Title: [WA] How do you continue to fight a ticket after the first not guilty plea fails?

Question: I went through a speed trap town and the officer told me one thing while writing the ticket for a higher speed so that it met the 20pmh over threshold. I fought the ticket and mentioned this in court and the judge lowered the fine but kept the ticket as 20mph over. How do I continue to fight this? I bet if the oficer's ticket history was looked at, you would see that they all have rounded up numbers like this.

Answer:
 You need grounds for appeal. And "I don't like the judge's decision" isn't one of them.

You should have taken all your evidence to court if you feel there was something else the judge should seeAnswer #2: You had your chance to fight it and provide any evidence necessary. You don't get a do-over and don't have grounds for an appealAnswer #3: OP I'm not sure you actually want legal advice, you made this exact topic so that you could argue with everyone about how the court illegally shifted the burden of proof to prove your innocence when nothing of the sort occurred.

That said since I'm sure no one will sway you, again, you can appeal a traffic infraction to the superior court.  They do not have to accept review, and a legal theory of "the fact finder believed other evidence over my evidence" is not going to fly.  Google RCW 46.63.090 for more details.  Discretionary review means they do not have to grant review, particularly if they are convinced there is not enough an assertion of a meritorious issue.  Incidentally, that same statute discusses the State's burden of proof and likely evidentiary basis for this decision.


Title: [NY] Speeding ticket with errors on it, worth fighting?

Question: My wife received a speeding ticket this morning, and on the ticket the officer wrote that she was going 500 mph. I kniw clerical errors are usually not grounds for dismissal,  but I also worry about the charges that could stem from this. Obviously she was not going 500 mph, but with an inaccurate speed on the ticket, I don't know how it would be handled. Any advice would be helpful.

Answer:
 I'm pretty sure the officers will be able to catch that mistake.

I can't imagine any states having speeding laws specifying special penalties for near mach 1 speeds.Answer #2: It'll be amended to reflect a more accurate speed.

The ticket is primarily a "notice to appear", not an indictment or charging sheet.  All it must do to be valid is to give you notice that you must appear in court.

If anything, the inaccuracy of the ticket could give you something to cross-examine the officer about.


Title: Roommate added extra guest who is only paying him rent

Question: I share a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment with a roommate. We are both co-signed on the lease, and both split pay per mo for rent. Our combined rent is $975/mo. Recently I found out my roommate had a relative move in with us, without telling me, and I just found out his relative is paying his portion of the rent. Considering the relative in question is using BOTH of our utilities per month, and MY bathroom/room when I am not home, is it fair, or legal, for me to still have to pay my 50% share of rent, while the relative directly pays my roommate the other 50%, effectively cancelling out his rent?

Answer: If the "guest" is living there, he's a tenant. If he's not on the lease it's not legal and could get you both evicted.


Title: [AZ] False Sexual Assault Accusation Help

Question:
Trigger warnings: minor graphic detailing for clarity

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Throwaway account.

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Long story short, I was seeing this girl earlier in the year. She's a Mormon, and while I don't normally date people of that faith I really liked her and we had talked all summer, and we were really into each other. We get to school, meet, and things start to move fairly quickly. We make out and dry hump in the first and second meetings. The whole way I'm checking up with her out of worry, both in person as its happening and over text before and after; I want her to be comfortable and okay with everything, etc. About a week passes, and we take a break because she's feeling overwhelmed. By the end of that week, she's come over again, and this time she gives me oral. I kind of have to guide her through what to do because she's never done it, but at no point am I forcing her to do anything or exerting force on her in any way. We often talked about sexual stuff and what she was comfortable with, she was the one pushing her comfort zone, and it took some coaxing to get her out of the comfort zone. There was always affirmative consent, it never seemed like she felt forced or threatened into anything and it always seemed that she was doing things of her own free will.

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Fast forward a month or so, and a detective shows up on my doorstep. He goes through all the legal stuff, I allow him into the house, to record the interview, etc, mostly because I'm in shock at this and not thinking. He goes through the whole scenario; she's claiming I sexually assaulted her, apparently with some minor penetration and therefore I could easily be in jail right now if he was an "asshole cop" (his words). He goes on, saying he's there to find out if I'm a predator or a guy who made a mistake. He grills me for about 90 minutes, and we go over like every detail of the brief relationship and all the things we did together (there's obviously not space for all of the interview here). The end result, he comes to the conclusion that I'm "a dick" (his literal words to my face), but he's not taking me to jail because he doesn't think I'm a threat, he says he's going to close the case without filing charges, if he ever gets a similar complaint about me then there will be more issues that time, etc. Claims he made during the interview (along with the calling me a dick or a douche, which happened a few times), was that I bullied this girl into doing these sexual things with me, and it was something he seemed to focus on, and that the fact that I had removed her clothing instead of her was a bad thing (she was willing, and I had affirmative consent to do so). He also was harder and sterner on me when I denied wrongdoing and tried to defend myself. He also tossed out a joke about his partner (whom he he told me to tell to wait in the car) saying that the partner was probably pacing around outside, worrying that "\[I\] was raping \[the detective doing the interview\]." Lastly, she had left her shirt here the last time I saw her, and I got it, asking him to return it to her if she wanted it back (I just wanted to be rid of it), and he asked if I wanted to give her a letter or send a message with him. Being absolutely shattered at this point, I decide I want to send a letter, hastily scrawl together something along of the lines of "I'm sorry if I hurt you, that was never my intention," give that to him, and he leaves with his partner. Finally, to be clear, she was 18 at the time of all the alleged incidents so there's no statutory issues here (I'm 21).

