Title: Someone at my school, a 14yo, stole a credit card and bought over $1200 of stuff online

Question:
A 14 year old at my school found a credit card on the ground. She took the card and used it to buy an iPhone X and AirPods online, which cost over $1200. She was FaceTiming a friend while she did it, who was the one sharing the information. She had the devices shipped to her house.

What kind of legal trouble will she get in when she inevitably is found to have stolen these things? Also, what can the person she was FaceTiming get in trouble with as well?
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 The young lady committed theft.  She should be prepared to ask her parents to get her a lawyer to defend her.Answer #2: Since she used the card to make online purchases that kicks it up to the *federal* level.  This means she can face both state and federal charges.  The state could choose to charge her as a juvenile and the feds could choose to charge her as an adult or try her in state court under the federal juvenile delinquency act.  If she cops an attitude with them they may decide to make an example out of her and charge her as an adult.

The friend that witnessed this should report it unless they want to be charged as an accessory.


Title: My father FORCED me to sign a (coerced) 'General Durable Power of Attorney' [MO]

Question:
As a former state trooper, he claims I domestically assaulted him (which NEVER happened), while he actually assaults me and I spent almost a week in jail for it. He would not bail me out of jail unless I agreed to go to the bank and sign this document. (I am only 20 years old).

\-Is this Power of Attorney individualized to me?
\-What exactly does this give my father the ability to do?
\-Can I cosign a lease without him being able to interfere?
\-When does he have the right to use this "Power of Attorney?'
\-I'm poor, but do I need an attorney?
\-Can I take this to court since it says I produced this document/How can I get it revoked?

\*He made sure to have his attorney bold the section that states, **"In addition to the other powers granted by this document, my Agent shall have the power and authority to act, effective immediately, as my "personal representative" as defined in C.F.R.§ 164.502(g), the regulations enacted pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPPA"), and as hereafter amended, for the purpose of authorizing the release of my complete health record as may be necessary in order to obtain for my benefit medical treatment or consultation."**

Answer:
 Cut the bastard out of your life.  You will have to use the nuclear option, there is no reasoning with an abuser.

Power of attorney can be revoked.

Just walk your ass over to a notary with a half dozen document stating: "Revocation of Power of Attorney", get em signed an notarized, and send them by registered mail (and keep two copies for yourself) to your doctor, your employer, your landlord, and your bank.

https://www.elderlawanswers.com/revoking-a-power-of-attorney-7312

Secure for yourself first though, your own bank account in your own name only and transfer the contents of your old account into it and close it !! A safe place to sleep for two weeks or so while you look for a place to stay more permanently. Secure your job and employment by letting them know that your father should not be allowed on property, mail them certified mail of this instruction as well as verbal and email.  Change your mailing address to a p.o. box.

Once you got thise things sorted secretly, make the switch and get your stuff and get out as fast as possible.


Title: I mentored and accepted funds for a minor. Their family threatened me and I am unsure what to do (CA)

Question:
Hey friends,

For the past few months, I've been mentoring a 17 year old through a local LGBT organization in my city. The kid in question is great but has repeatedly spoken (and shown evidence) of a difficult living situation.

Recently, they started a page on a fundraising site to help them move once they turn 18 (in a month). Since they are a minor, I agreed to accept the funds on their behalf. This was all acceptable to the website's terms of use.

I was under the impression that the kid's family was uninvolved and treated the kid poorly.

Yesterday, I got an email from someone claiming to be the kid's stepsister. She says that the kid lied to me and on the fundraiser website and that it could lead to a felony(??). She sounds vaguely threatening. I'm paraphrasing but she basically was like, "we aren't abusive and so by accepting this money you are allowing them to slander us. also lying to get donations."

Honestly, I believe my mentee. I don't think the state would necessarily see homophobia and transphobia as abusive since the kid is not deprived of food and shelter, nor are they hurt physically. However, the fundraising website doesn't call the family abusive - it only states that the home is unaccepting. I don't think there's anything slanderous but I'm obviously not a lawyer. The family was also never identified in any way, though the kid's name is on there so I know that's no foolproof.

I haven't transferred or accepted the funds yet, but I worry that this could cause me legal problems down the line. We'd wait til the kid is 18, but there's a high chance the website would shut down the campaign since no one would be able to accept the donations in a timely manner (their words).

I should point out, I'm barely above 18 myself. Honestly, I wanted to help someone that could have been me two years ago. But now I worry that I could be breaking some laws. Is it illegal to transfer money to a minor that is not related to you?

The organization I'm working with to mentor the kid is a small non-profit and hasn't been very helpful re: legal advice. They basically told me to wash my hands of it but I feel a sense of (perhaps misguided) responsibility.

Any help or advice would be appreciated, thank you so much!

Answer: Ah yes, the old "I'll sue you for what my sibling said."Answer #2: Well I hope you don't have identifying information for a minor on a public site in your care, thats just dumb so I am guessing its just a generic "Help me GTFO" site at which point wants the defamation? how could you identify them from every family with a kid who wants out?


Title: Job offer rescinded due to dismissed misdemeanor [AZ]

Question: I am 22 year old college graduate and in mid march I was hired at JP Morgan Chase as an Operations Specialist. My start date was scheduled for July 26th. I complied with all pre-employment regulations including a fingerprinted background check in the beginning of July. On July 13th I was notified that a charge I received in 2012 had shown up on my background check. The charge was Minor in Consumption/False reporting to an officer. This charge has been dismissed but Chase decided that a review of employment was necessary. On July 25th I was notified that my employment was deemed ineligible and my job offer had been rescinded. What should my next step be? Do I have a cause for action and is there anything I can do to appeal the ineligibility for employment? Is there anyway I can contact the company Chase used for the background check and dispute the accuracy? I have built up credit card debt due to the expected signing bonus from Chase and am now out of a job.

Answer:
 This is interesting.  You usually are given contact with the background check company after a refusal, just so they don't have to deal with you.

For future jobs, get a lawyer and have the case sealed or expunged.

However, for law enforcement & banking which is heavily monitored by the government this charge may show up no matter what you attempt.

Employment never began so no actions for you to take.  Offer letters are contingent on background checks.


Title: [CA] My apartment shares an entrance with two others, only one free local paper gets delivered, who's paper is it?

Question: Inspired by the Wall Street Journal thief. My apartment is one of three in a line off the main road, I'm in the middle. The local paper is free but they've only been delivering one copy for our three addresses. It lands in the grass out front nearest the first guy's house. Is that first guy's paper or is it up for grabs?

Answer:
 It seems like the answer would be to just call the paper’s office and say “Hey, we would like to +2 your circulation numbers, here is my address”

EDIT: and having delivered a “shopper” newspaper as a teenager,  both the paper and the delivery person would be thrilled to have two more to deliver. The paper cause they get paid for circulation numbers by advertisers and the delivery person because they can just dump three papers where he was previously putting one and get paid more.


Title: Do my bosses have any legal claim to my artwork?

Question:
Some context! I am in NJ, USA. From 2013-2016 I worked at a very small business. It was a decently successful screen-printing and embroidery shop that we will call ABC. I loved the job and I was close with my boss who we'll call Rick. I launched an Etsy page where I sold t-shirts. Rick and I split the profits 50/50 and it was a lot of fun. We made some extra money and we learned a lot about online sales. He helped me with ideas and we worked together to get shipping costs lowered, we celebrated every sale. It was, all in all, a positive experience.

Fast toward to now. I've been working at a larger screen-printing business for about a month. We'll call it XYZ. When I interviewed at XYZ, one of the owners (we'll call him John) mentioned starting up an Etsy and the fact that I would get a %. He was on my ass about getting the Etsy started but would not help me in any way. He wouldn't print sample shirts, wouldn't order stock, wouldn't sit down with me to input shipping information or bank/credit card info. His wife (the other owner, we'll call her Jessica) is also pretty consistently on my case about things relating to Etsy. When I ask them questions pertaining to the online store, they have no interest. In addition to the Etsy, it's a typical walk-in, word-of-mouth local business so most of my day is spent doing the normal stuff -- answering phone calls, taking orders, making art for those orders, etc. We had a small fire in the workshop that slowed down the day-to-day orders and production and I used that time to really set up the Etsy page. And in the first two days, I sold a dozen t-shirts. Pretty cool since they were all 100% my designs and I'd spent an entire week (at night, after work) doing market research and making polls and figuring out pricing and ideas for new designs and finding new ways to advertise, networking, things like that.

Yesterday, before starting production on those 12 orders, I approached John and said, "Hey, before we continue with Etsy, we should talk about how we're going to split up the money, what my percentage is going to be, how we're going to calculate costs, things like that."

His exact words were, "If you come to me with this attitude, you're not going to get anywhere." That SOUNDS really odd but this guy is a little unhinged. He is constantly screaming. I took video on my phone to show my girlfriend an you can hear him screaming himself hoarse at a customer two rooms over, behind two closed doors. Earlier yesterday, he screamed in my face about a shipping error that was ultimately his own fault. (More on this later)

Obviously I was perplexed and so I mentioned that at my last job, Rick and I split the profits. But John insists that Etsy is part of my hourly wage. I told him that the majority of my work for Etsy is done off-the-clock and he simply said, "Don't do it off-the-clock then." I tried to explain but he cut me off and said that HE pays for the machines and HE pays the rent so unless I also start paying for those things, I will not be receiving anything from Etsy. When I tried to ask more about that, he told me to follow him into Jessica's office. He shouted something at her in Russian, then there was a pause and she said (translated) "He says you want to be partners?"

