Title: 2011 Honda CRZ had software update (to reduce warranty redemption on hybrid battery) . Now gets ~20% lower than EPA stated gas mileage. What can I do legally?

Question:
I have a 2011 Honda CRZ. When I bought it, I was getting 38 minimum mpg, up to 45. Honda did a software update to my car about 6 months ago to "preserve the life" of the hybrid battery. My car has 63,000 miles on it. Since then, my MPG has dropped to 28-30 mpg. I NEVER get over 30 mpg anymore. My tanks used to last for 390-450 miles, they now last from 260-320. Others on CRZFORUMS report the exact same issue with the car (some links in the x-post linked below).

EPA stated mileage is 35 city, 37 highway. I'm getting NOWHERE near that.

I have done 100% of service to the car on time and documented at the dealership. I also have brand new tires on the car and no modifications. I'm going to visit Honda on Friday to see if the update can be removed.

If Honda cannot remove the software update, what should I do legally? I would have bought a 4 door civic for $5000 less instead of a 2 seat hybrid if I wasn't trying to get hybrid level gas mileage. A civic actually would get better mileage!! Is this something I can sue over?

http://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/3julu0/2011_honda_crz_cvt_used_to_get_4045mpg_software/

Answer: This sounds like something that class-action lawsuits were meant for, especially if you've already got a group of people with the same problem.


Title: HELP: My(24F) mom(51) is a dometic abuser who just had my non-abusive dad(53) charged with domestic abuse.

Question:
This is in Florida.

My mom has progressively gotten very abusive the past 6 months. I’m 24 F and have been living at my parents’ house for the past year so I could save up money to move somewhere else. My dad is my mom’s number one target. They should’ve separated years ago but my mom is completely dependent of my dad (by her choice). I’m sure this makes her hostile towards the idea of separation, but my dad finally got fed up with her lashing out at him, calling him terrible names, talking so much crap about him (as well as myself and my brother) to her family which caused them to send very accusatory messages to the three of us. Well on NYE, my dad came home from church. My dad is a transplant recipient and nearly died twice. He is also a navy veteran. Since being “reborn” again about 8 years ago, he has developed a patient and caring personality which caused he to stay calm in most situations with my mom (I cannot stay calm with her). He decided it is best to officially get divorced, but she didn’t take that well. Put it this way, my mom needs a psych evaluation. She has destroyed every relationship with her immediate family. We are all pretty certain she has Behavioral Personality Disorder. Anyways, anytime my mom has my dad alone at home, she torments him if he can’t lock his office door fast enough. My dad is on lots of medication and she took pills that were on his desk and poured them into the garbage. He and I each have recordings of her being drunk and talking very violently towards us. She has sexually harrassed my dad by grabbing his male parts and she also acts like she is going to hit the sensitive areas where he had he transplant or has a hernia.

Long story short, she made him crack on NYE where he allegedly threw some water at her. I say allegedly because my dad was away from the house after the fight and he received a phone call from the police saying they were called on a domestic violence call and they needed to take him in because throwing water is an assault. You can see how ridiculous this is.

Now a week ago, my dad called the police on a domestic violence call because she was harrassing him and sexually harrassing him and she verbally said “Someone is going to die tonight and it won’t be me.” He has recordings of this and the police refused to listen and said they need to get a divorce. They did NOTHING. He had proof, but she lied and said she didnt do anything. The police told him that even if she broke his things, they couldn’t do anything. Now a week later, she calls the police on him for throwing water and he had to get taken to jail, and now charged with Domestic Abuse. Listen my dad is farthest from that. I don’t know what to do or what legal measures to take.

TL;DR: My mom is mentally unstable and domestically abusive towards my dad and I. Dad called cops on mom a week ago because she was sexually harrassing him and threatening to kill him. Mom calls police on my dad on NYE for throwing water at her. He received a phone call stating so, met up with police, and was then taken in and he is now being charged with domestic abuse.

Answer:
 > I don’t know what to do or what legal measures to take.

You help your father get an attorney.  That's all you've got.Answer #2: Ok, so there are two matters at hand: The criminal matter of your father "assaulting" your mother, and the civil matter of your parents' relationship. Unfortunately, these are two completely different matters and need to be handled as so. First, find a criminal defense lawyer (FL BAR can give some recommendations). This is priority number 1. By that, I mean have him one 5 minutes ago. As for the relationship, find your father a divorce lawyer. Odds are nothing will happen during the criminal trial, but the lawyer may have a few tricks. In addition, mention this post to both lawyers. You saying the "evidence" that you have could allow your mom time to prepare and bullshit some stuff.


Title: [Minnesota] CHIPS - Permanency hearing for a child...Family has been kept in the dark. Is this normal?

Question:
A little over a year ago my sister had her daughter (rightfully) taken away. A year later she had her daughter back for a home trial, and then got busted drinking and got arrested. The little girl is back in foster care, the same family she was with for almost a year.  Social Services is filing for permanency.

Through this whole process me and our mother have been trying to get information about how to be considered for taking care of the little girl. She is now 3 years old.  A month and a half ago I had a conversation with my sisters social worker who told me "I shouldn't be telling you this but there are questions as to your mothers mental health", and then asked me if I wanted to be considered an option for the little girl to live with and I said yes. She said she would send me paper work.

  That night she left me a voicemail telling me "we have no indication your mother has been ruled out as an option, in fact I don't have any indication that she's ever made herself known as wanting to be considered for taking care of Little Girl."

My mom had social workers interview her at her home, she's constantly been asking for the paperwork she needs to fill out (She filled it out once and the County office claims they lost it.)
A few weeks ago Social Worker found out that all my phone calls are recorded, and told me to speak with her supervisor from now on instead of her.
I've since tried calling Social Workers Supervisor to ask about how to get the paperwork I need, no response.

My sister was served today. She has a Permanency hearing on Monday.  I texted Social worker and said that I was checking in about the paperwork she said she would send me a month ago. She then texted back and said "I had to wait until the permanency petition was completed. I will be sending out letters hopefully this week."

My concern is that this process is being pushed along because she wants the foster parents to get custody of Little Girl. They are great couple, but MN State Law as far as I know places a stress on the requirement to give special consideration to FAMILY first. And that doesn't seem to be the case. I'm suspicious that it's because one of the foster parents is her Coworker.  (they are both social workers for the county.)

I have:
- Audio recordings of her making (seemingly unfounded) statements that there are "Questions to my mothers mental health."
- Audio recording of her telling me that my sisters previous case worker "wasn't very good" about keeping records.
- She also said that she hasn't really looked at any records that may have been kept because 'Up until now I haven't had any reason to."
- There apparently doesn't need to be any record/proof that they made any effort to contact any family members whatsoever
- She left me a voicemail telling me that she has "no indication" that my mother ever wanted to be considered as a placement option
- I have the text from her saying that she couldn't send me the appropriate paperwork until the petition was complete

I've been trying to read up on everything but I can't comprehend fully if these are actual violations of her job, or if I am just biased in interpreting things.   Any help is so greatly appreciated!

Answer:
 Do you have a lawyer involved?

You do need to understand well being of the child is key. Sometimes, if a kid has been living with someone for such a long time, it can be detrimental to move them. It depends on what the court decides is in the kids best interest.

If you don't have a lawyer, get one.


Title: A bouncer took my friends ID and would not give it back (not expired or drunk)

Question:
So, last night my friend was standing in line to get into a bar. She asked the bouncer if she could go to the bathroom while she was in line. He said sure, just give me your ID. So, she went into the club to see if her friends were there and use the bathroom. She came back to stand in line and asked for her ID back. The bouncer told her to leave because she didnt go straight to the bathroom. She acknowledged this and said she would leave but she needed her ID. He refused to give it to her then told her he gave it to the bar. My friend went to the bar, asked for her ID, they did not have it. She went back to ask for her ID from the bouncer. He ignored her. My friend is not an outspoken, pushy person so she walked away.
She called the bar today when they opened and asked for her ID. They informed her they did not have it.
They thought it was terrible that he did that and did not know it happened. They would not give us the managers number.
They hire the security through a private agency.
What can we legally do? Any advice at all.

Answer: I would have called the cops them and there. I would still call the cops and explain them the situation.


Title: How to remove someone from your property? (Texas)

Question: My father-in-law has opened his house to a friend that is going through a divorce. He owns the house. She has been there for about 10 months and has never got a job to help out. She just sits at home all day and sleeps or eats the food. She acts entitled to do whatever she wants and he is sick of her being there. He has asked her to leave and she said she would,  but never does and he doesn't know what to do.  What would be the next course of action?

Answer: He has to evict her. Look at the policies for an eviction in Texas and have your father follow them to the letter. He may also offer her some small amount of money to get her to leave voluntarily since an eviction can take a long time.


Title: Question regarding drug testing non-employees (i.e. adult students)

Question:
Hello! Not sure if this is the right /r/ for this question, but here it goes! I work for a non-profit organization in North Carolina which primarily provides free job training. In a nutshell, individuals can come through a 3 month training program at NO COST TO THEM, where they will learn skills needed for employment in specific fields (e.g. construction, restaurant work, farming, etc.). Again, they are not employed by the organization, they are there at their own will.

Recently, I was told that the organization will begin drug testing students. I've yet to see any "official" policy regarding this, but I know that: students will NOT pay for the test, the test will be done on the training facilities premise, and the test will be done by actual employees of the organization. Basically, students will go with an employee to a bathroom, pee in one of those drug test cups you can buy at Wal-Mart, and the employee will determine the results. The test will not be sent out to any lab. Still not sure what the consequences are (again, I haven't seen any policy).

My questions is this - is this legal? My conscience is saying no, but if there are any employment law experts out there, please give me guidance.