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My question is twofold: do I need to/should I get a lawyer (despite him saying he's closing the case). Secondly, was this detective out of line with some of his claims and terms (I'm not sure if detectives are supposed to go around calling people "dicks" and "douches" in interviews), and if so, what, if anything, should I do (file a complaint? idk)?

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I know you guys don't like judge the situation or people in it, but yes, I feel like shit she feels this way.

Answer:
 "It took some coaxing to get her out of her comfort zone."

That is a dick move.

Stop talking to the police, and start respecting women's comfort zones.


Title: Getting money back from drug charge?

Question: Earlier today I gave one of my best friends all the money I had to pay bills this month. He was going to deposit it into his bank because I don’t have one and send me the money through digital currency. He was pulled over an hour ago and charged with PWIT Marijuana. They let him send texts out, and he told me they took the money as evidence, he didn’t deposit it. What are my chances of being able to get my money back and soon? This took place in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Answer: Zero chance. It's been seized as evidence of involvement in a drug crime. Civil asset forfeiture. Even if your friend gets the charges dropped you probably will never see that cash again.


Title: (NE) My Underage Friend Needs To Be Emancipated

Question:
There is no physical abuse or any proof of physical abuse. His father is very obviously narcissistic and calls the cops every time my friend feels the need to escape his house. I’ll answer follow-up questions as I’m clueless in regards to the laws related to this issue. Thank you.
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 Unless he makes tons of money and is capable of supporting himself with 0 chance that the state would ever have to intervene it’s not going to happen.

Lots of people hate their parents.  And unless you are a physiologist who is treating his dad you have no idea if he is actually a narcissist.Answer #2: Emancipation does not happen unless the minor is capable of supporting herself financially. If your friend doesn't have a job and somewhere else to live emancipation is very unlikely.

If she is being abused she can report it by calling (800) 652-1999, or by talking to someone at school like a councilor or teacher.


Title: Tennessee STBX put in a stipulation in the marriage dissolution agreement that I would sign a quit claim deed upon divorce while there still a mortgage in effect on the house. This is a really bad idea right? I haven't signed anything yet. And I'm the one who caught it not my attorney.

Answer: Yes, especially since your name is still on the mortgage. You need a provision that states your X will remove your name from the mortgage with 120 days after entry of the divorce decree (s/he can refinance the mortgage), otherwise the marital home shall be sold within 180 to 270 days to satisfy the mortgage obligation. Put in the standard stuff about a "commercially reasonable sale" to make sure your X doesn't pull a fast one.


Title: GA- Incident with a mall cop, could my dad actually get banned from the mall? Plus other questions.

Question:
This is a long block of text and its typed out on a cell phone, so prepare yourself.

Let me start by saying me and both my parents and my aunt had been shopping at the mall and we wanted to drop our stuff off at the car before going to the movies. Me and daddy went by ourselves to drop it.

We went to enter the mall and a black mall cop (the only reason i mention this is as an identifier because there are three cops in this story.) told us the mall was closed. We told him we were just going up to the theater and he continued to say that it was closed. At first he didn't say anything about going around and daddy was just like "that's stupid" and tried to walk through. The black mall cop chased us and we got about half way to the escalator before we stopped and turned back to the black mall cop. Him and daddy said some stuff, I don't really remember what, and daddy was just like, whatever and we went to leave when the black mall cop started chasing us and was like you guys aren't gonna be able to come back to the mall and there are two cops on their way here and daddy flipped him off and the black mall cop said you know where you can shove that and daddy was just like, yeah, whatever. And we left and walked around the place. When we got to the movie theater entrance there was a white mall security guard there who told us, in summary, you guys aren't aloud in here tonight, my supervisor doesn't want you here. Daddy said we had already bought tickets and that's when I called momma. Daddy told the guy he wanted refunds on the tickets and the white mall cop said something to the effect of not my problem. When daddy finally left, flipping him off as well, the white mall cop started following him and when I tried to ask him to calm down, he started on me saying I wasn't going to be aloud in the mall and all this stuff and then momma came out and I went to her. The black mall cop came out at some point and was saying That the other guy was a cop and that daddy was going to get "put away for this" or something to that affect. then I was with my aunt and I dont know what exactly happened but apparently the black mall cop kept heckling my dad and trying to rile him up and my dad was only staying calm cause my mom was there trying to defuse the situation. A mall camera should have caught the whole thing and my mom called the real cops as some point.

A deputy showed up and we recounted the story and my mom said she wanted to press assalt charges on the black mall cop cause he was pushing up on daddy and grabbing at him.

I was wondering if that would actually be possible, based on the he said she said situation. Also, the black mall cop said my dad would be banned from the mall forever, could that actually happen?
Also, theres a chance that the mall cameras caught the heckling and my mom asked the black mall cop to make sure he got a copy of the tape cause she planned on pressing charges so if anything happens and the tapes are erased, whether on purpose or just as protacal, would that be distruction of evidence and could the black mall cop be arrested, even though the case is something so trivial?

Answer:
 Wow, your father is a moron.

Expect your father to be banned from the mall for the foreseeable future. Also, stop speaking like a 12 year old.


