and an aspiration risk?


Title: My Instagram account worth $300,000 was hacked and the support teams aren’t helping, what can I do?

Question:
I have a ton of proof and know who the hacker is. Is there anything I can do?

I’m in CA which shouldn’t make any difference

Answer:
 Your recourse is with Instagram.  Escalate as far as you can.

Hypothetically you could sue the hacker for conversion and demand the return of your account, but that would be an expensive and time consuming process.Answer #2: I'm not a lawyer, but what does a $300,000 Instagram account look like?


Title: School IT

Question: So, here’s my story and I need some advice. I am a Tech Director for a school. As a tech director I see everything that comes across my network this includes, emails, docs, etc.  I had come across a Google Document from my Super. In it was a list of changes he wanted to make across the district. The only person I discussed this with was my Asst Tech Director. She went and told a whole bunch of other people in the district and stirred up issues. My super then came to me and jumped all over me and told me I broke confidentiality and that he basically had every right to fire me and more than likely he was. I told him it was a mistake to do what I did and to be quite honest I don’t know why I did it. A lot of it was the fact I was concerned with the changes in the job to my Asst Tech Director which would have led to more work being put on top of me. So the question here becomes this, since I’ve never signed a NDA or a confidentiality agreement/contract and it’s not built into my contract if I get fired is there anything I can do? I’ve been in this district for 5 years and this is the first time I’ve ever messed up to the point of being told I have every right to fire you.  Also in regards to how I saw the document is it not considered apart of public record because it’s in regards to a school, therefore eliminating all ideals of privacy unless otherwise stated?

Answer:
 > As a tech director I see everything that comes across my network this includes, emails, docs, etc.

You're tech directing wrong. Like...consider a new line of work if you think that's okay.

You can be fired for anything non-discriminatory unless you have some kind of contract or union deal.

Not everything is a public record. Internal memos and discussions are often exempt from discovery.


Title: [WI] Police took my dashcam after a pedestrian ran into the path of my car. I've repeatedly been told charges won't be filed but they won't return my dash cam.

Question:
Hello LA.

About three months ago I was driving along a suburban road. There were a group of 13 year old boys standing by the side of the road and when I was coming by one of them decided to cross the street and stepped out right in front of me. I didn't have time to stop and hit him and he suffered minor injuries.

I stopped and called 911 and when the cops got there I showed them the video on the tiny preview screen that I was not driving fast or dangerously and the boy was not in the crosswalk. And I said if you connected my dash cam to the computer the GPS data would show my speed was at the speed limit. So the cops took my dash cam as evidence to review the GPS data and gave me a receipt and allowed me to leave the scene (I wasn't arrested or anything).

Two or three weeks went by and I didn't hear anything so I called the police non-emergency line and after some phone tag I got connected to the officer investigating the case who said I wouldn't be charged because the GPS data had shown I was "within the speed limit". I asked when I could get my dash cam back (it was $500) and he said he had paperwork to finish and in a week or so he'd return my property to me.

So since then about two and a half months have passed and I still don't have my dash cam back. I've repeatedly called the police department who said they're still working on it. And the last time I called he said they were still analyzing it. I said why, I was originally told charges wouldn't be filed. And the cop (different guy than who I talked to I was told the original cop left for another agency) said that their IT staff was still retrieving data from the dash cam.

Is there anyway to get this back? It was an expensive dashcam.

Answer:
 You are probably caught in the back log of devices the tech dept has to go through and It probably is a low priority. It may be a long time before you see it again there.Answer #2: They said "we won't file charges" but what they likely meant is "we won't file charges unless the dashcam evidence makes us think we need to."

The backlog at computer forensics labs is extensive sometimes- maybe 6 months to a year before they'll have a chance to analyze it in some cases.Answer #3: Did you voluntarily give them your dash-cam?    I assume they did not issue you a warrant for the device.Answer #4: I would've held it as I don't trust law enforcement to take care of my devices.Answer #5: In the future, get one that uses SD cards.  That way you can just give them the SD card and not be out a camera.Answer #6: Why in the world didn't you just give them the SD card???  A 500 dollar dash cam would certainly have software available (and often free on their website) to read the GPS data embedded in the video file.Answer #7: There may be a property claim form you have to fill out to get the ball rolling. Phone calls are easy to ignore. Check your city/county police website (whoever took the camera) or go to the station and ask for the form.Answer #8: Time to talk to some supervisors


Title: County Clerk Sold my Info to Marketers

Question:
Hi everyone, about 3 months ago I bought a car from dealership in a different county from where live, but in the same state (TN). It took a very long time for the dealer to get the registration paperwork squared away, so I went through 3 temp tags. Once everything was finally sent over to the local county clerks office I went over there the next day and registered the car and got my permanent plates.

About 3 days later I start getting mail pieces which look like official government/DMV mail, but they’re really just companies trying to scare me into singing up for their extended warranty, which I don’t need (the car will be under factory warranty to entirety of the time I plan on owning it).

The mail has been constant, always at least one letter about this, usually two (except on Sunday). And they’re not even always from the same company. This didn’t start until the car was registered at the county clerks office (which was 3 months after purchase), so I’m almost certain the county clerk sold my info to these companies as opposed to the dealer or insurance company. Do I have any recourse against the county clerk/DMV or the companies sending these letters?

I want the mail to stop and I want the county clerk to be held responsible for selling peoples’ information to these companies since it’s our private info that they’re probably profiting from somehow. ANY advice would be appreciated, thanks!

Answer:
 Most DMV records are public, they aren't selling it.

Just wait until you buy a house.


Title: Someone claims my SO hit their vehicle, when I had the vehicle that day and did not get in an accident.

Question:
Today my SO was sent a document from his insurance company that stated a claim had been filed against him.

The claim said that on Nov. 23rd SO's vehicle hit another vehicle (the one making the claim) while they were parallel parking, pushing the person making the claim's vehicle into a parked semi-truck.
The claim says that it was a man driving the vehicle.

The thing is, that day I (a woman) was on that road (it is right outside my college), and I was the one driving. However, I didn't get into an accident. I don't know the time of day that the alleged accident happened, but I would have been in class from 9:30-12:30 (with dated notes from class showing I was there), and I have my credit card records that show I was the one who paid for parking. We also have someone who can prove that my SO would not have been driving that day, as he car pools with her.

Our truck is pretty beat up, but we found old photos that would prove that it was beat up before the alleged accident. There is no new damage that would have been caused if we hit a vehicle hard enough to push it into another vehicle.

Basically, we have no idea where to go from here. We are being falsely accused of getting into an accident, and I need to know what steps we need to take to protect ourselves in this situation?

Location is BC, Canada.

