Title: [Texas] Gave money to man playing violin, was written a citation for impeding traffic.

Question:
  **Backstory on the violin man-**

 There is a young man in our town who is well known and liked. He attends our local University and raises money to pay for it by playing his violin. He never bothers others, or asks for money. The young man just plays and is very very good. Many news stations around town have done multiple stories about him. Every time I see him I place case in his violin case.

  **The Event-**

The other evening as I was driving home I witnessed two Police cars pulled over on the side of the road near a stop light. As I approach the stop light I see two police officers outside of their vehicles writing something on a clipboard. When I come to a complete stop at the red light, I see the young man playing his violin with his case open on the ground. The police officers were 5-10 feet back away from the man and his case. I decided to place my vehicle in park and walk 3 feet to the case and place cash inside. (The direction I was walking was no where near or close to the officers or in the direction of them. The total time out of my car was approximately 2-4 seconds) As I get back to my vehicle while the light is still red, and I begin to open my car door I hear one of the Officers yell "Hey!". I turn around and the younger officer said "You can't be giving this guy money. What he is doing is illegal!". I said "Ok?". Then the older officer with the clipboard tells the younger one "Tell him to pull over and give him a citation for impeding traffic". I get back in my vehicle and the light is still red. The light continues to stay red for another 20-30 seconds. I drive ahead after it turns green and pull over a street down. The younger officer comes up and tells me "I have been given direct orders by my Sergeant to write you a citation for impeding traffic". I tell him "I understand, but you do realize that the light was red the entire time and I know the individual I gave money to". He says "Yes I know, like I said, I was told to do this by my Sergeant". I take the ticket and head home. Under the Offense code it is blank, but the offense says "Impeding traffic".

  **Questions-**

-Is this worth fighting or paying the fine?

-Is this a class C or class B misdemeanor?

-Should I plea not guilty and request a hearing by a Judge?

-If this is a Class B misdemeanor and I do request a hearing by a Judge, could he send me to jail for 180+ days for just impeding traffic?

-If this is a Class C misdemeanor what is the maximum penalty I could get?

Note:This is my first traffic ticket, and no I'm not young.
Thank you for your time, and patience.

   **TLDR:** - Stopped car at red light. Opened door. Placed cash inside violin case on side of the road. Was told to pull over by a police officer. Light was red when I got back inside my vehicle (Out of it maybe 5 seconds total). Police officer gave me a citation for "Impeding traffic", but on the citation he left the offense code blank.

Answer:
 If it's a misdemeanor, it's absolutely worth hiring a traffic attorney. You ideally want to negotiate it down to an infraction.Answer #2: it looks like it is a B Misdemeanor http://codes.findlaw.com/tx/penal-code/penal-sect-42-03.html

definitely worth getting a lawyer and fighting, it's a criminal record if you plead guilty.


Title: [UK] Could the monarch of the United Kingdom be elected to the position of Prime Minister?

Question: What would happen if the Monarch of the UK and the Prime Minister were the same person. What powers would he/she have?

Answer: yes, it would however be a major constitutional crisis. theyd have the same powers of both offices, just combined into one person. for a somewhat similar example see the Vice President of America. though there is some limitation functionally he's in both branches.


Title: USPS Lost my paycheck, employer/client decided to wire me without telling me; now I got hit by a fee from my bank? Should employer reimburse? (x-post)

Question:
Hope I can find help here! The people of r/personalfinance weren't able to.

I freelance for a company/work as an independent contractor.

Like the title mentions, they send me monthly paychecks through the mail. This time, my paycheck was "lost" in the mail. My employer decided to wire me my pay without informing me. In the process I got a $15 fee, are they required to reimburse it? How should I approach this?

(My bank is Bank of America, and I am located in California. Office sending payment is located in NY, while I work in a California branch)

Edit: I tried inquiring about the fee to my employer; they told me to contact my bank because there was no fee in their end.* Just called the bank, and they said they cannot reimburse it.

Answer:
 The difficulty here is that you are a freelancer.  An employer would likely be required to make sure that you are paid the full amount for all hours worked.  But as a contractor, you do not have those protections.  I'd recommend either adding the $15 fee to your next invoice, or writing it off as a business expense on your taxes.Answer #2: I'm going to start by saying I have worked for a number of banks and can tell you the best way to get a fee reversed. Go into the branch, preferably the location you opened the account. Ask one of the tellers or other employee who you would need to talk to about an issue with the account and requesting a fee reversal.

I would not demand, of threaten to close the account. You have a much better chance if the account has been in good standing and hasn't had a lot of fee reversals. I would say something along the lines of "I know the bank didn't cause this problem but I would appreciate if you could reverse the unexpected fee as a one time courtesy. It is not a guarantee it will be reversed but it is your best chance. Sometimes I wouldn't refund the whole fee but would do half.

You have to ask yourself is it worth my time for 15 dollars.


Title: Any legal way to prevent someone from becoming a cop?

Question:
Someone I know in real life has expressed a desire for a career in law enforcement. I've had the misfortune to know them for several years now, and I can say unequivocally they should never be granted any kind of legal authority over other citizens. He (obviously it's a he) is racist, unintelligent, and all-around just a bully (I could cite all sorts of examples, but won't so as to keep things anonymous). However I don't think those traits have ever veered into criminality. My worry is that if he passes a background check, he'll get his wish and become a cop in my town.

&#x200B;

Is there any way to provide an unsolicited character reference of sorts to my local PD? Ordinarily I'd never try to sabotage someone's chances at getting a job, but I honestly believe this guy would more of a threat than an asset as a LEO. If this is the wrong sub for this, I'm glad to take my question elsewhere.
Topic:
Douche

Answer:
 That sounds like a great way to get sued.Answer #2: Why would you say obviously it’s a he?  There was nothing obvious about that before you said so.

Either way unless they’ve done something illegal, you don’t have much of a say in what job someone else gets.


Title: My father may be viewing child pornography

Question:
My father has been exceedingly secretive about his browsing habits, and recently my mother discovered he was watching a lot of pornography, by accessing his search history via his unlocked tablet. They're religious, I'm not, so it's a big deal for them but not for me.

The bit that's bothering me is that I was recently told by both of my sisters that, in past occurrences of getting caught talking to other women, he knew some of them were underage and he continued to make inappropriate remarks and ask inappropriate questions. One sister also reports seeing him "eyeing up" young girls when in public with him. He has declined to engage with his wife (my mother) and has instead... "taken matters into his own hands", when he thinks she is sleeping. I think it is probable that this is because he is viewing child pornography.

I know I can access his Google account and find the things he thinks he has deleted, such as his browsing history and account activity, the various chat apps he has downloaded and his conversations therein. He's probably not even smart enough to have used incognito mode.

Do I have any legal protections if I do so? Is there any other avenue of less dubious legality? I would, if possible, like to remain anonymous. If he found out I had reported him to the police, I would likely be homeless by the strike of the hour.

I am 20 years old, and I live in England, if that makes any difference.

Answer:
 Looking at young women in public does not prove that he is viewing illegal images.

Not having sex with his wife does not prove that he is viewing illegal images. Masturbation does not prove that he is viewing illegal images. Many, many people look at porn and pleasure themselves behind their spouses backs. Most of those are not looking at illegal images.

*If* your mother *accidentally* found evidence of him browsing not just porn but illegal porn, then there would be different advice for you. As it is, though, you honestly have nothing to go on here.  There is nothing here to report.

As for the threat of being homeless, you might want to look into UK eviction laws. He may not be allowed to throw you out of the house just like that.Answer #2: Your thought process has been:
1. The type of women my father likes include underaged ones
2. My father has been viewing porn
3. Therefore it is seriously likely he has found a way to view child porn.  Seriously likely enough to get police involved.

There is a tremendous leap of conclusion between steps 2 and 3.


Title: (Urgent) Was threatened a SWAT. What do I do.

Question:
Some guy who is butthurt I didn't make him staff in an online community I made decided to dox me and threaten to SWAT me. I only just realized that he might actually do it.

I called my local PD but I am still terrified. I'm not at home but my mother and sister are. I'm away at school.

I live in Ontario Canada.
Topic:
Canada

Answer: Get rid of anything illegal


Title: Company I interned for last summer is still using my full name... Anything I can do?

Question:
Hi all!
So... I interned for a startup last summer. Long story short, I ended my internship with them early (July, 2014) due to them being creepy, perverted, and unprofessional. Around 2 months later, I started getting a bunch of random views on my Linkedin profile, only to log onto my startup email address and see that they were still using my email and signing the bottom of emails with my first and last name. In response, I emailed them asking to stop (I can't find the email in my sent folder since I did a cleanse recently unfortunately) and got no response. However, the password to the email was immediately changed so I could no longer log on. Completely forgetting about this, it is now a full year later. After randomly googling my name, I see an article pop up from April 2015 with a quote "from me" as the Community Manager of the company. I reached out to the writer of the article, who was just as freaked out as I. She forwarded me their email chain that lasted from March 2015-April 2015 with my name signed at the bottom under my original email address. Just checked and the email address is no longer active.

Knowing all this information, I wanted to see if there is anything I can legally do to stop them or get them punished for this. It honestly feels like identity theft. I also do not like that it will seem that I once held a position at this company that I never did. I can always ask them to just stop again, but I'd honestly prefer to do something more extreme to ensure this never happens again. Thanks for any help!

Edit: This company is located in New York as am I.

Answer:
 Wow. That is extremely sketchy. What state are you in so I can look up some of the relevant statutes? Answer #2: This is so weird. Why would they do this?

If you ever find out, let us know...Answer #3: > I see an article pop up from April 2015 with a quote "from me" as the Community Manager of the company.