Title: Hypothetical: [WI] When I was a teenager I got mixed up with someone who stole petty change from a car and was caught. If asked about it by a cop now do I have to tell them the truth?

Question:
For the record; I was not arrested. Simply cuffed, drove home, and had a heart-to-heart with the officer. I wasn't a bad kid. The only other interaction with cops before being an adult was getting into a fight over a girl. Again, no arrest, and that was the only time I ever got into a fight growing up. No tickets even.

Assuming I had been arrested or ticketed as a minor, from what I understand, such things are erased from your record when you become an adult. What does that even mean?

If a cop came up to me and asked if I ever got into a fight or was questioned over a theft, (wether or not the officer knew the truth) would I be obstructing by saying "no"?

Answer:
 In this hypothetical situation where a cop is asking you questions relating to a crime, why are you answering without a lawyer present?  You probably shouldn't say "yes" or "no" at all.  You shouldn't talk to cops about an investigation that may include you.

Lying to cops is a crime, of course.  Don't do that.  But you don't have to answer either... which is a good idea, because in this situation, it may not be clear which answer is a lie.  Is it "no" because of the minor thingy, or is it "yes" because it did happen?  A lawyer would know, which is why one should be present.  But a lawyer would likely also recommend you simply not answer.  No reason to.  No gain on your side.


Title: I think my boss is breaking the law

Question:
(Throwaway for obvious reasons)
I wor for a small business outside of Philly in PA, USA. My boss has an unsecured computer that both employees and customers are left alone with on a regular basis. He has never given us any instruction on what we can and cannot access on said computer. I was dicking around and I found that they keep massive caches of customer and employee information on the computer, with no password protection or anything. I found email lists with names and emails of all the customers; vet records for the dogs (it's a doggy daycare); email and phone number lists for all current and former employees, and a copy of each current employee's w-2, which list our social security numbers.
Can I pursue legal actions? And if so, what will probably happen?

They also have old texts and Facebook posts from employees screenshotted on the computer, but that seems like less of a legal issue and more of an ethical one.

Answer: Irresponsible but not illegal and sadly extremely common with small businesses


Title: Anything we can do after a fire? NJ

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 This really sucks, I don't really know how condos work to be honest so I don't want to give too much advice. I don't really understand how you could be on the hook for condo fees and mortgage for a place you can't actually live in "for up to a year"

Maybe talk to a lawyer ?


Title: [CA] How do I sue the other driver in a bad car accident? Personal injury lawyer will not take the case because she had no insurance.

Question:
Place: California

Time: Sept 2014

How: She ran a red light and slammed into my drivers side which completely totaled my car and sent me to the hospital with 4 hip fractures and a head injury.

Police report finds her obviously at fault.

After months of ignoring me, her insurance tells me claim is denied. They don't need to give me a reason.

I had liability insurance but wasn't aware of uninsured coverage and so my own insurance didn't cover this.

I contacted a personal injury lawyer who did her best to try to find a way to get the insurance companies to pay but told me there's nothing that can be done except to sue her. I would need to find a different lawyer to do that.

A Private Investigator found that the woman has a very nice home in her name in a very good neighborhood.

My Question:

Assuming she didn't have any coverage at the time of the accident, I will need to sue her. Does this mean my only option is to pay a lawyer by the hour to help me do this? Do I need a lawyer to fill out the appropriate paperwork?
What type of lawyer do I contact? What can I expect to pay to do this?

Thanks! Any help here appreciated.

Answer:
 You need to talk to lawyers until you find one to take the case.  Unless your damages are under $10,000, in which case you can sue in small claims court.

You really should upgrade your own coverage.  If you had insurance, you would not be dealing with this right now.


Title: UK: My sister bought a horse with a friend, now the friend is threatening to take the horse away.

Question:
I'm a law student in England and my younger sister has just emailed me for some legal advice but it's not my area of law at all so I was hoping someone here would be able to help me.

She bought a horse with her friend for £300 and they paid £150 each. Their friendship has broken down and now this friend is saying she's going to put money into my sister's account for the horse and take him away unless my sister pays £400 to buy her out. My sister has paid for half his vets bills and the entire amount for his care (food, stables etc). The horse also needs to see a vet and the woman has admitted she can't afford it whereas my sister can. Another issue seems to be that this woman has the horses passport (I'm not a horse person at all so I don't know how important this is) and won't let my sister see it unless she pays her the £400, so I was wondering if anyone here could maybe let me know where my sister stands? I've directed her to a free legal advice thing the local university offers but I'm hoping someone could help me here in case they're all booked up before Christmas.
Thanks!
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 >this woman has the horses passpor

Believe me this is pretty important. Because the horses pasport can be compared to the title of a car. (how I know this? I grew up on a farm with cows and those had also passports)

So you might want to ask your sister what details are exactly on the passport and in whoms name the passport is. (Besides that if there is any other paperwork regarding the ownership of the horse).

You might also want to post over at r/legaladviceuk


Title: Would I have a good case if I sued a club that let my girlfriend in for free but charged me $20? Isn't this discrimination? (Florida)

Answer:
 LOL. No.

Note: This question comes up monthly.


Title: [Connecticut] Is it illegal to dump a drink on somebody?

Question:
Long story short there are these Jehovah's witnesses that stand on my university campus and give literature to anybody who asks. They don't try to talk to you or anything, they just stand there.

