Title: Getting scammed by dealership after their service department totaled my truck.

Question: New to Reddit. Ok, so I bought this 2014 truck with 15XX miles and got a good deal because they really were trying to get rid of it. First time I ever been satisfied with a stelearship. Anyways, they owe me a key which it needed to be programmed with the truck, three days later after I drove off the lot I took it back to get the key programmed and the very same day I got a call with the awesome news: "one of our drivers backed up into your trucj with a HD flat bed work truck". I was like WTF? How?? Seriously? Anyways I was told the damage was close to 2k and that they will pay for the repairs (yes, this idiot told me that). First thing it came to my mind was I don't want that fucking truck anymore! Really, the stupid service director told they will fix it and it'd look like it never happened, I guess he wasn't planning on reporting the damage so it won't show on the carfax. Funny fact was that the night I got the truck I found an appraisal for damage to the same truck which stated the bed would need to be replaced and other damage in the same side the truck was hit. The appraisal have the same vin but the mileage was way off. I demanded the carfax the day after and it came out clean. I thought it was fishy and send an e-mail to the appraisal company but I haven't got an answer. Back to the story, I showed up to the dealership and heard nothing but apologies, but from the sales department not from the service department, I went to see the truck and took some pictures to confirm that the actual damage was close to 6k. Of course I wasn't going to take the truck back! Fuck that! I'm back at the waiting area and I'm expecting some kind of BS that would make me take that damge truck back...wrong! I got this nice guy telling me: "this is what's going to happen, go out to the lot and find a 2015 with the same options as yours" I was like cool, I guess I'm getting an upgrade out if it. Sadly, none of the truck were close to what I had picked. So, the other option was for they to locate a truck and in the meantime I was going to get a loaner truck. I agreed to it and got the loaner. Three days later I hardly hear from the sales department and I said to myself they should be working hard to locate the truck...a week into it and I had to call to see what was going on. Expected answer: we are working really hard and looking all over the place but we can't find anything like it...I said ok, I cut them some slack. Two weeks into it and I was still waiting but putting more pressure on them. Like really, they needed to get that shit right. So I finally get some options, that still wasn't the same that I had. I thought ok, maybe I get a fucking discount...turn out that the trucks were too far and they finally came up with a crew cab and really close to what I had. I said ok, I went to check it out, I liked it and the sales guy and I thought everything was going to be OK, in other words that I was going to get the same deal, and the only thing that would change was the VIN. Wrong... one of the sales manager comes back with different number, I was like WTF, I didn't cause the damage, I didn't ask for an upgrade, wtf do I need to get stuck with a bigger loan just because it's a newer truck and bs. They couldn't find the same truck it was their choice to offer me the 2015 crew cab. Right? Of course I didn't agree to that shit and I was looking at 5k difference. Fuck them I said, y'all need to work it out with the service director, he should be the one taking the fucking loss and not me. Fuck him, right? After several attempts trying to reach him he finally answers my call with a fucking attitude, letting me know that I was jumping from a 2014 to a 2015, like I was my choice...I pretty much told him to fuck off and he kept saying he was already taking a loss, haha like that bitch is not going to file that claim with its insurance and just paid the deductible, in this case $1000. That's his total loss and Ithey had me here in the middle getyicky stuck with 5k more. Bigger loan and different truck that was never my choice. After several meetings with the sales people they just keep saying  that's all they can do and that I need to keep calling the mogo service director which at this point wouldn't be a good idea. He was rude and kept telling me that he can fix the truck and I would never notice it was damage, what an asshole. I'm pushing three weeks into this matter and still haven't resolved a damn thing. I'm not willing to take the bigger loan because they are making me do it, the sales department has agreed that the case hasn't been handled the right way and that yes! I'm getting screwed big time. Today I got an alert from credit karma about some hard enquiries on my credit, the finance department ran my credit 5 freaking times without my consent. All kinds of screw up with this dealership. It is located in Dallas, TX. They claimed to be number 2 in the nation, its a Chevy dealership and as you can tell the experience has been a freaking nightmare. At this point I'm trying to find out if there's some kind of legal action that can help me solve this. I know they would never give me the my down payment back and if I walk out if the deal, it would turn into a voluntary reposetion on my credit history.

Answer:
 I'm not trying to be a dick, but you have a much higher chance of people helping you if you break your text into paragraphs. Otherwise, it's a chore to read. Answer #2: So the tl;dr is you bought a truck, the dealer damaged it, they offered to fix it, you said no.  They offered to find a replacement but could t find one that wouldn't cost more money.

Your options are probably to back out or take the repair.  You're not entitled to a free upgrade because of their fuck up, if that's what you're after


Title: Are you legally able to kill (shoot at/try to injure) someone who is LEAVING your house/property?

Question:
Basically I got into a heated argument with my friend about this. He's from Texas and claims that in Texas he's legally allowed to do so, but I disagreed and said it was illegal.

Would a situation like this hold in court? Thank you

Answer:
 Generally speaking, you must be *reasonably* in fear for your life (or the life of another) before you can use deadly force.

I think it will be hard to meet that standard if the suspect is fleeing.Answer #2: It would really depend on the actual merits of the situation. Basic reasons why you could do this is
*you think your life is in danger
*the person is fleeing from a felony crime
*person is going to commit a(nother) crime

You cannot shoot someone for simply trespassing on your property or for committing a simple act of vandalism and then running away (at night time, this is a little more ambiguous).


Title: What kind of crime would this be? Attempted sexual assault?

Question:
I don’t know how to preface this so here goes; what kind of crime would the following situation be? A teenage boy tells a girl that he wants to take her to a secluded area (for sexual purposes), and she says no. He physically drags her, attempting to take her to the location. She fights him the whole way, making it clear that she does not want to go with him. In the struggle, he causes her to be injured with fairly severe open wounds that require medical attention. He leaves her alone and isolated after seeing the injuries he caused.

How would you categorize this? Attempted sexual assault? Assault?

Answer:
 It can definitely vary by location, but in addition to the sexual assault,  assault and battery would most likely also be some form of kidnapping or abduction.

In other words, it could be a lot of crimes.


Title: [CA] Pulled over for 88 on a highway. Reckless driving?

Question:
So here's the story:

The road's pretty much empty except for a few cars here and there. It's pretty open. 1:30pm. Mid-May. Beautiful, sunny day. I'm driving down a straight road at 88. I know perfectly well the speed limit is 65. I'm cruising down the freeway. Trying to switch lanes. Look up in the rearview mirror and see a police car right behind me his lights going. Goddammit.

So I pull over. An officer comes out of his vehicle and comes to my passenger side. I look behind me and there are two police cars there. I get out my license and stuff and get ready.

Officer: "WhAT are you doing?? You're going 88 on this road?? "
Me: "Officer I-"
Officer: "I've got (_____ forgot what he said) ready to  blow your tires out because you wouldn't stop! You know I've been following you with my lights for almost two miles?! I've got a helicopter ready to go to ( something something probably stuff that involved me not stopping.) "

(uh-oh. I genuinely had no idea. I was on like an 80-mile commute so I was just focusing on the road ahead. And I had the music up because music accompaniment is good for long drives. It wasn't like blARINGly loud but I guess to the point where I didn't notice the cop car behind me?)

Me: "Officer, I apologize. I GENUINELY did not notice now.. and I pulled over immediately."

Officer: "You're telling me you didn't notice that?! Gimme your license."

(I quickly dig it out of my wallet and hand it to him.)

Officer: "Driving is a privelege! I'm gonna have send this over to the DMV your license suspended! I've got a breaking-and-entering code three (something something) right now and I can't get to it because you're in my way!" (murmurs something else)

Me: "Officer, I am SO sorry. I REALLY had no idea you were behind me." (I'm still trying to process the situation and what's going on... also terrified because nothing like this has ever happened to me before and I was by myself so I really didnt' know what else to do)

Officer: "Just pull back onto the highway and pick up your speed and get back."

Me: "...uh... okay."
(still trying to process things... wait shouldn't I like get some sort of piece of paper or something? wth just happened?)

*officer is already walking away"

Me: "Wait!! Officer!"

(trying to get some more details out of this???"

*Officer gets into his car*

(At this point, I really need info. I get out of my car and try to get him before he can leave.)

Me: "helllo0o0ooooo0o???"

Officer: "I don't have time for this right now!"

(shuts window and drives away)

All of this happened within a matter of maybe 60 seconds. Definitely no more than 90.

I have never gotten any sort of speeding ticket or been in any accidents or received any citations or anything. Pretty lowkey. I'm 19 years old, female, asian. I've had my license since I got it at 16 and have been accident-free and ticket-free since.

Here's my question: What am I gonna be charged with? A speeding ticket? Which I definitely rightfully deserve, but he didn't give me any ticket or like pieces of paper or anything. Reckless driving? Evading a police officer? Or did I just get screamed at and this was a stern talking-to and I got off clean? (I'm a petite asian girl so I feel like  he felt like he was talking to a child...)

He also never identified himself nor gave his name or badge number or anything. I didn't see what county the police car said or if it said California Highway Patrol. So I have preetty much nothing to refer back to what happened today. All I rememeber is that he was Hispanic.

Am I gonna get something in the mail? Will this affect my insurance? Points?

TLDR: Speeding. Cop apparently had been following me for 2 miles before I noticed. He yells at me for like 30 seconds threatening to suspend my license. He speeds off without giving me anything.