Was it just your first name, or did they use your last name as well? If it's just your first name, it's possible they replaced you with someone with the same name.


Title: Unknowingly accepted counterfeit money at work (Indiana)

Question: I work in a retail establishment. Last night at work, I unknowingly accepted a fake $100 bill. I marked it with the counterfeit detecting pen, and it came up that it was a good bill. It was an old bill, so it would not have had the security strip, even if it was real. I did everything in my power to check it, and fully believed the bill was real. My employer is now stating that I have to pay this money back. Can they do that? Also, if I don't pay them back, can they fire me for it?

Answer: How does your employer know it's counterfeit? People are very, very quick to jump to conclusions about old-style bills.


Title: Received a speeding ticket for going 27mph over the speed limit. This is my first citation, I'm not sure what to do.

Question:
I can't believe I was this stupid but I just really wanted to get home and now I have a speeding citation for 82 in a 55 zone on a highway. I am 21 and don't have any other violations, but I also haven't been driving for very long. It was in a work zone but the officer waived that. I am in Georgia but my insurance, license, and registration are from Florida.

I'm worried about the speeding fine, the insurance rates going up, and potentially losing my license. I don't know anything about any of this. I'm now going to have to pay for my own insurance and I really cannot afford it on my minimum wage part-time job.

Is there anything I can do to mitigate this? What can I expect? How much is my speeding fine likely going to be and how much are my rates going to go up? I don't even know if I'm going to be dealing with Florida or Georgia consequences. I read that you can take an online traffic school to prevent points on my record but is that still applicable with a citation 27 over?

I'm kind of overwhelmed right now. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you so much.

Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: Hire a traffic ticket lawyer. They can probably reduce it to a nonmoving violation. You'll end up paying the same amount as the face value of the ticket but it won't hit your insurance. At least that's how it works often enough.


Title: My mom died with no will, but pretty much every account lists me and my brother as beneficiaries. Do we still need to pay off her credit cards first before disbursing? (Virginia)

Question:
I feel like I'm constantly reading articles about how heirs aren't obligated to pay off unsecured debts like credit card debt \(if they are not co\-signers\), but I used to do business with a law firm that handled trusts and estates and I'm pretty sure the Estates were still on the hook for paying off debts.  Does money from accounts with beneficiaries pass straight to us, or do we need to pay the credit cards first?

She also owned a house and a car \(I think? my dad/her ex\-husband thinks she was paying it off but I don't know\) and I'm pretty sure those are solo assets?  So either way, I think those credit cards will probably have to get paid, I'm just wondering how soon.

My dad also loaned the estate about $22k to cover funeral expenses this week \(although $7k of that is for his future plot so we break it up\), and honestly I'd rather pay him back for funeral stuff first before paying off credit cards.  Can I do that?  My mom's credit card debt racks up to $20k \(so far\) and my brother and I have only found about $14k so far in IRAs where we are listed as the beneficiaries.  She said she has two other banks where she has accounts so I'll check there too but I'm not optimistic we're going to find $42k in cash to pay off the total debt.

Also some advice: Make sure you have at least $15k \(depending on where you live \- plot costs and other funeral expenses are a lot cheaper even just a few hours from here\) on top of your emergency fund to cover a surprise funeral.  The funeral people needed to get paid in full before proceeding. This will be really hard to pay if the person didn't leave a will and solo assets need to go through probate.  My dad fronted the money for us because he didn't want us to have to go through her stuff before the funeral but I don't know what we'd be doing without him.

Answer:
 This guide compiled by the Virginia Bar Association will be useful for you....

https://www.vba.org/page/guide_estates?

It suggests that paying her funeral expenses is a higher priority than other expenses (Section VII).  Section XI seems to suggest that the bank accounts may pass directly to the POD beneficiaries without being exposed to creditors' claims, but (a) you should confirm that with a probate lawyer before you spend that money and (b) it may depend on the details of exactly how the paperwork was filled out when the account was opened.

I think you're going to need a probate lawyer to sort at least some of this out; given that you're going to need one, it's better to get them involved sooner, rather than later.

I know it sounds trite, but sorry for your loss.Answer #2: >  Does money from accounts with beneficiaries pass straight to us

If these are retirement accounts (regular or Roth IRAs) or defined benefit plans (401k, 403b), the answer is yes.

For non-Roth accounts there are rules requiring you to realize the assets in the accounts within a certain period, usually five years, for tax purposes. This is because they were tax-deferred and the government wants its money at some point. You don't have to necessarily *sell* the funds but do have to convert them to taxable at some point.

BTW my dad's cremation and funeral service expenses were about $3k out the door (2016) and we weren't being super stingy.


Title: Traffic school for a ticket out of state?

Question: Ok, I have 60 days from when I paid my speeding ticket (which was about 30 days ago now)  to get into a traffic school program, however I tried to get into one online but couldn't because my ticket wasn't issued in California where I live but rather in Utah. I tried signing up for an online traffic school in CA but couldn't because my ticket wasn't from CA so I couldn't select the county in which I received the ticket. Please help.

Answer: You were issued a ticket in Utah, so you have to attend traffic school in Utah. You cannot attend traffic school in California for breaking Utah law.


Title: [PA] Being paid overtime bi-weekly.

Question: Hello, I work at a hotel that distributes paychecks bi-weekly and only pays overtime if a person goes over 80 hours in two weeks.  I looked up overtime laws for PA and everything I could find says that overtime must be paid on a per-week basis.  This is relevant to me because i go over 40 hours in one week.  I'm not sure how to approach this, because I feel like the employers do this intentionally to save money, and I do not want to bring it up and risk being fired or treated poorly while still employed.  Other than this, I enjoy working here and I would like to keep this job but I also want to be treated fairly.  What is the best course of action?

Answer:
 > Hello, I work at a hotel that distributes paychecks bi-weekly and only pays overtime if a person goes over 80 hours in two weeks.

Illegal as all hell. If you work more than 40 hours in a contiguous 168 hour (7 day) time period, you are entitled to overtime. Mention this to your employer. If that doesn't fix it, file a wage claim with the PA Dept of Labor. You should probably look for another job. They are not allowed to retaliate by firing you, but they will probably "find" another reason to let you go.


Title: Coworker threatening to have her husband come beat me up.

Question:
I live in NYC.

I work at a small business, five employees.  I have been here almost 4 years.

two days ago, upon arriving at the business there was an issue with some of our stock, when I asked about it, my coworker went wild about how its not her fault.  She is the only one working in the store before I arrive, yet she blamed it on the boss's visit hours earlier.

Fast forward to today, I hear from one of our other employees about how she is going to have her husband pay me a visit if I talk to  her like that.

I am not a small guy so I literally feel like I cannot defend myself against this woman. She has already started making threats two weeks into the job.

About a year ago we had another **different** woman working here who got in an argument with our night guy.  Her boyfriend literally came in and had a fist fight with the night guy.  They were both fired. If you had asked me if I thought there were merits to the "ill get my boyfriend/husband to beat you up" threat before that happened, I would have said no.  But, now I know that some people are actually that crazy and will get their boyfriend or husband to come and fight their coworkers.

Basically, my questions are:

What are my rights in this situation?  I feel anxious like I might have to defend myself against any guy that looks like he might be her husband.

What are my rights should I get injured while defending myself at my job?  AKA part of the reason I am worried is because I cant exactly afford medical bills and what if she chooses to make true her threats with her own hands...  I cant exactly fight back.  I told my boss if she threatens me I will have to leave, is that my best bet?  Can I be fired for that?

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks.

Edit: http://work.chron.com/someone-threatens-workplace-2353.html

Found that.  Answered a lot of my questions.  If you or someone  you know is going through this, its not right and by law your employer has to maintain a safe work environment.

Its technically a form of workplace bullying and should be addressed asap.  Tell your HR or boss immediatly.

you may be scared, worried, or anxious about it the following days but its the right thing to do.
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 Have you spoken to your boss about this employee's threats?
Answer #2: >two days ago, upon arriving at the business there was an issue with some of our stock, when I asked about it, my coworker went wild about how its not her fault. She is the only one working in the store before I arrive, yet she blamed it on the boss's visit hours earlier.

My knee-jerk reaction is that she is stealing stock.


Title: Got myself into a situation where i texted a 16 year old when im 22

Question:
Got myself into this situation.

I went on a dating app called “Plenty of Fish” eventually I matched with a girl and she sent me a message. I replied. We started talking. We ended up exchanging phone numbers, first text she sends Hey this is “name here” from pof also attaches a selfie to it. I reply with a selfie as well. She ends up talking real dirty really fast. Sends a nude and then mentions that’s shes 17 turning 18 on November 10th. She also sent me another picture of her with her ex boyfriend that was around the age of 24.
I am 22 year old male, and I was very skeptical as this was some type of set up. So I replied with.
“as far as sexual things lol, ill wait til your 18. Not really wanting to stir trouble. We can just talk and even hang out( this was before I knew she lived in keywest while im in Miami) otherwise I wouldn’t even have mentioned to hang out or continue to talk to her)

She replies with “Umm yeah ok wait until im 18 I haven’t ever heard that one before truust me theres nothing little girl about me, I don’t act my age, im very mature for my age as you can see” (attaches a pic with breast out) ( I NEVER ASKED FOR ANY NUDES)

Me sarcastically saying “ lmao I see you do act mature”

So anyways we kept talking, I just wanted someone to talk to, you know? I recently moved back in with my parents after living on my own to continue going to school and work and achieve my goals. So anyways we talked. She kept sending more nudes. I NEVER ASKED FOR THEM. She then askes me she wants me to want her? And keeps trying to make me send her a nude picture of me… I was very skeptical.. I sent a picture of a tumblr model that had no shirt on with abs wearing underwear but had a boner. Just so I don’t get in trouble cause I had a very weird feeling about this. So that happened she didn’t really text me much, or anything. I just shrugged it off and continue with my normal daily life.