TLDR: If my boss asks me to take a non-employee student out of class, walk them to the bathroom, have them piss in a drug test cup, and rely on my (non-clinical) judgment regarding the results, should I? Or should I run?

Answer:
 Suspicionless student drug testing was upheld by SCOTUS. You're in kind of a gray area though.  Answer #2: I have a nonprofit management degree, and I am not a lawyer (certainly not yours).

Legal yes, but super shitty. Also there needs to be all kinds of guards in place to make sure that kind of information never gets out.

If your boss is doing this as a part of some compliance for a grant or provider funding then they're probably doing it wrong by not having a lab do backup work (standard industry practice), and if not they're probably just setting themselves up for some shitty reviews and difficult funding situations in the future.

My argument to the boss would be: *'This is far from industry standard, and I don't feel comfortable doing this at my level of employment (if you're an executive at this nonprofit it would complicate this argument).'* Then turn it around on them, *'What kind of value do you see us getting out of this policy?'*Answer #3: These are at best a screening test, and will be prone to false positives. The best way to avoid that would be to send the samples to a lab for either GCMS or LCMS confirmation. I'm not a lawyer so I can't say about anything liability wise.


Title: My mom's boss isn't paying social security taxes

Question: So my mom and one of her co-workers have found out that their boss (owner) has not been paying the social security tax that has been taken out of her check.  It shows on her check stubs and w2 that the money has been taken out,  but a recent check with the social security office shows that he has not paid.   It's been eight years for her co-worker.  So my question is who is responsible for the money not paid?   Is it still on my mom even if it was already taken out of her check,  but he failed to pay or is it on him?

Answer:
 Totally on him. SSA will give you credit for anything withheld. Has this been reported to the irs? This is federal prison stuff. Answer #2: Report to the IRS and local SS office.Answer #3: Call the police and the IRS and the local SS office.  This is definitely criminal.  She might also contact an attorney, but if she can't afford one have her look into free legal aid in her area.
Good that she is keeping copies of her paycheck so she can be sure to get credit later. Maybe she could get someone from the social security office to write her a letter to confirm that she's getting credit for her payments into the system even if her employer is cheating. Answer #4: This is very strange.  The IRS and SSA cross-check returns to ensure wages match between W-2s and the 941 (employment tax return filed with the IRS).  When there's a mismatch, letters get sent to the employer demanding resolution or payment of the missing taxes.  So my guess would be that the employer is not filing either W-2s or 941s with the IRS/SSA.

It's relevant to note here that employers/employees don't remit any money to the SSA directly - all money goes to the Treasury, and is accounted for by the IRS.  If payments are missed, the SSA won't be involved, or even know.


Title: Im in TX. I want to ask for an extension to do my community service. This would be my second extension. More in description.

Question:
I have to 20 hours that I was supposed to finish on may 6. Along with community service, i had to do a drug class, pay 200$, and prove that I was in school.

May 6th comes and I haven't started so they gave me until the 18th.

Right now I have completed 3 hours, I plan to do as many as I can by 18th. hopefully I can get half done.

My question is how likely am I to get the extension if I tell my (expensive) lawyer that I was busy with finals until friday, and worked hard until monday but could not complete it.

My arms have been hurting for some unknown reason and It pains me to even lift my coffee cup.

This is all the truth, I just don't want to piss off the lawyer or judge and have to go to jail. How likely is it that I get the extension and stay out of jail. I can do it in 3 more days.

I don't work, just study. I want to write her a letter explaining what I just told y'all.

What do you think?

**EDIT** So I did 10 hours the day before, got 30 minutes extra time. I also did 7 hours the day it was due. My lawyer called and asked if I had them done, I told her I was doing them now and would have them at lunch. She said just bring them to her tomorrow. She acted like it was no problem and thanked me for getting it done. She is a very nice lady. Just thought people might like to know the outcome of this since you thought I was going to jail.

Answer:
 Without knowing the judge or court it will be hard to answer. A big factor will be how long were you given to complete the community service.

I've seen judges grant extensions and I've seen judges say no. If you whine that you could only do three hours due to achey arms, the judge won't like it. If you have a Dr note backing up an injury to your arm, it will go better for you.


Title: Can my University enforce unwritten rules? (judgement of their staff)

Question:
I'm trying to get a refund from my University registrar for a medical withdrawal, with supporting documents from a University psychologist.  The manager is repeatedly declining my Medical Withdrawal Form, and insists they must follow policy in case they were to get audited by the State.

So I looked into the State System policies, and found nothing that reinforces her decision.  The policy itself is extremely vague (simple 2-page, bullet point word document); however, the opening clause is this: "Each university shall establish by regulation procedures for the payment, waiver and refund of fees, fines and penalties appropriately assessed."

I'm assuming this gives my University infinite power to make judgment based decisions, without any formally published policy or guidelines?  As far as I can tell, she's declining my request based solely on her own opinion, while dismissing the recommendation of the physiologist to drop the course.  She refuses to produce any policy or guidelines that she's referencing to make her decision.

Is there anything I can do?  My department chair and graduate advisor have both sent emails to her, trying to solicit some compassion for students during the pandemic.

&#x200B;

Thank you

Answer: You need to find the school specific policy, if it’s a state university I promise they have one. Either find it online or ask the registrar if they can provide a copy.Answer #2: If this is related to your other post, no matter how many policies you look up, they are not going to refund you for a class you took LAST summer. There is a set date each semester after which there is no money refunded. A full year later is definitely after that date.


Title: /r/legaladvice hits 30K subscribers

Question:
**/r/legaladvice metrics:**

Total Subscribers: 30,038

Subreddit Rank: 1,059

Subreddit Growth & Milestones: http://redditmetrics.com/r/legaladvice

Answer:
 "I just really like reading about landlord/tenant/roommate issues I guess" - 30,000 peopleAnswer #2: Thank you so much to the 12 attorneys subbed!

IANALAnswer #3: Honestly, this sub should be called general life advice from adults. Answer #4: I think /u/mattolol deserves a lot of the credit.

That's why I subbed at least.


Title: Being Evocted for My Emotional Support Animal

Question:
Hello everyone. I am hoping to get some advice on what to do in my current situation. I am currently living in a one bedroom apartment. I am located in Pennsylvania. I have been diagnosed with many social and emotional problems. So I got an emotional support animal. He is a small 10lb tuxedo cat named Jasper. In august, I was kicked out of where I was. To make a long story short on that, the landlord (who also lived there) was an alcoholic and went nuts and threatened/attacked me and some of my family. So I had to get out ASAP. The only option I had at that time was to move with my friend in Philadelphia. Jasper was the house cat there. He was not being properly taken care of at all. But I started to really take care of him myself. So he bonded with me very quickly. He would never leave my side. He really helped a lot with my problems. So i registered him as my ESA. But the housing situation there for me was going sour real quick. Everyone was on different sleep schedules, it was a rough neighborhood, barely any privacy, I had to drive an hr to get to work, stuff disappearing from my room ,it was a lot to deal with. Go to October, my car gets broken into. Steals my whole climate control unit/radio, some clothes I had in the back, and my fully loaded disc golf backpack (worth like $400). Then in mid November, one of the other tenant’s crazy ex boyfriend breaks into the house. So obviously I need to get out of there. But I have a lot of medical debt so my credit is ruined. So I turn to my only option, Craigslist. There really wasn’t many options at all. I found only one that was actually viable. So I moved into there in December. I signed a lease. It did say on it that there were no pets allowed. But I figured since jasper is an esa, that itd be okay. I honestly didn’t know or even think that I had to disclose that info to the landlord. Also those said social/mental problems made me scared to talk about it to him either way. And I was scared that my only option to move out of my dangerous situation would disappear. So I bring him with me. He has never came for an inspection the whole time to even see I had him here. But a few days ago I think he must’ve seen him thru a window or heard him meow. So now he is telling me I have two months to move out. I have offered to literally cover the entire floors with rugs to protect the carpet, considering that’s the only thing he could even damage. I don’t know what to do. Hopefully I can get some sound advice from here. I am here to answer any questions or to clarify anything. Thanks.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 > So i registered him as my ESA.

That's not how ESA's work. You likely got scammed.

Even if it is a legit ESA, if your landlord isn't covered by the FHA he doesn't have to allow it.


Title: German Law Question Halloween coming up.

Question:
Okay, so me and some friends were talking about funny things we put on our bucket lists. Among these things, one we all share is to go to Germany on Halloween, dress up as Nazis and drink beer until they kick us out or until we knock out, whichever comes first.

My question is, what is likely to happen to me if I do this? Am I going to get deported or am I going to jail?

Edit: Look guys, thanks for answering my question. Really. But the level of emotional investment ya'll set to this is almost ridiculous. Also, can you guys stop cross visiting my other posts by stalking my reddit profile? That kind of sneaky behavior isn't okay, it's creepy as shit.

Answer:
 I know precisely one thing about German law: they take Nazism, displays of Nazi paraphernalia, symbols, etc. and the spread of ideas generally linked to the Nazi party VERY seriously.

Like, very, VERY seriously.  This would be a criminal offense, a serious criminal offense, and from anecdotes I have heard from German friends, one they would be likely to prosecute very aggressively.

So maybe take the hint and realize:

It's not fucking funny.  PEOPLE FUCKING DIED.   You will be directly insulting the descendants of people who DIED IN CONCENTRATION CAMPS.  Nazism wasn't a joke in Germany.  It was real.  It was a real thing that killed scores of people and ruined lives on all sides.

Instead, why don't you go visit one of the camps so that maybe you can appreciate the real horror of Nazism?  You might learn something, including, possibly, a little bit of humanity.  Answer #2: They don't celebrate Halloween in Germany. Promoting Nazism is illegal.Answer #3: My bet is on both jail and deportation.  And your idea isn't even remotely funny.Answer #4: You can be arrested if you do this. Deportation and a ban (temporary or permanent) from the country is also possible, and quite likely I would imagine. The German Strafgesetzbuch, or German criminal code, outlaws this very kind of thing.