EDIT: Oh yeah. I should also mention I have a slight hearing deficiency. Not like I'm completely deaf, but I definitely don't have the full hearing range/accuracy of your average 19-year-old female.

EDIT 2: So after doing a lot of thinking about this. I realize... I don't think this is the average case of speeding ticket. Like not the fact that I passed a cop car without noticing or anything like that. But I think this was a case where he was on his WAY to the breaking-and-entering thing, and his lights were flashin and he was rushing to get there. And everyone pulls over to the right (which is what you're supposed to do according to CA law) but I was just really unaware of my surroundings and didn't notice his siren/lights. And therefore failed to also do that and just kept on driving. Which would be the reason why he asks "What are you doing?????" instead of the usual "Do you know how fast you were going???".

Answer:
 > TLDR: Speeding. Cop apparently had been following me for 2 miles before I noticed. He yells at me for like 30 seconds threatening to suspend my license. He speeds off without giving me anything.

That's really all that was needed.


Title: I shoplifted at Nordstrom.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 IANAL.

Nordstrom is offering you a settlement in lieu of suing you. It's a private agreement, so you can certainly negotiate. Whether they will consider a counter offer is entirely up to them. If the letter does not indicate a means by which they expect your response, I would respond in writing to the address from which the letter was sent. Answer #2: The fine you got is called a civil demand, it is basically in lieu of a lawsuit, and it is basically a fine to help recoup LP costs. In many states, it is codified in the penal code.

If I were you, I would pay it (please note, I am not a lawyer).  Since you never mentioned talking to police, I'm guessing they aren't pressing charges at this time.  My company will press charges if the civil demand is not paid.

I doubt you would be able to negotiate. You could probably ask, but this is their alternative to suing you, so they might not be receptive.  If you can't pay it now, they may be willing to do a payment plan or something. They never tell us what they do with civil demands.


Title: My aunt and uncle might lose custody of their grandkids. FL

Question: My cousin died last Sunday very unexpectedly. She and her daughters (age 9 and 10) have been living with her parents for most of the girls lives. Her ex and father of the girls has been in and out of prison and may or may not be living in Colorado. After they divorced  my cousin could not get her ex to sign custody over to her and she has no will. Before they were divorced he refused to let my aunt and uncle see their grandkids unless they paid him and i know if he comes for them they will never see their grandkids again. Grandparents have little to no rights to custody in the state of Florida. My cousin had a lot of problems when she was younger but she worked them out and got help. She did her best to keep her kids safe. Now she can't anymore. My aunt and uncle said they went to see a lawyer and the lawyer said if her ex came for the kids there was nothing they could do. I want to help them and save my cousins. Is there anything I can do? Sorry for any errors, I'm on mobile.

Answer:
 Grandparents should be able to apply for guardianship of the children if not custody.

Get a better lawyer.

This page has some scenarios and referral numbers: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy433


Title: What to do or not do contesting a speeding ticket

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 That cop cut you a major break, because the actual speeding ticket would have been almost double the price of the violation of a traffic control device. I'm an officer in Florida, so I can help you a little. The easiest thing to do is to ask for the court date. Show up, if the officer isn't there when you get called to the stand, ask for a dismissal. Ticket goes bye bye

If the officer is there, your best option is to ask for a withhold of adjudication. This is like pleading no contest. As long as your driving record is decent and you don't have a ton of tickets, the judge will usually charge you the value of the ticket, but remove the points. This will save you on your insurance. If your record is bad, he may order you to take a driver improvement course, but still take the points off.


Title: I was assaulted on Saturday night.

Question:
I live in San Diego, CA.

I witnessed a street brawl and called 911. Somebody that was fighting attacked me for calling 911 punching me in the face and breaking my glasses. When i reached for my glasses, she pulled my hair and gave me whiplash when I got up. She also pulled out a good chunk of hair and now i have a bald spot. I didn't do anything back to her at all, by the time I grabbed my glasses she had moved on to the next person. The cops came out and took my statement but the cop I spoke to refused to give me any information about who took my statement and I feel at a total loss.

I've already been to the chiropractor once where he stated I have whiplash and I have to return later this week. I have a black eye, a bald spot, and thankfully my boyfriend was able to fix my glasses.

Is it worth pressing charges for? What will pressing charges entail? I've never been in a situation like this and it feels so stressful already but I am really annoyed by this physical and financial inconvenience.

Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 Private citizens don't press charges; only the government can do that.

You can offer to assist with the investigation; you will be required to testify if you are subpoenaed; you could consider suing the person who attacked you for your damages (medical costs, possibly cost of fixing your hair). Answer #2: >chiropractor once where he stated I have whiplash

Chiropractors are sales people and are not real doctors.

That said - if you do know their information, you can sue them in small claims.


Title: Dentist sold our dental record and information along with his dental office

Question:
My mom called our dentist today to schedule a teeth cleaning for the family

The dentist told her he sold his dental office along with all his patient files to a new dentist

My mom called the new dentist and the new office says we need to pay them $35 dollars per person to get our dental records back

This is pretty ridiculous and I’m pretty sure is against the law. When we confronted the old dentist he begged us not to sue him then got aggressive and said there’s nothing he can do now he office no longer belongs to him.

Is this against HIPPA law? What can we do in this situation? Everything is communicated via phone call
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer:
 Although there is some disagreement on this subject, most healthcare attorneys agree that it is not permissible to actually sell medical records as part of an asset sale. So one of three things happened. 1) They did it anyway. 2) The records were transfered, and the new owner is the custodian of record, but not quite the owner. 3) The entity owning the records was actually sold (rare).

It doesn't really matter. In any case, the new doc is required to give you copies of the records just as the old doc was. They are allowed to charge reasonable fees for photocopying.Answer #2: So, the new dentist may be the CUSTODIAN of the records, but you OWN the records. They are your records. In California, they may charge you a copying fee, up to $0.25 per page. So unless you have 140 pages of records, $35 is a bit much.

[http://www.mbc.ca.gov/Consumers/Access\_Records.aspx](http://www.mbc.ca.gov/Consumers/Access_Records.aspx)Answer #3: Former dental assistant here. I'm not sure of the exact legal aspects but when a dentist purchases a practice from another dentist they aren't just buying the equipment or the practice name, they are buying the client base too. It's legal. You can have your records removed from the office, though


Title: I am looking for advise from exmo's or exJW's. My son came out as bi on thanksgiving. Now his JW Ex is refusing to let him see his son for Christmas.

Question: She said it is against his religion. Except the parenting plan gives my son all holidays except thanksgiving. She already taught my grandson that his dad, uncle and grandfather's are part of satans army because they all served in the military.  Is there anything he can do. She has money for an attorney but he doesn't

Answer:
 If their parenting plan says he gets the child on Christmas, it doesn't matter what his orientation or religion etc is, she can be held in contempt if she doesn't follow the plan. (assuming this original plan was done in court)

If she wants to change the plan, it has to be done in court. Answer #2: Then he needs to move to hold her in contempt for violating this plan.

He is better off doing that via an attorney. Answer #3: In addition to violating the current custody agreement, this also sounds like parental alienation. This is definitely worth bringing up with a family law attorney.Answer #4: NAL, but re: JW - my dad converted after I was an adult, and he stopped recognizing holidays. Make sure the dates are in the custody agreement, or something else that specifies holidays by a method the ex can't argue about (like "federally recognized holidays").Answer #5: First, she would be violating the custody agreement. If she withholds the child for the holiday, then he should go to court and ask for her to be held in contempt for it.

Secondly, her telling the child that his dad, uncle and grandfather are part of satans army could get her in more trouble for parental alienation. Answer #6: Your son really needs a lawyer to help with this. Short term, if she refuses to provide your son he should contact the police as she is violating the parenting plan.Answer #7: If they have a court ordered parenting plan/custody agreement, then the ex does not have a choice. If she violates the order, your son will need an attorney to take her back to court.


Title: Can you press charges on someone who instructed their child to perform sexual acts on you?

Question:
So long story short... my ex-neighbor from my childhood was arrested about 10 years ago for sexually abusing his children and making porn out of the abuse. He got a 10 year sentence and is scheduled for release at the end of this year.

WELL admittedly my neighbor never did anything sexual to me, but he would tell his son (who was also the about the same age as me, but one year younger) to perform sexual acts on my brother and I.  We were like 8 at the time and my brother and I didn't really know the seriousness of the situation until we got a lot older. Heck, I didn't know the guy got arrested until 2 years ago.

I honestly dont know if I can press charges since it was his child who did the acts and not him.

Answer:
 You can file a police report. The DA will decide whether to pursue charges or not Answer #2: It's possible his plea deal says they agree not to charge him for other related crimes committed during that period.  Either way, you should strongly consider counseling for this.Answer #3: I’m not sure about the laws in Arizona, but in my state this falls under the legal definition of sexual abuse by compelling or encourage sexual conduct in a child. I’m so sorry this happened to you.

IANAL, but I’m a court appointed special advocate for victims of child abuse/neglect. Answer #4: This is definitely still sexual abuse. There absolutely are some kind of charges that cover this. Whether the police will pursue it, I can't say. It may be helpful to report it anyway. You might also see if your state has a victim's services office that could let you know if you could write a letter on the matter of his parole.Answer #5: Have you considered that he might have been secretly filming those incidents?


Title: [US, ME] Mom owns my (living) great-grandmother's house with her aunt (50/50 ownership). Aunt wants her to sign a POA document.