Answer:
 Provide your evidence to your insurance company. This is literally why you have insurance.Answer #2: Ok. Since this is in BC I assume the vehicle is insured through ICBC?

Do your parking records have a plate #?

Basically, you need real proof or a witness to confirm that the car wasn't where the claimant said it was.

If both vehicles were under ICBC, take great care in submitting a statement to them as they have no interest in defending you. Ignore the other advice in this thread about insurance companies as those posters don't understand our single insurer system.Answer #3: Contact your own insurance company and tell them what is going on and provide any proof you have of who had the car and where.


Title: My mom was in an accident at an intersection, and they said she was at fault. She clearly was not, but we're not quite sure what to do.

Question: She was going across an intersection, she was over the line, a guy (who was going WAY over the speed limit) sideswiped her, and totaled her car. Shes ok, but they put her at fault because she had a stop sign and he didn't (even though when she started to cross he was so far back you couldn't see him). There were no witnesses, as it was fairly late at night. The cop said he didn't know he was turning right while making the report (the driver was knocked out, he hit her head on, so he couldn't make a statement at the scene), but he still said she was at fault. They were about 3 yards from the line. The cop also said that he agreed that he was speeding. We are in South Carolina.

Answer:
 It sounds like she proceeded into the intersection when it was unsafe to do so.  "I didn't know that guy was moving that fast" is not a defense.  Even if he was speeding.

Based upon the facts, as you've said them here, I don't think she has a defense.

As for what she should do, I'd look into defensive driving (if she qualifies), and driving safely.


Title: Neighbour purposely bricked my computers motherboard

Question:
Had a day off from school today so I decided to build my pc that I finally got the CPU for. My house is relatively big but since I have 12 other people living here the only spot I have to use for my gaming rig is my garage. I finished my build and decided to update drivers, my neighbour (he is 16) walked into my garage uninvited and asked about my pc and my cousins dirt bike. While I was updating my BIOS he asked what I was doing I explained to him and also specifically told him not to touch any of the cables leading into the house or it might break my computer. He being the asshole he is ripped the power cord out of the extension wire and ran away into his house. I didnt chase him or go to his door but I waited for his dad to get home from work ( he lives in front of my house ) and told him what happened he said he is not liable for his son and that since his son isn't 18 he doesn't have to pay me anything ( I know it's not true). How should I approach the situation from now and what can I do?

Tl;dr.

16 year old neighbour bricked my motherboard and his dad nor him claim any responsibility for it since the kid is only 16. I'm out $220 cad.

Location; Greater Toronto area, Canada
Topic:
Canada

Answer:
 Check with your motherboard vendor after you try it.  Many motherboards these days have dual BIOS flash areas or are otherwise resistant to or recoverable from mis-flashing.  Answer #2: Ask for your parents help to sue him (and, by default, his dad) in small claims. Answer #3: A parent can absolutely be held liable for damage their child causes, glad you know your neighbor is full of shit. Your recourse is small claim court, but I'd also reach out to vendor you got it from to see if they can help. A lot of tech companies will be big on good will acts because they know it brings in business. Answer #4: Check if the model of your motherboard has a dual BIOS for those occorrency. If this is the case, you only need to reset the CMOS  and the motherboard will load the recovery BIOS and allow you to flash the good one.

It that is not the case, you will have to sue him in small claim courts for the value of the motherboard


Title: Ohio, Bought a car from a dealer. Dealer sold me a vehicle that he's unable to get title to.

Question:
Bought a car in Ohio on January 3rd.
 Paid cash for it from a car dealer and it came with a 90 day warranty. The car has broken down several times and they are not fixing it and when I went up there to get the title for the vehicle I was sold. The dealer informs me that the actual owner of my vehicle is a dealer 800 miles away and he can't get the title to it.. But "he's working on it". So I have a vehicle that I paid for that's broken down several times and remains unfixed and I have so far been unable to get title to or another temporary tag. What are my legal options?

Answer: Take the car back to them and get your money back. Remind them that it is illegal under ORC 4505.18 to sell a car without having the title


Title: [TX, USA] Employer garnished wages for child support, but state hasn't gotten payments since 8/2015. Don't know best place to turn.

Question:
My employer has a wage garnishment order in effect to deduct my child support from my paycheck before I receive it.

There is a wage garnishment under the line item "child support" on every paycheck.

The state let me know they have not received a payment since 8/2015 and the balance is at $5,600 (roughly). They did not send any past due letters.

I talked to my employer about this multiple times over the last 2 weeks, and he has promised to send the money but has yet to do so.

I have tried calling lawyer's offices and they tell me to call the attorney general's office or the department of labor. When I call those guys, they tell me to call a lawyer.

I think this is something that I can handle in small claims court, but I want some advice before I do anything.

Any advice anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated. Who is the best to call? Is small claims court the way to go?

Answer:
 file a wage claim: http://www.twc.state.tx.us/jobseekers/how-submit-wage-claim-under-texas-payday-law

here's the thing: you're still responsible for payment of the child support, even if your employer fails to pay. *therefore,* because your employer is holding the money and not sending it at least monthly as required, he is *engaging in wage theft.*

you need to start making your payments directly to the SDU in san antonio until you get this shit cleared up.

https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/cs/attorneys/crimnonsup/crimnonsuphb_ch11.shtml

**edit:** in the second URL, see "who pays support."

**second edit:** others should weigh in on small claims against the employer for accrued interest (6% per year, starting on day 31 of non-payment).Answer #2: Looks like Texas has expert pay, and it's free even.  This means your employer can transmit it with a couple clicks, it's by far the easiest system out there.


Title: Client doesn't want me to post my design outside the context of his product (music album). Is this normal even though I retain copyright?

Question:
Sorry about the confusing title, the deal with his client is really weird to me. Here are the details:

&#x200B;

This client approached me to create art for his album cover (front, back, and 4 small illustrations to add inside his booklet). He has his own graphic designer that will put the title, create the template, etc. We agreed on a price and on a 5 year exclusive worldwide licence. I will not transfer him copyright.

The thing is, he doesn't want the image 'out there' without the rest of the graphics that will be on his album, such as his name, album title, tracks, etc. I have no problem showing a mockup of all of this on my website/portfolio (in fact, I would gladly show off the final product), but I would very much like to post this image as a standalone as well. I feel like, other than it's my right to show my work, I want it to be clear to my audience that I only created the drawing, not the whole package.

He's been insisting on this point since the beginning, so I agreed to an exclusive license (for a bit of a higher fee) to make him feel at ease that I wouldn't be creating prints of the art and selling them. He seems like a fair dude and I'd really like to work with him, but this looks more like work-for-hire to me.