Title: Bank closed my father's account after he was a scam victim... [OR]

Question:
This is a bit long-winded, but I was hoping I could get some advice for my father who was a victim of a scam that cost him 14k... I realize that he will likely have to pay for those charges, and that I may have to deliver him a lot of bad news, but anything that can be done to at least help the process would be appreciated. This is less about the 14k, and more about the bank that closed his account although it is known that he was a scam victim...

My father was out of work for a while, and got scammed by a group called ICN finance that built up his trust for a month (by giving him casework to do) before asking him to buy computers to send to their workers overseas. Afterwards, the scammer "offered a convoluted banking funds transfer scenario, that asked for [his] personal credit card to execute the purchases of MacBook Pro computers." There's more information here: https://www.scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=103364.

Unfortunately my father did go all the way through with the credit card purchases... "did not have his head screwed on right" as the poster said in the link above. He was out of work for a while, and I think the promise of work made him overlook the fact that he had to use his personal credit to make the purchases.

My father tried talking to the bank between each transfer, and asked them if it were possible that the entire process was a scam. The teller told him that it was "legal." So he ended up making payments on his credit card while transferring the necessary funds into his bank account. Eventually my father realized it was a scam before the funds were reversed from his account (unfortunately he already sent out the computers). He let the bank know right away that it was likely a scam and that the accounts he used were most likely stolen, but the bank did not do anything. In fact, they let the funds stay in his account for 7 days before eventually reversing them as they were from unauthorized accounts.

After about a month of grief, the bank ended up CLOSING his account, and telling him that he is responsible for the 14k of damages. In addition, they strongly implied that he can be charged for laundering the funds as they were unauthorized accounts that he took money from. All of this after it's been recorded repeatedly that he was a victim of a scam, and a timeline was sent to the bank listing all the details of the scam.

TL;DR: my father was scammed of 14k from scammers, and I understand he may have to pay for those damages. But does he have any rights if the bank closed his account and ruined his credit score if it has been clearly filed that he was a victim of scam?

EDIT: in case it wasn't clear, the location listed in the title is Oregon.

Answer:
 Your father should consult a criminal defense attorney. He did a lot more then just cash a bad check he was an integral part of the scam. He is most likely stuck with the $14k bill. He can speak with a consumer lawyer about the bank charges. If the police show up at his door or ask him to come to the police station he should only let his criminal defense lawyer do the talking. Answer #2: What rights do you mean? He can open a new account at another bank. But he does owe the money. The bank is not going to eat that 14k. Your father can go after the scammers but is unlikely to find themAnswer #3: Your narrative of what was going on is all over the place, so it's hard to tell exactly how credit cards, your father's bank account, transfers, the "stolen accounts", and the computers that he purchased and sent overseas are all related.

Can you explain the scam a little more clearly?


Title: How screwed am I?

Question:
Currently in Alaska.

I am in a situation of abuse and trying to get out. Long story short, this is the second time now I have been abused by my SO in 2 years. Cops were called both times, did nothing both times, other than take our statements and tell us it was my word against his because there were no witnesses. This time, I was asleep, he went through my texts, because we are living together still, even though I broke up with him 2 weeks ago and he tried to break up with me 3 days ago, to which I pointed out, "You can't break up with me, we're not together, I broke up with you 2 weeks ago." Anyways, he saw me texting a coworker that I missed him and couldn't wait to be back in  the state we came from in a planned visit at the end of the month and lost his shit. He grabbed my neck and forcefully turned it sideways to look at him, while I was still asleep. Then threw me off the bed and bit my ear, held me down so I couldn't grab my phone to call 911, and covered my mouth so I couldn't scream for help, all while telling me what a manipulative lying cheating whore I am and how he's going to kick me out and make my life a living hell until I'm gone. I managed to wiggle enough to get a hand free and push his face, luckily poking his eye enough to get him off of me to call the cops. Well, he told the cops that I was stringing him along, that we really were together, even though he took the engagement ring back, and that I head butted him to initiate the fight. I was like, "I was asleep, you can tell because the only thing I'm wearing is a bra and underwear, standing half naked in front of you, how could I have possibly started this fight?" They took pictures and basically said my word against his again. Then told us that the hotel we are renting as an apartment will likely kick us out for the noise, anyways, so there's no use in fighting over who goes and who stays. They tried to tell me that even though I have physical damage on my body and he doesn't, they could take both of us, and find both of us at fault, even though I was just sleeping! I am beyond broke from moving up here with him in the first place  ($5000 in debt on my credit card). I might be able to get some friends to wire me money back home, but from the legal stand point, can I even leave the state? Or will they come back regarding charges? He claims he'll let me take my stuff and my animals, and won't hurt them or break my stuff, despite finding it okay to throw me about like a rag doll and bite me, so do I have a stand point on that either? Can he like take my shit and claim it's his, even though it's not? Can we get kicked out for the domestic violence? I don't even know where to begin, I need so much advice. The last abusive relationship I was in, the guy just let me go, but I get the feeling, given how much this guy lied to the cops and his promise if making my life living hell, this one won't just let me go.

Also, he's multiple personality, so I'm terrified he will try to use that as an excuse for his behavior towards me and get off lighter.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 You said they didn't charge you with anything and just left. So yes, leave the state. Yes he can try to claim your stuff as his. You would have to sue him if he did. Yes you can be kicked out for DV/criminal activity.

You need to get into counseling immediately to figure out why you keep deciding to be in violent relationships. Do that before someone kills you.


Title: [FL] I just got a hospital bill in the mail for services I received over 9 months ago

Question:
Luckily the sum isn't going to bankrupt me, but it isn't an insignificant amount of money either.

Do I have any recourse due to the enormous delay in getting my bill? I completely forgot I even went to the hospital, and certainly wasn't expecting to have to pay anything *nine months later*.

At the very least, that sum should be adjusted for inflation? It can't be reasonable to allow someone to delay a bill for an arbitrary amount of time and then expect to receive payment whenever they feel like it.

Sure, I didn't exactly read the forms and stuff I signed with my insurance company and the hospital when I was there, so I probably ended up giving them the right to do just that...but I'm posting here anyways just on the off chance that maybe someone can give me some good news...

Answer:
 The statute of limitation for contracts is years not months. Is the bill correct?Answer #2: >At the very least, that sum should be adjusted for inflation?

Inflation doesn't change like you think it does within 9 months.

It sounds like all the billing through the insurance was handled first, and now you are being billed for the parts you are responsible for.

You can call the hospital and attempt to negotiate, they don't have to change the bill.


Title: Ex-wife committed identity theft/fraud on me. If I file charges, what are the implications on child custody?

Question:
So this isn't another "should I report to the police?" posts. I've already decided to do that.

My ex-wife has committed identity theft 2-3 times over the last few years opening credit lines and loans under my name. We have 3 children together who have primarily been with her. Though we have shared custody. Due to many other issues of long term neglect, I have often wanted to take her to court and fight for full custody.

I know they are two completely different issues legally, but if I move forward and press charges on this most recent identity theft, what could be the implications of that in child custody case? If any? If I can establish a pattern of her being financially unstable, is that enough to get full custody?

Thank you for any input.

Answer:
 "Financially unstable" won't get you full custody.

Frankly, it's unlikely that the identity theft will either.  It's unlikely it'll lead to any significant change.


Title: [United States] Neglecting someone you're suppose to be caring for.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Contact adult protective servicesAnswer #2: Call the police and adult protective services.


Title: Criminal Defense Attorneys of Reddit. Lawyer is MIA

Question:
I have been given noticed that my Expungement hearing is coming up on the 11th of next month in Ohio.  It has been 7 years since I was sentenced to time served and completion of rehab.  My lawyer for the case is no longer practicing in the city of Columbus and I am wondering if representing myself is a good idea or not?  I can explain the circumstances of the case if anyone is kind enough to help? Thank you.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Representing yourself is an incredibly bad idea.  Even judges and lawyers regularly hire other lawyers to represent them.  Unfortunately that means spending money but that few hundred dollars is better than the alternative.

Good luck.


Title: What if I break into somebody’s car and leave them $500, or the equivalent of how much all the damages cost, plus $100?

Answer: Nice hypothetical but you would still have comited an auto burglary none the less and would most likely be prosecuted for it regardless of your 500 to offset your restitution. You still commited a crime, period...Answer #2: Why?


Title: My boyfriend's employer fired him for something they have no physical evidence of him doing. (Florida)

Question:
My boyfriend was recently suspended from work at a large drug store chain about a week after he was initially accused of slashing a floating pharmacist's tires.

Now, he had never met this man in his life before the day of the tire slashing. So its not like he had a motive. But there is video of a car that looks like my boyfriend's that pulls up next to the pharmacist's car about 10 minutes after my boyfriend leaves work for the day. I've never seen the video but my boyfriend has and he says that the car pulls up the door starts to open and then shuts again and the car drives off.

Cops were at my house the day it happened and questioning him. And then nothing else was said about it for about a week and a half and then all of a sudden he's suspended. Mostly because they wanted to conduct a further investigation because the pharmacist was making a huge deal about it. The story changes and now there's a person who gets out of the car who is of average height, average build, with dark hair and a light blue t shirt (his work shirt is light blue). I'll stop here to say that his car is a gold sedan of a very common model and make and they claim that they can't get a license plate number because the video is blurry. They claim that because of the way the cameras are pointed in the parking lot they don't actually have video evidence of him leaving his parking spot or the parking lot that day. And the description of the man who gets out of the car could match at least one other person who works there. They refuse to show him any video evidence.

Two days into the suspension his assistant store manager calls him from her private cell phone and informs him that he no longer works for the company.