Question:
My great-grandmother and great-aunt are living in a house in Maine together. My mother and great-aunt both have half-ownership of the house with my great-grandmother having a lifetime residency clause. They need an electrician to come in and have decided to take out a home equity loan against the property.

My great-aunt has requested my mother sign a temporary power of attorney document with the following:

1. To deal with any interest [mom] may have in real property and sign all documents on [mom's] behalf for [property address].

2. Place as security on loans, mortgages, or otherwise deal with real estate and any interest therein

3. Execute and deliver deeds, transfers, mortgages, charges, lease assignments, surrenders, releases, and other instruments required for any such purpose

4. To obtain a home equity line of credit against my equity interest in the property located at [property address]

It also says 'example only of verbiage to be used'.

Given this, I had two questions:

1. If my great-aunt/great-grandmother default on their home equity loan, will my mother's assets other than the property be in jeopardy?
2. By giving my great-aunt the power of attorney, is my mom giving her the ability to sign for the home equity loan using my mom's signature and credit?

Thanks for reading, apologies for the length. My mom is being pressured to sign and send soon or she'd seek out an IRL lawyer's advice.
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 IANAL.  There normally is not a need for a POA in a home equity loan scenario as long as all owners consent to the loan and understand they will be severally liable for the balance.  There is also what is known as a "property share" loan where one party can borrow only against their interest in the collateral.  Again, all parties typically would need to give consent.

Signing a POA is a very dangerous thing here.  Not knowing the dynamics between your mother and great-aunt, I would be extremely hesitant to sign a POA as it would allow the great-aunt to do everything from liquidating all equity to selling the property outright.  I would not move forward with such a document without sitting down with your legal counsel first.Answer #2: In some states (mine for example) SOME home equity loans are actually personal loans, it depends on how they are written and worded. So if there is a default in that scenario your question #1 is yes, your mom could theoretically be on the hook for the loan.

Also, 2 yes.

a POA in this case strikes me as rather broad and overly risky. Your mom and great aunt can apply for a joint home equity loan online, even if they don't live in the same state. This way your mother will be 100% in the know as to how much is being borrowed etc. Docs can be send via email or a local notary can facilitate signing the parties separately. It's done all the time. It may be slightly inconvenient for the aunt in this case but i'd err on the side of protecting your mother's credit.


Title: [VA] My grandfather, 85, abandoned my grandmother, 80. What can be done to insure he helps pay the existing bills?

Question:
[Virginia] Like the title says my grandfather, 85, abandoned his wife, 80. They are both on fixed income (social security, and he has pension from the military). He has been paying 2/3 - 3/4 of all bills for the past couple decades. "Bills" are only referring to mortgage and basic utilities - the necessities .

Can anything be done to hold him liable for alimony or something similar (not sure the correct terminology)? Can she be granted power of attorney on grounds of him being unstable emotionally (senile/ early Alzheimers)? There has to be something in place to help a dependent spouse from being left high and dry, right?

Please help. At least point me in the right direction and I can research more myself. Thank you

Answer:
 Virginia Family/Elder law attorney here. There are all kinds of issues with this case that could possibly preclude any kind of alimony or support in the present case. Grandfather may very well be judgment proof depending on the amounts he is getting from the military. (although, yes, liable) It is extremely, extremely difficult to get someone's social security money. Typically speaking, there must be an excess of 2 months of social security in the bank account to attach.

Although, grandmother could possibly get money from military pension. The question is whether it would be worth it to go through the litigation process.

Also, no, one cannot be granted POA if the person for whom POA is granted is incompetent. What you are looking for there is Guardianship/Conservatorship.

Finally, whether it is worth going to Counsel depends entirely on the amount of existing bills.

There are far too many legal questions floating around and hidden in your question to give a complete answer on this message board. Go find an attorney, now.Answer #2: She should get an attorney who specializes in both family and elder law.


Title: Illustrated for a company and didn’t get paid - they’re still using my illustrations publicly

Question:
Two months ago I was contracted by a small clothing company to illustrate prints for their new collection. I was “promised” payment but still have not received it, despite numerous attempts to resolve the matter. Last week the designer who contracted me said he would send a “guarantee of payment” contract which, also sounds like bs but I also haven’t received that.

This morning I awake to see the designer posting videos of a celebrity wearing clothing with my illustrations on them at Rolling Loud in Miami. What options do I have going forward, and what specific copyright laws have been violated?
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 I assume you signed a contract with this company that has the usual artist-for-hire stuff saying things like "this is a work for hire" and "/u/ariesheadass assigns all copyright interest in these illustrations to the company".

If you didn't sign a contract like this, then the company is dumb.
 You retain the copyright to the designs.  You could sue them for copyright infringement, and you could issue DMCA takedown notices to whoever is hosting the videos, because of the copyright infringement.  If you register the copyright soon enough after you created the designs, then if you were to sue them, you would be able to sue for statutory damages - meaning you don't have to prove they made a profit - plus attorneys fees.  99% of the time, of course, these cases don't actually reach a lawsuit.  But you could if you wanted.

If you did sign a contract like this and they didn't pay you what was cited in the contract, then the company is also dumb because by not paying up, they don't get the copyrights.  Your damages would probably be limited to whatever amount of $ is in the contract, because the company could just send you that amount and then there's an enforceable agreement.

Either way, you should give them 48 hours (or whatever) to pay you what the contract agreed to or you're going to start enforcing your copyrights.Answer #2: Did you send them an invoice?


Title: Georgia, USA - "Failure to appear" for a speeding ticket I actually DID appear for...

Question: Hey guys! I'm currently living in Georgia and got a speeding ticket. I'm 19 years old. I went to the courthouse on the date that was printed on my ticket. Judge called my name and everything. I plead Guilty so I could just pay the ticket and be on my way. I got called to talk to the prosecutor before i went infront of the judge and they said if i plead guilty my license would be suspended. They said they would drop it down of I did 15 hours of community service, took a 2 hour speeding class, wrote a 1000 word essay on speeding, and paid a $250 fine. It seemed like a bit much, but I agreed so I wouldn't lose my license. She said she put a new court date for 60 days from then (April 11) so I thought I would just show up in 2 months with all those requirements completed and that would be that. Well I got a notice in the mail a week or two later saying that they're suspending my license effective May 15 for failure to appear. I called them and said I needed to come back and get my new court date? I thought I had already got my new court date set but I'm going to go tomorrow to fix it. Sorry for the wall of text. So I was wondering if I go tomorrow will I have to pay any additional fines or even be arrested? I definitely went on the court date and I even asked the lady if there was anything else I had to do and she said no.

Answer:
 Bring any paperwork from first court date.

All that seems excessive for speeding.   I've gotten a 29 over ticket and it cost me 200$ and I was on my wayAnswer #2: ~~Wait, your first hearing was in mid-February (60 days before 11 April), you got the notice in mid-to-late February, and you are only acting now? What were you told when you called after getting the notice?~~ Scratch that, OP must have meant the hearing itself was on 11 April.Answer #3: For SPEEDING ticket? man I'm in Michigan and maybe it's just MI thing but you can just choose not to show up in court and pay the ticket.

I'm sure if I showed up in court and the judge was nice I would have maybe reduce my ticket price but I don't know what kind of judge will be there in that day and I frankly don't want to waste my time driving there, sit there, and wait just to hear yeah you still have to pay x amount


Title: Received marijuana possession violation in national park

Question: [Texas] I only received a ticket with a fine for $175. I wasn't arrested. Is this ticket an infraction? Or a misdemeanor? Is payment of the fine an admission of guilt? What ramifications does this violation have on employment?

Answer:
 What was the code listed on the citation?

Payment of the fine is a plea of guilty.


Question: Just to describe a little backstory on this situation my friends and I are in our school's musical and during a break at rehearsal a couple of my friends recited a line from the film, "The Producers", which was "don't be stupid, be a smarty, come and join the nazi party!" Fast forward to the next day at school my friends get called down to the office and are both suspended for one day for inappropriate behavior. Is my school violating the first amendment?

Answer:
 Free speech has never been interpreted as absolute by the US Courts.  There is a *well* established precedent of the Court upholding regulations on speech so long as these regulations are determined reasonable.  Free Speech does not and will never mean "I can say whatever I want whenever I want with no consequences".

With regards to education, the Courts have upheld the ability of schools to ban speech that is disruptive, offensive to the general standards of the community, and/or detrimental to the educational mission of the school.

[Bethel vs Fraser](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethel_School_District_v._Fraser) is a case that is similar to your situation, but employs innuendo instead of hate-speech.  As you can see, the Supreme Court upheld the punishment, and Fraser's speech was *much* less obscene or potentially disruptive than yours.


Title: Lost $15k to debit card cracking scam. Bank isnt helping

Question: [deleted]

Answer: How stupid are you? Do not UNER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE give out your debit card or bank pin to somebody you don't know. With the pin, as far as the bank is concerned, you authorized all of those transactions. You're also responsible to bring that account balance up to a positive number. I read some of your post history. You need to start thinking with your head even around girls. Act as if everyone is out to get you. With money you cannot trust anybody but yourself.


Title: A YouTube video of mine was used with my authorization by the popular channel "BrandSins" (A smaller branch of the even more popular "Cinema Sins." What should I do, if anything?