&#x200B;

What do you think, artists of Reddit? Is it a part of my copyright to show the work as a standalone? Should I put my foot down on this one or am I being unreasonable?

(btw, am in Canada)

Answer: This is perfectly normal for an exclusive use license and you need to honor it through the period of exclusive use.


Title: How to kick my son out. Washington State

Question: My son was last at my home 3 days ago. He pushed his way in when I tried to talk to him about him staying out all night; after we agree he would come home at 12 at night and tell me when he was going to spend the night at a friend's house. Yes, he is 18, but we have this rule so I can go to bed at night. He spend the night before trying allow me to let a boy I did not know stay the night at the house. I told him no and he did not come home that night. Anyway while I was trying to talk to him, he pushed the door open and pushed me down. This is not the first time he has put hands on me. He went to his room and left. I then called the cops and reported what happen. They told me I could be charged for holding the door. After all of this I have found out some other information that I now do not want him back in this house. I do not own this house my Dad dose. I do not want to be charged for holding a door trying to talk to him. My question is because I do not think he will be back for awhile. How long in Washington does someone have to be gone to prove they do not live there anymore. I do not he will be back this month. Last time he put hands on me he left for a month. How long do I have to wait to pack his things?

Answer:
 Since your Dad owns the property, whether your son stays or goes is entirely up to him, your son is a "tenant at will."  If your Dad is OK with kicking his grandson (?) out, then you have to give your son notice that he's being kicked out [20 days in advance](http://washingtonlandlordtenant.info/free-eviction-forms/) (three days if he's paying rent and hasn't paid), after which you can go to court to complete the eviction, [which takes about another 10 days.](https://www.solid-ground.org/get-help/housing/for-tenants/eviction/) Once that time period has passed, the sheriff will come and remove the property.

EDIT: The time period for abandoning a lease [isn't specified in WA law](http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=59.18.310), it's just if the tenant stops paying rent and indicates by words or actions that he's leaving, and the procedure for getting their property out [is more complicated](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/handling-tenants-abandoned-property-washington.html) and can take up to 45 days.


Title: (IA) Sexual Assault Allegations

Question:
A few months ago, my stepfather was getting his hair cut at the home of my SIL (she and my brother were in the process of divorcing at the time). Allegedly she offered him a beer, the conversation between them grew inappropriate, she showed him some nude photos of herself on her phone, and when he left, she sent him five more naked pictures of herself. (Neither one of them are the classiest of individuals so while this may be disappointing, it isn't shocking).

Fast forward a couple of hours, and she's calling everyone she knows in hysterics, saying he pulled out his penis and tried to get her to touch it while he was there.

He denied it of course.

And over a series of text messages to my mom, she changed her story multiple times ... saying he overpowered her and sent the pics to himself from her phone, then admitting she made that up after showing a bruise on her arm that was supposedly from him, then changing her story again, admitting she hadn't been completely honest about XYZ, etc, etc. Her story was inconsistent and all over the place, and she deleted all the texts and pictures so she had nothing to show to back up her claims.

He also destroyed his phone ... which doesn't exactly make him look innocent either.

Both of their stories are night and day different.

As far as I'm concerned, they're both lying and guilty of something ... we just don't know what.

Anyway, so she went to the police that night and filed a report and they were able to pull all the pics and messages off her phone showing their conversations. He hasn't been arrested but he was brought in for questioning and now has to do a polygraph. The cop told him yesterday that had he not agreed to a polygraph, he would have charged him with assault then and there.

My question is ... in cases like this, where it's basically "he said/she said" and there's no physical evidence ... how do they determine probable cause and that anything happened beyond a reasonable doubt?

(For added context, this woman is bat shit crazy. She is a notorious pathological liar/manipulator and this incident is barely the tip of the iceberg of all the insane stuff she's done over the years. She also refuses to work and is claiming she got PTSD from him showing her his dick so now she has a service dog and is trying to get disability).

Answer: Your stepfather should immediately stop talking to the police without a lawyer advising him. Cops lie they don't withhold charges if you agree to a polygraph. If they have enough to charge you they do it. Tell him to stop talking and to get a lawyer.


Title: Friend (29) has never left the house alone (Pennsylvania)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You may be able to place a call to adult protective services.


Title: [Illinois] Cousin asks for her mom to be placed in hospice care despite my whole family being against it.

Question:
Ok. I'll try to provide as much detail as possible so please bare with me.

Story:
So one of my aunts (45 years old?) has been in intensive care for the past 4+ month due to a kidney failure and has been recovering at a slow pace. My mom, my aunt's, my uncle's, my cousin's, and her son wanted to keep my aunt at the hospital to recover. She was on 17+ medications while at the hospital to help with anxiety, depression, and other mental issues as well as physical recovery.

Now comes her daughter (25 years old?) Who has been against everyone since the beginning. She cares nothing about her mother and her brother. She got in a heated argument with one of the doctors and is on file. She curses at everyone and anyone who interacts with her. I would also like to note that she is a known druggie and is involved in gang activity. She also made a post on Facebook begging people for donations to help for a funeral for her mother who "passed away" because no one in the family is helping out. Mind, her mom is still alive. My family has been getting calls asking them why they didn't inform everyone that she passed. We have strong suspicion that the reason she's doing this is to collect as much money as possible from her mom's death since she doesn't care for her and she has always been struggling with money.
A couple days ago my cousin placed my aunt in Hospice care without the consent of any family members or doctors/nurses. EVERYONE was against it. But since my cousin was the closest blood relative to her mom, they gave her the right to make any decision for her. Before being placed in hospice care, my aunt was on countless meds but now she's only on one...

So my question is, is there a legal route we can take to place her back in the hospital? Or to take the right for any decisions from my cousin (her daughter)? I'm sorry if I'm in the wrong place, we just really need some help.

Answer:
 IANAL - I'm a nurse practitioner- something is missing from your story. . .a person cannot be placed in hospice without some sort of MD authorization.

IAnswer #2: I don't think you have all the facts here. People don't get placed in hospice care purely on the basis of the next of kin's wishes.


Title: 5th Amendment Violation Questions For Defense Attorneys

Question:
USA:

This is purely hypothetical, but something I saw made me think of whether or not this is a 5th amendment violation.

Let's say I am brought in for an interview because I am a suspect in a murder. I am read my Miranda Rights and like an idiot I waive my rights and agree to talk. During the course of the interview, the detective has established a relationship with me, we're talking and he's trying to get to the truth. During the interview, he starts talking about my alleged involvement in this criminal transaction. He then directly asks me "who's blood is that on your fingers? It looks really fresh."