I get a call from the police department and they asked for my name. I replied yes. And asked what seemed to be wrong?
The officer said that her father called the police because he was actually not mad but more worried about to who she was talking to and or seeing. He asked me if I ever sent any pictures and this and that. Im like yes but it was not a picture of me. He said it didn’t matter and that various charges could be against me and depending what comments were said on the picture. I told him the story and how we met and how shocked I actually was, cause I was scared shitless I didn’t think this would actually happen. He told me that he didn’t want to see someone so young ruin their life like this and to talk to the father to settle things down if we can get to the mutual agreement. I agreed and called the father. The father was very shocked and concerned just like any parent would be, and said that she will not be getting her phone or computer back for a long time. And that she was ACTUALLY 16.  That’s when I opened my eyes and was in complete shock. Cause I thought it was just a girl that’s about to turn 18 you know? That it should be fine for me to talk to her without any problems, well I was dead wrong. Im scared shitless. He said we can work out an agreement. He said he doesn’t want to go to court because of his schedule and the money for the lawyer. So he said if I can at least pay off the phone contract that’s around $1000 and we can leave it as is. And for me to never contact her again( WHICH I TTOTALLY AGREE ON) He asked me If I was currently working, at first I said yes. But once he told me the bill im like I haven’t started working yet..  like I cant really pay for anything right now. And hes like well maybe I can hold onto it longer and we can keep in touch and see about it.
ALSO, he wanted me to pay for the phone contract cancellation fee, because I was the adult in this situation.

So yeah this is where im at, im not sure whether its black mail to pay his phone contract…. Or a scam. But I looked up the police number and its an actual police station. So I think this is pretty real and im beyond scared. I’m a good kid with a clean record and no traffic violations. And no where looking forward to jail time. Please give me some advice.
Edit. Currently not working since i move back to home city.

ALSO a few friends and someone from reddit said that its most likely a scam.

Answer: It's a scam. Block and stop talking to jailbaitAnswer #2: [SCAM](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/4xxhdg/my_friend_was_chatting_with_a_girl_online_and/)


Title: Mother of my son wants to claim child support, however, my son is about to turn 18 in two months.

Question:
I live in Southern California, Orange County.

She went after me for child support but would not let me see him. I agreed to pay child support but she would have to let me see him. She changed her mind and said she would drop all back support if I would sign my rights over to her.

I did not sign my rights over...but child support balance is $0 (closed case)

Now my son will be 18 in two months, and in high school for one more year. And his mother wants to put in for child support.

If she reopens the case, will I be paying until he graduates high school, or until he turns 18? Or longer?

Thank you in advance for anyone who is able to answer my question.

Answer:
 Parents cannot agree to waive the duty of child support as that is a duty to the child and not the parent. The only time this duty can be terminated or waived is in the case of a legal adoption.

If you have been paying child support, It depends on the papers she files.  While support generally ends at 18, it can be extended if the child is living as a dependent while pursuing an education beyond that time.

If you have not been paying, she can go after you for backed child support as well in addition to any continued support for the child.


Title: Help! Is my friend a serial liar? Is it possible to be born on US soil and not be allowed to receive US citizenship?

Question:
I have long suspected that my friend lies to me, but I have never had concrete proof. Today I believe she said something that can be proven impossible legally, but I need your help.

I apologize for not knowing when to use Scotland and when to use the UK when talking about legal matters. To avoid confusion and offense, I have used both in most cases.

The facts:
She is an UK national (Scottish).

Her story:
She was born in a US hospital (state not specified) to an American mother and then immediately adopted by her Scottish family and taken to Scotland. She tried to get US citizenship as an adult, but was not allowed because she does not have a US birth certificate. Instead, she has one issued by the Scottish/UK government a few years after her arrival - saying that she was born in Scotland.

Question 1: How difficult is it/how long does it take for a UK family to adopt an American child?
Question 2: Is it possible that a person born on US soil to an American would not be eligible for citizenship? Perhaps if there was a pre-birth agreement that immediately granted parental rights to the adoptive family?
Question 2a: In the above scenario would a birth certificate still be issued?
Question 2b: If in the above scenario the hospital would still keep records. Would those records be enough to retroactively be issued a birth certificate and citizenship?
Question 3: Does the Scottish/UK government issue birth certificates to individuals not born in that territory?

Answer: Wouldn't her birth certificate saying she was born in Scotland be fraudulent if she was born to another person in the states? Wouldn't the birth certificate have to say where she was born?


Title: (Sask Canada Labor Laws) Forced to quit my job due to workplace harassment and unsafe working conditions.

Question:
So yesterday I quit my job.
Well, I gave my two week notice anyways.

I did this because one of the people I work with is unstable, no exaggeration.  He attacked me once before right in the shop and now he has me on his shit list again and spends all day harassing me and trying to instigate a fight.  I am not alone in my opinions that he is unstable, at least a half a dozen people have complained about him in the past as well but he remains.

Management has proof enough to fire this man ten times over, but yet I have to work with him.  So I quit.

I don't think it's fair that I lose my job because my employers failed to address a very serious issue like this.  This man is making death threats against me and other employees at work and it gets ignored and I have to quit to get away?

What kind of recourse do I have here?  I know I do have options with the labor board or OH&S but I would like a little clarification before I start making calls.

Thank you.

Answer:
 Did you call the police about the attack and the death threats?Answer #2: You could fall OHS, but that might not make the situation better. The likely outcome is they will come in and see whether your employer has a harassment policy or not and it not make them write one but I doubt they will come in and tell your boss to fire your coworker

Police sounds like a more direct and timely resolution for death threats and assaults


Title: I was sexually abused by my stepfather

Question:
Okay this is scary for me to even start thinking about, I'll just say what happened, so between 2006-2011, I was sexually abused, physically abused, scared for my life, i was raped by this monster who not only took my innocence.. I was 11 fucking years old, I remember him drugging my orange soda, I remembered him making me bathe before he took me to his room. (my mom was at the hospital giving birth to my baby sister at the time) and if you wish to know more please read my confession (link below) , I am very interested in finding my own justice, I was told to seek this sub for legal advice and help. I have started therapy and it's digging up repressed memories. I live in a different state at this time and I believe he is serving the last of a different sentence in prison right now... Any advice at all would be welcomed. I do not know if I should bring charges up or hire a lawyer, also I'm so afraid he will win even after everything in the end.. I deal with nightmares and I have suffered so much anxiety, depression and even thoughts of ending my life because of this sick monster. Sorry if this the wrong sub, I'll delete my post if it is. Thank u for any help

To catch you up on my woes I wrote this months ago https://www.reddit.com/r/confession/comments/7vdc10/i_was_sexually_abused_by_my_stepfather/?utm_source=reddit-android

Answer:
 So sorry that happened to you.

Yes you can still file a police report. As the victim, you don’t need a lawyer for a criminal case as it will be him vs the state.

If he does get out of prison, you could also get a restraining order and I think Missouri has a program for victims of DV where they can list you under a fake address so he won’t be able to find your real address.

I didn’t click on your link yet.... but as someone that also went through long term sexual abuse as a child it sounds like you might have PTSD.  What happened to you is not your fault.... but I know how much it messes with how you think/feel/sleep every single day.... I definitely recommend getting therapy if you haven’t already. Answer #2: This is the right sub. Don't worry about that. I strongly suggest you contact [RAINN](https://www.rainn.org/) (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) to line up resources for support.

You do not need to hire a lawyer, but you do need to contact the police so they can start an investigation. [Missouri has a long statute of limitations](https://statelaws.findlaw.com/missouri-law/missouri-rape-and-sexual-assault-laws.html), but if the abuse occurred in other states as well their laws may differ.


Title: [MI] went skinny-dipping and now potentially facing an indecent exposure charger

Question:
A little backstory. Last night went to a local bar with a couple of buddies. We were approached by a bachelorette party to join their table and join in some games and drinking. All fun and games right. Well they were from out of state, had a bit to drink, and had the bright idea to go skinny-dipping.

Well what does any group of guys say when asked if they want to go skinny-dipping with a bunch of girls... heck yes! BAD!

So get to a small public beach and strip down and hop in. We were in there for a good 45 minutes, before a local sheriff showed up and gave all of us tickets. We received a C/I for being on the beach after hours, which is fine. I don't care about that one, but he also processed us for indecent exposure.

He said that it will go the prosecutors office, and they will decide what to do from there.

He also said that since we were being very cooperative with him, he put in good notes regarding the situation such as it was 3am and pitch dark so you couldn't see 5 feet in front of you, so there's no way anyone in the surrounding area could have seen anything.  Typically he will take someone for jail for this type of thing.

He mentioned that it could take up to a week before we find out if we're being charged with anything.

Obviously I really don't want to end up on the sex offender list for the rest of my life over this dumb decision.

So my questions are
1) Should be seeking a lawyer right now, or wait to see if I'm going to be charged with anything.
2) What are the chances this will blow over considering the cops notes regarding the situation?

Thank you.

EDIT: typos
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Lawyer. Nowadays, an indecent exposure charge is worse than assault. Answer #2: If you know any lawyers already, it couldn't hurt to discuss this with them, but there's no need to put a retainer down until the prosecutor's office decides to move forward.

The good news about the cop's notes is that it'll help you stay off the registry.  Indecent exposure doesn't automatically put you on the list, you only go on if you are also charged with being a "sexual delinquent person" who engaged in "repetitive or compulsive acts which indicate a disregard of consequences or the recognized rights of others" or raped somebody.  The notes show that was not the case.