It was all EXTREMELY confrontational and unprofessional and it made me realize that I DO NOT WANT TO WORK FOR THESE PEOPLE. They don't actually give a shit about the Etsy but for me, this is my baby. I have done a lot of work on it. All the designs are 100% mine. I made them on MY paid Photoshop subscription (because they would not purchase their own) using MY own Photoshop resources. Yes, some of them were worked on using the work computer but does that make them their property?

I want to leave this business entirely and take my designs back to Rick where I know he will sell them properly (there's a serious quality control issue at XYZ and shirts are going out to paying customers that look terrible) but I am confused about whether or not this art is legally mine. They seem to think that everything having to do with the Etsy is inherently theirs (hence the pocketing of the profits and the laughing in my face about it.) Is it still mine? Am I free to remove my designs from Etsy, leave XYZ and sell these shirts with Rick?

TL:DR: Part of my new job was supposed to include an Etsy store AND a commission but now that my bosses are making money off my designs, they're refusing me that commission. Are my designs (made on my Photoshop with my resources but sometimes on the work computer) my property? Can I take them down, leave the company and sell them elsewhere? Or do they have a legal claim to them?)

(Also any advice on how to quit without getting red-face screamed at and threatened would also be appreciated.)

THANKS IN ADVANCE TO ANYONE WHO READS THIS!
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: Did you sign a contract with them? If not, then the designs remain your property. As for quitting without facing a tantrum-do it by email, or text. A two week notice is a courtesy, not a legal requirement. It doesn't look good on your resume, but just as they can legally terminate your employment without cause or notice, so can you.


Title: I (adult) was stalked by a minor 4 years ago. He moved close to me a few months ago to attend unversity.

Question:
4 years ago when he was 14 ( I was 31) I lived close to a child who seemed to develop a unhealthy attachment to me. We became acquainted through my visiting niece (15) at the time. I rarely spoke to him aside from light chatting when he was in the house. I was working mostly doubles during the summer (I work in healthcare) so my exhusband did most of the care of the kids (our kid was 5 at the time, plus the visiting niece and her friend).

Over the summer there was some stalking involved. He would visit the house at all hours. Call me. He stole personal items from my house. Visit me at work. At one point I was very frightened for my safety in a way I still don't fully understand. He threatened my neices life at one point if I didn't contact him.

I worked with local police and his parents. They tried to get him help. He was placed into a treatment facility and therapy.

I did what I could by moving. We uprooted our entire lives and moved a few states away. I just couldn't be there anymore.

There was never a restraining order. But then again I moved states away to where my husband's brother lives.

I assume he got the help he needed and he might not even know where I live now.

We live almost on campus of a university   and have for 2 and a half years now and through some channels I recently found out that he actually started at that school in August. My niece actually attends that school and has seen him. She mentioned him attempting to contact her through social media  since she is active in student government. She blocked him of course.

I have not heard anything from him and he hasn't tried to contact me but what should I do first if he contacts me? Do I report it or immediately go get an attorney? Could they see the police reports from 4 years ago even?

Obviously it is better for everyone if he just stays away and we all pretend the other party doesn't exist.

But is there anything I can legally do to get ready for if he isn't better?  I don't want to find out. I just want us to all ignore each other honestly.

It looks kind of weird being scared of a child but he is an adult now and I really do hope he has gotten the help he needs and can go into the adult world and forget any mistakes he made as a child. I obviously don't own this town but moving again would be tough.

Also life advice is always welcome of course. I might be overreacting. My husband says I am overreacting.

We are in Washington. But the incident 4 years ago was in California.

Answer: Honestly, that would be one of the most extreme random occurrences ever for a kid that used to stalk you to somehow end up at college near you after you moved some states away. And has tried to contact your niece. Given the prior history, you should attempt a restraining order ASAP.


Title: Samsung Refrigerator leaked water and damaged floor. Customer Support said they're not responsible. Which Samsung entity should I sue in Small Claims court?

Question:
This is in San Diego, Ca. United States.
The fridge is a little over two years old. So it's not under warranty. One morning we found water everywhere around the fridge in the kitchen and obviously damaged floor. We found a lot of ice at the bottom of the freezer and couldn't close the freezer until we removed the ice.

EDIT: since everyone's interested in the full details. Here's the chain of events.

Since I first reported the issue a month ago, Samsung Exec Customer Relations contacted me. I was given an one-time accommodation to cover labor and parts for repairing the damage. I was very delighted to hear the solution.

As requested, I set up an appointment (and paid for it) to have a Samsung Authroized Contractor to inspect the fridge. I paid out of pocket. The contractor said nothing he notices. Possibly it was because we set it too cold in the freezer (we have a lot of food stored and it's just a standard temperature setting).

We also took time off to get licensed floor contractors to get a few estimates on the repair, as requested.

Yesterday, customer support called me and informed me that it's our own fault to set the freezer too cold so possibly caused the ice accumulating and water leak; Nothing is wrong with the fridge itself. On top of it, they're taking back the accommodation offered from before.

Here are some facts to consider:
* It's a two years old $2200 fridge has always been probably used and well taken care of.
* I have paid your authorized repair contractors out of pocket just to get 'educated' I should not set the freezer too cold.
* We took off work to wait for floor contractors to come by for estimates and submitted them to Samsung as requested.
* We set the freezer to be cold because we have a lot of food in there.
* Consumers would obviously assume Samsung designed the product with safe temperature ranges.
* At the end of day, how's our consumer's fault to turn on a temperature setting and ruined our house?

EDIT2: [Photo album attached](http://imgur.com/a/Hk24m)

Answer: Whichever one manufactured/sold the refrigerator.  And since samsung is obviously a corporation, if their T&C's that you most likely accepted upon purchasing their product didn't provide for arbitration, then you would have to sue in the county where samsung has its principle place of business or registered agent located.


Title: Graduate student accused of misconduct, please help. [WA]

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Cease & Desist what? Defamation and Slander are ridiculously difficult to prove and expensive to litigate. You made mistakes, what rumors are being spread about you?


Title: [AZ] My child was struck by a car in a pedestrian crosswalk

Question:
My child was crossing a busy street in a crosswalk and was struck by a car.  My child is alive (thank goodness) and is recovering well, all things considered.  I have already visited a lawyer twice but I guess I take really terrible notes because I'm still left confused, and it's costing me money to go back with follow up questions now.  Here's what I know so far.  Please correct me if I'm wrong and give me any advice you can.  Thank you.

&#x200B;

The driver is not well off, and they were not under the influence.  It was just a matter of them not paying attention.  Their insurance appears to be $100k but I can't get that information directly from them yet.  They are being charged with "Causing serious physical injury or death by moving violation and right of way at crosswalk."

&#x200B;

I don't want to sue the driver in a civil case.  I don't want to ruin this person's life.  All I want is for my child to get some kind of benefit out of this for all that they have suffered and how this will affect their future.

&#x200B;

The hospital has placed a lien on the payout.  It's for about $230k.

&#x200B;

I have really good health insurance and should only have to pay around $2000 to meet our deductible, and the rest of my child's medical bills should be covered 100%.

&#x200B;

The lawyer I spoke with has advised me to call the driver's insurance and tell them about the lien and ask what their policy limits are for the driver.  If they still don't disclose the amounts, mention the lien to them.  If they still don't tell me, I'm not sure what to do.

&#x200B;

Call my own insurance and file a claim for underinsured motorist coverage.  He said they shouldn't even question this and should send me a check, which isn't going to go against the lien.

&#x200B;

Call the hospital and give them a sob story and beg for them to drop the lien because my insurance should have covered everything and they are basically stealing insurance payout money from my child.  Would this even work?  I am skeptical.

&#x200B;

I'm entitled to restitution as long as I file all the paperwork and receipts with the court before the court date of the driver.  This is supposed to cover their medical expenses and my lost time from work.  This should not go against the lien.

&#x200B;

Here is where I get lost...  The lawyer talked to me about conservatorship, but to go that route we have to file some kind of lawsuit right?  Is there any point in doing this if it's all going to go to the hospital lien anyway?  I was also under the impression that if we file a lawsuit that will require a lawyer, which means they will take 1/3 of the winnings in the lawsuit, which still won't leave any for my child and might actually cost me MORE money, right?  And if the hospital drops the lien, wouldn't that mean we get the full $100k from the driver's insurance policy?  What are the chances of that happening?

&#x200B;

This whole ordeal is so confusing and stressing me out.  Please help.  Thank you.

Answer:
 The insurance policy should pay out the amount of damages you've had, up to the policy limit.

After that, the driver himself will have to pay.

But if he has no assets or means with which to pay, then there is no magic way to get money from him that he does not have.

If the insurance company does not pay a fair amount (up to the maximum for the policy) then the only way to make them do so is to sue them.

If the hospital has a claim to some or all of the settlement, then they are likely going to get some or all of the amount you get when you collect.Answer #2: You're right on target on everything. Here's an extra piece of info that might help:  What hospitals say is their price is not the price. There is no actual price (in the way that we think of price in a normal functioning market). It's all just a huge open negotiation racket.

It's possible to get the hospital to come down off their price point.


Title: Separating students into groups based on results legal?

Question:
TL;DR Teacher split students into 3 groups based on results. Better student group has privileges over others.

So today my teacher got us to separate into - I assume - 3 groups.

One of which, Group 1, is where the kids with the top results sit. The teacher went through some rules, ie. no talking, no daydreaming blah blah school stuff.

Then she said that Group 1 will have certain privileges over Group 2 & 3.

Group 1 shall be able to "go to the toilet" while 2 & 3 shall "sit down and be quiet", shall be able to "share equipment for lessons" while 2 & 3 students shall "bring your own (stuff) and not share" etc.

I believe that all students shall be treated equally and not be judged by one's academic ability.

Do I have enough evidence to report to the school administration for this act? I can provide more information if necessary.