Is his asking me that a 5th amendment violation, whether or not I answer the question? Have I waived my 5th amendment rights by agreeing to talk to the police knowing full well that I can invoke my rights at any time of my choosing? Is that particular scenario something a defense attorney can get thrown out of court in a suppression hearing?

EDIT: TO ADD, I AM SIMPLY CURIOUS ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES. I AM NOT INVOLVED IN ANY SORT OF LITIGATION, CIVIL OR CRIMINAL. I HAVE NO PENDING JUDGMENTS, CIVIL OR CRIMINAL. MY QUESTIONS ARE FOR MY OWN CURIOSITY!!! I AM ONLY POSTING IN LEGALADVICE BECAUSE I ASSUME THIS IS WHERE I CAN ACTUALLY FIND A TARGETED DEMOGRAPHIC TO ANSWER MY QUESTION. THIS SHOULD BE VIEWED AS A CASE LAW QUESTION AND NOT A REQUEST FOR LEGAL ADVICE.

Answer: You waived your rights. The right to not incriminate yourself means you can't be compelled; you're quite welcome to do so voluntarily.


Title: California. Is it state law that stores/restaurants must honor cash value for gift cards?

Question:
California.

I heard someone say it is state law that if someone who presents a gift certificate to a store, restaurant, or business and asks for the cash value amount that the business must honor this. This wouldn't be for VISA gift cards, but like let's say a specific restaurant's gift certificate.

Anyone know if this is true?

Answer: If the balance is under $10 on a store gift card then they must give you cash value in CA. If it is over $10 they do not have to.


Title: [Washington, D.C., USA] Left my car parked legally street side before leaving for vacation. Just got a message from neighbor saying DC roadworks now doing construction on the street my car is parked and marked the street no parking. Do I have any defense if I get ticketed or car gets towed?

Question:
I live in DC and parked my car in front of my house in street side parking with up to date permits and registration before leaving the country. I won't be back until next week so I'm unable to move my car or have anyone else move it for me.

While I would love to move my car for the workers, since I'm in a position where I can't and had no warning as to future construction on the street, do I have any legal arguments to avoid tickets/fines/towing? Is there someone or a department I can contact?

Thank you.

Answer:
 Unfortunately not - it's your responsibility, when parking on public land, to have some kind of backup plan should something comes up.

What you might want to do is call and see if you can find your own tow truck to move it first; that way you won't pay anything but the tow fee. If you have a friend's house or something they can leave it there.Answer #2: Do you have AAA and a friend with a driveway?


Title: Question from Europian about American bails - why are they made such a big deal of?

Question:
Hey there,

I am European and have always wondered about why people in the US make such a big deal about bails. If I understand the concept correctly, all it really is is a sum of money paid so that the defendant can be released prior to trial taking place so that they can sort out their personal stuff.

My question is - why do I always hear things Americans say about bail, making it an immensely big deal, almost like its a get-out-of-jail-free card or people with lots of money paying themselves out of sentences and as a result, not being as severely punished. All it really is is delaying the inevitable as, if found guilty, they will still be locked up. Am I wrong or missing something here?

Answer: One aspect is that bail can be set at variable amounts based on a judge's.. uhh, judgement. Which can lead to their biases influencing them to be unduly harsh to people they're predisposed to dislike. Additionally, there's a disproportionate impace based on people's wealth. A rich person can almost always find a way to pay bail, where a poor person often can't. And spending several days in jail can easily be enough to lose you your job or damage your life in other ways.


Title: I wrote a cultural philosophy book and want to use photos from fashion magazines to illustrate some points. Can I invoke fair use?

Question:
I basically used pictures mostly from US magazines (I live in Romania): Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, etc., but also some from Vogue Russia and other magazines.

I read that if you create a derivate work, use the pictures for commentary and don't harm the incomes of the original sources (I don't want to sell my book as a fashion magazine), you can invoke fair use and place those pictures without asking for permission, and, more importantly, without paying for them.

Is this true?
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: You are in Romania so you should be most concerned with EU copyright law, which does not recognize fair use but rather has a limited set of specific exceptions to copyright protections. Answer #2: very likely no. fair use here would be educational (maybe but no) or using a single sample in a history of fashion situation (still questionable). the market share portion isn't relevant to this analysis.


Title: Wellness checks in hotels - Texas

Question:
I am in MA and my bf is traveling for work in Fort Worth. He was extremely drunk (to the point that I was concerned for his physical safety) and walking back to his hotel when his phone died. I tried reaching him via his room phone (had the hotel connect me to his room) and got no answer.

&#x200B;

I explained the situation to the front desk and they said they'd do a wellness check. When I called back 30 min later, the manager answered and said she couldn't give me any information about the result of the wellness check, despite what the clerk had told me earlier. His mother then tried calling and even though she was family, they couldn't give her any information, which I get because he's an adult, not a minor.

&#x200B;

Is there any situation where the hotel could legally release the information about a wellness check?

Answer: Even if they are legally allowed to, it may be company policy not to and they have no obligation to give it to you.


Title: Conned into financing phones, trying to remove from credit report

Question:
(California)

TL;DR: Got conned into financing phones through Verizon Wireless, they refuse to take it off my credit report, and I REALLY need to be able to finance a car, but not through a subprime lender.

To cut it as short as I can, I was in a desperate financial situation after my late father’s final expenses piled up and the job market SUCKED, so when someone offered my friend of 8 years $150 per phone to resell and pay off financing once it sells for double overseas, $750 for 5 phones sounded was a sight for sore eyes when I was THIS close to being evicted… The guy doing the selling paid off my friend’s financing, but skipped town on me.

The cops refused to take my side alone, but I found 2 other victims and they finally agreed to make a police report… But Verizon was still not convinced and I was still on the hook for $4,100 that year, my attempts to try to get it disputed through the credit reporting agencies didn’t work last year. Eh, I’ll let it fall off. NOPE! My car just gave out, I’m still upside down on the car financing, and I can’t even get a $600 loan to fix the problem since my credit sucks too badly, especially now that it’s charged off but still in Verizon’s possession (i.e. not sold off to a collection agency and still not in statute of limitations).

I’m going for round 2 and paying off smaller bills, and if I play my cards right, the ONLY derogatory mark on my credit will be just the Verizon bill, which I hope to eradicate so that I can get a new car without having to resort to sky-high interest and/or some shady BHPH shop… The bus takes 3 hours and Uber’ing to work is killing my wallet right now.

With that, I want to dispute Verizon again. What can I say in the dispute letter to finally get them to just admit I got defrauded and remove my liability? I tried looking all over Google about fraudulent activity, and the only thing it pulls up pertains to ID theft. Thanks!
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer:
 Correct me if I have this wrong.