My questions are: Can we sue the company for unlawful termination? Did the company follow proper guidelines in firing him (because to me it reeks of shady business but I know next to nothing from a legal standpoint)? And can the floating pharmacist file criminal charges using the video as evidence?

I realize that I kinda rambled a bit so if anyone needs any further clarification I'll gladly share any additional details.

Answer:
 We actually [spoke to your boyfriend about this](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/27053p/loss_prevention_at_work/) a week ago when it happened.

And as pointed out to you, absent an employment contract, "we think you slashed this guy's tires" is a perfectly legal reason to fire someone.


Title: Employer says I will lose the remainder of PTO I would have accrued for the remainder of the year [California]

Question:
Hello everyone,

I accrue a certain amount of hours per pay period with a PTO cap of X amount of hours. I reached my cap sometime last month. I had planned to go on vacation this month, but with the whole pandemic going on, that didn't happen.

Last month, the company decided to front-load the remainder of the year's PTO hours company-wide so that people had them in the event they or a family member became sick. Some colleague's PTO balance went from 40 hours to 211, 30 hours to 165, etc.

Since my PTO was at it's cap at the time they distributed the front-load, I was given 0 hours. I was told by HR that I would not be accruing anymore hours for the remainder of the year, and I would not be paid for the cap overage. They mentioned that if this happened again in the 2021 calendar year, the overage would be paid out, but not this year.

I have been with the company for a few years and front-loading is not in the policy, nor has it happened before. I assume they did this in response to the pandemic. Obviously, if I knew they were going to do this, I would have used up the hours I needed to.

I calculated that I just lost out on about 100 hours of PTO. When I asked if this is the case, HR confirmed that I was not given my hours because I had hit the limit and I did indeed lose out on PTO for the remainder of the year.

 I know CA is particular about PTO hours and I know this situation doesn't fall under "use-it-or-lose-it", which is prohibited in CA, because that only applies to hours that I've already earned.

Do I have any recourse here?

Answer:
 You should contact a California employment attorney  and/or file a wage claim with the Labor Commissioner's Office.

The way I read this they should have paid you a check for the 100 hours when they front-loaded the PTO.Answer #2: IANAL, but work in public accounting in CA. It is pretty standard for companies to have a cap on you accruing of PTO as CA doesn’t allow PTO to be lost. So instead of you losing your PTO after a certain time, companies in CA instead just stop giving you additional hours. This is usually in the Employee Handbook.

You are not entitled to PTO by law, so I don’t see the case here unfortunately.


Title: [US,Oklahoma] Stepdad arrested for DUI but was not drinking. Opted for a blood test and takes a plethora of medications all with prescriptions. What will be needed in court to help him if he pleads not guilty?

Question: Like the title says my step father was arrested for swerving and was nervous as he was taking the field sobriety test. The cop thought this was what he needed to charge him so he was arrested. My step father was not drinking but does take quite a few medications. What will be needed in court to help his case and is there anything that can be done to have the case thrown out? He said the cop tailed him for some time before pulling him over and he said he was put in handcuffs immediately before being given the field sobriety test. Cops in my town do wear body cameras if that helps any. He had not been drinking at all and there was no smell of alcohol on him as he doesn't drink. Some of his medications are narcotics like adderal. Does that mean he can still be charged even if he has a prescription? That's all I can think to say and ask. If I happened to leave out any pertinent information, just say.

Answer:
 You can be DUI on prescription medications,  DUI is driving under the influence.  If his cognitive or motor function was impaired due to his prescribed drugs he could still be successfully prosecuted for driving under the influence.

He needs an attorney.  Promptly.


Title: How do I protect unregistered copyrights?

Question:
I've been doing research for the past half an hour, and found that unregistered copyrights are not valid in lawsuits. So I was wondering how unregistered copyrights are useful?

EDIT: In the US

Answer: You can register the copyright after it's infringed. It still counts. (You can collect more money if you register before the infringement, though.)


Title: Can I charge people to cover expenses to watch the superbowl at my home?

Question:
I host parties of between 30 and 55 people, and this Sunday I'm hosting the superbowl. I have it advertised on several meetups as a "superbowl party"...

~~I recently read online that I may not be able to use the word "super bowl" or even show the superbowl at my house if I'm charging.~~

~~The thing is, I only charge to cover expenses... I use two rolls of toilet paper, two paper towels, and a soap dispenser for every party... I also hire a maid to come clean up before/after the party, and the $4 goes only to those things, I make no profit... would i still be able to host a superbowl party without getting into trouble?~~

~~The way I read it online, is that I'm allowed to charge as long as I show it on a television screen that is no bigger than 55", but I have no idea if this is right or wrong.~~

Edit: Located in Southern California.

edit: Apparently I can't charge....  My only remaining question, is it legal for me to make attendance 100% free but have a donation box with a suggested (but completely optional) donation amount?

Answer: No, and the NFL can be very litigious


Title: Looking for some advice regarding ESAs (NY)

Question:
I moved into my apartment with my cat in July and at that time I was just beginning the process of designating her as an ESA.  So I had to pay the $250 pet deposit and $35/month pet fee for her.
 Since then I started the foster to adopt process for another kitty.  On Monday, my doctors decided that I would be best served to have both cats as my ESAs and issued the paperwork.  Upon turning the paperwork, my apartment complex informed me that they would only refund me the pet fee for October and nothing else.  It is my understanding that no pet deposits or pet fees can be charged for ESAs, but they say that since my first cat came in as a pet, they don't have to give me back the money.  Any advice?

Answer: Your cat was a pet until you presented the letter from your doctor. You have to pick your battles. Next time get your ducks in a row first.


Title: Could I sue OBGYN for medical malpractice?

Question:
Background: I live in Southern California. I am a type 1 diabetic, mostly controlled at the time of LOs birth. I had my baby in early March. LO was stillborn at 36+5 weeks. Did not find out I was pregnant until 19 weeks (t1d prevented me from recognizing any early signs).

Okay now on to my question.
Can I sue my obstetrician for medical malpractice?

My reasoning is:
1. I only had 3 ultrasounds. One was at my second OB visit (19 weeks), one was with a different dr to check LOs heart structure (I was assured that everything was perfect), and the third was at 36+5 weeks when LO no longer had a heartbeat. Shouldn’t there be more ultrasounds to determine size of baby, placenta, and fluid level?

2. All other appointments were less that 10 minutes long (aside from 2+ hours in waiting room). Dr barely listened to heartbeat, only asked me if LO was moving.

3. Only ever had blood work done 1 time, at first visit with OB nurses (didn’t see actual OB until 2nd visit after ultrasound). Never heard anything about said blood work, except for a1c.

4. When I was induced, dr wasn’t even there to deliver LO, she came after the fact and said “oh, you’re done already!” And checked for tearing/stitches. 2 nurses delivered my stillborn baby...

5. Dr. released me from the hospital 12 hours after I had given birth. It hasn’t even been enough time to safely take out the epidural stuff, and I got a spinal headache for 2 weeks following birth.

6. At 6 week postpartum exam, nurse asked if I was depressed (didn’t explain how I should be feeling/what was healthy at this point) and when I said, I honestly don’t know, she said “okay.” Dr. asked what kind of birth control I wanted, without really explaining options, and just put me on the pill without explaining side effects, or anything about it, except to take it on the first day of my next period. The dr didn’t even examine me to see if I had healed properly.

7. Dr said that the placenta was small which was why LO died. My mom (thank god she was there) asked if they could have tested for that/seen it on ultrasounds, and the dr said no. I later googled it, and there is a blood test that can tell you, also they should be able to see the size of the placenta (after all, they can see it’s location ((like if it is over the cervix)) and see if it has ruptured in some cases).

I basically just want to know if I have any sort of case, or if I’m just a grieving mother who wants and needs someone to blame other than myself. Thanks for reading, and thank you in advance for any advice.
Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer:
 While I can't speak to whether or not your providers should have detected an abnormality in the placenta or fluid levels, I can say that 2\-3 ultrasounds are standard in what is observed to be a healthy pregnancy; though they may not have explicitly said as much, one of the purposes of the 19 week one was likely to check the baby's head circumference.

ETA: And prenatal appointments are rarely very long. A quick urine test, the occasional Doppler scan, and a moment to ask if you are having any discomforts or concerns. Answer #2: IANAL, however I have had a kid.  Nothing that you said about your pre-labor care seems unusual to me based on my very limited experience.  After the anatomy scan (the one you had at 19 weeks) I only had quick scans for positioning as I approached the end of my pregnancy.  Most appointments were a quick weigh-in, blood pressure check, and heartbeat check.  I barely saw my OB.

For your post-care, most of the questionnaires are based on the mother's feeling towards her baby, so I can see why the nurse didn't use the standard screening for you.

I'm very sorry for your loss.Answer #3: First, sorry for your loss, that’s awful.  Second, have you spoken to a therapist? Postpartum is a real thing, and coupled with the loss of your baby that has to be awful. I know my wife found talking therapist was helpful after both of our kids were born.

Lastly, medmal is really fact specific and you should talk to a lawyer for a better answer, but your care is roughly in line with what my wife had in our pregnancies.


Title: Why do false rape accusations lead to jail time Isn't it your word against theirs and the burden of proof on prosecution? Why do innocent men so seemingly frequently go to jail for false rape claims?

Answer:
 First off all, get your panties out of a twist.

If you believe that innocent men go frequently to jail for false rape claims then you haven't bothered to look up the statistics.

It's a shockingly low number of men that are later found innocent after they've gone to jail. But here is the thing, that doesn't mean that rape didn't happen it only means that the prosecutor couldn't make his case, so the statistics for false rape claim convictions are looking even way better.

If we look at the statistics for how many rapist actually end up having to defend themselfs in a court room then please pick up a bucket first because it's sickening.