Question:
I live in Wisconsin. So one of my friends sent me a text this morning saying that one of his favorite channels had used one of my videos for a few seconds as the background video for a title sequence. Here is the BrandSins video (my video clip is right away in the beginning): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP2CROA8ipI

Here is my original video (uploaded about a week ago): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XURrUd9SD08

I've had a couple pretty big video hits recently, so I suspected something like this could happen. My question is, should I even do anything about it? I'm not looking to try to sue the pants off of some company or anything like that, but at the same time, I would like to be giving my consent towards other companies using my work. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

QUICK EDIT: The company contacted me back and linked to my work on their video. All is well. Thanks for the great advice!

Answer:
 Wait....the title says you gave your consent (authorization) to use your video but the post seems to imply you didn't.

If you granted them authorization to use the video, as long as they complied with whatever agreement you had, then it's fine for them to use it in the way you two agreed to.

If you didn't grant them a license or have an agreement for them to use your video, you can try contacting the youtube channel to obtain a license or if they are monetizing the video you could ask for compensation of your work. You could also issue a dmca take down of the video through youtube's internal site.

Edit: IANAL, but I am a youtube channel director.Answer #2: If they used it without authorization from you, file a DMCA against the video. YouTube is very responsive to these and providing you can prove the original work is yours they'll remove the video.


Title: HIPPA - Does telling someone when open enrollment is for an organization or what types of insurance your organization offers violate HIPPA?

Answer: No.  HIPAA protects personal medical information.  Not general information about benefits.


Title: If I don't get this right, I will lose my job. Note: SPAD is signal passed at danger, basically going past a red light. It's a big deal for trains. Any suggestions appreciated

Question:
Dear Peter,

I refer to your Show Cause letter dated 20 May 2014. In it you raise three separate issues, the recent SPAD incident and two earlier Performance Improvement Plans. I would like to take this opportunity to address these issues one at a time, as I believe there are factors beyond what my record states that are worthy of consideration.

In addition to these explanations, I would also like to take this opportunity to express my sincerest regret and remorse. I take responsibility for the incident and would like to also formally acknowledge and extend my apologies and sympathies to Mr Peter (my co-driver on the date of the incident).

I have been employed as a locomotive driver at company since April 2010. I have always looked forward to coming to work every day. Throughout my employment I have enjoyed an excellent safety record, and it is my genuine belief that despite this incident, I am still fit to continue undertaking the duties of a train driver. Despite this lapse, I am committed to working safely at all times, for myself, my co-workers’, and company’s best interests.

I have shown a high level of dedication to this position. If you look at my duty and leave history, I do not take excessive sick days, and I regularly make myself available to work BLP shifts. My wife and daughter are in far away place, and I have been commuting between far away place and place regularly since beginning with company. In late 2011 I suffered an unexpected and severe stroke in place, and I greatly appreciate the assistance the company offered my family and me. In return, I worked very hard in physical rehab to get back to a standard where I would be fit and capable of returning to work, and was back on duty in less than 8 months, despite medical expectations that I would be off work for up to two years. I stay up to date with all LMS, medical and other training requirements, and have passed all drug and alcohol tests and workplace observations.

I have been actively involved in the various community and fund raising activities regularly held at the Bluff depot by other company  staff. I also support the local community, like the local schools and clubs. I have always tried to enhance company’s positive profile in the community in both my work and after hours interactions.

In my time with company, for various reasons, I have worked with 7 different tutors and  1 “permanent mate”, and the resulting instability has contributed some issues that I believe are relevant. I will give further details below, but I hope that this can be considered with other factors.

I regularly tell people that this is the best job I’ve ever had. I would be at an absolute loss if I were unable to continue with company. I am willing to undergo any training or retraining to enhance my competence as a driver, or to be redeployed into a more suitable position if management deems necessary. I admit that in the current economic climate, losing my job would put great financial strain on my family, and I ask that you please take this into consideration when you make your final decision.

I would like to thank you for allowing me the opportunity to explain myself in these circumstances. I would be more than happy to accept a first and final warning for the SPAD, as the leading lesson I have learnt from all  this is to never allow myself to be distracted in a critical zone ever again, and I am totally dedicated to never having another SPAD.

It is my hope that, after consideration of all the evidence and information before you, you determine that I am still fit to drive for company. It is my hope that I can continue my employment with the company for years to come.

If you require any further information or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Timothy

Regarding Performance Improvement Plan 9 May- 4 July 2011

After I completed the initial school phase, I was teamed with a tutor driver. We worked together for about 6 months, and I made steady progress. While I certainly learned a great deal from him, we were very different personalities, and he reported what he perceived as a bad attitude to my then supervisor Terry . As I was still very new at the time, and not knowing me well, Terry took my tutor at his word and put me on a Performance Improvement Plan, and arranged to have me observed by other tutors, supervisors, and the SPAD champion, all of whom told me and Terry that they had no concerns with my driving. The PIP was already in place, however, and I completed it in the shortest possible time under the supervision of Len . It was also arranged that I should change tutors, and under my new tutor, Lindsey , I completed my traction qualification and was signed off in just two weeks. Lindsey and I developed an excellent rapport very quickly, but unfortunately, Lindsey was at the end of his career and retired only days after I passed my final traction exam. It is my sincere belief that this PIP was unnecessary, and was raised because of a personality conflict, not because of any concerns about my driving ability or general workplace conduct. I believe that the other drivers who observed me at this time will be able to support this.

Performance Improvement Plan 2 August 2013-16 January 2014
After my time with Lindsey, I was assigned to work with Jeff  as my tutor. Just before we were teamed up, Jeff had had a collision with a car at the Old  Road Crossing, and so was always relieved at place Station on east bound trains, while I would stay on board with a new driver, and fill the DA’s role. As a result, while I was learning routes to the west of place, I never had the opportunity to drive east. Jeff was due to transfer to a far away place depot at the end of 2011, and the plan was that I would fulfil route training to the east with a new tutor in the New Year. However, on the 16th of November, with no prior knowledge of any risk factors, I suffered a sudden and very serious stroke. This required my immediate hospitalisation and a subsequent 6 months of daily rehabilitation and physiotherapy. Despite expectations, I passed various psychometric and occupational testing, and was back in place for duty by August 2013. Because of this interruption to my training, and because of Jeff’s inability to tutor me to the east, I had only signed for 5 routes to mines at that stage. I was initially placed with Roy  to observe me and assess if I was fit to drive. He and I worked together for only a few weeks. He passed me as fit, then was rotated to a new trainee, and because of our short time together, we didn’t manage to sign for any new routes. After my time with Roy, I was teamed up with David  as a permanent mate. David is a regular driver, not a tutor, and so I did not sign for any routes during my time with him. David is a very competent driver, and genuinely nice person. However, he is originally from Korea and speaks English as a second language. I found his English very, very difficult to understand, and as a result, our in cab interactions were minimal, limited to calling signals and little else. David and I were together for about six months, despite me regularly asking supervisors if I could please be reassigned to another tutor to finish my route training. No tutors were available, however, and so David and I stayed together. After my recovery period, and six months driving in an environment where I received absolutely no feedback or further instruction I developed some bad habits and flaws of technique, which I hope is understandable. Then, in late July, I was scheduled to complete a Retention of Competency assessment. I passed the ROC, but the tutor driver who assessed me had some concerns over elements of my local knowledge and train handling, including the fact that I had signed for so few routes. This is why the second PIP was generated, again, I believe unnecessarily and due to circumstances beyond my control. My understanding is that the PIP was put in place to ensure I would sign for the route to the east, from place to edge of area. The supervisor who initiated the PIP, Stewart  was reassigned with very short notice to other place, and so the oversight of PIP was passed on to Lex  without any of the associated information. It was at this time I was assigned to work with Peter  as my tutor. With Peter, I completed the PIP with no further concerns expressed about my driving, in as short a time as was available due to Lex’ and my conflicting availability, making it almost impossible to complete the meeting requirements. I have also been observed driving by a number of other drivers and Mark  the SPAD Champion, all of whom expressed no concerns. (note Mark has written me a reference letter for inclusion)

SPAD 27 April 14
I have already written an in depth statement which I will attach below, so I will only discuss causal factors here. Peter and I have been working together for about six months. We work together well, and have developed a good rapport. We have been observed by the SPAD Champion and told our driving is good and that we respond to signals correctly. In human factor terms, this may have led to a degree of complacency. Such a feeling often arises when conducting routine activities that have become habitual and which may be considered as easy and safe. A general relaxation of vigilance results and important signals will be missed, with the individual only seeing what he expects to see.

The most obvious human factor in this incident was distraction. Distraction can be anything that draws a person’s attention away from the task on which they are employed. Psychologists say that distraction is the number one cause of forgetting things: hence the need to avoid becoming distracted and to avoid distracting others. Humans tend to think ahead. Thus, when returning to a task, following a distraction, we have a tendency to think we are further ahead than we actually are. Peter suddenly spoke to me just as we entered the critical zone, and as a result I was distracted from the task at hand. He also made a phone call to SDS to discuss the train list and the difficulties we’d had the day before, which distracted me further. One thing I have most definitely learnt from this incident is to be adhere absolutely to Spec 158 and disregard any distractions in the cab at such a time. I was also somewhat distracted by signal BR40, which was showing a proceed aspect, I was looking ahead at this signal, and driving the road as I usually would for all proceed aspects. Usually if BR 28 is showing a stop aspect, BR 40 will be at stop as well. The day before, at the same location we had had proceed aspects as well.