You could still face jail time or up to $1,000 in fines, so take it seriously.


Title: [USA][MA] Is software piracy illegal? I always understood it as copyright infringement to DISTRIBUTE copyrighted material, but no crime in DOWNLOADING.

Question:
The core of my question is in the title. This came up in a conversation among friends and made me concerned. I tried googling, but everything I could find was talking about **torrenting** which is copyright infringement because you're redistributing the content to other downloaders in the process. But if we're talking about straight downloads off a server, I thought the server owner was violating copyright by copying the files to send to me, and I was in the clear since receiving a file that I requested isn't a crime.

Furthermore, is it a crime to USE downloaded content that was not paid for, or is the law only violated during the ACQUISITION phase?

If it's illegal, I'd love to be able to see the law that covers this. It just seems like nothing I can find covers the downloading and use of copyrighted material, without copying it myself.

Also, I know most of the posts in this sub involve people who are "in trouble" in some way or want to take action against someone, but the rules don't require posts to involve that so hopefully this is cool - I'm literally asking for advice on whether actions are legal so I hope it works :) thanks!

Answer:
 Yes, it is illegal to use software for which you do not have an authorized license.  Will you necessarily get caught?  Probably not (though many Applications have a “call home” feature for license verification).

When I was in college the BSA (Business Software Alliance, not the Boy Scouts) “raided” the University, who wound up owing millions in fines for the insane amount of pirated software being used on campus.


Title: My business was stolen from me and when I reached out to resolve the issue I was told it was extortion and I could go to prison. USA

Question:
My brother recently re-incorporated my business without me, taking all the intellectual property with him to the new company. When I emailed one of the other board members asking if we could resolve the dispute, I was told its a threat and that I am now in trouble for extortion.

Is threatening legal action and going public with my story the same as extortion?

the exact message i sent was this, aside from the redacted names.

"Hey REDACTED, hope everything is good with you. I've been trying to deal with REDACTED about the REDACTED incorporation, without me and my equity included. He refuses to discuss anything so I'm reaching out to you as an officer of REDACTED Inc to reach a solution prior to taking any action.

REDACTED"

I understand extortion is when someone threatens someone for monetary gain, but arent I well within my rights to threaten legal action and making my issue public?

Im now being told that the feds are going to kick down my door and seize my computers.

Answer:
 Never take legal advice from a potential legal adversary.

Hire a lawyer to represent you and listen to their advice.

This is not extortion.


Title: [BC] My dad was knocked over by a dog and suffered serious injury

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Who is the park owned by? Are there any rules listed there?

Usually, dog parks would be considered "At your own risk." You're in an open field with large dogs running around. It's very likely someone may get bumped and fall down. This may seem harsh, but I don't see how this would be negligence of the owner at an off-leash dog park.

Would be different with a dog bite, but dogs are going to be rough-housing at dog parks, it's not anything unusual.


Title: How come it is legal for a search warrant to be issued to draw your blood, but you can refuse a breathalyzer on grounds of self incremination?

Question: It seems to me drawing blood is far more intrusive.

Answer: If there was a way to compel a breath sample then we could do that instead.  You can't force someone to give a breath sample but you can for blood.


Title: Old Fraternity wants to make me pay fees

Question: I quit my old fraternity this December after being an inactive member for the fall quarter. However, the fraternity chapter is now threatening to send me to a collection agency if I don't pay their summer dues. Do I have to pay, or is this an empty threat? The only document I signed was one making me an inactive member for the fall quarter. I signed no promissory notes. I'm a student in Southern California.

Answer:
 I know with how my sorority worked, you were required to pay all dues up until you took a leave or left. So if you were inactive fall, you would still be responsible for summer dues.

You most likely signed a financial agreement form that states they can send you to collections for non-payment. I would work to see if you can get a copy of that document, and also work with them to reduce or remove the fees if possible. You do not want to ruin your credit now with a collection, it will be hard to rebuild from that.


Title: Caught with adderall and an empty cart

Question:
The other day at school i was getting some adderall for exams and I just happened to have my pen on me.  Long story short someone snitched, I will now have a felony for possession of a prescription that wasn't mine and misdemeanor for paraphernalia from the cart the school resource officer told me.  But I'm just wondering how much a fine like that would cost me.  He said he was going to try and get me the bare minimum because i cooperated well.  I live in wisconsin btw and I'm 15.  Also how might this affect me in tbe future?
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 And today is when you learn police will lie to you to make sure you stay calm.

These are potentially life altering charges that you should speak to no one about save the attorney that represents you.


Title: Anyone else being sued by cobbler Nevada for downloading the shitty Adam Sandler movie the cobbler? Lets talk.

Question: No trolls please.  I know it is illegal to download movies and have since quit, yet millions do it everyday.  I would like to discuss the case.

Answer:
 That's really not the purpose of this sub.

For one, most of us here obey the law and pay for our entertainment.

For two, most of us here watch movies that are actually good and don't have Adam Sandler in them.


Title: How do I use the Freedom of Information Act to find out who called and filed a complaint on me?

Question: Someone called the police on me for parking on the street without a city parking permit. First off, who does that? I want to know who called on me. What can a Californian do in this situation?

Answer:
 So you are upset because someone called and reported that you were breaking the law? What is the world coming to?!

I do not know that that information is available through FOIA. Also, they could have reported anonymously

Edit [link](http://www.foia.gov/faq.html#others) exemption 7 likely applies hereAnswer #2: >What can a Californian do in this situation?

Get a parking permit?


Title: Friend takes my short story (OR)

Question:
So I write as a hobby and enjoy posting game reviews, short stories and poetry on my Facebook page for all to enjoy. I have never considered to possibly doing it for money but recently, I discovered my friend took my short story from my FB page and submitted it and it is getting published. She is now getting paid for something I wrote. She changed some small details, but the meat of the story is the same.

Do I have any legal recourse? If I post my stories, poetry on FB, can people just take it?

Answer: Like IG said, it's probably not worth the time and expense of a lawsuit. However, you could easily contact her publisher and provide proof that the story was stolen. Not only will that make them apply some pressure to her, it'll also make the publisher a lot more hesitant to publish this story on her behalf (because they're a much better lawsuit target than your friend).Answer #2: Do you know the publisher? Send a certified letter demanding the cease infringing upon your content immediately. They wont print plagiarized material. They may offer you the deal.


Title: [MO/CA] My dad wants to try to get my sister arrested for marijuana use.

Question:
I'll try to keep this brief:

My dad and my older sister are severely estranged. He is very sexist, and believes a woman's place is in the home - she left home at 18 and has a good career in California.

In CA, my sister has started using marijuana to help control her anxiety. She is a whole different person, and a lot happier, with it, so I don't have a problem.

My dad recently found out because our great grandmother (who is terminally ill) was talking to my sis about bringing some out for her since it's supposed to help w/ pain management.

My dad heard, and has been desperately trying to find out when my sister will be in state so he can call the police on her.

I warned my sister, and she reassured me she's not so stupid as to bring marijuana into MO, but my dad insists that they'll test her, and she'll test positive, and she'll be arrested anyway.

Is this true? Should I try to get her to cancel her trip to come see the rest of the family, to prevent her from being arrested? Or will they not arrest her in MO for drug use that occurred in CA?

Answer:
 >My dad recently found out because our great grandmother (who is terminally ill) was talking to my sis about bringing some out for her since it's supposed to help w/ pain management.

If your sister brings pot to your grandma, then yeah, your sister could be in very serious trouble. Possession with intent to distribute, etc. So obviously she needs to absolutely not do this. Tell grandma that sister could go to federal prison for that, so although you guys wish you could help grandma manage her pain in this way, she just can't.

Don't tell dad when sister is visiting grandma. Remind your sister not to post on social media about her trip (no "I'm going" or "I'm here," no location-tagged posts while she's there). Your sister can visit grandma without dad knowing, or at least without him knowing in advance; if she doesn't bring anything with her, no drugs, no paraphernalia, nothing, he can't get her in trouble.Answer #2: Unless your dad is a police officer, nobody is going to drug test her nor is anyone going to arrest her.


Title: daycare abuse

Question: is there anything i can do legally about this i filed a police report and also a case with cps. yesterday i picked up my 4 year old from daycare and he told me his teacher grabbed him by the neck. he has bruises on his neck and i also asked him if she has done anything else to him and he says she pulls his ears really hard.

Answer: You should take pictures of the bruises, and bring your child to a doctor to make sure he doesn't have any other injuries.


Title: Fined by police officer for "Chestnuts"

Question:
My mom recently returned from China with a plastic bag of chestnuts in her luggage. The officer said dogs sniffed out the chestnuts in her luggage and she they were seized. She was also fined $800 for this and due to her poor english, a lot of questions asked by the officer were unable to be explained by her. The officer informed her to pay now so that the fine will be reduced by 50% to $400 and so she did. Is there still any way to dispute this or is this justified to have this amount of fine for some chestnuts. Please help with some advice

Thank you

Answer:
 That's a stiff fine, but there are good reasons for agricultural controls like this: raw unprocessed agricultural products can carry pests that can devastate crops.

You can contact CBP and see if there is any kind of appeal process that could get money returned and make sure that the law was being enforced properly.Answer #2: Just to be clear, did she declare the agricultural goods when she came through customs or did she try to sneak them through?


Title: The school county doesn't allow me to withdraw from an AP class.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 This is an issue of school policy, not a legal issue. If school policy is a 5 day drop period, there's not much you can do.Answer #2: The purpose of dropping a class is either that you decided you didn't want to take the course or that your course load is too heavy.  It's not to prevent a bad grade from showing up on your transcript.  If you started this class in September I'm not surprised that you're well past the drop deadline.