Having said all that, testimony is also evidence, and there often is more evidence then just testimony. Their might be statements from the suspect, a confession from the suspect, DNA evidence etc. etc.


Title: [MI] 17; mother kicked me out and won't let me retrieve any of my belongings.

Question:
My mother kicked me out about a week or two ago- had a cop called and i was escorted out to the county line with a few pieces of clothing.
Any attempt to call or ask if i can get my stuff results in her saying she'll call the cops on me if I step foot on her property.
Does she have the right to just keep all my things hostage, and what about things she bought for me as gifts?

Answer: she cannot kick you out if you're only 17. was the cop aware that you're a minor?


Title: Someone took pictures of my privates while I was sleeping

Question: I'm a college student [19m] in Utah, and live in dorms atm. Saturday night my roommate had his girlfriend over and so I slept on the couch. Today, one of my friends told me that her roommate, who was in our dorm when I went to sleep, took pictures of me after I was out. Apparently my stuff was sticking out of my pj's. I was wrapped up in a blanket, so I don't know if she took the blanket off or something. My friend sent me some of the pictures she took as proof, and that the person who took the pictures said they touched me too, but there's no pictures of it. Sorry if it's hard to understand, I'm struggling for words right now

Answer:
 I'm so sorry you're going through this. It's sexual assault and you are likely in some shock. What happens next is up to you. If you want to report this person, your school probably has a Title IX office, which should have someone who handles campus sexual assault occurrences. They can walk you through what to do next.

If you just want to talk to someone about what happened, you school's counseling and/or health center will have resources for victims of sexual assault. They can just talk to you, or if you want to speak to someone outside of the school they should have referrals to local sexual assault centers (or you can just google them for your county). RAINN is also a good national sexual assault line, which has advocates who can talk to you anonymously and help you sort through what happened. The number to call is  800.656.4673, they also have an online chat feature if that's more comfortable for you.


Title: Can my land lord bring people into my home to show the house when I'm still on the lease?

Question: The title pretty much explains it but my land lord messaged me and wants to show the house to one of his friends to possibly sell it when I'm still leasing the property. Is this legal and can I do anything about it?

Answer: Go over the terms in your lease. He very well can if its stated there or protected by law in your state.


Title: [MN, US] I was injured at work and my boss told me I can only go to a specific urgent care location to receive workers comp but they’re closed now. Could I still get it if I go to a different location?

Question:
I injured my eye during work today and while I was filling out my workers comp form, my boss told me I can only go to a certain urgent care location because that’s the one that their insurance covers. By the time I was done with my shift, the place was closed. Would I still be able to receive workers comp if I go to a different location? I feel like the injury is serious enough that I can’t wait until morning to go to their specific location.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: For emergency medical treatment, you can go anywhere. For follow-on treatment, especially if your employer participates in a managed-care plan, they may be able to compel you to use a participating provider, but if a reasonable person would consider the situation an emergency, you are not obligated to wait until their preferred provider is available.


Title: [MD] Leasing office just called and said i need to sign a new lease because my rent was written incorrectly on my old lease. What are my legal options?

Question:
Exactly what the title says: the leasing office called me and said that I need to sign a new lease because my rent was written incorrectly. I do not know if it was too much or too little- I am going in to meet with them this afternoon and wanted some legal advice before I went in.

They can't raise the rent on me now, right? I signed a year-long lease. And they can't MAKE me sign a new lease right?!? Do they have to honor the lease that we signed TOGETHER when I decided to rent the apartment?

Do I also have a right to take the lease home with me to read it over? To make sure nothing changed? I don't want to be bullied into signing a new lease. This is super sketchy.

UPDATE: I called them back and said I wanted to know what the discrepancy was before coming in. They said that the person who wrote the lease transposed two numbers in the yearly rent amount. I have been paying $1027/month. The yearly rent amount is written as 12234 instead of 12324. This would make sense since 12324/12=1027. Which is the monthly amount written in my contract. I said that makes sense and asked them to print a copy for my review to look over. They said they could not allow the lease to leave the office until I had signed it. I said I wanted time to look it over and ensure there are no other changes before signing. They said I could come in on the weekend or whenever I am free and take as much time as I need to look it over. I am planning on going in this weekend. Barring there are no other changes in the lease, I will probably just sign the new one. I am assuming that having a fight over whether or not my rent should be 1027 or 1019.5 is probably not worth the battle.

Answer:
 They cannot force you to sign a new lease, but if the terms of the old lease were ambiguous in some sense then it would benefit both you and they to clarify it with a new lease.

If they just screwed up and wrote your rent as $100 less than intended, for example, then they don't have solid grounds. But if they left off a zero and turned $2000 rent into $200, that kind of mistake is so obvious that they can enforce the _intent_ of the contract if they wanted to.

You should absolutely not sign anything new until you understand the changes fully, and you're absolutely within your rights to insist that they give you time to assess the new document.Answer #2: I guarantee you that they are not going to lower the rent.  Make sure that you keep a copy of the lease and scan/email it so that you don't only have the copy in your apartment.  Also, if they want you to sign a new lease ask them to highlight any changes in the lease and then take the copy to read it over and make sure that there are no other changes.  You probably have nothing to gain by signing a new lease, so unless they have a really good reason tell them that you will just stick with the legally binding lease that you already signed.Answer #3: "Thank you for your concern.  I already have a lease."


Title: Using Employee Discount When I No Longer Work There- Fraud?

Question:
[FL] So I worked at a clothing store similar to Armani for about a year, where my employee discount was on an ID card or could be manually input in the system and also used at other stores.

     After lending my card to my family I would just give the employees the code to manually input every time, so after ~8 months (and 6+ after I quit) of me doing this the employees all know me and don't even ask for the card anymore.

     My concern is that I'm getting clothing at a 40% discount, even on top of other sales, and I buy clothes quite often and still have family using my code. Could this be considered fraud?

(Apparently manually inputting the code bypasses any type of system that would detect whether or not I still work there)

Answer: Yes, this would be theft.


Title: Bar serving fake drinks

Question:
I work at an 18+ strip club with a bar and they are making 18-20 year old dancers order virgin drinks when the costumers think they are real drinks so they pay alcohol prices.  Is this legal? I told the owner that I didn’t want to do that and that it was illegal but he got mad and said it wasn’t. I am in Kansas if that makes any difference. Thank you!
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer:
 Would you serve someone under 21 alcohol?
I'm rather certain this is common practice, actually.Answer #2: Very common practice. Not only does this allow dancers under 21 to have a "drink", many dancers who are over 21 will get virgin drinks as well so they stay sober while working. The patrons aren't just paying for a drink, they are paying so the dancer will sit with them for a while. Source: worked as a bouncer at several strip clubs in college.


Title: Help! Over $100,000 stolen by late husband's sister

Question:
Hi all,

This is a plea for help for a close friend (let's call her F), not for me.

---

6 months ago F lost her husband (let's call him M) unexpectedly to suicide, after being married to him for many years. There were no warning signs to speak of, and they had an otherwise-happy marriage together. He left a few things behind, such as several IRA retirement accounts, a few emails to family and friends, and a notarized letter stating that his retirement assets should go to F, with the exception of $5k to each of his sister's children.

Fast forward to today, F is slowly dealing with the administrative work related to M's death, and has discovered that M forgot to update the beneficiaries on 2 of 3 retirement accounts (all IRAs) - he had opened each over 15 years ago at former employers, had specified his then-girlfriend and his sister as beneficiaries at the time, and then never updated them again after meeting F over 10 years ago. Over the years, the one assigned to his sister had accumulated MOST of M and F's total retirement savings - we are likely talking in the **hundreds of thousands of dollars**. Just this past Spring, they made a joint decision to roll this money from a 401k into an IRA to take advantage of better investment options.

**THE PROBLEM**: F called M's sister explaining the situation, and asking the sister to sign some paperwork agreeing that the IRA indeed belongs to F. The sister originally wholeheartedly agreed that this makes total sense, but then broke contact for a couple of weeks. After several phone calls, F finally received a text stating that "the money belongs to me - since I am M's beneficiary, he wishes for me to have the money - please don't call me again".

So far, F has gone to the bank and a multitude of estate lawyers, all of whom are indicating that the money is legally M's sister (despite this obviously being against M's will). The bank originally agreed to freeze the disbursement to M's sister due to F's formal dispute, but the following week they re-negged on this as F received an email stating they have transferred the lump sum to M's sister's bank account.

Some other reasons this is particularly troubling:

- If F and M had left their money in the 401k, the money would have gone to F as M's legal spouse. For IRAs however, beneficiaries supercede even a legal will (??!)

- F has been paying for all of M's funeral, burial, and misc expenses since his death - something for which his family didn't help pay

- Everyone who knows the couple understands that M would want the money to be F's - even M's parents agree with this! M's sister is estranged from the family, and won't talk to anyone, especially about this. F suspects that the sister's husband may be behind their change of heart

- It should go without saying, but M had *explicitly* stated in his letter exactly what his sister should receive of the IRA ($5 to each child), and what F should receive (the rest). This is not at all what has happened - F has received $0.

F has been at her wit's end dealing with her recent loss and all of the administrative work involved with her late husband's death - losing her husband was devastating, but she has now been betrayed by his sister as well, not to mention losing the majority of her savings to this.

Is there anything she can do? Any hope to cling to? The injustice of all of this hurts. Please help. Thank you for listening.

edit: F has received word from F's ex-girlfriend that she is likely disclaiming the other (much smaller) IRA, which is a minor comfort

edit2: F and M lived in **Massachusetts**

Answer:
 It sounds like M did not have a valid Will. I believe that MA is like many states which require 2 witnesses and a notarized signature for the document to be a valid Will. M had *years* to change the beneficiary of any retirement accounts. Generally, the legal presumption is that, since M voluntarily chose *not* to change the beneficiary, even after marriage, the named beneficiary is valid and the money belongs to that person.