A final human factor I believe may have contributed is a lack of assertiveness. Being both unable to express our concerns and not allowing other to express their concerns creates ineffective communications and damages teamwork. Unassertive team members can be forced to go with a majority decision, even when they believe it is wrong and dangerous to do so. Because I have been teamed with so many tutors, and have been under intense scrutiny before due to PIPs and recovery from illness, I am very keen not to conflict with or even contradict anyone. Because Peter, as my tutor, is my direct superior, when he spoke to me, my immediate response was to engage with him, not to remind him we were in a critical zone. The importance of assertiveness even to superiors is something else I have learnt from this incident and something else I will certainly never allow to happen again.

As soon as I realised I was approaching a red light too fast, I responded appropriately to the situation and made an immediate emergency brake application, while Peter called emergency over the control radio channel.

Statement Re: SPAD 27 Apr14
Peter  and I were rostered to start our shift at 1210 hours. Peter and I have been working together as a regular crew since late 2013, with a view to my signing for outstanding routes. We both arrived at the station early and signed in with supervisor Craig . We then left the station and completed a hand over with the crew Frazer  and Peter  from EM28, and took over the train. I called control to inform them we were a new crew and ready to depart. Control contacted a different train, and then when that communication had finished I made a second call to control and  informed them we were ready to depart Bluff, we were then given a green light and I threw off the brakes. While the brakes were pumping off I noticed the remote locomotive was in “normal” mode, and so I changed it to brake mode as in the standard procedure for empty trains. When we went through the neutral section to the West of place, we experienced a slight run in and Peter commented that for areas where traction on the remote locomotives is required for train handling, to move the remote locomotives into “normal” mode and then back to “brake” mode when appropriate. We then continued through the next section as normal, with all three section signals at green. After leaving the sectionl, at approximately the 183 km peg, I set up for dynamic brake to control the train’s decent on the approach to place where incident occured. As we approached the place where incident occured approach signal, BR 28 p it was displaying a yellow aspect, which we both called. To this point, everything had proceeded pretty much as normal on any previous shift. At about this point, Peter mentioned that “today’s an action replay of yesterday”, as our previous shift had also been an empty just come from x power station to x mine. We then both started discussing the train from yesterday in an attempt to figure out if it was the same train, comparing details. The day before there had been irregularities with the mine’s paperwork, and it seemed appropriate to check the details to prevent a repeat. Obviously it was a major error of judgement to do so at that precise moment. We only did this very briefly, in my recollection, a small number of seconds, when we decided they were different trains. However, during this interlude, I had distractedly been operating the train as though for a normal run through x. Usually, when we pass a signal, both of us call “still (colour)” and take appropriate action. In the case of yellow signals, if no DSI is displayed, we both call “straight yellow, next one red”. On this occasion, due to distraction, neither of us made this call, and I continued to handle the train as though intending to run through place where incident occured. I then remember glancing at the BR 28 signal, and not registering it as a red signal. I can only conclude that with the sun on it, the red aspect was not immediately clear. I distinctly remember then looking at the position lights at signal BR 40, and they were definitely displaying a “proceed” aspect of two whites. Here I y made the error of assuming that BR 28 was at proceed. While looking at BR 40, Peter loudly said, “hey, that’s a red!” and I immediately looked at the signal and engaged the emergency brake, approximately just before entering the neutral section on the Eastern approach to place where incident occured. The train was moving too fast to stop in time with an emergency application, and we went past BR 28 at red.  The incident happened very, very quickly. In my recollection it seems like only seconds passed between driving the train appropriately for the conditions and engaging the emergency brake. We passed the signal by about 120m, Peter called “emergency  emergency emergency” on the control radio, and once we had come to a complete stop walked the train to look for any damage or derailments. I spoke to control on the cab phone to give details of our location and condition.

I am very sorry for my mistake. I apologise to both Peter and company for this error. In my opinion, this incident happened because a number of factors intersected at the wrong moment and the compound effect of a minor distraction, a coincidence, the time of day and conditions resulted in this situation.

Tim

Answer: Look, if you have a question, you need to state it succinctly with a little background.  You're posting god knows what to god knows whom with no context, and nobody has the time to figure all that out.


Title: haven't paid my taxes since 2013

Question:
i've worked off the books most of my adult life

&#x200B;

the amount of money i've deposited into the bank is well below the poverty line

&#x200B;

can i just file for 2019 and go on my merry way?

&#x200B;

or do i have to file for every missed year?

Answer:
 Not a lawyer, but in Michigan, I dealt with a very similar situation with my own depression-linked reasons for not filing taxes. Your best bet is to contact a tax accountant and present the information to him. The one I used to get out of my situation charged just a bit over $100, and we filled out forms for every year that I could still file. I would check in your state/ region for a private accountant, tell him or her your situation, and get an estimate.

If you do just file for 2019, you are liable to raise an alert for the years between 2013 and now. Some state jurisdictions will assume that what you made this year is what you made every year and bill you for it. If you do it yourself, you definitely should file every year.

I personally put off filing for two years for various non-reasons, and then never motivated myself to make it up for another three years. I don't recommend that plan of action.


Title: If someone slips a product from a store into your backpack/purse without your knowledge, do you have a solid legal defense against shoplifting?

Answer:
 It depends on the meaning of “solid.”

Legally speaking: yes. Shoplifting requires a guilty mind, and if you have no idea you are carrying merchandise you’re not guilty.

The problem is proof: convincing a finder of fact that you were the innocent victim of a ne’er-do-well conniving trickster is a difficult proposition. A finder of fact is entitled to infer that if something’s in your purse, you put it there.


Title: Do I have recourse to not be evicted if my check (from the govt.) Was late due to their error, not mine.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Probably not.


Title: California - Craigslist Car Scam

Question:
Hi /r/legaladvice. I was car scammed! A woman and I agreed to purchase my car for $1800. We met, I signed my info onto the liability release and the transfer of title. I did not confirm she signed the new owners' portion. (Bad move, I know. There are a few.)  She could only pay $500 up front and we agreed on payments. (Another bad move.) Of course, on the day the first payment was due she doesn't send any money and not pick up any calls or answer text messages. I waited a few days to confirm I was being scammed which I was. I do, however, have a written contract that states she has paid $500 up front and will pay payments on later dates. It includes her first and last name and also her phone number. In our text conversions she sends her Lyft weekly total earnings report to confirm she has the money to make weekly payments. This page includes her first and last name as well as the last four digits of her social security number and a small picture of herself. I looked her up on Facebook and found her account with her full name and more pictures confirming this is her. She told me through text the town in which she lives, confirms she wrote a contract, and also confirms we met and she drove away with the car. Also, I was so caught up with selling the car that I forgot to grab the keys I needed from my keychain which include my house keys. (Very bad move.) We have changed the locks already, however, she does not know this. She has my address, what she thinks is the key to my home, and probably willing to try and break into my home judging on the fact she scammed me the fuck out of 1300 dollars.

Text Conversations:
http://i.imgur.com/6Uev4IW.png
http://i.imgur.com/qxyUf3Y.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NspiZUc.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/JW2wzMf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/vcErMDd.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/x6byO6d.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/AwBFWrU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/4bEbNnI.png
http://i.imgur.com/aocmtWd.png
http://i.imgur.com/p96uvMI.png
http://i.imgur.com/CdMztrM.png
http://i.imgur.com/VG9lQTy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/gDZNb0M.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/GiD6PZl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/GU4J20G.png

Written Contract:
http://i.imgur.com/9j1Jupl.jpg

What are my options given this information?
Topic:
Small Claims Procedure

Answer: Small claims court most likely. I believe you are under the limit for California I don't know if it differs between counties.


Title: Nintendo sent a cease and desist ....for painting?

Question:
An artist friend of mine produces original art, and some fan art, of movies, games, anime, and general nerd culture.  He works in acrylics and oil based paints.  Over the last month or so he's been doing some high speed video shots of a collection of Nintendo characters he is painting, and when he posted a photo of his painting in background, an amiibo statuette of same character as reference, Nintendo sent him a cease and desist and had Instagram take down his videos.

Is it legally wrong to make fan art?  Is it the method of comparing subject to reference the problem? Help me understand?

Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 > Is it legally wrong to make fan art?

Copyright infringement is copyright infringement, no matter what form it takes.  "Fan art" has no protection.  It's possible that his use may fall under the "fair use" principles, but calling it "fan art" does nothing.Answer #2: Nintendo is notorious for calling people out for "copyright". Their most insane action was when kids in Japan drew a Mickey Mouse on the streets and Nintendo went nuts demanding it to be erased. It's why in the East Asian countries there's even phrases like "If you're stranded on an island, draw a Mickey Mouse to be rescued"

Recommend to your friend to take down his works and draw other artwork

&#x200B;Answer #3: It is not uncommon for copyright owners to go after fan art. He violated their intellectual property whether it was harmless or not. Abide by the cease and desist order and move on.


Title: Threatened to have charges placed against me for using address that I was staying at for two weeks

Question: I stayed at a house with my girlfriend for two weeks and was told to get a job if I wanted to stay there. I filled out four separate jobs applications using their address since I had just moved from Georgia to Ohio and had no other address that I could use. I was given verbal permission to use their address on the applications and a form to change my mailing address to their house and was told I could. Now I stay at another place of residence and have gotten a job working at WalMart and since I used their address for my application they sent corporate mail to their house and are threatening to press charges for using their address for my job applications and are now saying they did not give me permission. I want to know if she has any legal action against me since I was staying at their house for two weeks with my girlfriend before they kicked me out.