My best friend is an ex jehovah's witness who has told me the horrible abuse she used to suffer at the hands of her church, and this gave me an intense dislike of Jehovah's Witnesses. Would I be charged with a crime if I took a large cup of soda and dumped it over their heads and then ran away?

Answer: That could be considered assault. Leave them alone


Title: Unwelcome AirBnB Guest

Question: I planned a trip with a group of friends (~10) and one of them is friends with my ex. He's hinting at bringing my ex even though I've made it clear he is not welcome. The AirBnB is in my name, he is not listed as a guest, and I've paid for the whole thing. What recourse do I have if he were to try to crash my vacation?

Answer:
 If you’re paying, tell your so-called “friend” that your ex isn’t welcome and if brought along, the friend isn’t either.

Or use the excuse that per the Air BNB contract only the already listed guests are allowed. Answer #2: Call the cops and show them that he is not a welcome guest. The AirBnB host will most likely back you up.Answer #3: If the AirBnB is in your name, then legally you have the right to restrict who  can be there.

However, if all of you are splitting the bill, then they could argue that each of them has the right to have guests because they are paying for their portion. If you interfere with their ability to do so, then while they can't legally force you to accept a guest, they might be able to make an argument that you didn't uphold your end of the agreement and they can drop out, leaving you stuck with the full bill.

I highly recommend you discuss this directly and get it sorted out in advance, because with this many people involved, it can get very messy.  "Hinting" doesn't mean anything.  Just say very clearly to everyone involved that so-and-so is not welcome, and if they have a problem with it, they can drop out of the trip.


Title: What Course of Action Should I Take? Please Help!

Question: [removed]

Answer: Not a crime dude.


Title: [NC] Former employer cut off health insurance prior to last day

Question:
In case it matters, former employer and insurance provider are based out of Texas, but I live and work in North Carolina.

I was in a car accident on the way to my last day of work at previous job. My car rolled, and I blacked out, so I was taken by ambulance to the hospital. Obviously didn't go into work that day. Fast forward a few weeks, and my health insurance has been denied. It seems my employer back dated my last day of employment to the last day I was physically at work, two days prior to my accident, instead of the last day I was scheduled to work, the day of my accident.

Now I'm on the hook for about $15K in medical expenses (so far, still haven't received ambulance bill), and I'm wondering if I have any recourse. Were they correct to terminate my insurance when they did? I've tried to find straight-forward answers about this and am not having any luck.

Just for some other information, I left voluntarily, the employer is a large company, I was not notified about any early termination of coverage, I was on the schedule for the day of my accident, it's a group policy and I was not offered any extensions of coverage.

Thanks in advance for advice anyone can provide, even if it's just to tell me it was all above board and I'm screwed.

Answer: You should Cross post to /r/insurance as well.


Title: Cop Pulled me over, illegally searched car.. HELP

Question:
Hey everyone so here's my story and I need some advice.. So a couple weeks ago I was driving on the highway (50 mph limit), apparently I was doing 70.. according to the sheriff. Anyways, I was pulled over and he asked for my license, registration etc. I bought the car from a private party the day prior so it was not yet registered so I told him that and he didnt seem to have a issue with it. I had my hands on the wheel, keys on the dash.. You know, everything youre supposed to do to be non threatening to an officer. In return, he decides to take me out of my car (with minor force) and put me in the back of his cop car! You should know, I am a 20 year old male who has never even been pulled over before. He gets in the front seat and asks me some questions about the car and such and I tell him that I have the title to the car on the floor board in the passenger footwell. At this point, without asking permission or anything, he goes up to my car opens it and starts rifling through my paperwork and documents and eventually finds the title. I didnt say anything at this point because I didnt want to say anything I shouldnt say. He proceeded to write the ticket and then let me out of his car. I asked him what this was all about and why he detained me in the back of his car. He said "I had questions and didnt want to walk back and forth." So, if and when I decide to go to traffic court, what arguements can I use about him searching my car and putting me in the back of his car? Any help would be awesome!!

Thanks

Answer:
 > So, if and when I decide to go to traffic court, what arguements can I use about him searching my car and putting me in the back of his car?

Absolutely none.  It has nothing to do with your speeding ticket.  If he had found pot and you were charged for it, then you could make an argument it should be excluded due to an illegal search, but since he didn't, it has no relevance to what you were charged with, which is speeding.Answer #2: He may have thought the car was stolen and that you would drive off. You wont magically get away from this speeding ticket.


Title: My friend's dad is a sex offender about to get out and she wants to know what she can do to keep him away from her or any other tips/advice.

Question: Friend's dad will be able to get out of prison soon after a long sentence for lewd act on a child and she cant figure out; when he will be released, where he will be staying after that, what she can do if he tries to contact her, or just in general what she can do legally.  Ive googled his name and basically every site wants money for the info that we want about his release.  I know there is no way that this info wouldnt be public and i just want to know where to look to find it. State of south carolina if that helps.

Answer:
 Here is South Carolina's sex offender registry:  http://sheriffalerts.com/cap_office_disclaimer.php?office=54575&fwd=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jb21tdW5pdHlub3RpZmljYXRpb24uY29tL2NhcF9tYWluLnBocD9vZmZpY2U9NTQ1NzU=

If he was convicted of a sex crime, he should be required to register.  This will allow you to find his address.

If she has concerns for her safety, she can go to the police department or clerk's office and file for a restraining order, which would prohibit him from contacting her and also keep a physical distance away from her..