Your best bet is to talk to your teacher about possible tutors and extra credit assignments.  Sometimes you can withdraw, which would leave the course on your transcript without a final mark.


Title: Violation of Probation help!

Question:
Very unordinary situation here. THIS DOES NOT PERTAIN TO ME. A FAMILY FRIEND IS LOOKING FOR HELP AND IM SEARCHING.
So we've got a 22 year old guy, he has been in some trouble before but as of now he's been working hard, raising his kid and getting over a prescription pain killer addiction. He was on probation which he violated once before because he had trace amount of subutex in his system. Unbelievably, before he could be arrested for that violation, an old style pickup truck came barreling down the road and plowed right into him as he was walking across the street. The kid literally flew a good 50 ft or so from where he was standing. When I made it outside to see what happened he was laying in the middle of the road with his legs and hands twisted in directions I've NEVER before seen with my own eyes. He spent the next 4 in a wheelchair with casts all over his body, undergoing numerous surgeries. Well after all was said and done the courts were generous and offered him house arrest instead of jail time for his previous violation.
Now I'm not stupid, he's obviously in trouble and must abide by the rules and laws. However, can we not agree this kid probably goes through bouts of tremendous pain? He was just arrested because in his last drug test they found TRACE amounts of subutex...no hes currently not prescribed them. And as mentioned before he has previously been addicted to pain pills. He admitted to his mother he took a half of one because he was in pain (which living with him, I'm sure she would know if he was lying about the pain). Obviously it's a legit violation but his mother was told that he will not receive any pain medication while he is in jail for 6 months. Nothing for his pain...is this legal? This is happening in Indiana here in the good ole Ununited States of America.

Answer:
 >Nothing for his pain...is this legal?

I sincerely doubt that he will receive absolutely no pain killers whatsoever.

No opioid based pain killers? Sure, I believe that.

None whatsoever? No way.


Title: Parents using my ssn

Question: I'm looking for some help with my situation. 3 years ago I got a call about a CenturyLink account in my.name that was in collections. I had just moved out and didn't even have cable. Come to find out it was in my SSN/name and under my parents address. When I asked them about it they told me they had no idea how that happened, it was my dad's account and he was going to take care of it. So being young I let him deal with it and forgot about it. Well yesterday I got a call from another collections agency that I had a direct TV account in collections. Same SSN/name under my parents new adress. So I called them up and asked what the hell.... They deny deny deny and I'm not really sure what to do here. I want to lable it as a fraud account or whatever but I'm afraid of what will happen with my parents, I'm almost positive they are feeding me lies and I know they opened the account with my info. What would be my best course of action here? Thanks for any advice in advance

Answer:
 If you have any joint accounts with your parents, move your money into your own accounts and close them, immediately.

Pull a copy of your credit report from each of Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It's free, once a year, for you to get your own. While you're doing that, also freeze your credit with each agency so that no further accounts can be opened.

Go through your credit history. For each and every account or debt you don't recognize, call the creditor and report it as a fraudulent account. Call the police non-emergency line and file a police report about fraud and identity theft, as well.

Your parents are going to go to jail. There's no getting around that, unless you want to take on these loans and debt for yourself. The only way you're going to get these fraudulent debts off of your name is to allow your parents to experience the consequences of their choices.


Title: [NY] Possible Child Porn

Question: im just going to start from the beginning. I've posted about this situation before. This kid from the next town over owed me and a friend money. He blocked us in attempt to not give us our money. We got his mom involved and she gave us our money. She actually gave me double! The only caveat was that she told us NOT to talk to her son. I never contacted this kid anymore. Every time he was tagged in a photo, I never directly responded to him. Everytime he was in a voice chat, he was muted. He tried once contacting me because I guess his mom didn't tell him we got our money, so he wanted to pay me back so we would hangout with him. I didn't respond.  Fast forward to today when I get a group picture message of his girlfriend with photoshopped sperm on her face. I never directly talked to him, I only commented asking who the person was. Now his mom texted me saying she was getting the school involved and I knew why. I did nothing and want to know precautions I should take.

Answer:
 You should talk to your parents right away, and start looking for lawyers. Child porn charges are no joke, and you need to make sure you're protected.

You should also block this person on everything. You really should have done that a while ago.


Title: [IL] Should I sue my college?

Question:
I attended Westwood College from 2005 - 2008 and ever since graduating have been trying to get involved in a class action lawsuit. The school has been involved in a number of lawsuits so far where they have had to payout to students and state for education malpractice (inflating statistics, lying to students, etc.) I have always been scared to look for legal help as I do not have any substantial savings I could drop at a moments notice and I know practically nothing about hiring a lawyer.
Now that it's getting close to 10 years after graduation and the school is closing all campuses (probably because they know they will be in more trouble if they stay open) I have been wondering if there would be any point in trying to sue the school. Tuition cost me over $90,000 for an Animation Degree and the classes were horrible. I couldn't go to another college because of already being buried in debt. So my life has stagnated because of this. I save and save just so I can pay back the loans.
I currently have a Defense to Repayment application going through the system but I question if I will get a fair deal. Sure they could potentially wipe my debt but 10 years have been wasted NOT going to another college for a real degree. I feel the college owes me a refund and then some.
Im not trying to sound like "oh woe is me", I just am curious to have some real input on the issue.

Thank you for listening.

Answer: Your claim is probably barred by the statute of limitations if that college is in IL.  For fraud it's 5 years, but it is 10 years for breach of written contract.  You should meet with a lawyer if you want to sue.  If there have been class actions, you may have already been represented in a lawsuit over this, without even knowing it.  My suspicion is you will have a hard time finding a contingent fee lawyer, so it will cost you and not worth the risk.  FInally, if they are closing, they may not have any assets to pay you even if you won.


Title: Made a bad mistake last night.

Question:
Hello Reddit.

This last week was a fantastic week. Had a great interview at a new job, got promoted in my unit (military)

So I decided to go out drinking, which is very rare for me. (8 months or so since I've drank anything. ) I went out with a few girls, got drunk, and went home with one.

I get a call not an hour ago from her friend pissed with me for what I did how the girl, (Let's call her Bailey.) Bailey, was drunk and didn't know what she was doing. Cry cry cry this, cry cry cry that. She is thinking about pressing charges for rape.

I live in Minnesota.

What are my options? Should I try to make an apology to her, or does that just make me look guilty?

My actions are my actions. Alcohol is not an excuse nor a reason. If it comes to that she does file charges, I just need to know my OPTIONS. Cause honestly, I'm freaking the hell out.

Answer: Say **nothing** to her.  Contact an attorney if the police call.  Do not volunteer an apology, a police officer may be recording on the other line.  It's called a pretext phone call.Answer #2: Cease communication, lawyer up.Answer #3: Thanks for all of the advice. I've spoken to two different lawyers now and both agree that I am not in any serious danger of being brought up on charges. I sent pretty much the whole of the texts I did send, (before coming to reddit) and they said it was the best thing I could have said, and does not incriminate me in any way. Answer #4: Contact legal assistance.  They are there for your benefit as a service member.  Do exactly what they tell you.


Title: (OH) chronic truancy hearing

Question: first, why I don't go to school a lot is because I have severe depression, paranaoi, and I also have schizophrenia... tomorrow I'm planning to confront the principle about it, and also signing the drop out papers my mom keep insisting that she won't (is it even possible to do at this point? Dropping out while having a truancy hearing?) So I have a juvenile court thing on Feb 4th, should I even go, what should I expect, am I gonna be guilty immediately?

Answer: Start talking to a social worker and stop trying to drop out of school.


Title: Booked an Airbnb for a girl who claimed to be in trouble, how can I protect myself from liabilities at the rental?

Question: I don't know anything about the girl, just that she needed a place for the night. I made this clear to the host before he accepted the booking, but in retrospect I may be shooting myself in the foot if she does something to the place. How do I protect myself? I've already contacted Airbnb with a similar question.

Answer: You can't. If she damages the place, you're on the hook. You would then have to sue her for whatever expenses you incur due to her actions.


Title: There is this 19 year old kid who keeps wiring me money to my bank account so I change my testimony and I keep wiring it back, but it never stops she keeps sending it back again, What can be done here to make her stop without getting her or myself in trouble? [West Lake Hills, TX]

Question:
Long story short and without getting into too much detail. I’m a witness in a case and the hearing is a month away. One of the kids involved in this case wants me to change my testimony. I’m not involved in any way with the case other than I witnessed something and I got served to go to court.

This girl I know came to my house told me she wants me to change my testimony and wanted to give me this stuffed envelope filled with money in return. I refused and she kept pushing it until she eventually left. Now she keeps sending money to my bank account which I have no idea how she got my account number to begin with, and I can't believe she’s dumb enough to send it through the bank which leaves trail back to her. I told her over and over that I won't accept her money but she keeps sending them anyway. It’s happened three times so far.

My concern here are as follows: 1) I don’t know what to do to stop her from sending me the money. She doesn’t stop sending it back and I don’t want a single cent of her money laying in my account 2) I’m not sure if not telling the judge about that would be illegal (although I would prefer not to say anything if all this would go away and I make her stop but I don’t want to get involved in any more shit tbh) and 3) I’m worried about my bank account as well. Having couple thousands of dollars sent to me then sent back three times seems suspicious as hell!!

Answer:
 Somebody with VERY POOR JUDGEMENT has your bank data. Time to get a new account. In addition to other steps as advised about reporting this.Answer #2: Look, by leaving a paper trail as she has shes fucked you royally, if you do NOT tell the court you are being tampered with as a witness by this and report it you are going to get screwed if anyone sees this record.