Answer:
 There is nothing illegal here. Full out a change of address form with the post office.

Ignore themAnswer #2: Tell her to kick rocks. There's nothing they can do to you for being honest about your address. Answer #3: No damages, no crimes broken.  Fill out a change of address.  Move on.

on a related note, if you're ever getting mail for someone who doesn't live at your address, you can fill out a change of address form to get it to stop.


Title: [MS] Is a non-refundable deposit refundable?

Question:
Throwaway account.

I just moved out of my rental house and have a question regarding the deposits.

Upon signing the lease, I gave the landlord a deposit to secure the property and another deposit when the lease term started. In the lease they are worded, "$250 non-refundable deposit to secure property," and "$250 non-refundable deposit to be paid Feb. 1, 2017."

For the deposit to secure the property, is it only non-refundable in the event I never moved in? Since I did move in, is it refundable?

For the second deposit, since it is worded as a deposit and not a fee, is it refundable?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Non refundable is non refundable. You don't get it back.


Title: Terrified of Being Arrested

Question:
Hello, I'm 18 years old and from Texas

I've been diagnosed with OCD.

Lately I've had OCD about being a pedophile and being arrested.

How this started was because I was looking at porn and loli hentai came up, every time I see it it makes me want to vomit. But ever since then I've been terrified of being a pedo. Although I'm not at all attracted to minors, real or animated under any circumstance.

One of my compulsions is to check and I've checked loli hentai a few times to make sure I wasn't attracted to them, I sure as hell wasn't as everytime I saw it it makes me gag. But the fear of being arrested came up later when I found out people have been convicted over this. I've been terrified that the FBI or the police will come to my house. I've been paranoid waiting for them to show. And it seems all so real to me now, as me and my dad were going home to drop me off I saw a police car in our neighborhood.

When we got home, he left to go back with our family and I was checking all over the place for a police business card. I didn't find one anywhere I looked. I went to bed and had a nightmare about it as I've been having for a week.

I'm terrified of being charged with obscenity. I've been anxious of every moment of everyday, I don't want to leave my house anymore. I'm genuinely in such emotional turmoil that I'm feeling like death.

I just want to know if I'm the one in trouble and if I'll be in trouble. Please someone help me. I'm so terrified.

Answer: This isn't a legal issue. It's a mental health issue. You need to talk to your doctor and try to get therapy for your OCD.


Title: My Dog Was Bitten Under Someone Else's Care

Question: [deleted]

Answer: This is very not ok. He should refund your money for the boarding and training costs and pay all the bills to the vet. You need to keep all of your communication written from this point on.


Title: I had my tires slashed three times, called the police all 3 times...Nothing! I closed my company and former employees are doing it. Now they are slashing my childrens tires...

Question:
I have a seriously disturbed group of former employees who were angry that i closed my business and shut my doors. One employee has a history of being mentally disturbed and has been spending 6-8 hours a day going to previous customers, stalking me while i’m in town(i moved out of state) visiting my Mother who had emergency heart surgery. While back for the heart surgery, my tires were slashed 3 times. The police take reports and don’t follow up. I had one of the party admit to an individual that he was following me.
Now, they are targeting my family members. Late Last night, they posted reviews online about my son’s business back in New England and my brothers down south mentioning that they were related to me. They also went to my sons house and slashed his tires. They admitted to my son that they posted reviews as they posted the reviews in their own names.

One of the guys is now following around a contractor who bought some of my equipment and slashing his tires.

What do we do to stop this? This has to stop and the police do not call back. Meanwhile we have lost almost $4k in tires, and i fear for my family. We are not wealthy and cant afford to pay for an attorney. My fear is that they have paid someone to keep slashing our tires.
I thought leaving the state would make this stop but now they’re targeting my family.

Thank you for reading this and thank you for your time and thoughts.

Answer: Install a motion activated camera.


Title: Can I get my stuff back? [Removed from r/TwoXchromosomes]

Question:
Dear reddit, hi. Long time lurker first time poster. I am going to try and make this as direct as possible. I am 25. When I was 12 I moved with my mother to Arizona. We moved in with her boyfriend. They got married and I started calling him Dad because I had never had a father so it was nice to feel that bond. I travel for work, months at a time, but their address has always remained as my "permanent residence". Well last October when I was back home my step father sexually assaulted me. I did not say a word to anyone for months because I was terrified. Well eventually I told my older sister what had happened. I begged her to keep it secret but she told our mother anyways. Since then my mother has been trying to pack and move on her own (he won't help, obviously. And I am out of state working) my mother has a list of medical issues and is legally disabled so it's been very rough on her. Two days ago she was served with an immediate eviction notice and was told she could not return to the property. She left with nothing. My grandparents ashes are still there. My mothers important documents are still there. A LOT of my things are also still there. They were married but for tax reasons filed for divorce last year (before all this) So my question is, is there any legal reason why I could not go get my things? And if he destroys/throws out anything will he face any repercussions? I just want this done and over with so I can forget this horrible man ever existed. Should I just give up? Should I find a lawyer? Should I call the police? I honestly don't know what direction I should go in.

Thank you dear sweet internet people and any advice given will be much appreciated.

Answer:
 > Two days ago she was served with an immediate eviction notice and was told she could not return to the property.

From and by who? An "immediate eviction notice" is not a thing, and evictions take a court hearing.

Your mother should call the police, tell them her ex husband has illegally evicted her, and ask for them to come help her retrieve her things and enter her home.

You should send a demand letter via certified mail for your property.


Title: [OHIO] My dad hired a contractor from craigslist for his restaurant, contractor ran off with advance payment of $750.

Question:
Hi everyone,

Apologies in advance for the long read ahead.

A little over two weeks ago my dad put up an ad on craigslist looking for a contractor to do some work at his restaurant.

This guy comes and gives him the best price out of the dozen contractors he spoke to, and it was a lot lower by a good margin (red flag).

My dad said he looked pretty official, had a uniform with his company name on it and a nice looking truck with equipment as well. Seemed to know what he was talking about.

My dad was getting some weird vibes from him from the start, but he was behind on this work for the restaurant and needed it to begin soon so he went with it. He has a whole legal contract drawn up that states what work is to be expected and by which deadline. Since my dad was having weird vibes about him, he managed to get a copy of his driver's license and his license plate. Just in case.

Anyways, he takes the $750 advance and leaves. Couple days pass by, my dad calls him and he makes up excuses as to why he can't come into work. Week passes by, no answer through phone or text. Two weeks pass by, his "wife" texts my dad from his phone saying the guy got into a car accident and has been in the hospital but will be discharged. OK. Whatever.

2 more days pass by and yet again no answer from phone or text. '

So my dad told me all of this tonight and googled the guy. Turns out he's been to jail a number of times on burglary and assault charges. It's the first thing that comes up when you google his name. He was sentenced to prison for 18 months, but was released after about a year. He has 7-8 mugshots out there but I can't tell if he's gone to prison at any other times. His business also pops up but I can't tell if it's a legit corporation or not (his website is a Wix site and I can't find a lot of info on it).

What should we do about this whole situation? It's 'only' $750, should we just let it go? Take it to court? File a police report?

My dad is just concerned for his and my family's safety at this point. He doesn't want to make an enemy out of this guy who turned out to be a criminal. He leaves the restaurant pretty late at night after working all day and he's usually by himself, so he doesn't want this guy popping out of nowhere harming him.

Is it even worth the hassle of doing anything about this? We don't really know what to do. We don't feel safe about it regardless of what we end up doing honestly.

Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any help.

**TL;DR**

Dad hired a contractor to do work at a restaurant, he took his $750 advance and hasn't came into work and won't communicate with us at all. Googled him today and found out he has numerous criminal charges. Is it even worth taking legal action against him? We are all feeling a bit unsafe after this.

Answer: Your dad should call his lawyer and file a suit against this contractor. If your dad doesn't have a relationship with an attorney familiar with the restaurant business this is a good time to start one.


Title: Rented Apartment Raided in Virginia; I was not present or given any information.

Question:
Hey guys,

So today I came home to my apartment torn apart, and a search warrant on my kitchen table. Items were seized (wont go into detail, dont know how this works), but the warrant contained NO additional info: no phone number, whether I am being charged, etc. The only info left on the sheet besides the inventory is the officer's name, date, and time. I have NO idea how this warrant could have been issued, I live alone, have no friends in the building, and have not had any visits from maintenance or property management. There was no letter or notice on my door or in my mailbox and maybe I am rambling at this point but I want to emphasize that other than then the copy of the warrant I found on the table upon returning home, I was given no other information.

Currently waiting a call back from the police station, hoping you guys can help me out a bit.

Thanks!

Answer:
 So, some items were seized.  Either a) they were contraband/evidence of a crime or b) they were totally innocent (for example, your computers might have been seized, but you know there's nothing bad on them).

If it's a), you should check out some criminal defense lawyers, since charges are in your near future.

If it's b), you should try to figure out how to get your stuff back as quickly as possible.  You may or may not want legal help.
Answer #2: Call a criminal defense attorney.  You don't want to deal with the cops directly on this.  The attorney will be able to figure out what's going on.Answer #3: It's difficult to think of a circumstance here that does not involve you needing a criminal attorney.

You're either the suspect in a crime you're guilty of, the suspect in a crime they think you're guilty of, or somehow tangentially connected to something you've never heard of, but they had probable cause to search your apartment and seize objects (unlikely).