A probate attorney may not be able to help in this instance because there is no valid Will and regardless, IRA's with a specific beneficiary are not part of the estate which goes through the probate court.

As hard as it is for your friend, M did not sign the necessary documents to ensure F was taken care of. I don't practice in MA so your friend is free to call attorneys, but I would suspect there is nothing that can be done about it.Answer #2: The IRA passes to the named beneficiary automatically outside of probate. The will (even if valid which a notarized letter does not equal a will) has no bearing. Looks like sister benefited from him not updating the beneficiaries when he married but she certainly didn't steal anything.

That would be the most likely reason the several estate attorneys consulted are not telling you there is a case.


Title: [PA] Problem child is 18 but still in HS, what can I do?

Question:
I know by state law I am required to support them until they are 18 or graduate High School, whichever is later. So now that they are 18 but haven't graduated yet, am I in a loophole where they are a legal adult, living in my house, that can do whatever they want but I have to continue to support them?

If they aren't abiding by the rules of the house, are being disrespectful, breaking curfew, stealing, etc. - do I have any recourse? It seems like I'm stuck, I can't kick out this "adult" while they can do whatever they please and I have to continue supporting them.

Please help.

Answer:
 Basically your teenage kid is a shithead and you're wondering what your options are.

Legally speaking, you really don't have to make it comfortable for your child to live there. You don't have to pay for a phone, allow internet access or use of a car that's not theirs, or give them spending money. They don't need an Xbox or computer. They can live without the niceties.

Refusing to fund these may help incentivize said teenager to get their proverbial shit together.

/R/parenting may have some more specific advice.  Answer #2: You need to talk to a family law attorney. After brief googling, I don't think you are required to provide support to your child past the age of 18, unless it is court ordered child support, even if the child is still in  high school.

The child is now considered an adult. Therefore, if your child is 18 and lives in your home, you can evict him as you could any tenant, regardless of whether or not he is still in high school. Once(if) you get the "OK" from a family law attorney, you might want to speak to an attorney familiar with the eviction process so you don't mess it up.Answer #3: Court ordered child support ends at 18 or upon high school graduation *if the child is pursuing their diploma*.  This doesn't apply to parents who arent paying child support as far as I can see.

Are you the custodial parent under a court order? Is your child still enrolled in HS and attending? Are they in their final year? You can only enroll in hgh school up to age 21 in PA.

Depending on your answers, I believe you would be within your right to evict your grown child. Start by serving notice -

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/how-evictions-work-pennsylvania.html


Title: My Boss came to me and said they are turning my position into a different job. I can apply for this new job (with no guarantee I’ll get it), or take a demotion to a role I had two years ago. He stated I did nothing wrong and he has given me exceptional performance reviews these past two years. Help

Question: Is it legal to do this and not call it a lay-off? HR has stated that since they are offering a 10k lower position in the same area it would not be considered a lay-off and there will be no severance. (MD)

Answer: Why wouldn't it be legal. They are getting rid of your position but still giving you a couple of options.


Title: Someone made fake social media accounts of me

Question:
Hi guys, things have gotten quite out of hand recently so I just want to know what my next move should be. This was also posted to r/advice

About five years ago when I was still in high school someone made a Kik Messenger account claiming to be me. They texted people from all over my city and even sent private pictures. They ask for sexual favors and this even happened while I was a minor. This kept up throughout high school. Two years after I graduated, someone made a fake Tinder and a fake Snapchat of me. They text lots of people and are sending the same pictures.  This person behind the account knows where I work and has been keeping a close eye on me for a while now, I imagine. More than fifteen people have contacted me letting me know that someone is making fake accounts of me. With consent, I made a tinder of my brother-in-law in hopes of matching with the fake account of me. Yesterday I discovered that they are sending pornographic videos to people and claiming to be me. I have always taken this issue with a grain of salt but lately I truly feel I am in danger. I also feel that this could ruin any potential professional career I choose to pursue. I have already reported the fake Snapchat. I have tried to get the catfish to meet up with someone but that obviously has not worked. I have contacted Nev and Max from MTV Catfish to see if they can try to help figure out who is behind these accounts and put an end to it. (Turns out they can’t do much since there is already a confirmed catfish I’m dealing with) I have no idea what to do next. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

Answer:
 You need to document and report these accounts to the service provider. I do not have enough information about this situation, but you may have a case for libel, too.

Setting up a bait profile or contacting Catfish are not viable legal strategies for resolving this situation.Answer #2: So this is definitely someone you know. It’s someone who you are around often. I would start thinking about your inner circle. Mention something extremely bizarre that you know would get into the details of this catfishes ‘life’. If it comes up, narrow it down to who you told this bizarre ‘fact’ about yourself. In order to catch a fish you have to supply bait.Answer #3: In my area, you could probably get a detective at the police station to have a subpoena sent to Tinder and Snapchat requesting information on the IPs that set up those fake accounts.

In my state (South Carolina) this sort of activity might be able to be prosecuted as Harassment under  [SC Code § 16-3-1700 (2013) ](https://law.justia.com/citations.html) (B) "Harassment in the second degree" means a pattern of intentional, substantial, and unreasonable intrusion into the private life of a targeted person that serves no legitimate purpose and causes the person and would cause a reasonable person in his position to suffer mental or emotional distress. Harassment in the second degree may include, but is not limited to, verbal, written, or electronic contact that is initiated, maintained, or repeated.

Not every police department would be willing to investigate a case like this, but it might be worth calling and asking to speak with someone about it.


Title: If an associate or employee at any company call their boss a derogatory name can they be fired?

Question:
My gf has a owner who does not come to work. My gf is the HR manager. Her associates supposedly heard her say F'ing Cun* under her breath. They guessed  she was talking about the owner and told the owner. After 23 years the owner is firing her.

legal? In Illinois...dupage county.

Answer:
 100% legalAnswer #2: >My gf has a owner

Have her check the 13th Amendment.

All jokes aside, she can absolutely be fired for this.


Title: [Baltimore, MD] US Permanent resident summoned for Jury Duty - court clerk claims I should perform it

Question:
Hey everyone
I am a US permanent resident studying in Baltimore, Maryland. I was sent a jury duty summons a few weeks ago. I replied to the summons by indicating that I am not a citizen and attached a copy of my GreenCard.

After a couple of weeks I got another mail indicating that I must attend. So I went down to the location indicated in the summons and talked to a court clerk.

She thinks I am a US citizen. I repeatedly told her that I am not and proved it by using my GC (obviously a US citizen cannot be a permanent resident). She asked to see my passport and I gave her my foreign passport which does not have a US visa in it. She seems to think that not having a US visa in my passport means that I am a US citizen with dual citizenship. I have asked to see her supervisor but she mentioned that the position is empty at the moment. Attempts to go higher through the chain have not been successful.

I consulted with an immigration attorney, he was very sympathetic and mentioned the case is amusing. Unfortunately he is not able to help me with it as this is not an immigration issue.

Now, I would even do it to finish this ordeal. However after reading online I know that impersonating a US citizen is a sure way to get me deported (funnily the examples in these cases are almost always voting or passing the border and not something like jury duty that people usually want to get out of). I made an infopass appointment with a USCIS agent and confirmed this. I asked them if I could get a [I-551 stamp](https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/temporary-i-551-stamps-and-mrivs) on my passport which clearly states "VISA" on top of it. They mentioned that you can only get one if your GC has been lost (or are waiting for it). And I do not want to "lose" mine. I asked about recourse and they mentioned that having a GC should be proof of me not being a US citizen. They could not give me any letter that says "X Y is not a US citizen."

I am eligible for naturalization is a couple of years and I do not want to complicate it. I do not know how USCIS will react to a non-citizen being accused of dodging jury duty. Now I would laugh at this like everyone else but time is running out for me as I have graduated and accepted a job offer on the other coast that I need to start in less than a month. I want to finish this before I move.

Any idea what I should do?
Topic:
Immigration

Answer:
 > Any idea what I should do?

Show up.

Permanent residents are often called for jury duty.  This is because many venire's (a pool of potential jurors) are collected by a drivers license list.

Generally, there is a form you can return whereupon you check "not a U.S. Citizen," or something similar.  It sounds like the Clerk doesn't understand this.

As you know, non-citizens cannot serve on a jury.  This will be an inconvence, but I think you should proceed and comply with the call to jury duty.  You will show up, and just explain when called that you are a permanent resident, and not allowed to serve on a jury.  However, the Clerk would not excuse you, so you showed up.

That is what I think, but I think you should consult with the immigration attorney again for their advice.Answer #2: You won't be impersonating a citizen if you show up and say "I'm not a citizen".Answer #3: > I have asked to see her supervisor but she mentioned that the position is empty at the moment.

>Any idea what I should do?

Apply to the supervisor position and then fire the clerk.Answer #4: This must be the same clerk in Baltimore City who thinks that two passports (current one and expired one) full of Chinese residence permits and my being **American Consular Warden** for the city I live in isn't sufficient proof that my mailing address in Baltimore is not the same as Baltimore residency.

Good luck.


Title: Hostile Working Environment?

Question:
I am unsure if my situation qualifies as a hostile working environment. My boss has recently called me a retard, including doing a "bit" where he mocks me in a 'retard' voice.  He has also called me and other employees morons and idiots at least weekly.  I am located in Oklahoma and am unsure what to do here.
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer: It's not a hostile environment under the law. Either look for another job or thicken your skin.


Title: Sister probably being scammed.

Question:
Sorry if this is the wrong subreddit.