Answer: So the teacher is more lenient with the students who have had success and wants the ones with lower scores to put more time into their work? Sounds pretty normal to me


Title: Possible Discrimination question

Question:
So i went into a CVS recently in Oklahoma.  I was purchasing giftcards.  The store manager came over and told me that from now on if I wanted to purchase giftcards, i would have to use cash.  This isn't a new store policy, he said this is just for me.  Is this legal?  I have called CVS and filed a complaint, and the regional manager was supposed to call me back.  He refused to, and i called back in and they said the store has the right to do that.  Does this sound right?  Is this legal for them to do?

Thanks

Answer: gift cards are frequently used for money laundering and other forms of theft.


Title: Backing out of a signed job offer letter (US)

Question: I was offered a job in an "at-will" employment state (VA). The offer letter explicitly said the job offer was for an "at-will" position that could be ended at any time by either party for no reason. The start date is still a few weeks away. I accepted the offer by signing the offer letter and returning it to the company HR contact. Since then, I've received a better offer. Is there any legal reason I can't simply change my mind and tell the first company I'm no longer interested?

Answer:
 No, there is no legal reason.

As a side note, if/when you do back out, give as little information as possible.  You may be tempted to give a lot of information since you might feel bad and want to explain, but avoid doing so.  If you tell them the new company you are going to go to, for instance, if they are in the same field and know each other they may talk and you may lose both offers.  Legally you do not owe the company you are backing off from an explanation.

It's best to be professional but vague (as to the reason, I mean... be super clear you are rejecting the job offer and will not be starting).  Just say you have reconsidered and you apologize but you are unable to accept the position as you originally indicated.
Answer #2: No. Offer letters aren't contracts.


Title: In theory; could a slave from 1855 in America sue their master for kidnapping?

Question:
I know; I know he'd be murdered long before that was even a remote possibility and even if he was able to get to the court house and he wasn't lynched the judge and jury would just deny him his rights. But was there any law specifically stating slavery was legal? If not then assuming he was provided access to an attorney, a jury of his peers, an impartial judge, and protection from violence during his claim; could he make that case?

I know it's borderline askhistorians but I'm interested in the legal; not historical part of the question.

Answer:
 I mean, he COULD do that.

But he would be denied standing or protections by the Supreme Court of the time, which is [exactly what happened to Dredd Scott](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dred_Scott_v._Sandford).


Title: My girlfriend [18F] has had over $10,000 stolen from her by her parents. Need help.

Question:
Hi everyone. My girlfriend is currently still living under her parents roof as an 18 year old. She has been working ever since she was about 16 and slowly been amassing money from this work. She would give her parents her paychecks who told her that they would deposit it into a bank account that they opened for her.

Now, she never saw this bank account and today she expressed to them that she wanted full access. Well, long story short, the money isn't there. And, based on rough estimates, anywhere from 10-15 thousand dollars is missing. The money was amassed from the time she was 16 up to even today as she continues to work.

What options does she have? What should she do? She and I are extremely concerned that she's never going to get that money back.

Answer:
 Your girlfriend should immediately open her own account and have checks deposited there immediately.

She may be shit out of luck if her parents were on the joint account when she was younger.

There is a realistic possibility she will never see that money again.


Title: Can I keep my kindergartener home from school every Monday?

Question:
I'm in Washington state, about an hour north of Seattle in Snohomish County if that makes any difference. In my area kindergarten has recently become 5 days a week 8 hour days. This is an issue in several ways. The first of which is that due to my work schedule I would only be seeing my son one day a week on Sundays. The second of which is that I don't believe that my son is ready to be in school five days a week 8 hours a day, there are some high school that aren't able Tuesday attentive for that long. I think any five-year-old expected to do that would develope a hatred for school early on honestly, and my son was only in school for about six months when he was three. Ever since then he has said he hates it and he doesn't want to go back, I would like to introduce him to how fun it can be without making him feel like he suddenly lives there. I feel like the best way to do that would be to keep him home on Mondays and let him attend the other four days oh, that would also give us an extra day to spend together. He already knows as much or more than his cousin who is attended preschool since she was three, and their capabilities are pretty even so I k
now that it would not set him back in that way. My only concern is that I could get in trouble for keeping him home so often. What, if any, legal recourse would the school have if I were to do so?

Answer:
 > What, if any, legal recourse would the school have if I were to do so?

Truancy and a failure to pass him for not attending enough days of school.  Those are two possible issues.Answer #2: Washington law doesn't require enrollment in school until age 8.  So you can choose whether or not to enroll him and probably cannot face legal consequences over his attendance.

If you enroll him the school may be able to require in some way that he meet the requirements of the program.  If you can work out with the school that he attends Tues - Friday, great.  If they choose to make an issue of the missing every money your arguments become fairly complex.  Answer #3: Not without a note from a doctor that is shown to the school. Personal circumstances won’t matter. Your opinion of your child’s attention span or being “ready” or not don’t matter. Schools have heard these feelings and reasons all the time but still have 5 day school.


Title: [NE] CP I really need advice

Question: Airflow in a basemet vent wasn’t good so I had repairman .He opened the vent to check the filters and there was a folder with 6 USB’s in it. The folder wasn’t related to the issue. The USBs were only 16 gigs each, but I plugged in one and it was CP so assuming the rest are too. what do I do? O can’t report to the police because they’ll take me in, won’t they? What if someone I kn w sees me? My life will be fucked and I can’t handle that. What if I destroy them? Nobody will ever know about them, right? I live in a small town and I have no means of getting out, and I’ve read stories about people who get killed for having it. Couldn’t I just go and burn them in my backyard or something? Please, I’ve never dealt with anything like this before and am about to break. Seeing it waS enough

Answer:
 Cop and computer forensic examiner for an FBI computer crimes task force here.

You have two options.

1.) Contact the police (after discussing with a lawyer if you so desire) and report it.

2.) Physically destroy the thumb drives, copy off anything critical from the computer that you want to save, physically wipe (not just delete) all data from that drive, and re-install windows.

If you go with option one, leave your computer in whatever state that it's in.  Don't touch anything else.

I can't and won't tell you which is the better option, except to say that those drives could contain previously unknown victims- kids who are in trouble and need help that no one knows about and that no one might ever know about.

You are, right now, in possession of child porn.  That is technically illegal.  There is a chance of prosecution.  But that chance is very very very very very very very small if you call, report it, and turn it in as soon as you find it.
Answer #2: Get the repairman to sign a sworn affidavit stating they witnessed the discovery of the folder in the vent, and if possible have the affidavit confirm that the folder already contained the USBs when it was discovered.

Then you go to your lawyer and that affidavit, and state that you found these USBs in the folder and that upon checking one of the USBS, you discovered the contents. Upon discovering the nature of the contents you IMMEDIATELY closed and disconnected the USB, and have not touched it since.

If you have recently moved into the property, state that as well.Answer #3: You are blowing this way out of proportion. Call the police. You have a witness.


Title: I'm trying to buy something from an online store (ny) and I am given the price, it tells me how much I am saving, it tells me shipping is free and then says. Pre- tax total. When I checkout it lists everything again and says pre- tax total checkout. Is this legal?

Question:
I have no idea what the final total is. No one sells you by stating this is pre-tax total. Which means the total I'm checking out I am not seeing it but I will see it in my credit card bill?

Edit: I am given the pre-tax total amount. Just not what will be charged on my credit card or if taxes are being charged.

Answer: Ask them or check for their tax policies.  If you're not in the same state, they may not calculate or collect tax for your state and this could be how they articulate that; your state tax return will likely ask about such taxes.


Title: Estate attorney is improperly valuing (overvaluing) vehicle. What are my options here?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: go to CarMax, they will give you an offer to buy the car, and, if it supports the lower valuation, send it to the laywer


Title: [California] Nightmare scam artist roommate, weird deposit situation and possibility to sue?

Question:
So I posted on here without much detail - here's the whole story. Hopefully someone can give me some guidance!
So my boyfriend and I (plus our dog) moved into an apartment in January. Our roommate, Claire, has been living in that unit for 3 years and we signed onto the lease right as it was renewed for another year. Claire asked us to pay prorated rent and a security deposit of $250.
Later, it turns out that Claire is a terrible roommate. Controlling, dramatic, difficult, gets in screaming fights with her boyfriend, etc. Really terrible. So, given that she advertised that you could get out of the lease easily (roommate release form) we decided to move out after about 2 months.
Right before we moved out (we finished today-thank god) she indicated that she would not be returning the deposit to us. She called it "bullshit money" (not bullshit to me, thank you very much) and said it was nonrefundable. (We also discovered she wasn't paying her share of the utilities but that's a whole other situation haha)
Today, I got into a text argument with her about it, and she kept insisting that "she was responsible for the apartment" (she's not -we rent from a major apartment company) and that if things go wrong, like a roommate dropping out or something, she'd have to pay for it.
We also checked with the leasing office and the security deposit has been paid in full since January of last year, a full year before we moved in.
Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but that's not how security deposits work? She shouldn't be able to just charge us $250 and never give it back, especially since we know she will be charging the people that are replacing us on the lease the same $250 - therefore making her that much more money. There's no damage to the room, so she's not using it to hire cleaners or fix anything, and like I said, we're managed by a large company, so theoretically wouldn't be her responsibility anyway.
What can I do? I know she's trying to profit off of the people she finds on Craigslist looking for housing and I don't want her to get away with it. Even if I can't get my own money back, is there a way I can prevent her from continuing to do this?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 You absolutely can sue her

http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook/sec-deposit.shtml


Title: If I lend someone my Oujia board and it results in bodily harm or death, could I be liable?

Question:
Basically the title. My nephew is having a Halloween party and has asked if he could borrow my Ouija board.
I won't be at the party. The party will be at his and his boyfriend's rental apartment (across state lines if that matters).
If they contact a malicious spirit and things go sour, can I be held accountable?
TIA.