Title: Is it possible to have your license taken away for 25 years? What would cause someone to lose their license for so long?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: This wasn't just "a dwi" -- it was either a repeat (probably multiple repeat) dwi, or a dwi with heinous circumstances and possibly a seriously injury or death.


Title: Legal To Read a Book out loud on YouTube [Michigan]

Question:
I would like to make a YouTube channel where I read books out loud and provide commentary on the content therein.  Does this violate the copyright of the book or any other laws?

Thank you

Answer: Depending on the scope of the reading and commentary, you would likely be covered under fair use.


Title: Is this child abuse?

Question:
Context:
I am the aunt of two great kids. But my sister is a complete psychopath. Kids age 3 and 6. Little boy, 3 just diagnosed with autism. Has some issues with violent tendencies such as biting or punching. Often does it to his mom who can never seem to put her god damn cell phone down. 6 year old little girl, raised mostly by my mom. Sister has lived with mom forever. Never left home after she got pregnant right after high school. She is constantly going off the deep end saying how she is going to kill my mom, destroy her house etc. Basically throwing super psycho tantrums for not getting her way, i.e. asking my mom for money. Shes an LPN and god knows how she treats her residents (at a nursing home).

I have many stories to tell. Does this constitute child abuse?
Example one, sister constantly saying she is going to kill her kids to my mom. Told the little boy she is going to cut his fingers off. He is autistic and cant speak yet. This morning she got mad when my niece wanted my mom to take her to school instead of her and she made her cry. She was still crying when she walked into school. Sister tore up all her progress reports about how she is so good in school. Threatens to "get her" when she gets home.

She will SOMETIMES break down crying after these episodes saying she knows she is wrong. What the hell is going on here? She doesnt try to get help mentally.

Is this child abuse? What can I do to help? Call DCFS? My sister also smokes a ton of marijuana. Doesnt even try to hide it anymore just does it right in front of her kids. The guy she had the second kid with just got put in jail for a good 10+ years so now she is constantly talking to him on the phone just overall really neglects her kids. Its fucking sad.

Answer: When someone threatens to murder their children, you need to call DCFS. The pot is a justifiable report as well.


Title: [PA] Friend wants me to do something or other involving telling the state that I watch over his daughter so they'll give him money

Question:
He tells me that it would just be a background check and they wouldn't care if I really do or not. They won't give it to him without me in the picture because he's a convicted felon-- my record is clean as a whistle.

The first thing he told me before he even described the idea is "This is nothing crazy, and nothing illegal." After he explained it, I'm like "Dude, that definitely sounds illegal."

I hope it's okay to post this kind of question here, BTW. I apologize if not.

Answer:
 If you want to be a convicted felon also you can help him defraud the government. Answer #2: Defrauding the government is illegal. Getting funds through fraud is illegal. You will get criminal charges as well as possibly having to pay back the money you defrauded the government for.

Bad idea.


Title: Do I have any legal recourse against PennDOT? I have documentation from Pennsylvania and their DMV that they accept all US state and territories drivers license for transfer, but was denied a license when trying to transfer from the territory of Guam. Without a license I lose my job.

Question:
Topic:
Immigration

Answer: So apply for a new license.  The amount of your damages from this(if even legitimate) would be the difference between the cost of a transfer and the cost of a new license.


Title: Squatter in Los Angeles house

Question: Hello. My grandmother passed away recently and my parents have inherited a property that she owned. A tenant has lived in the house for a a few years now. However, he stopped paying rent two years ago and refuses to leave unless we pay him a 19,000 relocation fee. At one point we had an attorney and they suggested we just pay him to get him out. Anyone know of any resources to help get him out of the property? I should mention that he lives in the fairly small house with 4 children and his wife.

Answer:
 Give him written notice to vacate and evict him in the courts if he refuses to leave. The Sheriff will remove him for you if it comes to that.Answer #2: First: sorry to hear about your grandmother.

Now:

> At one point we had an attorney and they suggested we just pay him to get him out.

Please don't tell me you paid this jackass. Any attorney should know that a tenant on a month to month gets 30 or 60 day notice to evict.

To the courthouse with you. Make sure you know who this dipshit is and where he goes so you can sue him for damages and TWO YEARS OF BACK RENT.

My god, you people must be rich to be nonchalant about this.


Title: Bus driver and police discriminated against my pregnant wife, would not let her have a seat on the bus. Concerns about a miscarriage.

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Troll Post

Answer:
 Is this a serious post? Your wife does not have a *right* to use the seat if someone else is already in it. You have no case. Answer #2: >My wife is 6 weeks pregnant.

>my wife says this woman was young and not sick looking

At 6 weeks pregnant, I'll bet the same could be said about your wife.Answer #3: You have got to be a troll nobody is this self entitled.Answer #4: That isn't discrimination. Your wife has no right to kick someone else out of a seat. Although, I'm sure an aid in the governor's office enjoyed the laugh, as did the one in your Congressman's office.


Title: [CA] removing tenant after 2 months

Question:
Hello. I live in California and I have a roommate who is my best friend and we get along well. He has two young children. They’re great too.

We have another roommate who i want to get rid of. He is violent to the kids. He paid rent for October and November. But I don’t want to continue it. I believe I need to serve him a 30 day eviction notice? He moved in, in October. He is 20 years old and is constantly inviting shady people over, and constantly yelling at us, eating our food, and threatening the children, including kicking one in the chest. He lies constantly and will message my hookups with slanderous lies as soon as they enter my house and I have screenshots of these too.

I live in Bakersfield CA. How do I go about doing this? I don’t want to pay for a lawyer not just yet unless it gets dirty.

I don’t want to file any police reports etc. the easiest method is to get him to move out.

He never signed anything and he paid in cash. This is my first home and I’m really new to this world and would like to get him out. I think I made mistakes by not doing formal written agreements in the beginning?

If I read the state website correctly I believe I need to do a 30 day notice? Because unwritten is a month to month contract? Is there a template somewhere I can copy?

What if he doesn’t pay December rent on time after I serve him a 30 day notice? I want to serve it to him tomorrow.

Along with this how do I write such a notice. My finances are stretched thin right now. But once he’s out I can definitely afford my mortgage since he eats more in food than he saves me by living there.

Answer: I think you should just try  serving the thirty day notice first. He has no recourse so it should be fine.. sometimes people are so embarrassed/ annoyed they will just leave within the first few days or weeks of you serving them the thirty day. If he gives any trouble you can obviously call the police for trespassing Answer #2: Get the police involved. Bother ways will involve a level of hassle, but filing a report and getting the police involved will provide the best long-term and short-term results. You guys (especially the kids) need to be protected from him.


Title: Do US colleges have the right to privately verify or release a student’s identity?

Question:
1) Let’s say a student chooses not to release their directory information and requests to withhold it. Their name, major, etc. now can’t be found in the public search directory for their college.

2) Someone (a distant family relative for example) then emails the college asking if the student attends that school because they suspect the student goes or applied there.

Does the school still have the right to respond saying yes/no or do they just not answer back? This may be different depending on whether the college is public or private but I’m just curious.
Topic:
Update

Answer:
 US colleges (both private and public, any school that gets any Federal funding at all) are obligated to follow student privacy laws, which are very broad and detailed.  The general name for these laws is the Family Educational Records and Privacy Act, or "[FERPA](https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/node/548/)".

One critical distinction is that the privacy rights switch from a student's parents to the student themselves when the student turns 18.

It is my understanding that [even directory information](https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/node/548/#0.1_se34.1.99_137) is an educational record entitled to protection from disclosure to the public (which would include distant relatives) if the student has requested that it be not disclosed.   There are... well, read it, there are some tricky details.

If a non-parent e-mailed the school and asked "is John A. Doe enrolled there", the school would reply that they cannot answer the question, rather than telling the relative "no, John A. Doe is not enrolled here" when he is.

Do registrars and clerks screw up when people impersonate parents or fake an emergency ?  Sure.


Title: Crazy Story. Trying to get paternity but have no legal rights[pt 2]

Question:
[TL;DR: "I lived in Florida and got a girl pregnant, but I was prevented from signing the birth certificate because she was legally married. Now 3+ years later I have a letter from the state saying she's trying to get child support from me. I currently live in Virginia due to military obligations. I cannot reconcile these contradictory events. I want to be father to this child, have visitation, pay support. What do I do?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2a74am/crazy_story_trying_to_get_paternity_but_have_no/)

 So I posted here a year ago and was given some fantastic advice that I've been working on so I thought I'd follow up with you guys and see if you had any more advice.

 So I attempted after my last post to contact someone in the Florida child support office and explain my issues.  They basically told me that because the mother was technically still married at the time of conception and birth and that I wasn't on the birth certificate that I had no chances of even STARTING a case without the mother confirming my paternity first.  The mother is notoriously difficult to deal with and refused.  I kept trying to work with her and the legal system but got nothing.  So I kept paying for what my daughter needed and trying to convince her that I could help take care of our daughter better if she'd keep me in the loop.  Once again, I was denied.

 Today I received a summons from a court in Florida.  She's finally willing to admit that I'm the father(about damn time) and is requesting that I pay child support for the last 4 years as well as any medical bills.
 Now I've got 3.5 years of receipts, pictures, and emails that show that I've been paying for tons of things including day care at one point until I found out that she wasn't taking our daughter there because she'd lost her job.  And I have medical insurance through the military that I have documented repeatedly asking to get some form of custody so that I could give my daughter insurance as well.