You bought five phones on credit to have someone else take and sell them overseas at a profit. They took the phones and ghosted you. You now want to have Verizon remove the debt from your credit history because of fraud.

If so, then no, you can not remove the debt without paying it off. There are two separate issues here: the purchase of the phones and the person not selling them for you. You agreed to finance the phones based on this person's promise, which indebts you to Verizon. The person who took the phones owes you money for the phones. You will need to file a civil lawsuit for the value of the phones (not the potential higher sales price) against the person who took them, but no matter what you still have to pay Verizon. It isn't identity theft if you were aware or complicit in the purchase regardless of what actually happened.


Title: Really need help sexual solicitation with a minor

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > I don't want anything to happen to this guy

That decision is now out of your hands.

Collectively, your jurisdiction has decided that 20 year olds who solicit 16 year olds for sex are breaking the law. This isn't something you get to personally negotiate. You can tell the CPS investigator you're not going to answer any more questions, but that's about all you can do; they may seek prosecution anyways, based on other evidence (such as your respective chat logs), and you may be summoned to testify in court against him, which is _not_ optional the way a non-court-ordered interview is.


Title: [PA] Mother died, no will found; how do I gain access to close or freeze her bank accounts?

Question:
So, I'm dealing with the rather sudden death of my mother. Credit card companies, car insurance, car loans, and the like have all been very cooperative (to a scary extent actually) with some making broad and sweeping changes to her account statuses over the phone.
But the bank, understandably, has stonewalled me. When I called the bank on the phone, I was immediately told that I wouldn't be able to do anything over the phone unless I was previously authorized on the account. This makes sense, since banks operate on the opposite business model as the other companies I've contacted, where they take your money and hold it for you rather than try to get more from you.
But, I'm not sure how to proceed. In the interest of not wasting a whole day going to the bank to be turned away, I've elected to ask for advice here first. I've got documents proving that she's my mother (my birth certificate) and that she's dead (her death certificate), that should be enough right?
If not, what else would I need? I realize I could get all of this answered and handled by a lawyer, but I'd rather not incur any costs that I don't need to as her life insurance may not provide the kind of leeway I'd need. (She was in her mid 40s and in good health, so it was not a major concern)

Answer: OP- Sorry for your loss. Have you asked the bank what documents they will require to prove that you are now allowed access to your mothers accounts? Has your mothers estate entered/gone through probate?


Title: I was fired from a marketing firm for singing karaoke on the clock. Now they actually encourage employees to sing karaoke on the clock....the very thing I was fired for doing.

Question:
I used to work for a marketing firm in Kansas City, Missouri.  The account I was on was for a large cigarette company.  My job as a Field Agent was to drive my car from bar to bar to bar passing out the cigarette gift certificates (coupons).

One night I walked to an Adult Only Facility (bar) and saw they doing karaoke.  I absolutely love to sing so I decided to risk it and sign up to sing even though I knew I was working and I could probably get in trouble.  After my song, I started moving from table to table giving Adult Smokers my pitch and guess what!  They were way more receptive to my message than at any other place before.  They said “I saw you sing, you were great!  What are you selling? Tell me more.”  They were MUCH more willing to receive my gift certificate after the recognized me from my song.

I realized that singing karaoke before I started trying to pass out the coupons would actually Endear me to the clientele.  So I kept doing it.  I was performing awesome for the company and my numbers were really high.  The wanted us to pass out as many coupons as we possibly could.

One night, someone from the bar video recorded me singing and posted it in the bar website.  The next time I went to check in for my weekly check-in with my manager, he took my bag and equipment and said they were letting me go.  Wouldn’t tell me more or why.  About a week later, headquarters called me and told me I was terminated because they had seen a video of me singing karaoke online when I was supposed to be passing out gift certificates.  I told her why I sang as it had always given me better results with the Adult Smokers but she did not care, and I was fired.

Several months later, I was at a karaoke bar having a drink when two field guides from that company walked in.  They headed right for the karaoke DJ and signed up for a song.  After one of them sang, they began to make their rounds to find Adult Smokers to give their gift certificates to.  When they got to my table, I had more than a few questions.

They said that they were new to the job, and that they had been instructed by the bosses during training to sing karaoke and basically do whatever it took to “endear them to the clientele” (my exact words).  I couldn’t believe it.  The very thing I was fired for, the firm had now begun to incorporate into their new training manual.  How is this fair or just?  I feel like I should have gotten my job back, or something.  They literally stole my idea that they had fired me for doing.  I realize I broke their policy at the time, but I kind of feel like they changed their policy because of me.  And they threw me out.  I really loved that job, I was great at it, and it paid well.

Do I have a case for anything at all?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 >How is this fair or just?

It isn't fair or just. However, that doesn't mean that it is illegal. You don't appear to have any sort of case against them.


Title: [NYC] State senator blocked me on twitter

Question:
Backstory: There was an incident where a NY State Senator illegally parked his car in a bike lane while displaying a government issued parking placard. Someone made a post with pictures calling him out, and the senator responded back "Kill yourself".

Several people, myself included are asking him to resign by posting tweets/replies on twitter. The senator blocked anyone that was critical of him. Do I have a legal right to force him to unblock me on his twitter account that he uses for political purposes?

Answer:
 This is still an emerging field, but the trend appears to be that the interactive space of a politician's social media account is a designated public forum. Each individual case is going to turn on their social media habits and written policy. But generally speaking, they can't ban users from their public account for having an opposing viewpoint or posting content not expressly prohibited in the forum.

It's probably not worth your efforts to litigate, so you might want to look into non-profit watchdog groups that handle this sort of thing. Answer #2: A judge in NY has ruled that it is unconstitutional for a politician to block users on Twitter.

Contact the EFF or ACLU. Answer #3: It's unclear.  So, maybe, but it would cost you somewhere between $50-$100k to find out.Answer #4: President Trump [lost a case](https://www.wired.com/story/donald-trump-blocking-on-twitter-unconstitutional/) involving his ability to block people on Twitter. That suggests a precedent to me, but IANAL. Answer #5: Contact the ACLU. There’s several precedents here and it’s possibly a case they’d be interested in.


Title: [Utah] Sex with minor who misconstrued their age

Question:
A while back I used the Grindr app to meet up with someone who said their age was 18. I had just turned 26. We talked, they talked about going to college, nothing seemed too strange. We ended up having sexual contact in a vehicle. Police came, I gave my ID, they asked for his, he wasn't able to provide any. Eventually it came out that he was 16, the first time I heard it, and the officer.