Title: I accidentally saw CP on a well known website using incognito (chrome). Please help me

Question: Now I feel stupid for doing this but I purposely clicked the website so I could get the link and report it, will I be in trouble? I am just under 16 years old, my mind is out-of-control right now. No downloads or saved images (CALIFORNIA)

Answer: You're fine.  Please be more careful about the links you click.


Title: Can a cafe host private events with beer without alcohol license?

Question: In Brooklyn NYC, sorry forgot to add this part.

Answer: In the Democratic Republic of Congo, where I assume you live, it is totally legal.Answer #2: under saudi arabian law, possession of alcohol is punishable by 6 months or more in jail and 75 lashes


Title: University Refused to Drop Classes Before Withdraw Date for Classes I Did Not Attend, Now Insisting I Owe them Over $2000 [IL, possibly AZ]

Question:
EDIT: No clue if anyone will see this update, but your advice worked! We got it dropped!

Hi r/legaladvice. I'm based in Illinois at the moment, but the university in question is in Arizona, so I'm not sure how that impacts the jurisdiction. But crossposted from r/personalfinance:

Last fall I briefly enrolled in Arizona State University's online program, signing up for two classes to try it out. I ended up deciding against attending (the classes were very expensive, you were basically paying to take online quizzes without much instruction), so I attempted to withdraw both online and in repeated calls to the university before their deadline. I received a lot of pushback, being told I should talk to my advisor and think about whether I really wanted to drop or not, and was bounced around a couple of times on this. Eventually, they told me I had been successfully dropped from the classes less than a week into them, well before their deadline for withdraw.

A few months passed and I'd completely forgotten that I'd enrolled at all, when I started receiving emails that I owed ASU money. Sure that this was a mistake, I looked into their claims and was informed that the date of the withdraw had been listed as one day after their deadline. I spent the next few months in a series of calls and emails back and forth with ASU, trying to resolve the matter. No one has been able to tell me who I need to talk to have the charges lifted and generally have sent me to another office, only to have that office send me to someone else in turn. I was a given a procedure to follow to change the withdraw date, but the people capable of doing part of it have been unable and/or unwilling to help (the professors said their system wouldn't let them make the changes that I was told they could make). When I forwarded their emails back to the other office, the office did not respond at all.

Then, not long after, I got a call from a debt collector. Ironically, she's been the most helpful person so far, going above and beyond to listen to what I've had to say (unlike anyone at ASU) and trying to put in a special dispute with them to get them to drop the debt. They refused her request as well and provided a piece of paper with a date on it, but no proof that this is actually when I requested the withdraw, and with no disputing my claims that they pushed me repeatedly to not drop.

She says at this point her hands are tied and she has to collect the debt. I'm wondering what, if any, options I have. I know that someone at ASU must have the authority to lift these charges and if I spoke with them, maybe they would listen. But no one will tell me who that person is, and frankly I cannot afford to pay this debt that I simply do not owe.

tl;dr: Briefly enrolled in ASU before dropping classes well ahead of the withdraw deadline. School had tried to keep me from dropping, and now is claiming that I withdrew after the deadline and owe them thousands of dollars. Debt collector has tried to help me, but her hands are tied at this point. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Edit for specific legal question as requested in side bar: do I have any legal recourse here? The debt is illegitimate but I don't know how to prove that it is since ASU would have any evidence proving so and so far has been unwilling to share it or even look for it. What should my next steps be?
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 >Eventually, they told me I had been successfully dropped from the classes less than a week into them, well before their deadline for withdraw.

Do you have proof that they said you were successfully dropped from the courses prior to the deadline?Answer #2: You can refuse to pay.  If the university or their debt collector sue you for the debt, you can present your defense.  Likely the university will present enrollment records that demonstrate your enrollment in the courses and you will need to present evidence of the timely withdrawal.

If they damage your credit or you just feel like brining things to a more prompt close, you might choose to proactively sue the university.  Though in this case you're really suing for injunctive relief which may take you out of small claims court.

Ultimately the answer here is to escalate with the university to a point of resolution.  Answer #3: When they approved the drop, was that in email? Do you have any documentation that the drop was agreed to before the deadline?Answer #4: I would contact the Illinois AG's office in addition, as this has all the hallmarks of a scam. Even if the AG can't help you specifically, it will help them track whether it happens often.


Title: Landlord only painted the ceiling after human feces rained from the sky. Now my partner has gangrene. Thoughts?

Question:
The other day I wake up and the first thing my feet hear when they hit the ground is splash! Turns out grey water fell from the sky like one of the plagues of Egypt or some shit. Landlord comes in and paints kills on the celing and calls it good. Now my partner has had so many health problems. Gangrene infection on his paranium. Strep in his foot. Im sick and cant work, and because of this i have no money to move. Do i have a case? Never wanted to hit someone with legal action before. No clue what to do. Any and all info appreciated.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 You should get a free consultation with a lawyer now. If living in your residence is causing this many health problems, it's probably not going to be considered "habitable" in whatever location you're in.

If living there is causing you this many health problems, you need to move out right now. Even if you don't have money to move, you need to figure something out. Can friends let you crash for a few days?


Title: I think my daughter"s first grade class is segregated. I seek advice...

Question:
I am looking for advice on what I believe is a segregated  1st grade class at my daughters public school in NJ.