Answer: No. The law doesn’t recognize fictional entities.Answer #2: This might be the stupidest question Ive ever seen on here.


Title: Phone call from Texas police regarding solicitation of a minor.

Question: My brother came to me today freaked out because he revived a phone call from some one claiming to be Sargent forest and guy named David Moore from the Austin police department (we live in Washington state ). They claimed to be pressing a felony 2 charge against my brother and that a squad car was being sent to his house to detain and or serve him. I have done some background checking and am sure this is a scam but i wanted to ask you guys in case there could be any truth to this. He asked for a case number over the phone and they said they could not give it to him. He did not tell me much of anything else so i do not know what else they told him. As far as i know the only people to contact you about charges against your person are the prosecutor and they do that by mail, or they issue a warrant for arrest that can be looked up in public records. Would the police ever call you like that to tell you that you were being served? Has anything like this ever happened before? Just want your guy's two cents so that I can help my brother stop freaking out.

Answer:
 >squad car was being sent to his house to detain and or serve him

Definitely a scam. We do not give people with warrants a heads up that we're coming. I mean, first off obviously they'd run away, refuse to answr the door, or otherwise become more difficult to find. But they could also become dangerous.Answer #2: Did your brother happen to chat with a [*girl*](https://np.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/4xxhdg/my_friend_was_chatting_with_a_girl_online_and/) on Tinder or some other applicable application?


Title: Father in law has suggested having me murdered. What should I do?

Question:
Long story short, I saw a text conversation between my soon to be ex wife (we're divorcing) and her father. In it, he suggested he knew some "bad guys" who he could pay "a couple of grand" to make me "disappear permanently."

&#x200B;

My lawyer didn't work long today and didn't get back to me on a course of action I should take.

&#x200B;

I am curious if I should file a police report? Look to obtain a protective order?

Answer:
 If I found evidence of someone planning to murder me, my first thought wouldn't be to post on r/legaladvice, it would be to call the police immediately.

I suggest you call the police immediately.


Title: [California] Dentist told me that a crown was only option for my cracked tooth. They told me that my insurance would cover the procedure. 1 month later they are telling me that my insurance denied the claim and that I owe them $1K. Insurance claims dentist never filed the recommended pre-check.

Question: I am filing a personal appeal but want to know if I have any other legal recourse if that is also rejected.

Answer: It is your responsibility to ensure that services are covered. Your dentist office can be wrong, and that is unfortunate, but at the end of the day its on you.Answer #2: Talk to your dentist and see if they've received the denial and sent the proper paperwork back.  With my dentist, they go back and forth 2 or 3 times each procedure until the insurance company is happy.  It's just part of the process.


Title: Apartment I'm living in is asking me to leave before contract ends

Question: Miami Beach Apartment complex would like me to leave a month before contract expires. Contract ends august 31, they want me to leave this weekend, and they told me today. Apparently they have a new resident for August. Might clerical error. What do I do?

Answer:
 Ask them to pay you for your inconvenience.  Make some green, and couch surf until you find a place.

Otherwise, you have right to the property until the lease ends.  Though, I'd start looking immediately because they could start looking for violations to get you kicked out sooner.


Title: Ticket for crossing the CN railroad with seconds to spare before light flashing (near Lachine Canal, QC, Canada)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: I'm not understanding your narrative in terms of how the van blocked you in but between the panic attacks and being unable safely get over railroad tracks you probably shouldn't be driving. Have you talked to your doctor about these panic attacks?


Title: Doctor performed a very painful test completely unexpectedly.

Question:
Hey everyone, sorry for the wall, TL;DR is at the bottom.

I went to the doctor today because I've recently had unprotected sex and was worried after finding bumps.

I told the doctor, not my usual one but this heavyset man, who took a look and told me that he was almost sure it was just razorburn. I also haven't experienced any discharge, doesn't hurt to pee, none of that- and I told him so.

We decided to test anyway to be sure, which was peeing in a cup and having my blood get drawn. Same exact thing as the last time I was tested. I go out to pee in the cup.

I came back, and this nurse who's drawn my blood before collected the cup and told me she'd be back since there was a test the doctor needed to perform.

I thought it was strange that wasn't mentioned earlier but didn't say anything and waited. The guy comes back and tells me he has to get a swab of my penis.

I assumed he meant he just had to wipe some part of the skin, or the tip- I don't know. So he told me to lay down, and came over with the swab and gloves and I'd lowered my pants.

I could feel the swab against the tip of my penis for a second after he'd lifted it. I'd still expected just the skin to be wiped, but then felt this unbelievably awful pain in my urethra. Like, holy fuck, completely unexpected and so painful. It was just incredibly unpleasant at first and then just hurt so much. I shot up and said "Jeez" in so much active pain. He told me to count to five, and I was thinking there's literally no way I can do five seconds of this, then he pulled it out.

Apparently I was given a urethra swab test, which is jamming a qtip swab thing into your penis and twirling it around.

I think I then said "that was awful, wow" or something to that effect, and he told me "yeah, well, the next time you're thinking about having unprotected sex, remember that," pointing to the swab in his hand.

I said something about the pain again and he said "that's why I didn't tell you about it until the end." Then he left and I got my blood drawn by the nurse.

I called a friend about it on the way home who told me she was pretty sure that wasn't necessary, and that that was crazy." I thought there was no way at first, but looking it up, it seems like swab tests have just been completely phased out by modern testing.

I'm a 20 year old guy and this was a shorter heavyset guy with a lilo&stich doll thing wrapped around the back of his neck, probably a father. I'd never met him before since I came during walk-in hours without an appointment.

I'm just starting to think that he did that to "teach me a lesson" or something, and I'm honestly getting so angry thinking about it. That isn't funny- I feel violated. Last time I was checked all I had to do was a urine and blood test.

Was there a reason for this test to be done? Was this at all standard procedure? If not, what should my course of action be?

Thanks.

TL;DR: Went to get STD tested, was examined by a doctor I didn't know, peed in a cup, and was unexpectedly given an incredibly painful urethra swab test.

Answer: That is absolutely an STI test. Specifically for gonorrhea and chlamydia.Answer #2: This is a perfectly normal part of getting tested for STIs. Happens all the time.


Title: [TX] new boss wants me to stop using gym during lunch break

Question: I work in an office, 10 hour shifts every week day. I have 1 hour (unpaid) for lunch which I use to workout at the gym in our building. New boss came in today and said I cannot use this time to workout as he would prefer I “go out to eat at a restaurant”. Do I have to do this? I bring my lunch from home everyday to save money, I really do not want to eat out and miss out on my workout. Any advice besides finding a new job? This is in Texas, salaried position.

Answer:
 Do you shower after your workout? Maybe this is to do with hygiene is all I can think because otherwise it doesn't make much logical sense why he would demand you don't work out.Answer #2: >New boss came in today and said I cannot use this time to workout as he would prefer I “go out to eat at a restaurant”.

I would politely ask why you are not allowed to use your unpaid break he way you want...

>Do I have to do this?

No, but your employer may let you go for no reason or for this reason, since people that go to the gym in their unpaid break do not belong to a protected class under federal or Texas laws.

If you talk to your boss about it, be very polite and try to convince them to relent - you cannot force them to...Answer #3: There's no legal protection against your bosses demands.Answer #4: How is it unpaid but it's salary?  You're exempt so you make the same every week right?


Title: Can my boss make me buy non-slip shoes?

Question: So this is pretty straight forward. I work at a car wash in Utah and the company was recently bought out by a British corporation. They are requiring that every employee buy their own pair of approved non slip or slip resistant shoes  and I am wondering if they can really make me spend money for work shoes? Would they have to reimburse me for the shoes?

Answer: Yes. No, on the reimbursement.Answer #2: Company require employees to pay for uniforms all the time. It's not illegal.


Title: Police arrested me for interfering w/ electronic communications. (Michigian) What to do?

Question:
Arrested for interfering w/ electronic communications in Michigan.

I'd like to start off by providing a little bit of background, and would also like to say that I'm 31 years old, have two autistic children, a sick partner, and I've never been in trouble with the law.

Background:  In the past year I have lost my father (RIP dad), and my partner of 13 years has been diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, on top of her diagnoses of ulcerative colitis, and fibromyalgia.  This is the first family member I have lost as an adult and the first time I've ever had someone I care about be extremely sick.  Things have been extremely stressful and to be honest, its all a bit too much for me at times.  My partner and I are doing everything that we can to try to help our situation.  Pain management clinic, specialists, and therapy to help both of us out in this situation.  We are both very new to anything like this, so you can imagine the amount of weight on both of our shoulders (esp hers).  My partner is on so much medication it will make you cringe.  :(

Now the incident!  Last Thursday I was having a verbal argument with my wife in the morning.  She woke up extremely moody (coming down from painkillers after sleeping all night) and we immediately were at each others throats.  It was at this time that I told her that I needed a break and that I wanted to go to my moms and take the kids with me.  I took my cell phone from her hands because I was angry and then I went out on to the porch to call my mother.

It was at this time that my partner locked me out of the house in the cold.  I was outside with no shoes, socks, jacket, or anything of that nature.  After talking to my mom for a bit, I got off the phone and I pleaded with my partner to let me inside, but to no avail that was not happening.  It was at this point that I called the police (911) and explained that my partner had locked me outside, etc.

Now the first police officers arrives to the scene and I spend about 10 minutes explaining the situation to him.  I tell him everything about my partners conditions, about her medication, about how this is so new to us and how we've been arguing a lot.  I mean I pour my heart and soul out to this man.  I explain to him that all I want out of this is some space.  That no one had done anything wrong.  That I we were arguing and I was locked out and refused to be let back in.