 In the summons she swears, under oath, that she was not married at the time of conception or birth.  She says that she has no income other than child support paid to an older child.  Again at the end of the document she swears under oath that she's telling the truth.

 The mother has an older child, from another man, and has recently lost custody of that child and is under investigation for child abuse because this older child(I believe she's 6 right now) told teachers at her school that her mother hits her.  She's currently staying with her father.  I think that the only reason my child hasn't been taken away is because there's no one listed on the birth certificate as the father.  The mother is also now dating someone else and pregnant with a 4th child(yes, 4th, there was another boyfriend somewhere in the middle but they lost the child and split up).   This is her thing.  She's never really wanted to work and has told me before that she wants to be taken care of.  At some point she had a plan to get hit by a car and cash in on injury payments, a stupid plan.  She basically keeps having kids with different guys in what I believe is her scam to draw in child support so that she doesn't have to work.

 Now with all of this working against her, the lying under oath about not being married, her lying under oath about why I haven't tried to get paternity before(I've paid for testing and she never showed up), her having already lost a child to allegations of abuse, and me having a steady job and pay and health insurance...I feel like the odds are finally in my favor.

 I guess my question to you is what options you all think I have.  I'm definitely going to lawyer up here in the next week and go talk to J.A.G to see what they say but I wanted to get some secondary opinions.

 Thank you for any advice you may give in advance!

Answer:
 TL;DR:  OP impregnated married woman, and has been paying support (not ordered) despite not being on the birth certificate or having any custody. He does want custody. Now the woman has petitioned for back child support with an affidavit that includes a lot of lies.  He wants some back patting & reassurance that he will get partial custody.Answer #2: Head's up op: If you were in the military at the time of conception and the child's mother actually was married at the time, you might be at risk of being charged with adultery.  It's still a crime in the military.Answer #3: I dont see how she can retroactively receive child support.  In NY, you can only seek it retroactively from the date of filing (so weeks not years).

I read your prior post also.  This woman sounds like she has some serious issues.


Title: What if I have a fatal seizure at a cinema who declined to sell my carer a ticket

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Might want to change that title. Nobody declined to "sell" your carer a ticket.

They declined to give away a free ticket.


Title: [CA] Neighbor continuously harasses us.

Question:
A bit of background on our situation: We are currently renting a house and have lived here for about 2 years. During the time that we lived here our neighbor "John" has constantly harassed us with noise and strange behavior. He first started with the noise, he would be in his back yard throwing a tin trashcan across his yard multiple times a day,he would break rocks with his shovel for hours, then he would hang soda cans around his fence so if there was even the slightest breeze it would rattle. My partner asked John very politely if he could keep the noise down because he works from home and it was a bit distracting. John's response was " You must have mysophonia", and he continued the noise.

He then began doing strange things. He added to the fence that separates our yard (With broken ladders, parts of a roof. Anything to make it larger)and it is well over 8ft now. He started getting large equipment and just had it running all day, and he got Cameras facing our backyard window. After 5 months of listening to this ridiculous noise from 7AM-8PM we decided to get a stereo system so we could drown out the noise. Now we have always followed the law in terms of when the music is played and it is only loud enough to drown out what he is doing, you can barley hear it from outside. However he cornered my partner one day and told him that he needed to get rid of the stereo, a demand that we ignored since we were following the law.

Slowly after getting the stereo my car started being vandalized. The tires were slashed multiple times, it was keyed, and my side mirrors were smashed off and left on my hood. Each time I discovered something done to my car he would be in his window just staring, looking a bit smug. I filled police reports but since I had no proof of who did it there was nothing to do.

Ever since we got the stereos he constantly harasses us. He has called our landlord multiple times in the last months and claimed that we have disturbed him hundreds of times with the music.He has visited all of our neighbors and told them things like we hate animals and to watch out for us. Today the cops came to our house and questioned our mental health because apparently he had showed them audio recording of someone saying" I'm going to murder John".He claimed that this happened today and we were not even home. The police told us that we have had dozens of complaints from this man and that he called the police to say he "feared for his life". The police asked if we would consider moving and that the neighbor had plenty of recordings of us.

We feel violated. We know this man sits by his fence and records us living in our home and even goes as far as making recordings up to try and get us in trouble. Not only that but he has all our surrounding neighbors believing that we hate their animals and they want nothing to do with us. We are looking to move but were scared he may have some more things planned for us like a law suit or restraining order. Is there anything we can do to protect ourselves?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Your own cameras to watch the car.  White noise generator for your stereo to make his recording voices harder.


Title: Suing non-English speakers for breach of contract.

Question:
North Carolina, Durham County.

I am in the process of suing a non-English speaker for signing contracts that he he is now refusing to fulfill.

We went to small claims court last week, and due to a clerical error on my part, we weren't able to continue (should have had myself and my husband as plaintiffs; only had myself). However, the magistrate gave the defendant the opportunity to allow the magistrate the opportunity to just write my husband's name in - the defendant did not understand this at all, and the magistrate expressed his complete discomfort at trying to explain the legal proceedings to someone who spoke such poor English.

The defendant speaks Bengali and not much else. Barely any English. The magistrate directed the defendant that for our next court date, he *must* bring someone who can adequately translate for him.

My concern: if the defendant fails to bring a translator, how likely is it that our case will be thrown out? His argument rests entirely on "I didn't understand what I was signing, so I shouldn't have to fulfill the contract." I am worried that because he genuinely *didn't* understand (because of the language barrier), and now possibly doesn't understand why he is being sued, that the magistrate will just say "tough luck" to us and this won't carry out.

My husband is not at all concerned, but I'm nervous. Suggestions?

Answer: I would be shocked if his "I didn't understand" defense worked. That simply not a recognized defense in our system.  A person who is not a minor or declared mentally unfit is assumed to be competent to enter into a contract.


Title: Just a quick question here, if I'm a passenger in a car that gets pulled over, am I required by law to show my ID, or can I just tell the cops to fuck off?

Question: Ohio, USA

Answer:
 Well, I wouldn't open with that.

It depends on the circumstances of why you’ve been pulled over and which state you are in. As a general rule you are required to give them your name if asked, but not required to show your IDAnswer #2: Whether or not someone is obligated to identify themselves to a police officer, and when such an obligation exists under what circumstances, varies from country to country and state to state.

In Ohio you are not required to provide any form of written identification as a passenger in a vehicle. However, you are required to provide your name, address, and date of birth if you are suspected of having committed an offence, or have witnessed a violent felony. This does not require you to produce a piece of ID or answer any questions, merely to provide your name, address, and date of birth; ostensibly so that you may be located should you be required as a witness.Answer #3: It's required in some states, but not Ohio, according to [wikipedia sources](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_and_identify_statutes#Obligation_to_identify). But consider your personal safety when exercising your rights.


Title: Military law: I was erroneously administratively discharged from the US Marine Corps for failing a urinalysis.

Question:
The title pretty much sums up my situation. Around two years ago I was notified that I had failed a urinalysis for d-amphetamine (adderall) and that, after 10 years of service, I was going to be processed for an administrative discharge, essentially firing me from my job without judicial proceedings and removing all benefits that I had earned.
I was obviously in shock and, after speaking to my wife, hired a private attorney in addition to my military appointed JAG lawyer. He had an interesting proposal. He intended to have my urine specimen sent to a lab on the east coast for DNA testing. The results came back a few weeks later and the lab had successfully obtained a DNA profile which did not match mine. I was elated, and thought everything was in the past.

My command pulled all proceedings and told my attorney they were going to commence an internal investigation as to what may have happened. They fired the Marine in charge of the urinalysis collecting program.

About one year after all of this I received a call to report to my Battalion Sergeant Major. I had no idea why, and when I got to his office quickly found out that they were proceeding with the discharge anyway. They wouldn't tell me why. And now here I am, jobless and with a wife and 12 month old son, with no insurance or solid source of income.

My question is this: Obviously, I still have all documentation showing the DNA results. Is there any recourse I could take? Would it be advisable to go to the media? Should I contact a congressman? I am at a loss here.

Edit: [Here is the DNA documentation. ](https://i.imgur.com/sPy9VCJ.jpg)

Answer:
 Have you been out for a full year now? Just trying to understand your timeline.

 Did you go back to JAG after seeing the sgt?Answer #2: Good luck with sorting this out.  However, someone else's DNA in the urine sample may not help you out as much as you think.  It's not uncommon for drug users to attempt to get around drug tests by using someone else's urine.  So your command may believe that you attempted to cheat on your blood test by substituting the urine and they fired the Marine in charge of the program for not paying enough attention and catching the switch.

I can't think of anything to help, but that might explain the circumstances.Answer #3: Your best option is to go back to the lawyer you hired.  I would contact r/veterans for further guidance.  Your case is very fact specific and your previous lawyer is probably a better resource than the internet.Answer #4: Out of curiosity, what sort of DNA tissue was in the urine sample?  Urine doesn't generally contain DNA at all in a healthy adult.  Generally, I would expect those in active service to be in relatively good enough physical shape (and without a serious disorder).Answer #5: Not sure if this is helpful, but urine-based DNA evidence is routinely thrown out of court because 1) urine is a very unreliable source of DNA, and 2) even if it is present, it tends to deteriorate very quickly (source: https://goo.gl/gkZS9Y).

Now, if an accredited lab claims they got a valid profile from the sample, then that may be a different story...