I explained earnestly that I thought he was 18 and had portrayed himself to me as such. He told them the same before they took him to their car. The officers weren't exactly sure what situation I was in, asked me some more questions and sent me home. A few weeks later an officer delivered a notice from the state Division of Child and Family services. They said after reviewing my case that it supported the allegation of Sexual Abuse. It said I was now put on the licensing information system maintained by the DCFS, as such I may be disqualified from being a foster parent, adoption, school employment, health care employment, etc.

I met with a lawyer and we waited, after several months, no criminal charges had come. So I'm on the private DCFS registry, but no criminal records or offender registries. The lawyer dug around a little bit, said he found the DCFS case on me had been closed with just the finding of Sexual abuse. Follow up interviews with the "potential victim" indicated that he was safe, safe at home, and risk of future abuse was "low." Because of the low rating they closed the case. He says the police office referred my case to the DA, who had determined not to file charges. So I am grateful for that. He says at this point, while the technical window hasn't closed, that I am unlikely to be charged.

The DCFS gives me a year window to either challenge their findings or petition juvenile court to have my name removed from the registry. My main question here is: is it worth trying to appeal this situation?

At first my lawyer seemed to say that he thought it may be best to just let it be. I understand the concept of "strict liability," so maybe without criminal charges I should just be glad, and that by bringing up the situation again there's a slight chance it could cause a chain reaction to starting criminal charges against me. But he also said since the "potential victim" seemed to be in such a good situation, and may even be sympathetic to my situation he could contact him, and if I could provide proof he had claimed to be 18, there may be a chance to get my name expunged. I blocked him immediately following the incident and have had no contact (though recently I saw he was still portraying himself as being 18 on Grindr, despite being 17 now).

I don't know my future. The whole situation makes me feel sick and terrible. But I'm gay, it's scary to me to lose a future of adoption completely, if that was something I wanted in the future it would be a huge deal. I don't have plans on going into health care, but I do volunteer frequently, not with kids necessarily, but again it's scary cutting off so many avenues. But the potential backfiring also terrifies me, I don't know how likely that is.

TLDR: Is it worth trying to get my name off a DCFS registry? I'm scared and I don't know what to do. Any advice would be really appreciated.

Answer:
 You're going to want a lawyer. Specifically you may want a new lawyer whose familiar with DCFS or sex offender registries, which may mean finding new counsel.

The ages involved mean you might or might not be criminally liable.

They'd have to argue you should have knew or should have reasonably known the minor's age, and him lying that he was 18 and using an 18+ app provides a pretty solid argument against that.Answer #2: omg.  get another lawyer.  No attorney I know would advise a client in your situation to "go have a friendly chat with the victim".   Are you sure your lawyer passed the bar?


Title: Wife co-signed a loan with her Ex-BF, just found out last night he hasn't been paying it... (x-post from /r/personalfinance)

Question:
Need some advice here.

I’m a financially stable middle-aged professional. My only debt is my mortgage (put down 25%, make the payments every month without issues) and some minor CC debt (nothing I’m worried about).

My wife however, has more debt than I’d like to carry. I was already a bit shaken at her $80k in school loans, one of which I’m going to help her pay off, but I was blindsided yesterday when she came home and told me that Wells Fargo had tracked her down asking for payment on a loan she co-signed with her ex-bf 8 years ago.

I’m over being mad at this point, anger won’t address the situation (and yes I was very, very angry that this wasn’t disclosed, her name is not on my mortgage, bought it myself long before we married, and we sat down an hashed out every single financial detail, or so I thought…), but I need some sort of direction to go.

I have $15k that is now attached to my wife, because her ex has stopped paying the $600/mo on the loans. What do I do? I’m researching this and it seems that I’m now on the hook as well for this debt. I do not intend to pay a dime of this guy’s money. What do my options look like going forward? Lawyers? Pay it off and sue? Any advice would be appreciated.

EDIT:  We live in New York City, ex-BF lives in PA.
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer: If she cosigned, she is responsible for the debt.  The only recourse your wife has is to sue the boyfriend.  If the boyfriend does not have money to pay his debt, then he definitely does not have money to pay a judgement.


Title: [MA]Are daycares required to inform parents if an un-vaccinated child is enrolled?

Question:
My son is enrolled in a daycare that requires all children be vaccinated according to the recommended schedule.  However, it does allow for medical or religious exemptions.  Specifically, the [exemption criteria](https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/09/14/guidelines-vaccine-exclusions-school.pdf) states "policies around enforcement of exclusion for unimmunized or partially immunized children are developed by individual schools/school districts."  This language does not make me feel very good about MA daycare vaccine requirements, but like I said, our daycare does require them, with medical and religious exemptions.

My question is is the facility required to inform us if an un-vaccinated child is enrolled?  I don't mean identify which child is un-vaccinated, but if I were to ask, "Are there un-vaccinated children in my son's group?" would they be required to tell me yes or no?

Answer: I’m in MN, but was touring potential daycares recently and asked this very question. Every placement told me they are not permitted to disclose if there is an unvaccinated child in the class with my child. Answer #2: Is your own child vaccinated?


Title: (USA)/(MEXICO) My wife (Mexican citizen) is owed 4K from a nonprofit based in LA for work done in Mexico. She is now living with me in LA. Can we take them to claims court in LA County?

Question: Essentially that is the gist of it. The work was done in September, and shortly afterwards they blackballed us both from the company. I suspect it is literally one or two people who knowingly refused to pay her even though she signed a contract written by them. Thoughts? Thanks guys!

Answer:
 Since the amount is $4,000 you can go to small claims court. (much lower fees and you don’t need a lawyer)

you said you have a contract and texts (paper trails) print everything out and bring it with you as proof.

should be a cut and dry case

but just asking your wife you say clearly is a Mexican citizen, she has a green card right? If not then she cant sue and you were ultimately scammed.

Edit: your phone calls unless they are recorded and both parties knew and agreed to the recording it is illegal and would not work in court. LA is in a two party state. Answer #2: Contract was executed in LA, payment at least in theory should have occurred in LA, both the corporation and the plaintiff are La residents. Court pretty clearly has jurisdiction and LA is appropriate as a venue.

Small claims all the way.


Title: OR - Ex wants to take the kids on a vacation during my Summer break with them. They don't want to go.

Question:
I am in Oregon.  Kids are 16 and 12.  My parenting plan was created in Washington, and registered in Oregon several years ago.  There is a provision(that I added) that allows for up to 30 days of 'vacation' with the kids, given at least 30 days written notice to the other parent.
Our Plan gives me 6 weeks each Summer with my kids.  My ex put in a vacation notice about 36 days prior to her intended dates, and wants to take them for two weeks.  I replied with 32 days left, saying we already have plans.  She says it doesn't matter, and that she put notice in in time(which she did).