The officer then goes and talks to my partner.  She tells the officer that she also contacted the police and had to do so on the computer because I took my cell phone from her.  It was at this point that the chief shows up and all of a sudden Im in handcuffs and being interfering with a 911 call.  My wife (even though she is upset, we both are) grabs the phone and starts recording herself with the chief.  She explains to the chief that she was never trying to make a 911 call, that she was only trying to look up the phone number to the precinct (the google number that comes up is straight to 911 dispatch in my area).   She tells him that there was never anyone in danger and that she only called for mediation (just like myself).  I am still arrested and off to jail I go.

I spend the next 24+ hours in a holding cell before I see the magistrate.  I'm woken up in the middle of the night and told that my DNA has to be collected because my charge is no longer a misdemeanor, but is now a felony and has been changed to interfering w/ electronic communications.  My partner wrote a letter to the magistrate explaining the same stuff that she did to the police officer.  The basic outline of the letter is that "I'm not an idiot and I never made an emergency call.  I was never in danger and if I was I would have called 911 directly."  The magistrate let me out on a PR bond and also omitted no contact with my partner, so we are at least together as a family again.

The magistrate set my probable cause conference for only 1 week away, so here I am now.  I've called a couple of lawyers but they haven't really provided me with any meaningful information.  I'm at a complete loss and totally racked with stress.  I've slept less than 12 hours in the past five days.

My legal questions are:  Should I hire a lawyer?  Do I fight this in court or do I take a plea bargain?

I'm sorry if this post is all out of whack.  This is the first time I have ever posted anything on reddit. I honestly have no idea what to do.

I can provide more information if needed. Thanks for any help that comes my way.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 > She tells him that there was never anyone in danger and that she only called for mediation (just like myself).

This is the second post this week where someone or their partner has called the police for "mediation". I'm not sure why you people do this, but that's not what they are for. If you need mediation, hire a therapist or counselor of some sort.

> Should I hire a lawyer?

Yes.


Title: [California] Manager is recording calls without notification for performance review

Question:
Greetings all, thanks for everyone that contributes to this superb sub. Subs like these keep Reddit useful.

Anyway, I work for a telecommunications company in California and I recently found out that my manager has been recording my phone calls and those of my colleagues for "quality review." These calls are stored in the cloud on our company server.

I am aware that California is a two party consent state, and many of the calls we make are to and from Californian numbers.

Basically, what should I do in this scenario? What would be the likely repurcussions if I reported this malfeasance?

Thanks again!

Answer:
 It is likely to be perfectly legal because when a customer calls they hear that disclaimer of "This message may be recorded for quality control". By continuing this call the caller is giving consent. Since you work in a telecommunication company I am 99.99% sure they play this message for the customer, you dont hear it.

You have no legal recourse because I am pretty sure you signed a consent form allowing you to be recorded also.
Answer #2: Your employer is recording people in a two party consent states without anyone's consent?

Yeah, that's not cool.

You could file a report to the police, go above your manager's head and report it to his/her boss, tell HR, etc.

The best way to go about this kind of depends. Do you like your job/care about your relationship with your company?

EDIT: A few people have pointed out that there may be some kind of exception because OP is an employee. I'm not convinced that matters:

Found [this](https://www.privacyrights.org/workplace-privacy-and-employee-monitoring#2a)

> In most instances, yes. For example, employers may monitor calls with clients or customers for reasons of quality control. **However, when the parties to the call are all in California, state law requires that they be informed that the conversation is recorded or monitored by either putting a beep tone on the line or playing a recorded message. (California Public Utilities Commission General Order 107-B, www.cpuc.ca.gov/Published/Graphics/567.pdf)**

> Not every business is aware of this requirement, so your calls might still be monitored without a warning. Federal law, which regulates phone calls with persons outside the state, does allow unannounced monitoring for business-related calls. See Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 USC 2510, et. seq.


Title: If I kill someone with a bike does it classify as murder or vehicular manslaughter?

Answer: Are you riding it or using it as a blunt object?


Title: [MN] I am an online sex worker my ex boyfriend doxxed me after getting jealous of seeing me with another guy. Everybody is urging me to go to the police but is this actually illegal

Question: I posted a picture holding another guys penis, my ex boyfriend saw it on my subreddit and began messaging me, he then proceeded to dox me encouraging people to come meet up with me. https://imgur.com/a/Icdqp this is our whole conversation he also texted me an hour later "have fun covering up your shit 😂😂😂😂". Everybody I've talked to says I should talk to the police but I don't even know if what he has done is illegal, and I'm afraid the police will think I'm overreacting or that they won't take me seriously.

Answer:
 Doxxing isn't illegal on its own, however encouraging someone to injure or stalking someone you doxxed is. If I were in your shoes I would change my number and set up a new email address.

Police wise, I'm kind of leery. Not because they can't help, but because I'm concerned they may decide to go after you as well for the sex work. Answer #2: Looked through the texts. Revealing your real name isn't illegal. Nor did it look like he was encouraging others to harass you.


Title: [IL] Gave a guy on probation with GPS tracker a chance to interview - now have a question on his conviction record

Question:
The man called me up a day before interview to advise of the fact that he spent 3 years in jail, is currently on probation, and has an ankle monitoring device. I told him that I would not hold it against him, and if he makes it to the interview, he'll get a fair shake. He was very nice, and said he'd bring his arrest records with him.

He showed up, and he did in fact show me the arrest record, and told me his version of events. Without going into the details, it didn't add up in my head, so I did a web search, coming up with the DoC website, and found this: http://i.imgur.com/l3ADysJ.jpg

The way I understood "Sentence Discharge" in court terms is that you plead guilty, but don't go to jail? But then the way IL DoC is using it appears to be "completed sentence/probation"? Any help here?

He made a statement that his misdemeanor trespass was upgraded to burglary, and now he's a felon because of it. I try to be a fair person, but I'm also cynical, and his story throughout seemed like emotional appeals (on top of the story not adding up).

So has he actually served FOUR other times before this current time?

Answer:
 You may want to take down that album, even with his name blacked out it isn't very hard to figure out who this guy is. The sub has a rule against PII.Answer #2: Do a real background check through a CRA and don't rely on a DOC website.

Using DOC and arrest records can leave you open to a lawsuit if you you're not familiar with the FCRA and EEOC guidelines. Citing a non-conviction as a source for your adverse action is a big no-no. Answer #3: OP, you wouldn't happen to work in an environment where you'd have access to peoples homes or have lists or knowledge of assets in peoples homes?


Title: What would happen if I impersonated my brother and pretended to be him at college and take classes for him? [NY]

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Fraud n stuff.


Title: [NJ] I just started a new job and I think my manager is stealing from my till

Question:
I started this job about 3 weeks ago, I've been working damn near every day since and I've worked with several manager. I enjoy the job no matter what the case may be.

I have a few managers I'll refer to them as A,B,C and D. manager **A** is the general manager, **B** is the Manager I am having issues with, **C** is the very humble manger and **D** is the manager I've only worked with once.

Tonight marks the 3rd time that manager B has told me my register is short specifically $10 bucks each time its always $10 the first time it was 9 but the past two times it has been $10. It's not even my register, it's her register that I end up getting assigned to and working way past my scheduled working time. i don't mind working long hours but it's starting to make me doubt my ability to trust her. Manager B is very close to manager A and I feel that she uses that relationship to shield herself. Tonight has really kinda pissed me off because register hasn't come short with managers A, C and D literally only with B. The reason this worries me is because it's only happening with her and it's always $10 bucks.

 The other day I discussed it with Manager C who immediately mentioned manager B but then said "but she's a a manager, you can trust her."

I'm starting to think that shes stealing money from my register every night I work with her. I never go home at my scheduled time and she sits around while we do all the work.

I kinda don't know what to do besides pay to save my ass
  ---
  **tl;dr**: I think my manager is stealing money from my register

Answer: Count you till at the start and end of every shift. If anyone else but you used said till during the shift, you're alleviated of responsibility. That is how I handled things when I worked for a large grocery store in VA


Title: Is it a bad idea to both (30F, 29M) see 1 lawyer during divorce? [Arizona, USA]

Question:
Basically my husband and I are going to be getting divorced (we've been together for 14 years, married for 4). It hurts, but I'm trying to push my feelings aside and do this as amicable as possible. We have 2 children together and he owns our house himself (my name is not on the mortgage) however I do know AZ is a community property state and I have helped pay all the bills for the entirety of living in the house (purchased in 2013). Anyways, I'm wondering if it's a bad idea to go together to meet with a lawyer? What would the benefits be of me having my own lawyer? I think we'll be able to resolve any issues ourselves and will only need a lawyer to review the paperwork before filing it to the state.

For additional info, we are both still living in the house together as neither of us have anywhere else to go at this time. He makes more than I do and has still been supporting me financially as I am on maternity leave until the end of August with our daughter who was born in June. I do not believe he will stop assisting me with money unless for some reason the lawyer tells him to. In that case I would file for child support, but I don't believe it will be necessary. It is going to be difficult for me for afford an apartment by myself, but I don't think I have a choice since I can't afford to pay for the house myself if he were to move out instead. Any advice would be appreciated. Feel free to ask questions if I left out any important details.

Answer:
 A single attorney cannot ethically advise both of them unless their interests are aligned. Drafting a mutually-agreed-upon set of terms into a proposed divorce decree is fine if both spouses are on board, but giving advice on how to protect either spouse's interests would be grounds for an ethical complaint.

Given the circumstances - multiple kids, real estate, unequal division of household expenses - I would strongly recommend that you speak to an attorney of your own, either instead of trying to share one or as well as. You may not believe you need someone to look out for you, but a second opinion on that, from someone who can look out for your interests professionally, is worth having.