So my sister talked to me the other day about trading stocks and told me she was reading some text by a guy named Tim Sykes. I told her he's full of shit based on what I've seen on a simple google search of his name, but she doesn't believe me. Now, shes on this website called imarketslive.com, which to me is clearly a scam. She posted it on her facebook, and I'm worried she's going to suck other people into it. The problem is that I'm having trouble proving that it's a scam.

Answer:
 There's a big difference between a "scam" and selling something to dreamers. Tim Sykes isn't a scammer. He may be flamboyant and a pumper, but he's not a scammer.

Besides, many successful traders start off on sites like this. Gotta learn somehow and the best lesson is losing money.

Anyways, this just looks like your typical PAMM trading service using MT4, the most common FX trading platform out there. This really isn't a scam in the traditional sense of the word. Will she lose money? Probably. Will she make money? Probably. Will she learn more about trading? I can almost guarantee it.


Title: [OK]Arrested for a bad joke

Question:
I'll try to be brief but I still can't accept just how stupid the whole thing is.

I was in McDonald's today and for some stupid reason that I can't comprehend, decided to engage in political discussion with a bunch of rednecks. Regarding Questions 780 and 781.
So the discussion got a bit heated and when one of them said that "drugs put holes in your brain" I replied with "you know what else puts holes in your brain? A drill."
Little did I know one of them was a police officer, who decided to arrest me. I was booked under "Threatening a Violent Act", and had to call my GF to post a $500 bail. Now I don't have much money, and with this I don't think a can even afford a lawyer.

What can I do? Am I really in trouble or was the officer just abusing his authority? Can I get his superior to make him drop the charges?

Answer:
 > Am I really in trouble or was the officer just abusing his authority?

He wasn't remotely abusing his authority.  You picked a fight with some people and then made a statement that most reasonable people would consider threatening.

You can try complaining to his superiors, but you won't get anywhere.  Hire an attorney, get your defense together, and stop being a jackass.


Title: The apartment complex I live in suddenly wants to charge me a $36 service fee to pay my monthly rent (South Carolina)

Question: Me and my girlfriend have lived at this super nice apartment complex in South Carolina for a couple years now. The complex just got bought by some big group and changed the payment website. It used to be really straight forward, you could pay online and get a nice itemized list or you could go to the front office and pay. Now all they have is this new janky website that does none of the itemization and wants to charge me $36 every time I pay my rent. I never signed a new agreement when they took over and I never agreed to this new payment model. Can they make me pay this?

Answer:
 Can you pay by other means such as bringing a check to the landlord/leasing office?Answer #2: Is the $36 fee so that you can pay your rent via credit card? Do they not have an ACH-draft option for a just a few dollars?Answer #3: Are you on a current fixed term lease or monthly right now?
If it's fixed term, they cannot charge you extra fee that are not on current fixed term lease.
If it's monthly, they can require it going foward.


Title: How can I acquire a transcript of a cell phone call?

Question:
Location: Oregon (this is for my MIL, not me)

I am wondering if it's possible (and if so, how to go about doing this) to obtain a transcript of a cell phone call?  I'd gladly pay my cell phone provider or obtain a court order but I'm not sure where to start. I tried Googling it and came up with speculative responses but I didn't see where anyone had done it and knew for certain.

I was going to post this in /r/askreddit but the rules said no legal advice.  I generally don't post, I normally vote & comment so any posting suggesting are appreciated.

Answer:
 > I am wondering if it's possible (and if so, how to go about doing this) to obtain a transcript of a cell phone call?

No telephone provider in the USA regularly records the contents of telephone calls.  If one of the parties wasn't recording it, and there was no legal recording done by a third party, then it simply doesn't exist.


Title: Need help getting a refund. Related to the Gatlinburg fires.

Question:
I had a Cabin reserved from Friday, December 2 to the 6th. The cabin was located in Pigeon Forge, TN.  The reservation was made with the Cabin rental agency Cabin of the Smokey Mountains.

Due to the Gatlinburg wildfires that lasted between the Tuesday and Wednesday, I decided to not go due to safety reasons, the fact that a lot of scenery was burned, and all of Gatlinburg was shut down.

I emailed the customer service about a refund, but they are not going to give a refund, and claim that the Cabin was unaffected and not near the fires.  While this may be true, I had no way of knowing that the Cabin was unaffected by the fires, and would not have gone anyway because a whole city right by the cabins was under a state of emergency.

Is there anyway to get a refund in this situation?  The whole trip cost $900 and I refuse to let that simply be gone to waste.  Here is a link to their Cancellation Policy: https://www.cabinsofthesmokymountains.com/reservation_agreement_policies.php

Answer:
 >I had a Cabin reserved from Friday, November 26 to the 30th.

>While this may be true, I had no way of knowing that the Cabin was unaffected by the fires,

>Due to the Gatlinburg wildfires that lasted between the Tuesday and Wednesday, I decided to not go due to safety reasons

Wasn't that the 28th and 29th?

Why didn't you check in on the 26th?

The state of emergency was called on the 28th.

I am confused on your timeline.


Title: [AL] Ex might have given me std.

Question: So a few days I found out my girlfriend has been cheating on me for months to have sex with older men online for money.  I'm 18 and she just turned 19 and she's been having sex with 50 year old men without protection. I told her parents and they just told her to talk to me about it (idk they seem like they don't want her to get into trouble) and now she's texting me to request me to delete all the evidence I have. I have an appointment to get tested for anything on the 16th so what should I do if I do have something?

Answer: It's only a crime if you knowingly give it. You could have used protection. Leave her parents out of it.Answer #2: Get treated for it by a medical professional. Answer #3: If you do have something, call her parents again so they can ground her or take away her x box for the week.


Title: [US] Purely fanciful question: How would the courts handle someone who claimed, and could document that they were a few hundred years old?

Question:
Assume that their age was important to the case at hand, they claimed to be 300 years old (for example), and they had all the proper bureaucratic and medical documentation to support their claim, and all the documents and paper trails held up in the face of detailed scrutiny, evaluation, and research verification.

Would a state or federal court be more likely to assume that their claim is patently false regardless of their documentation, or would it be more likely to take the documentation into consideration and grant the possibility?

Answer:
 Just like any court case, each side would do their best to prove their side. This would probably involve a lot of experts and testing.Answer #2: This is uncharted territory.Answer #3: I’m not sure what you mean. It’s certainly not illegal to be several hundred years old, so . . . nothingAnswer #4: And how would the Social Security administration respond?Answer #5: I don't think it would be that complex. Courts need a more specific set of facts and claims than "someone's really old" before a verdict is reached. For example, is this a question of whether or not some extraordinarily superannuated individual was seeking government benefits, or applying for a job with a privately owned business and claiming age discrimination.

The courts might have different laws governing such different questions, and different precedent for different facts.Answer #6: Well, it's possible with the right technology that someone could travel near the speed of light for several hundred years in Earth time, but only a few years would pass for them. Proving your passage on the spaceship would probably be enough for the court.

What the court does with that info would depend on the context. If you get busted for underage drinking, and you're 17 years old in your own timeline and 300 in Earth time, I doubt the courts would be sympathetic. (What the justice system will be like 300+ years from now is anyone's guess though.)Answer #7: I would bet there is more than one person in the psych ward with similar claims. If the claims were true medical researchers would certainly be interested.


Title: Advice on what to do about landlord living on the premises?

Question: Hi, so my landlord is living in the rumpus room of our house (me and 3 other housemates), but promised us she would only be staying there temporarily while she is finding a place in Australia. She has shown no signs of leaving, and is a nuisance to live with, as well as redoing our floors and plans to redo our bathroom which has been really inconvenient as we had to move our stuff out of our rooms etc. Me and another housemate want to leave, but we have signed a 6 month lease that ends in a few months. Is there anything I could do to get out of there! Any advice would be fantastic thanks :)

Answer: If the lease is for the whole house then you follow the process to remove an unwanted tenant. You can refuse to allow her to perform work on the house as well other than necessary mantanance.


Title: Almost Ran Over, Press Charges? [CA]

Question:
Hello, about an hour ago a car came to a complete stop to let me cross the street, and then attempted to hit me with their car after I passed. The car behind them pulled up to me to check if I was okay, and asked what was going on. They chased the other car down, and got their plate number and a good ID on the driver. This car has 3 people inside. A runner across the street saw everything that happened. I called the police, they came and took a report. The officer said that they would charge the man with assault with a deadly weapon. I said yes to pressing charges. Was this the right thing to do? (moral question, not legal, sorry). Is there anything I have to worry about legally? Do I need some sort of lawyer? I don't have the money for something like that, or court fees.

If I need to, and CAN, release more necessary details please let me know.

EDIT: I called the party that tracked down the driver to say thank you. I also felt like I forgot if I took down the right number of the second witness. So I called it, and it in fact was the correct number. Is there anything wrong with talking to these people?
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: Unless you think they plan on suing you I don't see why you would need a lawyer. You're a victim of a crime. That's what a prosecutor/district attorney/solicitor is for.


Title: Small town grocery store accidentally charged my card twice when I had to remove it/insert again. Have the PDF statement seeing the back to back charge, could I talk to the manager and ask for that back in store credit? Could I get a refund back at all? MO.

Question: You could see me on the security camera fighting with the card reader so I know there are video proof of me having to insert munchies card multiple times... I hate saying anything because I   don't want to burden them with this issue but it's like 32$ and I have like 80 in the bank rn

Answer: Just dispute the charge, your credit card company can tell it's a duplicate.


Title: A guy I did some graphic design work for is threatening to sue me internationally for deleting files.

Question:
Sorry for the text wall.

There's a guy I did some logos for while I was living in Berlin. I did work for him for about a month for nearly free (he offered to pay my rent ~$230).

I was really amiable and when I left in January to go back to the USA we were on good terms. I gave him the files I'd made on a flash drive and called it quits.