The problem is, my kids don't want to go with her.  She is incredibly manipulative, and rarely does anything with them unless she can use it as a 'weapon' against me.  She has requested time in the past, just to leave them at home while she went off on a trip and left them with a sitter.  They see this, and they understand it's not right.  She refuses to tell me or them what THIS trip is about, so they(and I) would rather they stay with me and take the weekend trip we've had planned for months.

My question has two parts:
1)  They are both old enough to have their opinion matter in the court's eyes.  And some of the reading I've done says nobody will compel a teen to go with a parent if they don't want to.  Can I deny this trip based on them not wanting to go?
2)  She put in timely notice for her vacation.  Theoretically, that becomes "her time" at that point.  But I replied with the details of our trip ALSO in time, to which she didn't reply in time.  So, 'vacation from the vacation' kinda thing.  Does this hold water?  The vacation provision has no dispute resolution built in..

Answer: The strength of your position is highly dependent on the exact working of the parenting plan.  However, the fact that the kids do not want to go is based on your filter of the the mother's intentions.  On it's face, that looks suspicious on your part. Answer #2: The answer depends entierly on the wording of the order. Under no circumstances can you violate the order. If you want to change the order then you need to go back to court.


Title: Stole Something after Making a Purchase. 1hr away and now cops at house.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > On the way out, something was pocketed.

Contrary to popular belief, using the passive voice does not provide any insulation against giving a confession. You might as well have said "I pocketed something," which is both true and more truthful than "something was pocketed," for all the difference it makes.

Stop confessing to crimes. Either return what you stole and hope the store and the police both decide to drop the matter, or shut up entirely and get an attorney to defend the likely shoplifting charges. In the future, stop shoplifting.Answer #2: You EITHER:

Return the item and hope like hell they are in a good mood.

OR

You stop talking to everyone and admitting your crime and get a lawyer.


Title: Can I break my lease due to excessive mechanical noise from upstairs neighbor?

Question: I have a massage therapy office (in MA) downstairs from a dentist office. Recently they installed a new pump that is excessively noisy. It's like having a motor running up above you all day long. I find it unacceptable in terms of my work environment. Clients are complaining - I haven't lost business yet, but wouldn't be surprised if people choose not to come back because of the disruption. I have about another year and a half on my lease, but wondering if I have grounds to break it earlier because of the noise. Just trying to get some info before approaching the landlord. Thanks!

Answer:
 > I have about another year and a half on my lease, but wondering if I have grounds to break it earlier because of the noise.

Only if your lease says you do.


Title: Does my unmarried partner have any right to stay in my home?

Question:
I have been living with my girlfriend  for nearly five years. Two years ago, I purchased a house that we moved into together. I paid the entire down payment and the mortgage is in my name alone. She has been helping out with mortgage payments, but there is no documentation of this - no lease, no receipts, nothing. All payments were made directly from my bank account and she would give me cash from time-to-time. We have never been married, we have no children, and the only thing technically tying us together is an auto loan we co-signed on in order to help build her credit.

Recently, her problems with drinking and drugs have gotten out of hand to the point where she verbally abuses me, has cheated on me, and become extremely erratic. I have tried to help her and have expressed my concerns for nearly a year, but it has only gotten worse. Needless to say, my quality of life is terrible and I am getting depressed to the point of having regular suicidal thoughts. I have decided that I need her out of the house as soon as possible. She is claiming that she has a right to stay in the home and that I cannot kick her out. Is there any recourse she can take to either stay in the home, or to get any sort of compensation from me? The home is in Michigan.

Answer: She is correct, she is a tenant.  You need to give her proper written notice to vacate (most likely 30 days), and if she fails to go through the eviction process


Title: Friend of mine has worked in the USA for 3 years with optional practical training (visa?). Company he worked with offered to help him get his green card, but has reneged their offer. I am trying to help him out. New York/USA

Question:
Hi reddit people,

One of my friends is in some trouble. He got his master's degree here a few years back and has been living in the USA since he finished his master's degree working at a tech company. Said tech company relocated him, but they agreed to help him get his green card since his optional practical training period is due to end on August 1 of this year.

He has already applied for H1B visa and been denied. The company offered to help him get his green card, but now they are claiming that they have no power to do that and are asking him to move to London while they work on getting him rights to live in the United States.

Understandably, he is skeptical about their offer, and does not want to leave the United States at all for fear of not being let back in.

He is from the Middle East.

I am asking for help in getting resources that might help him get a work visa or green card so that he can stay in the country. He is a highly skilled, highly intelligent individual and one of my closest friends, so obviously I would like him not to get deported.

If any of you all have any advice for where I might look for help, I would greatly appreciate it. Also, I would be happy to clarify my post, if needed.

Thanks.

Answer:
 The company is not wrong. H1B had been running on lottery system - the applicants are more than the allowed quota. Similarly green card is not instant too. It has to go thru lot of paperwork and checks, once H1 is approved. OPT is only temporary option that employer can hire and before expiry of OPT, they would have to file H1B to continue hiring a foreign employee. The company has no power to control these, they just file paper work and hope it gets pickedup and goes smooth.

If they are offering UK deal, its worthwhile to pursue. However he would have to go through same H1 ordeal every year, if he wants to come back to US. In contrast other countries like UK give permanent resident status and citizenship quicker, provided all conditions are met. Answer #2: It doesn't sound like his company reneged on anything.  It sounds like your friend didn't get an H1B and his company is trying to find a solution to keep employing him legally.

Your friend's company has clearly hired an immigration attorney.  Tell your friend to ask his HR rep that's handling this to arrange a phone call with the immigration attorney so he can get a detailed explanation of his case and his options.


Title: Getting out of doing group projects in College/University

Question:
I live in British Columbia Canada and got to a major university here.

I think many people have strong opinions on this topic.

Hypothetical situation. Say that my professor assigned me to write an essay with 3 international students that don't speak or write in English. If I refused to do this project in a group and would only do it on my own. Can the professor/university actually force me to complete the project in a group?

Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 This is not a legal issue.

If your professor directs you to do a thing, and you refuse to do it, expect a bad grade.


Title: Newsletter altered my ad without asking me, then printed it (British Columbia, Canada)

Question:
I live in a community of less than 4000 people which has a popular, local, monthly newsletter we are obligated to receive in the mail. Most businesses and events advertise in the newsletter for a very reasonable price. In September I bought two ads, one for an event in October which had all the relevant information about the event, and the second was a teaser ad for a very popular event in November, which had only the name of the event and the date. It was supposed to be a teaser ad and there would be a fuller ad in the November issue.

The owner of the newsletter contacted me and asked if I wanted to include more information in the second ad, I responded immediately and clearly with "no" and explained that the event needed very little advertising as it quickly fills and part of the allure of it is that attendees are "in the know", so the ad was meant to be a teaser.