Title: I'm an Oregon homeowner renting a room in my house to a single female

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You putting that kind of restriction on how she can use the premises is likely a violation of her quiet enjoyment of the property. When you rent a room out of *your house* you should expect the renter to actually be in your house. Answer #2: You can *ask* her to go to a coffee shop you have no mechanism to enforce it. This is her home. No way a Judge would ever rule a person is not allowed to be in their home they are paying rent to be in.  sounds like renting out a room is not a good fit for your lifestyle.


Title: Driver License typo

Question:
Hi folks, when I received my learners permit in the state of Georgia, I realized that my sex was marked as F when I am Male. I didn't notice until I got my physical copy, so I just didn't do anything about it. That was around 7 years ago. I never had any reason to change it, I was able to get a passport, etc. However,  I just recently attempted to buy a firearm and due to discrepancies from my license and the information I logged, I was unable to make the purchase. It was pretty embarrassing and now I am determined to fix my license.

&#x200B;

So, when the DMV opens up on Tuesday, I plan on bringing my current license and my birth certificate and trying to get this issue sorted out. I didn't undergo sex change surgery or have any sort of doctor's note. It was just a typo that I never fixed. Is this going to cause issues at the DMV?

&#x200B;

Thanks a lot guys.

Answer: I don't think it will cause any issues but you will probably get some odd questions/looks after not getting it fixed for 7 yearsAnswer #2: It would be a lot less hassle to just go get a sex change. It would also probably be faster than standing in line at the DMV.Answer #3: The only questions that may arise are why you let it go for seven years. The actual part of getting it changed should be simple.


Title: How much am I gonna end up paying child support?

Question:
Im 23. Living in Chicago, IL.
Found out my ex is 2 months pregnant with my child. (Yes, im sure its mine. I will still do a dna test later).

I make 1680$ a month.
She is on some benefits SPAOA and food stamps. She shouldnt even be getting these benefits. She is just scamming government for money cuz she doesnt wanna work and now she will also be getting my child support and is gonna end up getting more money at the end of the month by sitting on her ass but thats for another day.

I was wondering how much would I pay and what to do to pay as least as possible. Whats ur guess? Is it gonna be 150, 300 or more? She is evil, abusive, controlling and a cheater and trashy parents usually raise trashy kids so I want nothing to do with them. Just pay my share. She is gonna spend all the money on herself anyway. Poor child.

Nothing is under my name. Should i write rent, some bills like electric, gas and phone on my name? Would it help? I give check to my mom every month to pay 50% of the bills.

Thank you! :)

Answer:
 > and what to do to pay as least as possible

You would willingly do that to your child?Answer #2: [Here you go](https://www.divorcenet.com/resources/child-support/child-support-basics/child-support-illinois.htm). It looks like the Illinois standard is 20% of net income for one child. Do of your take home is $1,400 you're looking at around $280 on support.

To be blunt, are you sure she wants the baby? If she is the way you describe her she might decide that less than $300/month isn't with the trouble, especially if you offer to pay for the visit to PP.Answer #3: I know there was a change that went into effect in Illinois in 2017.  It used to be a percentage of net income (as defined).  There is an estimator [here](https://www.illinois.gov/hfs/ChildSupport/parents/Pages/ChildSupportEstimator.aspx) based on the law that went into effect this year.
Answer #4: Exercise as much visitation as possible.  The amount is pretty set—it doesn’t depend on your bills but on your income.


Title: Quit my job I had a company vehicle they had to come pick up.. they’re saying they will need to deduct the price of someone coming to pick it up and clean it from my check..is this legal?

Answer:
 Did you expect to keep it?

When you leave a job you need return all the equipment that belongs to them, and you return it in good shape.

You did not so they had to make arrangements to both retrieve the vehicle and restore it to a decent condition.  They charged you for this service.
It makes complete sense to me.Answer #2: Why didn't you drop it off?


Title: Craigslist buyer is threatening to sue me because I wasted time

Question:
Posted an ad for my owned working spa. Received a couple of emails, this specific person emails me that he can pick it up but is due 200 miles from my location of sell.

To his right, I just ignored his email and dealt with another buyer who is closer. I didn't want to risk a buyer driving many miles because of unwanted disputes. I didn't inform him of rejecting his offer, but I replied after I sold it that the spa isn't available anymore.

I don't think I agreed to the buyer's request. My only reply is an unavailability of my item. However, the ad is public and I think there's still some kind of a contract there. Could I be in the wrong here?

Answer:
 Your narrative is a little confusing - so you posted this ad, a guy responded, you did not respond back to him, and now he wants to sue you?Answer #2: If you could sue someone for wasting your time, Comcast and Time Warner Cable would be spending half their gross income defending lawsuits against everyone who's ever called their customer service lines.

(Now I'm thinking, maybe it would be nice if you *could* sue someone for wasting your time. That said, the aspiring buyer's potential case would still be bs.)


Title: [US] Did Paul Manafort commit treason? (legally speaking)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Treason is very specifically defined in the Constitution, and for good reason.

The British Monarch was fond of using "treason" to mean "whatever I don't like" so the founders were very careful to act to prevent that kind of abuse in the newly formed USA.

So in order to be convicted of treason you must "make war" against the United States, or give "aid and comfort to the enemy."  In addition, there must be two witnesses to the same overt act of treason who testify in open court in order to convict.

So, the answer is almost certainly not.  He may have broken any number of laws, but I doubt that Treason is one of them.


Title: [AZ] Update to my roommate problem

Question:
Sorry, I'm not able to link my previous post but I'll try to give short details about it and also updated questions I have.

Basically I rent a three bedroom apartment with my used to be best friend, my fiancé and my daughter who's three lives with us too.
My other roommate decided to move out without notice and said she will no longer pay the rent. She is also on the lease. It's one lease, we signed it together.

So here's my update: I went to small claims and I cannot file until either 1. My lease is up or 2. I find a roommate to take her spot. I'm going to have to pay for a processor to serve her papers because she will not sign the card agreeing to go to court.
My questions about this is:
- What happens if the processor served her mother? (I think my roommate moved back home)
-What happens if my roommate does not show up to that court date?
-How could I get her address in order for the processor to serve her?
-What "evidence" do you think I'll need in order to show that she owes me rent for the time she was on the lease?

Tried to keep that short and sweet haha. Any feedback is appreciated. :)

Answer:
 > I went to small claims and I cannot file until either 1. My lease is up or 2. I find a roommate to take her spot.

Right, because you don't know your damages yet.


Title: At wit's end - married without prenup to someone I think is with me for citizenship

Question:
Nearly 2 years ago like an idiot, I married someone on a work visa who I thought I'd spend my life with. They didn't sign a prenup and we're filing for the conditional permanent residence to be removed. They're a little psycho - mood swings and a real mean streak.

I'm afraid that once she gets citizenship, she will divorce me, try to take 1/2 my home and 1/2 my retirement.

Any advice re: how I can prevent this? I'm desperate for a solution.

Answer: You can't prevent your wife from leaving and divorcing you.Answer #2: Divorce them now. She probably wouldn't get alimony or any premarital assets. The longer you are married the more of a claim she will haveAnswer #3: I really hope you didn't sign an I-864. If you did, you really really need an experienced immigration attorney. I can't emphasize this enough.


Title: My aunt traded in a used car to a dealership for way less than its value. Any recourse? [CALIFORNIA]

Question:
My aunt who doesn't know a lot about cars, bought a new car and traded in an old one. The people at the dealership told her that her old car had some oil leak and threadbare tires, and offered only five hundred dollars for the car. When we heard about it we were all very surprised. We checked online, and the same car in similar condition goes for at least 4000 and up. She was severely shortchanged. We are all really mad right now, because the dealership basically took advantage of a woman who doesn't know the value of her car and has little money sense.

I was wondering if there's any legal recourse to possibly get the old car back, or to let the authorities know that this is a scam. I know it's really hard because it's her fault for not having some common sense, but we're just trying to recoup any loss right now. We are in California.

Thank you for your response.

Answer:
 > let the authorities know that this is a scam.

Where's the scam? They made an offer and she accepted. That's her bad. Answer #2: Just because a car goes for 4k online does not mean you will be able to get 4k for it from a dealership. They still need to make a profit on it so will never ever offer you what the going price is.


Title: just a hypothetical, but what would happen?

Question: Lets say that you made a social media account under 13, but didn't touch it until you were over 13, is it still illegal? Or is it ok for you to use the account? Or should you make a new one?

Answer: There is nothing “illegal” about making an account before you’re 13. It violates the companies terms of service and they can ban the account if they find out an account is being run in violations of those terms.


Title: Were my parents in the wrong, or should I pursue a wrongful arrest lawsuit? If nothing else, how will the process of filing for them go? I'm tired of all this. (NY)

Question:
My parents got arrested in 2008. They aren't American, I am. They came here legally, but let their visa expire. We were on a train with a fellow that looked and sounded like he was of Middle Eastern descent. He was minding his own business. People on the train heard my parents and the man speaking with accents and reported us all as illegal immigrants(yes, these things actually happen. That's what the officers said they were called for, and I'm not the only person who's had this happen). We were near the Canada/NY border, Homeland Security arrested us saying that the 10 years it takes to be basically considered a citizen was still a month away and therefore grounds for us to be arrested. My dad was deported, my mom (she was officially over the 10 year period, my dad wasnt) got a lawyer(s) and asked to stay to raise me. Her status stayed the same, but the judge said okay.

Is there any point in filing a lawsuit over this? If not, what would the filing process be like, and roughly how much money will it take? What should I expect? This is going to be a major event in my life, yet I have no idea how to approach it.

Answer: Why do you think you have grounds for a lawsuit?