 Here is my situation.  I live in a small town of about 3,000 residents where there"s a lot of "politics".   My half Spanish/Italian daughters Kindergarten class had too many kids in it last year. The school system decided to split up the class to two classes of 15 students for this year.

Long story short we start finding out that my daughters 1st grade class are 100% Hispanic with over 7 students whom are ESL that me and my wife know about. English is 2nd language  for almost all 15 students except for my daughter who does not speak Spanish.

There are zero ESL students in the other 1st grade class.  I have found out that the classes were put together by the existing 1st grade teacher along with parents input.  The parents of the other 15 student  1st grade class include 3 Mothers of the PTO, Mayor"s kid, Fire fighters kid, Girl Scout leaders kid, and the Principal/Superintendent"s niece.

My beef is why does my daughter"s education have to suffer because
her teacher has to constantly stop to help out the ESL students.  Why is one class 100% Hispanic and the other class is mixed with mostly whites?  How can one class have over 7 ESL students and 0 in the other? That's not fair learning.

As a parent it's hurting me and my wife to see my daughter not having any  friends in her class because she doesn't speak same language.  All of her friends are in the other class which she doesn't get to spend much time with.

I have brought this to the attention of principal and pretty much was lied to about how the  classes were separated or "segregated".  I am planning on going to next Board of Ed meeting to bring awareness and to make sure this doesn't go on next school year.

If I don't receive the proper attention
at meeting is there any legal steps I can take? I would love to hear any feedback from anyone with similar situation.

Answer:
 I would certainly approach this from a "she feels socially isolated because she is the only child that doesn't speak spanish and the class chats in spanish" rather than your "she isn't with her friends" or "you racist bastards" angle. Answer #2: Putting all the ESL kids together is a good thing, easier to focus on them and not hold back the rest of the class.

Answer #3: It being based on parent's input is a reasonable reason that could very well explain this result. If you and/or your daughter don't like it, you could ask them to transfer her to the other class.


Title: If I can marry an Au Pair on a J1 Visa, can she stay? What's the best way to do it?

Question:
I met and fell in love with an Au Pair from Brazil. Her host family and my family is cool with it, but we don't know how to legally marry in a way that she can stay in America. Should we marry while she's still au pairing or should we let her program end then marry? We want to follow the law, be fair to her host family, and stay together-- what's the best way to do it?

More information:

\- She came here legally on J1 Au Pair Visa

\- We fell in love and are dating for 4 months and are engaged

\- Her host family does like me

Answer:
 Relationship advice is not to marry someone who you've only known for 4 months.

Legal Advice:

Did her J1 come with a home presence requirement after its expiration? If not, you can get married and immediately apply for an AOS to get her a green card.


Title: I barely tapped a persons car and they were angry

Question: Hi all... I feel sick. I've never done anything remotely illegal before. I even waited to drink until I was 21... but today in a dark parking lot in a really seedy area, I barely bumped a persons car and drove away. I was turning around late at night trying to get home and I was exasperated because of my directions being wrong somehow... and in the process of turning around in a parking lot I barely tapped this persons parked car. I know it sounds awful but I was so shaken... this woman JUMPED out of it and started SCREAMING at me in the dark and was asking what I was on... kept asking if I was on drugs etc that I would "hit" her boyfriends car... at this point I realized oh no... she's one of those. The car has obviously been in several accidents etc, and she was calling her boyfriend over.... accusing me as if I'd destroyed her car or something. She was a thing like a lunatic..  I was horrified, but I realized I was about to be blackmailed... so I drove away quickly. I know it's terrible but I literally KNOW her type and know that I'd be paying for her new car for something I hadn't even caused. I've been in so many situations where people barely tapped me etc and I don't bat an eyelash because that's what bumpers are for. I could tell she just wanted something out of me by how she behaved... I know I sound awful, but honestly I really can't deal with another person trying to suck stuff they don't deserve out of me. Please... I'm terrified, but in Florida is there any way I could come to seriously regret this?

Answer:
 I'd be angry, too, if you hit my car then drove away.  That's called a hit an run and is illegal in most areas regardless of the extent of the damage (whcih you wouldn't be able to tell because it was dark and you drove away).Answer #2: >I could tell she just wanted something out of me by how she behaved

Yes, she wanted to get your information so you coud pay for the damage you caused when you drove you rcar into hers. That is a reasonable thing to be pissed about. And since you ran instead of just handling the issue this could now becaome a criminal issue. Answer #3: So you committed hit and run? Yes, that could be problematic. Answer #4: > honestly I really can't deal with another person trying to suck stuff they don't deserve out of me

Which you have no proof of. But you sucked something of hers! You became what you fear. You took her rights away from her! She has a legal right to your information but you committed a criminal act to deny her. She has a legal right to be made whole as well but you cheated her of that. Talk to a lawyer. If she has your license plate you’re toast.


Title: Boyfriends nutjob ex might be having “his” baby?

Question:
Okay so the title doesn’t explain much and I don’t know what to consider this? but basically we ran into his ex at Walmart and she followed us around and yelled a bunch of stuff such as he was still seeing her and how “little babies need to be home” (referring to me as I’m younger than her) at one point she started saying that she was pregnant. We’re both ticked as hell, our 1am food run was NOT going as planned, so we start walking away. I’m way ahead so I don’t see this proof but she was shoving her phone in his face And going on about how it was his baby and how he can’t deny his child bla bla bla (at this point I was way ahead of them and trying to remain calm cause I wanted to scream so many things at her) and later on she said “I don’t want a bitch like you to be stepmom to my kid!!”