He's pestered me for the files and bonus (free) work since a few times and I repeatedly accommodated him.

Fast forward to last week I was tired of it. He got aggressive when I deleted my dropbox files to clear up space (~1 month or so ago, and he noticed last week). Turns out he had lost the files I gave him and had been using the shared dropbox links I'd sent him on Facebook chat (previews of what I was working on).

When the files vanished, he got mad and threatened me and stuff.
I poked fun at him a bit but then sent him a Backup.zip, except the .zip was just a video of me deleting his files (my backup) from my hard disk to the peppy soundtrack of Taylor Swift's "Shake it Off".
He thanked me for the zip and a week later (this morning) he messaged me angrily and berated me and said he was going to be suing me for damages.

He's an amateur "rap star" and very full of himself so I'm considering this him being a blow hard, but I thought I'd be safe and ask around here. Where do I stand?

TL;DR:

- I didn't sign any contract with him
- I gave him the graphic design work I did for him
- I deleted my own files
- Maybe I was a bit of a dick for sending him a video of me deleting my backups but I was really tired of his shit
- I live in the USA now and afaik no lawyer is going to sue internationally over $230 worth of graphic design
- Turns out he actually found his files now but he's still planning on suing me

My most recent conversation (names are blotted out): http://imgur.com/JGNjbfL

Answer:
 1. Remove the personally identifiable information.

2. Both of you need to grow up.

3. Ignore him. He's not suing you and you're not going to have to pay anything.

4. Repeat #2.


Title: [MD] Buyers switched settlement companies and didn't tell us until the very last minute. Now the original settlement company wants me to pay for the settlement they didn't get to do.

Question:
I recently sold my old house to a couple that had been renting it. It was a DIY sale; we did not have agents. The buyers were struggling to come up with money for closing, so I helped by trying to find a cheaper title ins company. The best quote I got was from the title co that handled the closing back when I bought the house; they gave a re-issue rate on the policy, and the fees they quoted were pretty low. I gave the quotes to the buyers and they picked the cheapest one. We also put them in touch with a local lender who offered them a much better rate than the one they had talked to, and a huge lender credit.

About 2.5 weeks before we were supposed to close, the buyers told us they had switched to the new lender - great. Then the night with one business day left before closing we found out from the original title company that the buyers had switched to a new one. I really don't know when they decided this, but they didn't tell us or the original title co, so the whole time I was sending my info and checking in with the original title co. Not happy about it, but my top priority is to sell the house, so what could I do?

The main complication is this. After the buyers picked the original title co, I asked the lawyer there to review the purchase contract we had filled out ourselves, and write an amendment making sure the contract matched what we had agreed to and didn't leave any other problems. I am agreed to pay him for this, and he did it - great.

But now that the messy closing is over, the original title company wants me to pay for the contract work *and* costs they incurred in the aborted settlement. This is entirely stuff that, had the settlement gone through, the buyer would have paid for. Is there any way I am responsible for this? Or are they just trying to get paid and I am the most convenient target?

Thanks for any advice.

edit: typo "would have been paid for" -> "would have paid for"

Answer:
 Does the contract state the buyer is to pay for this? If it does then they are responsible for this and remind the old title company of this one the contract and for them to go after the buyers.

If the contract states this is a seller expense then you are responsible for this, but check if you had to pay these fees on the HUD/Closing statement you should have gotten.


Title: Alienation of Affection in North Carolina. Possible defense?

Question:
My soon-to-be-ex-husband has filed suit against my lover for alienation of affection. The facts are no love existed between my husband and myself for three or four years prior to my moving out.

I am wanting to move on with my lover. I have moved out of my house and am in an apartment. It is not the case that my lover alienated my affections, because there were no affections to be alienated.

My lover and I did start seeing each other before I moved out, and my husband and my friends know this. I used to lie about this to my husband, but have admitted the truth since moving out.

**Is is a good defense to destroy the idea that my husband and I had a good marriage (one primary element of the alienation of affection tort) if I just come right out and say I did not love my husband for some years before I moved out?** Has this type of response been attempted before?  I only stayed with my husband as long as I could out of what I felt was duty and obligation.

Requirements for alienation of affection that must be proven by my husband and his attorney:

•	Love between the married spouses existed prior to the onset of the extra-marital relationship; (no)
•	The marital love was alienated and destroyed as a result of the relationship with the third-party; (no) and
•	The defendant’s malicious conduct contributed to or was the cause of the loss of affection. (?)

I am entirely ready to state that I was not in love with my husband, that my lover did not destroy marriage, and I don't know what to think about my lover's conduct being malicious. He is not a malicious person. We simply fell in love prior to my leaving my husband.

Answer:
 On a side note, can we collectively agree that referring to someone as "my lover" is one of the most creepy things ever?  Sounds like something that would be in one of those werewolf love books.Answer #2: I am sorry, but every time you refer to him as your lover [I see this](https://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/2015-03/2/19/imagebuzz/webdr09/anigif_optimized-334-1425340871-3.gif).

The third element of the alienation of affection claim sounds to me (not licensed in NC) like your boyfriend/lover had to intend to split you and your ex up (malice requires intent). So if he knew it was already over between the two of you when y'all got together, then the intent to split you up wasn't there. I agree with the other posters. Consult with your attorney(s) to see what you need to do to successfully defend.Answer #3: This lawyer blog has some good information. You would pretty much have to show there was never any love of affection ever.

https://www.rosen.com/divorce/divorcearticles/alienation-of-affection-and-criminal-conversation/

Your ahem lover needs an attorney. This could cost him a lot of money.Answer #4: talk to your divorce lawyer about how to best defend your lover against this AoA suit. one superior court judge in NC has ruled that he believes that NC's AoA statute is unconstitutional.


Title: [Virginia]Attorney won't do what she's told. Won't end the case and won't accept the offers when ordered to.

Answer:
 Just to clarify.  Make your demands to her *in writing* (and ideally by CRRR mail so she can't try to claim she never got it).  Then, if/when she doesn't listen to you, fire away.

Failing to prove the reason for the firing first potentially opens you up to all sorts of fee or lien issues in the future, but each of which can be resolved by your proof that the attorney failed to follow your now-written directives.

Any further pushback from the lawyer can be reported to [State Bar](http://m.vsb.org/site/regulation/lawyer-discipline/).
Answer #2: Is your lawyer being paid a percentage of the settlement or something?

I would just tell them that they have two options: Take the settlement, or end their relationship with you.

"I understand your advice, and I appreciate your counsel and the care you have taken in this case.  I have made my decision to accept the opposition's settlement offer of $X,XXX.  Please take the necessary steps immediately to accept this offer.  If you will not do so, I wish to terminate your representation of me immediately.  Will you take the steps to accept the offer, or is our relationship over?"Answer #3: File a complaint with the VA bar association and fire her. She works for you, and apparently needs to be reminded of that.

http://m.vsb.org/site/regulation/inquiry/


Title: (Massachusetts) New roommate in college has extensive video library of animals being tortured/killed on his laptop

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Legally there's not much you can do AFAIK. I mean, watchpeopledie is totally a subreddit. You can report your concerns to police but honestly it's a huge leap to claim they might have CP because they have these videos. Answer #2: Ok, no one else has said this yet. My school had something called "care reports" which students/faculty could submit about other students who were having problems (excessive stress, depression, sudden serious changes in mood, etc). Basically it was a way to anonymously say you were seriously concerned about someone's mental health.

See if your school has something similar. Torturing animals is not a normal healthy human interest, and is a big mental health red flag. Talk to a doctor or counselor at student health services.

I would avoid telling your roommate if possible. Its less of a safety issue, and more of a "you may be stuck living with this guy for a year" issue.

GL


Title: My friend murdered someone when he was a juvinile. He's in prison and has been for a long time. Is there any chance Miller vrs Alabama might get him parole? (Ohio)

Question:
Yeah. I know. Murder is bad. I'd rather not get into it too much. Can someone please just answer the question?

The question is thus:

I know a guy who murdered someone when he was 15. In prison he killed someone in self defense. What are the chances of Miller vrs Alabama doing something? He got a life sentence  as a teen and then I'm not clear what he got for the second one, I think it was the same.

Also- I want to say that obviously I'm not taking this as real legal advise- this will determine if I even bring up the topic with him in conversation.  If it would just crush him, or give him false hope or something I'd rather not bother.

Answer:
 Miller v Alabama is to be applied retroactively per the Supreme Court.  That means that anyone convicted for life as a minor is eligible for re sentencing.

That still gives states leeway in determining sentencing guidelines. Which means they could shorten it to a mandatory 40 or something.

It's worth talking to him about, but an attorney in Ohio that specializes in crim defense, even a public defender, would know the ramifications of the case in their jurisdiction. He should speak to his public defender, and if that doesn't pan out try and get a consultation with a private defender to at least discuss options.

Edit: Even if he gets his first sentence changed, he has to appeal the second decision. The court does not have to change that sentence per this case.


Title: [CA] Neighbor keeps stealing/opening/beating up packages?

Question:
My parents live in a mobile home part next to this miserable woman who has a grudge against them. Half the time I'm there she's chainsmoking on her porch screaming obscenities at us. Most of the time she's holding a video camera pointed at the house to "catch" my parents breaking the rules of the park and sometimes I think she keeps it on a tripod out the window pointing into my parents place.

Occasionally we'd have packages disappear when they were delivered to the porch closest to the neighbor (only to reappear when she "overheard" me talking about stealing mail being a felony). Now she stopped stealing them but every now and then a package would look opened and hastily resealed or would look extra beat up and were 99% sure it's her. We've tried talking to the manager about it but she's more eager to get rid of my parents for "causing drama" than the neighbor. What can we do? Thanks

Answer: Get a security camera of your own. Call the police. Not necessarily in that order.