Title: (California) Assaulted and detained by security guard

Answer:
 Loss prevention may only detain a person "in a reasonable manner." If the facts are as related, there is nothing reasonable here and loss prevention exceeded the protections of the shopkeeper's privilege in [Cal. Pen. Code 490.5](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN&sectionNum=490.5.)

You should consult a personal injury attorney for a case consultation.  You may have claims against the store for physical injuries, defamation, false imprisonment, false arrest, assault, battery, and emotional distress.


Title: Unmarried couple splitting - Qs about owned property

Question:
First time poster.  Bf (m41) and I (f37) bought a home a couple of years ago - both names on mortgage and deed.  He did not contribute at all to down payment, fees at time of purchase, etc.  Basically, moved in. I have all receipts and bank records showing that all initial funds came from me, and I am the primary borrower on the loan.  During our time living in the home, he contributed roughly 1/3 of the household bills - including mortgage, utilities, food, etc. (yes - I am a sucker). Since we have only been paying the mortgage for a couple of years, and put down only 3% for a down payment, we don't have a ton of equity. Now - we are splitting up.  I will keep the house - he cannot afford on his own. But, he feels like he deserves something - even though what little equity we do have is primarily from the down payment that I made.

I am willing to be reasonable, but I am looking for advice as to what reasonable is.  Any advice how to proceed with this?  I do not want to waste money fighting in court.   If we sell, is bf (ex-bf) entitled to half of any profits?  Does the fact that I have been the primary contributor matter at all?

Other details that could be important:  For personal reasons, it is not really ideal to sell the home now.  I would like to stay in the home for at least 2 more years. So my ideal outcome would be for him to leave, get off the mortgage, and it not be much money out of my pocket.   Please help!

Answer:
 He legally owns half the home. and half the debt. So you guys either work something out between you (and put it in writing) or you go to court and let a judge decide how to split things.

This is why people who are not married should not buy a house together. Because there is no easy way to split things up. Divorce allows things to be split and has rules. This doesnt.


Title: My landlord knew there was a problem with the gas furnace and chose not to take care of the issue. I got it taken care of myself (stupidly) and now I'm out the money.

Question:
I moved into an apartment on 10/31 with a 1-year lease.

On 11/10 one of my new neighbors called and told me an alarm was going off in my apartment. It turned out to be the carbon monoxide detector.

I could not get in touch with the landlord. However, there was a repair tech's business card stuck to the unit, so I called him.

The tech said that on 10/23 the unit was releasing carbon monoxide and the landlord called him to diagnose the unit. He said that the furnace was very old and has a number of things wrong with it, and that he advised the landlord that it needed to be repaired or replaced. He said that he very explicitly warned him in writing that it should not be used until the problem was resolved.  The landlord told him he was going to check out prices for a new furnace or repairs. The tech checked in with the landlord a week later and the landlord said it was taken care of.  However, obviously it wasn't.

The tech told me that I should give the landlord written notice of the situation and then he had 24 hours to fix it.  He was very clear that I should not under any circumstances try to use the furnace, saying carbon monoxide is incredibly dangerous.

I went and saw the landlord that day and gave him a letter indicating the problem, and a copy of what the technician gave me listing various problems, approximate repair costs, etc. It said in big red letters that the heater was not safe to use.

The landlord said he would look into the situation.  I contacted him at least once a day for four days.  By this time I was staying at a hotel because without heat the apartment was in the 40s fahrenheit (too cold for comfort.)

I couldn't keep paying for a hotel and the landlord was not responsive, so I called the repair guy.  I asked him what the best option was and told him to do it. He gave me a quote of $690, then gave me a list of things that needed repairs and told me I was welcome to see if someone would give me a better price.

I continued calling the landlord for two more days but he did not help.

I did not find anyone with a better price than the first technician and so I called him and had him make the repairs.

He gave me the bill for about $670.  I have not yet paid it (he was sympathetic and said to pay him when I get the money from the landlord.)

The day I had it fixed was the 8th day after I told him about the issue in writing.

However, now the landlord is saying that it was not my decision whether to repair or replace the furnace, it was his.  He said he has decided to replace the furnace with a new one, so he is not going to pay the bill for unnecessary repairs to the old furnace.

Is there any actions I can take, or is it a lost cause?

I am an Iowa apartment tenant.  Thank you very much.

Answer:
 In Iowa, it's likely that you'll have the right to withhold that amount from your rent. See [562A.23](http://coolice.legis.iowa.gov/Cool-ICE/default.asp?Category=billinfo&Service=IowaCode&input=562A):

> 562A.23  WRONGFUL FAILURE TO SUPPLY HEAT, WATER, HOT
      WATER OR ESSENTIAL SERVICES.
         1.  If contrary to the rental agreement or section 562A.15 the
      landlord deliberately or negligently fails to supply running water,
      hot water, or heat, or essential services, the tenant may give
      written notice to the landlord specifying the breach and may:
         a.  Procure reasonable amounts of hot water, running water,
      heat and essential services during the period of the landlord's
      noncompliance and deduct their actual and reasonable cost from the
      rent;

Per the statute, it depends on your rental agreement among other things. Best advice is to consult an attorney in your area before withholding rents.


Title: [AR] Fractured ankle, job says if i cant do whole job i cant work

Question: Fractured my ankle on my own time Monday night. Boss doesn't even look at the doctors note, just says i cant just sit at the Counter all night. Would I qualify for short term disability or at least unemployment?

Answer:
 Do you have short term disability coverage?

Aside from that, FMLA is probably the only option you have unless you have a ton of ETO built up that you can use at your discretion. It's unpaid leave for up to 12 weeks a year that basically protects your job while you're dealing with serious medical conditions/child birth or taking care of an immediate family member with a serious medical problem. The requirements for FMLA are that you've worked there for at least one year (it doesn't have to be one continuous year, the employment dates can jump around as long as they add up to one year), worked at least 1250 hours in the last year, and your employer has 50 or more employees within 75 miles.

You should always apply for unemployment if you're fired. You may qualify if you're able and ready to work a suitable job and meet the job-seeking requirement weekly.


Title: Florida - Looking for advice for my friend and her 16YO.

Question:
I'm not familiar with the whole situation, but I know a bit.

As of late a friend of mine has been having lots of problems with her 16YO son, and is at the point that she wants him gone from the house. Shes a divorced mother and the father is in Illinois and will take the son, but won't make any effort to bring him up there. And he refuses to go up there, saying she can't make him.The kid hasn't been in any kind of legal trouble, but is there anything my friend can do. She can't force him onto a plane or into a car, and as far as she knows she can't request emancipation because he hasn't been in any kind of legal trouble.

Does my friend have any options?

Answer:
 She can be a parent.

She doesn't have to wrestle him into the car.  He can get in the car, or he can have all of the property taken out of his room but a mattress.  He can go to school and come straight home and do his homework and spend the rest of the night working around the house.  He can lose his phone, and his TV, and his internet access, and his Xbox, and everything else remotely fun.Answer #2: She can first make life less than awesome. He doesn't need a door to his room, expensive clothing, or any electronics or TV. Food doesn't have to be what he likes. No soda, no chips. Bread, meat, cheese. That's enough

But really he is right, she cannot do much physically without legal concerns. So she needs to give him a choice, live with the minimal or go live with his father.


Title: [AZ] Ex-roommate used my social security number fraudulently several times, a whole slew of issues...

Question:
People involved are me, 23/F and her, 24/F.  We had been friends for over ten years and when her parents kicked her out, she moved in with me.  A lot has happened so I think the best option would be to create a timeline of events:

1. April 2014: She moves in and we sign a new lease with the landlord. The electricity and water bills were already in my name so we agreed verbally that it would be fair to put the cable and internet bill in her name.  She must have already had my social security number at this time, because she put the cable and internet in my name under my social, but I was unaware of it and so for the course of us living together, I was giving her money to pay the cable and internet bill.  She and I worked together at a rehab center, on salary and paid weekly so I felt I could trust her financially.

2. End of April 2014: She gets a new phone under Verizon Wireless.

3.  Summer of 2014: I don't have specific dates for this, and this is just a bit of background on how stupid I am and how manipulative she is, but there were a few incidents of her not having enough for rent and me covering it for her, as well as the cable and internet being shut off.  She paid me back for the rent, but the first check she gave me bounced and the next month her rent check bounced so I had to cover part of her rent again.  Things begin to become strained until her dad loans her some money to cover part of her rent.

4. August 2014: She's having issues with Verizon, so she switches to AT&T and gets another new phone.

5.  September 2014: A friend of ours is having problems with her mother and we let her stay with us for a few weeks to get back on her feet.  She is not really important to the story, until the next month.

6. October 2014: This is where shit hits the fan.  I was house sitting for a friend, and a few nights after I finish roommate and I are driving to the house when we get a call from the friend staying with us saying there's an eviction notice on the door.  This is October 14, 2014, and when I get home I look over the paperwork taped to the door and it essentially says that we did not respond to the 5-Day notice that was posted on the 8th of October saying that we had not paid rent and would be evicted.  I was never aware of the five day notice because I was house sitting. I immediately confront my roommate on the matter and she tells me she did not have enough for rent that month but didn't want to stress me out because I had been dealing with severe depression over the past few months, and didn't want me to be worried about the 5 day notice because "Her dad was taking care of it." Attached to the 5 day notice was a court date with the landlords, scheduled for October 20th.  I call in to work and leave a voicemail letting them know what's going on and that I will not be in the next day while I try to sort everything out.

7. October 15, 2014:  I get a call from work and am informed that I am being let go due to poor attendance.  Frankly, I wasn't surprised by this because there were days I was unable to get out of bed or work effectively because I was so plagued by thoughts of suicide, which they were aware of but they agreed to pay unemployment so I could get my bearings and work on recovering and getting back to myself.  She does not receive a call from them.