Your options are to throw her under the bus and report her for being an idiot and escalating a presumably minor situation into felony level, or to risk yourself being charged with a felony.  I know which one I'd choose personally. Answer #3: Ahh west lake. You rich people you.

Anyways, definitely record these events and call up the prosecutor. Like immediately. Explain who's sending the money, and why. Tell them about them coming to your door and somehow getting your routing information. Witness tampering is a felony crime, she's up shit creek and throwing away her paddle.

It seems unlikely, but could she be also trying to bribe anyone else as well?Answer #4: Someone at that bank needs to get arrested for handing out your account number....Answer #5: Consider also that she might succeed in getting others to change testimony and create an unjust outcome even if you don't change your testimony.

It's a sure bet that once you report her, she will be found to have tried this on other witnesses.Answer #6: You need to protect yourself.  File a police report (not that they can do anything but you need a paper trail) and contact the prosecutors office.  if you don't report this you'll end up chest deep in dog shit.


Title: [AZ] Terms on apartment rental lease say that bicycles are not allowed inside the apartment. Apartment complex is threatening to terminate the lease because I keep my unicycle inside.

Question:
Are they allowed to terminate the lease since unicycles are not explicitly listed in the lease, only bicycles?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: You could probably argue that in court, yes. A judge may decide that unicycle = bicycle because common sense, though.


Title: Lyft screwed out of a $350 bonus AFTER I did the work- San Francisco

Answer:
 Small claims court for breach of contract would be my first stop. I would also argue equitable estoppel (rather than promissory) because it relates to past statements made by Lyft.

My guess is that Lyft would rather just write you a check for $350 than pay for someone to represent them in small claims court. Answer #2: Can you post the fine print from the offer from the bonus?


Title: Wrongful Eviction, 4 years old, just now learning of it. Can't get an apartment. Help :[

Question:
Edit: This is in Florida.

Hello.

I need some legal help. Or, I need a second opinion. I talked to a lawyer earlier today and she was NO help. Here's the story.

Back in 2010 I moved to a new city and found residence through a campus "roommate wanted" posting. The guy needed a roommate and I needed a room so I agreed to pay him $400 a month to stay in the extra room. Fast forward a year and I decide it is time to move out. I leave in late 2011, probably November. That's it. I never signed a lease, I never missed a payment. I simply lived with the guy for about a year and then we parted ways.

Well, last year I began looking for apartments. I kept getting denied. Why? Unbeknownst to me, the guy quit paying rent about 8 months after I left, and I was served an eviction. I had no idea. Again, why? Well on top of me not even living there during that time period, they also spelled my name wrong on all the official court documents up until the final judgement. I have searched their public records database and confirmed this to be true.

The lawyer that I spoke with today told me that there is nothing I can do since the case is already old, and closed. What do you all think?

Answer: What state are you in? What state was the eviction case in? Without these details we can do nothing for you and you were prompted to mention location *more than once*.


Title: Is the house owner financially responsible for someone else ordering something?

Question: If someone inside your household were to order food without your knowledge and have it delivered to your house and decided not to pay for it, would the house owner legally be responsible for paying for that food?

Answer:
 If the homeowner rejects the food, the matter of payment is between the person who ordered and the vendor.

If the homeowner accepts the food, he pays for it.

If the person who ordered the food is a dependent of the homeowner, the homeowner may be liable.


Title: I'm in a terrible situation and am looking for advice.

Question:
Recently I was arrested and accused of sexual assault. Police claimed that I sexually assaulted two teenage girls between the age of 13 and 15.

Now to tell you what actually happens. On my days off I usually like to exercise at a nearby park. On that day, I saw two girls in the park and they approached me and starting to talk to me. They even gave me their cell phone numbers. After talking to them, I went and finished exercising. This took about 30 minutes and then they began to text me. When I was texting them they confirmed with me that they were both 18. We met at the park later again I shared my weed with them. Later on the same day, I got a text from the girl telling me if we could hang out. She sent me her address and I picked her up and her sister tagged along. They came to my place and we smoked weed, watched movies, and eventually, I made out with one of the girls. This is when everything went wrong. The younger sister decided to go home and left me and the other sister alone. 30 minutes after that the police showed up at my place and arrested me. I was shocked.

Apparently the younger sister went back to her grandmas and told them about me. That's when their grandmother called the cops. I had no idea the girl was 15. I fucked up. To make matters worse the news got ahold of the story and it has officially ruined my life. Everyone thinks that I'm a pedophile. All it says is that I lured and sexually assaulted two young girls. This isn't even true. I did kiss one of them but that's it. I look like a monster to everyone. They even fired me from my job. I have no idea what to do? Any advice?

Answer:
 Lawyer.

Lawyer now.

Why have you read this far. You need to hire a lawyer yesterday.Answer #2: Based on your first two sentences, you need an attorney. After reading your post, you need an attorney. This isn't a "simple legal question"


Title: I [19F] am worried about going to jail because I saw a picture of Brooke shields when she was 10 years old

Question:
I was reading about it on TIL so I looked it up out of curiosity and then I went by my business. Now thinking about it, I feel what if what I did was illegal! And reading on the threads, they keep talking about being in a list. Since I looked it up, am I on a list now!!! Omfg. I think I’m going to prison or be listed and be on watch!!!!

I live in Virginia

Here are the links mentioning about being on a list

Am I going to jail?

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/9u6zjx/til_that_in_1975_a_10_year_old_brooke_shields/e91zmyi/

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/735ned/til_brooke_shields_was_a_full_frontal_nude_model/dnnvv4w/

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/735ned/til_brooke_shields_was_a_full_frontal_nude_model/dnp0upm/

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/735ned/til_brooke_shields_was_a_full_frontal_nude_model/dns889q/

Answer:
 They dont go after the viewers. They go after the posters and/or content owners.

I'll reiterate previous response: You're fine.


Title: [NY] Was it legal for the police to handcuff and detain me just for photography on public property?

Question:
I had my car parked across from a jewelry store that I was interested in taking photos of with my camera. The type of people who generally go to these places can be quite interested and sophisticated, so I decided to spend the day taking photographs. I was on public property, so I didn't think there were going to be any issues with this.

Well eventually I suppose someone called the police on me. My vehicle was approached and I was asked for my license, registration, and proof of insurance, which I happily gave to the officer.

He said that he had gotten a report of a suspicious vehicle outside the jewelry store and wanted to know what I was doing there. I remembered the "dont talk to police" video and told him that I'd like to remain silent until I had the opportunity to speak with an attorney.

He then got pretty frustrated and told me that if that is how I wanted to play it then fine. Knowing that I was now dealing with an angry cop, I kept my hands on the steering wheel and asked him if I was free to leave. He said I wasn't and asked me to step out of the car, I immediately complied and he handcuffed me and sat me down on the curb. I asked him what crime he suspected me of committing and he offered no reply. He then said that I was making this way harder than it had to be.

Eventually another police officer arrived on the scene and after the two officers had a discussion, he came over to me, un-handcuffed me, apologized for the inconvenience, and told me that I was free to go. I then immediately drove home.

Was the officer in the wrong here? I followed all of the ACLU guidelines, and remained entirely polite the entire time, but I was still handcuffed for no reason. Do I have any legal recourse?

Answer: Were you casing the joint?  Because it sure sounds a lot like you were casing the joint.Answer #2: Okay, so you were parked across the street from a jewelry store and taking pictures? The store probably called them about the potential thief casing the outside of their store and the police had every reason to try to speak with you. You were then uncooperative and refused to explain why you were at the store. They then removed you from the vehicle and detained you why they ran your ID. You were then released. In what way, exactly, do you believe your rights were violated? Answer #3: Dude, you were being an ass to a guy who was probably scared that you were plotting to rob the jewelry store. It's fine and dandy to say "don't talk to cops" but really, you need to pick your battles. Wouldn't it have been easier to simply tell the officer what you were doing, tell him you thought you were in the right (not saying you weren't), and complying? That officer had every right to be suspicious of you. He didn't know if you were harmless, a future thief, or, possibly, waiting to shoot an unsuspecting police officer. Think about people as people, not as "policemen who are never to be trusted".


Title: (Idaho) I got caught shoplifting, and I deserved it.

Question: Yesterday at winco (in ID) i got caught shoplifting. I put a can of chips in my purse, got a sandwich and bought it. I walked out of the store when LP asked if i had forgotten to pay for anything. I said yes, he took me to the back and had me sit on a bench while he searched my bag and called the manager in and typed up a lot of stuff. He asked me a couple of questions like why not steal the sandwich too and i said i don't know. A police officer came in and LP told him what happened. I was told to appear in court in a few weeks and that if i miss it i could be arrested. They took my photo with the items I attempted to take. I then signed a paper that said i was banned from winco for 100 years (?) and that i have to pay the value of the merchandise (which was less than three bucks) plus a civil penalty.  I honestly am doing quite well for myself i could have easily paid for the items i took. I do suffer from clinical depression and some compulsive behaviors. I am not looking for any tips on how to get away with this, or anything like that. I want to stop this. Getting caught was like a bucket of cold water to me and i needed it. I just want to know what happens now... What do i need to do to prepare myself, mentally and emotionally, for court. I am over 21.

Answer: Get an attorney now or plead not guilty and ask for a public defender. Don't sign any type of plea without consulting with an attorney. There may be a first time offender program. Talk to your doctor about trying new medication. Answer #2: Get an attorney. Stop stealing.


Title: Ex said she's going to sue for slander, how worried should I be (nc)

Question:
I met this girl on an app in October. We went on a few dates and since then she's come to my place once a week or so and we hung out and all that. I was really into her but also really busy with school so I didn't have time to hang out with her as much as she wanted.