The issue came out and the publisher had altered my ad! After the name and date, they put "Curious to know more information? Contact (my brand and my phone number)".

So now I am getting (very) unwanted phone calls of people looking for more information, and also I look like an incompetent marketer, which is a problem for me as I help people market their business and events on the side. I WOULD NEVER run an ad like the one the publisher decided to publish under my brand umbrella.

I also compare this to someone posting a Craiglsit ad in my name and phone number I didn't write and don't want phone calls about, but it can't be taken down because the newsletter is printed.

Since I live in a relatively remote, small community my recourse is basically to send an email to the publisher saying that isn't okay with me, but I'm wondering, out of curiousity, where this behaviour sits on the side of the law? I want to be fully informed before I begin a discussion with them.

Answer: In your shoes, I'd push to get a full refund on the edited ad. Surely you signed a proof at some point to confirm what you sent/agreed to have published?


Title: Happy New Year

Question:
[Deal with it](http://i.imgur.com/2fauJH3.jpg).

^(And I'm in Florida, /u/locationbot. You know I love you.)

*Edit: No, I don't own this thing. I just thought it was a perfect non-question fun post for you all to start the new year with. May the insanity that will be 2015 begin in earnest.

Answer: They named a product after /u/zapopa's mom?Answer #2: That is an attractive nuisance if ever I saw one.  Twelve year old me is already "borrowing" Dad's credit card to book a plane ticket to *wherever in Florida your back yard is*.Answer #3: Snort. Yes, a trampoline. Let's talk liability.Answer #4: OMG I want one soooo bad. Screw liability. Screw the fact that I would break my arm within 15 minutes.


Title: If someone in a group that cannot be discriminated against applies for a job that requires a quality they cannot possess, can discrimination against that person be justified? For example, a man applied for a position as a surrogate mother, or a black actor told he cannot portray an Asian character.

Answer:
 The term you're looking for is "bona fide occupational requirement," and it's a recognized exception to the Civil Rights Act's employment protections, and to equivalent laws in most other countries.

Just a small clarification: there is no "group that cannot be discriminated against." There are factors that cannot be the basis for discrimination - but to use your example, it's not "Asian people" that are protected. It's "Race." You can't refuse to hire based on someone's race… unless you have some bona fide occupational requirement.


Title: Supervisor not letting me go on break (CA)

Question:
I recently started working at a factory and although I get along well with my co-workers and even the owners of the factory, I can tell that my shift supervisor does not like me. Two days ago he was angry at me because I took my break without letting him know. I did not know I had to ask say I was going on break, up until this point he’d just tell me to go on break five hours into the shift.

Yesterday was supposed to be my day off, but I was called in to work 10 hours, but my supervisor didn’t let me take a break during the whole shift. Is this legal?

tl;dr: worked a 10-hour shift but supervisor did not let me take a lunch break. Is this allowed?

Answer:
 You should get an extra hour of pay for not taking your lunch break. Answer #2: If you are hourly it is not legal. You can file a complaint within the business (probably his supervisor or HR) or file a complaint with the Department of Industrial relations (link below but this is kind of over the top for a single violation).

https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/howtoreportviolationtobofe.htm


Title: [US] I want to release the video-game I'm making. Where do I begin legally? Starting with claiming the name.

Question:
Hello. I'm a long-time video-game tinkerer. I've dabbled in mods and personal projects for a while. Recently, I've been making a new game and it's been getting more traction than my usual endeavors do, and I want to eventually release it as my first official title.

I'm 20, and have never done anything regarding legal mumbojumbo and if I'm going to get serious about this game I think I need to start.

The first thing I want to do is ensure that there will be no issues with the name I want to give it, and if there is to find out right away. My concern is that it contains the word "Epic" which I think might be widely used.

How does name-claiming work? What happens if I release something for sale without going through legal hoops? In general, where do I begin?

Also the bot thought I didn't put the location in my post title even though it says US so here it is: United States of America, Indiana.

Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 Some considerations:

* If you're really worried about someone stealing the name, you could register it as a trademark. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will check whether it is a valid trademark and whether it conflicts with existing trademarks. Note that duplicate trademarks are sometimes allowed if there is no potential for confusion.
* If you made the game yourself and your employer cannot claim the copyright, you own the copyright automatically. However, if you want to enforce your copyright in court it helps to register it. It makes it easier to prove you own the copyrights and allows you to sue for statutory damages in case of infringement.
* You need to think about the license conditions under which you make the game available. If it is open source, use one of the well-known open source licenses like GPL or the BSD license. In other cases, it would be wise to have a lawyer write the license agreement for you to take care of things like implied warranties.
* Consider protecting yourself from liability in case your software does damage to someone through insurance and/or setting up a company with limited liability.


Title: My teacher keeps playing religious music

Question: (Maryland, USA) OK, so my math teacher plays music when we have silent work time, but she only plays religious music. Every single song has something about worshiping god in it. I'm not sure, but I thought that there was a law or something against this? (I'm not trying to get a teacher in trouble, I'm just curious)

Answer:
 I'd bring it up and ask for music without words.Answer #2: You can Ask her to stop. Than escalate to the school board, than try to sue them if they don't stop. But that's like using a machine gun to kill a fly

. Technically yes it could be construed as mandatory participation in her endorsing a religion.  But that's pretty flimsy.

Practical advise: she may not be very adult if you ask her. You'll be a demon spawn, troublemaker, punk etc.

It may be best to learn a life lesson here.

Pick the hill you wanna die on carefully. Answer #3: I know this may not seem relevant but is it classical or contemporary? There have been studies about classical music and concentration--and a lot of popular classical music with words is religious. You could suggest an opera instead. I like Donizetti.

Either way, ask first then escalate:Answer #4: You can complain to your admin but this doesn't sound illegal.Answer #5: You could seek out assistance from an advocacy group. The American Humanist Association and the Freedom From Religion Foundation often send cease and desist letters when public school teachers do this sort of thing.


Title: Do I have a case?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > So I'm wondering if that's really something I can do?

Theoretically, sure.  But practically? What are your damages?  It is possible there are statutory damages, but you didn't list your state (I know, the requests for you to do so are so difficult to see).

> If so, where do I begin?

You sue them.  Do you have a written agreement outlining your agreement?

> Do I call the police?

No, landlord-tenant issues are civil.

> Also if I end up doing this, would I get in trouble for the damage of their property?

They could absolutely countersue for the damages you caused.  They could also evict you.

I suggest you get help for anger issues.Answer #2: Yes, you can take them to court for not following the agreements of the verbal or written lease.

And they can evict you and throw you out of the house.

So proceed carefully.