8.  October 17, 2014: Roommate asks for a ride to work, I drop her off, and before I even get to the next street she calls and asks me to pick her up saying she was fired as well.

9. October 19, 2014: I email the landlord and ask for the reason for the eviction, he says he has tried calling several times and they've been unable to get in contact with me or the roommate and that it would be discussed in court the next day.  My stepmom has an iPhone as well and shows me how to see blocked messages, and I learn that she hadn't paid her rent for several months in a message left by the landlord under blocked voicemail messages.  I did not know how to block numbers on my phone, didn't even know it was a thing, so there are some assumptions to be made but little evidence to support them.

9.  October 20, 2014:  I wake up and get ready to go to court, and roommate asks where I'm going and says that her dad paid it and we don't have to go.  I don't believe her for a second and I go.  At court I learn we have one week to get out of the house, the landlord won't even speak to me other than to tell me it didn't matter that I was never late, we agreed to pay 950/month, not two payments of $475, despite me having every deposit receipt from the day I moved in.  I go home and pack my room up and move in with some friends that night.  The next week is spent gathering the rest of my belongings around the house (almost all of the furniture was mine) and putting it into storage, as well as patching holes and repainting parts of walls that had been damaged that I did not know about as they were hidden under paintings, posters, the like.

10.  End of October: She and I are no longer on speaking terms for obvious reasons, she and the other girl move in with some of our other friends and I'm immediately outcast from the group as they tell everyone I was the reason for the eviction and that I left without saying anything, I'm a bitch, blah, blah, blah.  Things are fantastic and stable at the new house, until I get a call from the cable company saying I owe them $1,500 for the unpaid bills.  This is when I learn the internet and cable were put in my name and not hers.  She does not respond to any texts or calls trying to clear the matter up, and the cable company refuses to acknowledge it as fraud because I was using the utilities and agreed to at least partial payment (we were splitting everything 50/50).

11.  December 23, 2014: I get a bill in the mail from Verizon wireless at my Mom's address for $2,700 (It has since increased to over $3,100 due to collection fees).  I have always had T-Mobile and assume it to be a mistake.  I call the company, and they tell me it's in my name, under my social.  I ask for the number related to the account and they give me hers and tell me she was put on as an authorized user and the account was opened in April 2014.  I inform them of the fraud and it's marked as identity theft and pending investigation.  The next day, I file a police report and the officer talks to her, but she tells him she doesn't have Verizon and doesn't know what he's talking about.  There's little he can do.

12. January 2, 2015: I get a bill in the mail at my Mom's house again, this time it's AT&T.  I go through the same motions with them, it's her number and she's authorized again, account was opened in August 2014, total for that bill is over $700, they mark it as fraud and suggest I call other phone companies to make sure this isn't happening all over the place.  I do, and there is an active account in my name with Sprint which was opened October 31, 2014 (when she and I weren't speaking) under the same number.  I suspend it and inform them it is fraudulent, I speak with an investigator, and life continues.  I call the officer to let him know about the other two accounts, and they are added to the investigation.  He says I would not be able to do much other than take her to court for the cable account because I agreed to the partial payment.  At this time I also called Equifax to put a fraud alert on my social.

Now:  All of this has showed up on my credit report, my credit is completely destroyed, the investigator that took over the case has been next to useless, and AT&T is saying it's determined not to be fraudulent because it was opened online at the address I lived at, the products were shipped to that address and payments were made on it.  I've spoken with Sprint and Verizon regularly and they've been helpful for the most part, but the bill for Sprint is now up to $1300.  So the total that I owe because of her using my social to open these accounts is over $7000, with me acknowledging half of the cable bill despite the money I gave her for it.

What do I even do?  Do I find a lawyer and sue her for all of this? Wait for the investigation to finish? She's since moved to California, so I don't even know where to begin.  I'm trying to be patient, I'm sure the police have more important things they're working on, but I'm just going crazy here.  Any advice at all would be appreciated.

TL;DR: Ex roommate used my social security number to accrue over 7,000 in debt through phone companies in my name without my permission or awareness until debt collectors started contacting me.

Edit: I'm also unsure about what flair to put this under.  Civil? Criminal? Douche?

Answer:
 Thank you for the TLDR.

Go to https://www.identitytheft.gov/

Yes, you find a lawyer now and sue her for all of this.
Answer #2: [This will guide her through the process](https://www.identitytheft.gov/).

Her ex-roommate is about to be in a world of misery though. Answer #3: You need to immediately place a [credit freeze (security freeze)](http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0497-credit-freeze-faqs) on your credit reports at each of the three credit report companies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion).  She has already opened accounts using your identity four times that you know of.  How many other accounts has she opened or will open using your information?

After you freeze your credit then, as others have said, follow the steps at [www.identitytheft.gov](https://www.identitytheft.gov/).Answer #4: Isn't there a way to notify the credit bureaus of fraud activity? Won't cancel out the previous judgements but may save you some headache.


Title: Is it possible for "resisting arrest" to be the only thing someone is charged with?

Question:
Chicago IL.   Two days ago CBS journalist Sopan Deb was arrested in Chicago Illinois while filming protesters at a cancelled Trump rally.
My question is, how is it possible for the only charge to be "resisting arrest"?  Shouldn't there be an initial charge that a person would need to be arrested for in order for the subsequent charge of "resisting arrest" to be tacked on?  Perhaps this was the case, and it is not being reported in the media.  Having seen people on past "cop" reality shows be charged (apparently) only with "resisting arrest" has always made me wonder how this works.  Thanks in advance for your responses.  Here is the link:http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/cbs-sopan-deb-charged-with-resisting-arrest/287138

EDIT:  Thank you to everyone for the clear and informative replies!  This subreddit is great!!
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Yes.

There is no requirement for the prosecutor to charge any given crime.  They can drop the initial charge and still charge the resisting if they feel that it's the better charge or if they feel like it's the easiest case to prove or whatever.

And in some states, (like Missouri, for example) "resisting arrest" covers resisting even being detained, so you don't have to be under arrest to be charged with 'resisting arrest.'Answer #2: You can be arrested for a crime that you don't end up being charged with.  So for example, suppose the police find someone who matches the description of a robber in the area of a recent robbery.  They arrest the person and it turns out he was at work at the time of the robbery.  They had probable cause to arrest, but it turned out that he had an alibi and there's no reason to charge him with any crime.

But if he resisted the arrest he could still be charged with that.  The arrest was reasonable even if the police turned out to be wrong.

Edit: I'm not saying that in fact "resisting arrest" isn't sometimes abused as a "contempt of cop" type charge - it probably is.  But there are reasonable situations where someone can be reasonably arrested, resist arrest and be charged with resisting, but not be charged with any other crime.Answer #3: If the arrest was lawful, then resisting it is a separate crime.  Even if it later turns out that the original offense isn't chargeable.


Title: My girlfriend got busted for marijuana in Virginia...twice in two nights

Question: [deleted]

Answer: It doesn't matter how far away you were from a legal jurisdiction, it was illegal where you were, and your gf is stupid for using it after being busted the first time, regardless of the reason. I would advise her to either stop using it or go to DC and use it there.Answer #2: Virginia does  not allow medical usage, and is not under the jurisdiction of DC laws, so neither of those things matter. She should expect to face the full force of law, and needs an attorney. Also, expect to receive a fine from the hotel for smoking.Answer #3: She could be looking at anything from diversion all the way up to 1 year in jail, depending on how the two instances are treated. For best results, she should hire a competent criminal defense lawyer immediately.


Title: Wrongful termination help

Question:
I live in Idaho and this has never happened to me before.

I worked for a small tech company that installs smart home features in houses.

I was most of the time the only female on the premises of the construction sites. This is not really a woman-friendly work  place. I loved my job though. I worked hard every day and came home tired and was getting pretty fit.

I made a couple male friends there and one of which I became very close to.

This relationship was not more than a friendship and I made that clear from the get go by introducing my husband and making sure there was no inappropriate language or actions taking place.

Slowly this employee started to act more and more strangely, he wanted me to spend nights at his house, constantly wanted me to come over after work, etc.

after a month he told me that he was in love with me and wanted to 'date' me. This just seemed ridiculous and I told him so.

I broke off all non work contact after that and then things got really bad.

he told me I was no longer allowed to talk to my husband at work, would constantly either be yelling at me or crying, and stopped working all together when he was upset which left me to do it alone.

He found out that I was planning on writing an email to HR about all of this by going through my phone and told HR that he was going to quit if he had to work with me.

This morning I came into work and told HR everything that was going on. My HR rep then told me that there was no way that they can separate us and that I was being fired for not being able to work with him. I asked HR, "can we sit down and have a chat with \*...\* and try to maybe work this out? I didn't really want to bring this up like this but I feel like I can't take anymore of the harassment."  He replied exactly, "If you didn't come forward about the sexual harassment and allegations we probably could have, now I really don't have a choice but to let you go."

I never stated that I would not work with the employee, not once. I wanted to sit down with said employee and HR and try and come to an agreement and work things out. This was not even thought of. instead I was let go. I was told that I was in 'good standing' and that I will have a personal reference with HR while I look for another employer. He then mentioned that "as long as you're in good standing, which means that I ask you not to overreact over this."

what do I do? was I in the wrong for coming forward? I feel like I am being punished for something I didn't do.

Answer: This is definitely retain-an-employment-attorney territory. Sounds like they acknowledged his harrassment while firing you even, yeesh.Answer #2: OP- I would have a consult with an employment law attorney as soon as possible.Answer #3: At any point before you were fired, did you inform your employer about his inappropriate behavior?