We were hanging out and she went to the bathroom and left her phone on the sofa. It buzzed and I looked at it and saw a text from another guy. I opened the message and screenshotted the conversation and sent it to myself. I wanted it as evidence for when I confronted her. When I did, she said we weren't exclusive so she could talk to whoever she wanted. I said she shouldn't be texting other guys in my house, it's disrespectful. She told me she didn't text him, he texted her and she couldn't control hen he texted her. She left and ignored all my texts and calls after.

I was really pissed about the whole thing. I was kind of blinded by my emotions and unthinkingly posted the screenshot on facebook and tagged her. In the post, she was referred to as a cheater. She untagged herself pretty quickly and the post was removed. However, I heard through a mutual friend that she may have lost a job offer at a political agency because of it, though I don't know if this is true. I lost a lot of friends over this post and a lot of people took her side. I'm pretty emotionally wrecked by the whole thing. I really liked her and thought we'd be good together, and now I not only lost her, but a bunch of people hate me.

She hasn't spoken to me, but someone gave me a heads up that she's going to sue me for slander. I am wondering if I should get a lawyer or send a cease and desist to stop talking badly about me to my friends. I would just like this situation to go away.

Answer:
 IANAL. This would be libel, not slander. Proving libel for a written statement requires:

1. The statement is false. Check - you've said that in this post.
2. The statement caused harm. Check - she may have lost her job

If she lost her job then you definitely should be worried. If that is the case, lawyer up. In the meantime, assuming that what she's saying is broadly true, sending a cease and desist letter is only going to make you look like an asshole to your mutual friends.

&#x200B;

Not legal advice: this was a massive overreaction and is pretty goddamn controlling behaviour.Answer #2: Well, you did access her device without her consent. And you have proof of that with a screenshot you sent yourself. You also blasted her for something that could very well not have been what you are accusing her of for all you know. And if she can prove your callout cost her that job opportunity, you are screwed seven different ways, all the way to Sunday, bud.

&#x200B;

Have fun with paying her off for quite a long time, my good man!Answer #3: Do you have assets?  If yes, consult a lawyer soon.  If no, respond to any lawsuit.  If you lack assets, no lawyer is going to take her case.


Title: What happens if you cannot afford to travel out of state for a court case?

Question: My dad (owner of car) and I are being sued for a car accident I was in in 2015. I was found not at fault, but that’s besides the point. The other party refused a settlement from my insurance, and so we have a trial date in October. I live in Texas, and the court case is in California. My dad still lives in CA. I will have to take a week off from work, pay for flights to and from, and find childcare for my infant who will have to go with me. Honestly, I don’t know how I’m going to be able to afford this. Is there anything I can do? The lawyer our insurance provided recently left the firm, so we were assigned a new lawyer that I have not spoken to yet.

Answer:
 The first step would be to speak to your lawyer. They will know more than anyone on Reddit. You could also try posting to r/insurance and/or r/legaladvice to get better information. Answer #2: I feel like this is part of your insurance. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think you magically become liable when someone declines your insurance company's settlement offer? Otherwise insurance companies wouldn't exist outside of states that require them because you'd just be paying someone thousands per year to be a gatekeeper between you and every accident you have.

Assuming I'm correct your first action would be to contact your insurance company to inform them that a party who has an open claim with them has opted to take that claim to court. You may still be required to appear but the difference between a defendant appearing and a subpoenaed witness appearing are significant, especially when it comes to reimbursement. If you are only a witness, you may be able to motion to take your sworn statement as testimony, citing undue financial burden as your reason for not attending in person. Answer #3: If the other side doesn’t serve your lawyers with a notice for you to appear and testify at the trial and/or a trial subpoena, you technically don’t have to go.  I imagine that you’re a pretty critical witness for your side though.  Maybe explain to the insurance company that you can’t afford to go.  They’re going to need you there to win their case, so maybe they’ll help get you there.  They could also use your deposition transcript (assuming you were deposed) in lieu of your testimony, but that wouldn’t be ideal for the case.


Title: my mom just got this insurance claim in the mail. she says she hasn't gotten in an accident and doesn't know why she got this.

Question:
[pic of the letter](https://image.prntscr.com/image/LB1_B0BXSTygFAE0T7JBqg.png)

what should we do?

Answer:
 You bring this to the attention of mom’s insurance company ASAP and tell them that you have no idea what it concerns and that it is likely fraudulent.Answer #2: Mom should contact her auto insurance company about the letter. She should let them know that she was not involved in any accident and doesn't know what it is about.

Let her insurance company deal with the other one. She shouldn't respond directly unless her insurance company asks her to do so.


Title: (CA) Taking my ex to small claims court

Question:
I'm looking for advice on taking my ex to small claims court. I am looking to get as much money out of him as I can...call me greedy but he really screwed me over emotionally and left me homeless in a matter of 24 hours.

Here are the facts:
* We signed a year lease into a new apartment. We moved in on August 5. On August 9, he decided to move out unexpectedly. We had already paid the security deposit and the first month's rent. I moved out soon after and we are responsible for rent until a new tenant takes over.
*I paid 100% rent for September 1-9 (to complete our 30 days' notice) because I could not reach him.
*The remainder of the deposit (less cleaning fees) will be sent to his parents' house where he is living, in addition to the bill for any additional days after September 9 for which we are responsible.
*He has not paid Comcast, PG&E, or renter's insurance. There are fees for some of these for late payment or cancellation fees as well.
*He was on my mother's phone plan. When he left me I first suspended his phone service, then after confirming that he would pay the cancellation fee I cancelled it. There is hefty cancellation fee because it was under contract. There is also one month's payment of phone bill due on his part.
*Two weeks after he left me, he filed a domestic violence restraining order against me. It was dismissed because he could not allege any violence and it was clear that he was doing this to avoid paying his debts. I missed school and work to attend court because of his decision.
*Had he not made the decision to leave me, or had he done it five days prior, I could have stayed in my old apartment. He took my home away from me. I lost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in the moving process due to missed days of work, cleaning charges, and things purchased for the move.

I'm planning on doing small claims court, but I'm not sure how much to sue for, or how to go about doing it.

Can anyone help me? I'd like to avoid personal judgment if at all possible, there's so much more to the story...I'm just trying to be repaid!
Topic:
Small Claims Procedure

Answer:
 You can sue him for the costs that you paid on his behalf (half of the rent, utilities, phone bill etc...) and your half of the security deposit.

You should also sue him for the early term fee on the phone plan. Make sure you have clear documentation of all of these charges and proof that you paid them yourself.

You *can* ask for the soft-costs associated with what happened (reimbursement for your time) but there's no guarantee you'll get it.


Title: so accident was definitely my fault...

Question:
Here's the thing, i was just sued for 5000 for damages to a car during an accident which i admit was my fault, but i am flat broke. I make 7.75$ an hour working 40 hours a week and i live paycheck to paycheck, as well as on food stamps.

So yeah, i can't afford $5000. I'm getting scared that they are going to garnish my wages, wich would make me not afford rent, or try and take my car (a 1997 ford taurus) which i absolutely need for work.

So  i guess my question is, are my fears founded? can this person get a court to garnish my wages, or have a sherriff sell my car? i have no other valuables to collect really. i have a 2004 dell desktop pc and an old tube tv. I'm kind of scared since i'm already so low on cash. should i ignore this person suing me, or can i go to jail if i do that? should i take a loan or something to pay this (which i probably couldnt pay back) ? I'm just really worried guys.

Oh yeah i'm in new york

Forgot to say no insurance and i lost the case

Answer: Just get in touch with your insurance company and they'll take care of representing you in court and/or pay the damages. That's why you pay them!


Title: Name on House's deed and not on mortgage. House was foreclosed and showing up on my credit

Question:
My dad passed a couple of years ago and I inherited one of his rental houses that still had a mortgage on it. I tried to refinance the house but was denied due to my income level at the time. I was (and currently) in the military at the time so my mother (which was divorced from my father) handled all the legal issues and I was told through her that I was advised to just let the house foreclose which it did. A couple years passed and I haven't heard anything regarding it.

 I recently returned from a deployment and was going through all my personal stuff and discovered the foreclosure was placed on my credit. Am I responsible for the mortgage? What can I do if not and how can I get this off of my credit? This house was in Florida if it makes any legal difference.

Thanks in advance for the help!

Answer:
 Was the house underwater? If not, why not sell it and pay off the mortgage rather than letting it foreclose?

Was the foreclosure a default judgement, or was your mom involved with the actual court case? If the lender didn't file an appropriate SCRA disclosure, and you were on active duty at the time, then it's potentially possible to get the case reopened. Talk to base legal and bring any court documents you were served with.


Title: So I had this meeting with management...

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Short: No
Long: Lol, noAnswer #2: Not in the US. Get thicker skin and/or become more valuable to the business than her.Answer #3: Yes you can be fired for pretending to be the boss when you're not the boss.


Title: Mom's stuck paying for Dad's RMD. He's got brain cancer and refuses to sign power of attorney or take out the money. (NY/PA)

Question:
Okay.  Here's the problem in a nutshell:

RMD:Required Minimum Distributions.  You have to start drawing off of your retirement fund.

Dad got diagnosed with brain cancer three years ago and decided to fight it and kept trying to work until the contracting agency dropped him for being unable to remember his passwords.

Dad controlled all the money and made all the bill payments for the 40+ years they were married.  He doesn't have a will (that we know about) and two of the four IRA retirement accounts are in his name only.  Why?  Because he's a control freak that hid money and a bunch of other stuff we won't get into here, not to speak more ill of the dying.