So if she tries to say this is his kid, and it turns out to be his kid, can he do something like sign away parental rights so she can’t come after us for child support or try to drag him into legal stuff? Can she do anything to him without a dna test to confirm it’s his?

Edit: we live in Casper, wyoming
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 > can he do something like sign away parental rights so she can’t come after us for child support or try to drag him into legal stuff?

No. If it's his kid, he is on the hook, unless and until a new step dad comes into the picture and wants to adopt the kid. Answer #2: > So if she tries to say this is his kid, and it turns out to be his kid

Then he's on the hook for child support, and has the same rights any other father would have to seek visitation and custody of his child. The only way he's getting out of that one is if his co-parent and her partner are willing, able, and qualified to adopt.

> Can she do anything to him without a dna test to confirm it’s his?

She can get a court order for a DNA test.Answer #3: >So if she tries to say this is his kid, and it turns out to be his kid, can he do something like sign away parental rights so she can’t come after us for child support or try to drag him into legal stuff? Can she do anything to him without a dna test to confirm it’s his?

No, and no.


Title: [NJ] What can a lawyer do for me? Do I have a case? Can I claim emotional damage or recover some of my therapy expenses? Can the court of law bring me face to face with a person that has emotionally destroyed me.

Question:
First I have to say, if you don't agree with me that's fine but I don't need to hear it again. It's best if you say nothing instead. Please, I don't want to trigger another emotional episode. Thank You.

I suffer from depression and anxiety. I come from the foreveralone subreddit. The people there have very different experiences in life than normal people. I've told my current therapist but it's difficult for them to understand. That's why I'm here looking for help. It was them idea to seek out pro-help communities to see if I could find something I talked to someone via an online/social media app where users sign up to meet people. I set a goal for myself to meet someone and form a strong friendship. We exchanged numbers, talked back and forth for a month, set up a time to meet but they had to reschedule. They said we will meet though. They lied to me and it affected me on so many levels. I quit several jobs in quick succession, quit the gym, lost interest in my hobbies and just fell apart. I went to therapy for help. I thought a therapist could bring B in and could act as a mediation. After seeing 7 therapists I finally found one that would call this person for me on my behalf. they left them a message but didn't word it correctly. So they never responded. I've spent 2+ years and asked about 2 dozen people for help on meeting someone who broke a promise to meet up with me. I've spent about $5000 in 2016 alone from therapy to travel. I went to 3 different states looking for people to help me.

I'm turning 30 soon and I want this to be over. I've so far asked 7 different therapists and have gotten no where. My current therapist doesn't want to hear about it anymore. We've talked about seeking legal action and they told me that at least I could to was ask for some legal consoling/advice.

The professional help I'm looking for is to help me meet B. I can’t bring myself to ask anyone anymore. I’ve never gotten anyone to sit and listen long enough though. I’d be interrupted and they would shoot me down. They say nicely that I need to move on, i need professional help, you should try medication, there’s nothing you can do, B owes you nothing, you are torturing yourself by not dropping it, etc.

All I wanted was to see them face to face. I want to hear them voice. I want to tell them what they did was wrong. they caused me so much pain by not looking at me and telling me that the right thing to do was to talk to me face to face. If they didn't want to associate with me anymore I wanted them to sit me down and tell me face to face.

I’ve ask about 2+ dozen people for help and this is the boilerplate answer i usually get

*The universe owes you nothing*

*People owe you nothing*

*Someone else is not you and thus has no obligation to adhere to your personal rules*

*You owe yourself the best you can give yourself*

*Treat others like you want to be treated*

*Failure is a godsend because it gives you the opportunity to learn and improve.*

*Life is not a zero sum game
*
*My suggestion is to work on yourself and forget B. they have made their choice and whether you like it or not and that should automatically make them "not worth it".*

*Teach yourself how to socialize with someone without having aspirations beyond the initial contact.*

In total its about 2+ dozen people including 7 different therapists over the course of 2 and a half years.
I don't believe in the canned auto-response that people give. I feel like I'm being heard but no one is listening. I'm going to continue on because I believe in it. My goal after this is to tell my story to others. I want to help people in my situation and give them their confidence back. I talk with my therapist about developing an app to counteract some of the difficulties in meeting people in online dating. I’ve talked about social anxiety and obstacles that people like me face.

Answer:
 I'm confused.

You're asking if the court can kidnap someone for you?

I get that you're upset (and obsessed), but this isn't a legal issue. You don't have damages, and courts can't compel this kind of thing.

Honestly, it seems like the other person would be much more likely to get a restraining order.Answer #2: Lawyer can’t do anything. You became dependent on someone you never met, who could have been a fake person, and blame them now for your emotions and happiness. You need help of a different kind, not help finding some random person on the internet.Answer #3: I don't see a case against anyone here. A therapist can't make anyone talk to you or meet with you, and you can't sue someone for breaking a date.Answer #4: No, you can’t sue someone for blowing you off. In all honesty I think you need help, but seeing a therapist for someone not coming to meet you is a total 180 from getting the kind of help you need.


Title: [California] Landlord hasn't given us a new lease, we haven't been able to pay rent, even after several requests to resolve it.