He's pretty much bedridden and his short term memory is shot.  He's data ghosting pretty bad (if you get the reference, thumbs up) and he can't feed himself, walk, or use the bathroom.

We only found out about the two extra IRAs because she got a nastygram from the IRS saying that he hadn't made his required minimum withdrawals at age 70 1/2, and as such, is being forced to pay excise tax to the tune of 50% of the money he should have taken out.   He should have taken out $18,000 from those accounts, and he hasn't taken out anything.  The money is still in the account.

So _Mom_, who is a part time schoolteacher, gets to eat a 9K tax bill, since they've always filed jointly.  She won't accept help.  Because she's not named on the IRAs, the financial people won't talk to her, won't put her name on the account, and they say that the only thing they can do to change anything is if we get him to sign power of attorney over to someone.

Except he won't sign ANYTHING.  He refuses.    He wouldn't even sign the paper requesting information so Mom could figure out how much she had to pay in excise tax penalties.

So.  There's the dilemma.  Now the questions:

1) Is she legally responsible for paying his excise taxes because she's filing jointly?  Can she file singly or something?

2) Are there any other methods besides PoA to get control of the accounts, because he's not going to sign his rights away short of some illegal trickery on our parts, which we do not want to do?

3) If he's not named anyone on his IRA as beneficiary, what happens to all that money?

...actually, wait....

4) If Mom is _not_ named on the account, should she be responsible for the penalty?   It's technically not her money (yet? ever?), for all intensive purposes.  (Sort of the same question as 1, but different way of asking.)

5) ...can the IRS take the house for non-payment of taxes, since it's in his name, too?

6)  We can't even put him in hospice, because you have to a) sign a document accepting hospice treatment if nobody else has PoA or HPoA or a living will, none of which he has, and he won't sign that, either.  So Mom is stuck taking care of him.   It's going to cost her her job sooner rather than later, for all the treatments and checkups she's needed to take him to, too.  And of course, she won't accept help from the kids.

So far surfing the web seems to come up with 'get into expensive legal process to get him declared mentally incompetent and it doesn't mean you'll get control, because maybe he didn't want you to have it anyway....'   which is unhelpful.

Any thoughts?  Similar horror stories?

Answer:
 This sounds like a very tough situation to deal with, OP.

My best advice is to get in touch with an attorney who specializes in Elder Law. They will be an invaluable resource and can help you get most of these issues sorted. An attorney who specializes in elder law will be able to assist with conservatorship, estate planning, as well as the tax issues. Call the state bar where your parents are located for a referral.


Title: [CA] My lease says I get parking space, and my landlord screwed up and says there are no current vacancies. What are my options?

Question:
Parking is awful here, and a reserved garage spot is one of the main reasons I chose this place. I just moved in and it'd be a huge hassle to move out, but I'm thinking about it - presumably breaking her end of the lease is grounds for that. Is there a better option?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Is there a vacant parking spot coming up? You can offer to take it when it comes up.

Is there paid parking nearby? You can ask the landlord to pay for the paid parking while you wait for a vacant spot.


Title: I live with my roommate and his parents. His step dad and mom are separating so now the step dad is stealing everything and cops say there's nothing he can do.

Question: Is there any way for me to protect my stuff? The cops have said since they are married he can pretty much do whatever he wants and take what he wants. Is there any way to protect my stuff or am I screwed?  EDIT: Clarifying that in the title by parents I meant his mom and step dad. Also, I meant there's nothing they can do (as in the police) I am also in California

Answer:
 You can sue him for anything he takes if yours but it is too hard for the police to determine whose property is whose (other than obvious cars and things).

Lock up anything you are concerned about


Title: [IN] Uber driver got chewing tobacco spit all over my pants, only offered to refund my ride. Am I entitled to a new pair of Pants?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Small Claims Procedure

Answer: Have you attempted to get the stain out?


Title: Boss wants me to clock out for panic attacks. New Hampshire

Question:
I get panic attacks sometimes. I told my boss this when I was hired for my job, and it wasn't an issue. Now, I'm embarrassed by crying at my desk occasionally, and have asked for a private place to go when these attacks strike.

Boss said sure. If i clock out first.

Is this legal? I'm not going for smoke breaks, I'm dealing with a medical condition. I can't control when these attacks happen, beyond the therapy and medication I'm already doing. I'm not asking for much, just five, ten minutes of privacy to calm down. Once or twice per week at most.

Not sure if it matters, but boss is the owner of the company, there is no hr, and I'm not permitted to make up any time lost to panic attacks.

Already looking for another job, just want to make this one bearable in the meantime.

Answer: A reasonable accommodation that allows you unpaid time off as needed to handle your medical concern would at a glance seem to be a fair approach.


Title: trying to get my ex GF out. Iowa

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > now we have a joint checking account

You broke up "earlier this year." It's time to close that account and separate your finances.

> she was planning on moving out and not paying rent

Is she on your lease (i.e., is she your co-tenant with the same landlord) or is she renting from you (as a subtenant)?

> is she entitled to any of that money back.

You can't take her money away from her because you believe, rightly or wrongly, that you're owed. You have to sue her. You _can_ take _your_ money away from her, but unpaid rent is not yours, yet.

> do i have to give her any notice to kick her out

If she's your subtenant, then you owe her the same notice any other landlord would owe their tenant: 30 days in advance of the last day of the last rental period, in writing. If she's your co-tenant, you can't kick her out at all, and she can't kick you out.

> how do i go about getting her stuff out

Give her written notice terminating her tenancy. If she doesn't vacate, follow your state's eviction process. Do not, at any point, lock her out or throw her things out, until she's voluntarily vacated or told you in writing that you can do so. If she abandons her property and refuses to collect it, give her written notice that she is to come get it or to give you her new address to drop it off, and then get it back to her.


Title: Ex Girlfriend found a phone back in December began using it. The owner had his iCloud active including photo stream old photos of me and her appear on his photo stream he posts a picture of us from 5 months ago on Facebook claiming that these thieves have stollen his phone, I didn't even know.

Question: Ex Girlfriend found a phone back in December began using it. The owner had his iCloud active including photo stream old photos of me and her appear on his photo stream he posts a picture of us from 5 months ago on Facebook claiming that these thieves have stollen his phone, I didn't even know about it. There is now a post on Facebook with 750 shares that is going around calling me a thief, I am no longer involved with her and was not even in the state when she found the phone. This story can be detrimental to my career. Is there anything I can do legally?

Answer:
 > Ex Girlfriend found a phone back in December began using it.

Stole.  The word you're looking for is 'stole'.  That's what you call it when you take something that doesn't belong to you and began treating it like your own.

> There is now a post on Facebook with 750 shares that is going around calling me a thief

You're probably just an accessory after the fact to theft.  But no, there is nothing you can do.  This person made a reasonable assumption that the guy whose face showed up on his photo stream was the person who stole his phone.  That's not illegal unless he knows, for a fact, that you did not steal his phone.  Which he plainly does not.

> Is there anything I can do legally?

Contact him, rat out your ex and apologize profusely on her behalf in the hopes that he re-directs his anger towards the thief.  Answer #2: Um, it sounds like she "found" a phone, not like she actually found a phone.

Most normal reasonable people would turn in a phone that they truly found, either to the carrier, or the police, or the lost and found where ever they found it at.

As far as your recourse, I'm really not sure you have any. This guy had his phone stolen and your exgirlfriend mysteriously gained possession of it, then took pictures of you with it. If anything, your recourse is likely against her.


Title: Is there a way I (US attorney) can make an Independent Contractor (also US attorney) an employee but pay them a flat fee for work they do for me?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: If you're an attorney, I don't feel bad calling you stupid for not posting your location because STATES HAVE DIFFERENT LAWS.


Title: I got caught with a folding knife at school. I'm 17 and in Minnesota.

Question:
I had just go the conformation that my knife was at the post office that morning so I was very excited.  I was planning to pick it up after school but I couldn't wait so I got during my lunch break.

 Right when I got I wanted to see it myself and show it to my friends.  So in the locker room I'm showing my new knife to a close friend of mine but a gym teacher walks in right as I'm showing it to him.  He takes me to the office and the school cop comes too.

They take the knife and call my parent's.  While waiting I asked the officer what kind of charges I was facing but he kept saying they would decide that later.  I ended up getting expelled from school for the rest of the year.  I really just don't want to get a letter in the mail in a month or two saying I'm being charged with a felony or something.

Also I have ADHD and am unmedicated so that explains the impulsiveness and lack of judgement.

Edit: I know ADHD doesnt give me a free pass to do shit like this I'm not retarded.  It was simply an explanation not an excuse.

Answer:
 No. Your ADHD does not give you a free pass to bring a knife to school or explain it.

Was this a pocket knife? What size? Open assist?  Laws regarding knives get very specific.


Title: Jury Duty for Merchant Marine at Sea.

Question:
Hi all,

I am a United States Merchant Mariner Who Resides in Lee County Florida.

I received a summons for jury duty, but the jury duty will be while I am scheduled to be on the ship at sea.

I cannot just take a day off and go, because I will be in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. I would have to take 3 weeks to a month off to make this one day, because of the ships schedule.

I sent a letter from my captain and Company crewing agent asking for an excusal.

It was denied. My date is DEC 18TH, I leave port tonight and will not make it.

What should I do from here?

I do have access to telephone and Internet onboard to communicate with the Clerk Of Courts if I need to.

Thanks.

Answer:
 See this webpage: https://www.leeclerk.org/courts/jury-duty

There's a link that takes you to jury excusal/postponement.

If that doesn't work, I would call the clerk's office.Answer #2: Definitely call the clerks office and explain to them your situation. Let them know you’re willing to do your civic duty but you will be put in hardship unless they can schedule it for when your back on land.