Question: Our lease expired last month, and when we tried to pay the rent this month, we weren't able to log in. We contacted the leasing company and they said they hadn't written up a new lease for us, and that we'll have to wait to pay rent, with no late fees. We were under the impression this would take a few days. But for this month we haven't been under any lease agreement, etc. and we haven't been able to contact them. This is just getting to feel a little bit sketchy to us. Is this a regular thing that happens sometimes? What can we really do if this goes on?

Answer:
 IANAL, but I am a California renter. In California, when your lease expires, you are automatically converted to month to month. This is normal. All the fees, regulations, etc. are as in your lease but you can leave with proper notice any time.

This seems normal, minus the computer glitch.Answer #2: >But for this month we haven't been under any lease agreement

Check your lease. You're likely now considered month-to-month tenants. California in general has language in term lease agreements that specifically state that tenancy will automatically convert to month-to-month when the original term ends. Nothing "sketchy" about that part.

Now, if they intend to write a new term lease, you will need to look it over for any changes. But as it stands, you're still under the terms of the prior agreement until any notification to the contrary is given.

Is there another method you can use to pay your rent? Check/Money Order/Cash? Whichever method you use, get a receipt. And keep copies of all correspondence regarding the inability to log in.


Title: Gym has been charging me for their membership for the past two years. I didn't ask for that. Kinda my fault, kinda not. What can I do?

Question:
Here's the story. Two years ago, I asked my gym to cancel my membership since I was moving. After I got a charge the next month, I asked again. Then I moved, and forgot to check to make sure my account wasn't being charged. A year later, I started to receive calls from a collection agency because my card had expired, and I had received a new one without notifying the gym. I refused to pay the outstanding amount for several months because I insisted I had cancelled the membership.

The argument continued for several months until they stopped calling. I assumed they had given up. Turns out they had somehow figured out what my new card was and started charging it again. I only noticed now, and I want to know where I stand.

I know, it's pretty stupid that I never noticed the monthly charge, and I offer no excuses for that. Unfortunately, saying "it won't happen again" won't fix the problem I currently have.

Do I have any recourse to get back the money that they had been charging me? They don't have any record of me coming in to cancel it, and I neither do I. They *do* know that I haven't attended the gym in a very long time, so at least there's that. I have the time to go to small claims court if it the process takes less than a month, although that might be excessive and unnecessary. Or is there no other option but for me to eat the charges, and simply make completely sure that they cancel the membership this time?

Thank you for your help in advance! I'll reply to any questions.

Edit: Since the bot asked, the gym and I are both in New Jersey.

Answer:
 I wonder if the original membership agreement mentioned anything about the method of cancellation (i.e. in writing, etc.).  Seems to me if someone duly cancels, then they shouldn't be charged.

Small claims is relatively painless, especially since parties might just settle once an action is filed.


Title: (CA, USA) Wife got involved in a hit-and-run due to a medical condition.

Question:
Long story short, my wife has bipolar disorder, and takes non-addictive medications prescribed by a state psychiatrist. When on her meds, she is completely normal and it's impossible to tell she has a disorder. A few months ago, she got a peptic ulcer and spent several days in the hospital due to fluid loss from vomiting. Since she couldn't keep anything down, the ER doctor instructed her to stop taking other medications while receiving treatment and taking her ulcer medication. There was a few weeks period when she wasn't on her bipolar meds. Fast forward, she's driving to school at 6am or so, hits an old guy in another car, and freaks out because she's not on her meds, full blown panic attack episode. So she flees the scene, goes home to take the meds (despite the doctor's advice), and passes out. Her car gets towed from where she parked it up the street in a neighborhood. Later that night, she calls the police station and tells them what happened and they tell her to come in for an interview. She does, they give her a court date, send her away. I assumed at this point if she did anything *that* bad they would've at least detained her. Her insurance took care of the other guy and apparently there were no injuries.

Does she have a medical excuse for what happened? It's known that people on psych meds can't go off them cold turkey, but she was physically unable to take them and has hospital documentation of getting a camera stuck down her throat and several IV bags. She also has no priors, not even a speeding ticket, and uses her car primarily to attend college (which she has a high GPA at).

Since then, her license has been suspended, and the court date is in a week or so. Any advice on what direction she should take to avoid a whopping fine/jail time? Is probation expected? Is there any chance she'll get her license back? Since alcohol/illegal drugs were not involved, will substance abuse testing be required? I ask because she occasionally uses marijuana for anxiety, which she is a CA medical patient for, but obviously had nothing to do with the accident. Sorry for all the questions. Thanks!
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 > Does she have a medical excuse for what happened?

She has an excuse, but not a defense.  If she's not capable of driving properly, the correct answer is to stay off the road - *not* "cause an accident and run away from it".

As for the rest of your questions, you'll need to let us know what exactly(statute or ordinance number) she was charged with violating.


Title: Is it legal to record a phone call with police in [MO]?

Question:
I'm in the middle of a fun neighborhood dispute because I dared buy a vehicle the neighbors don't like. Before the fit hit the shan, I wanted to make site what I was doing was acceptable. Among other things, I called the local police to ask if there were any restrictions against my plan.

Because I wanted to be able to prove I got permission, I recorded the call. Missouri is a one party consent state, so I thought nothing of it at the time.

However, as I was describing it on another thread, my mind went to all the stories of people being arrested for recording video and even audio of police.

So, am I going to end up in jail as soon as I reveal this recording?

Answer:
 > I dared buy a vehicle the neighbors don't like

It's not some ecofairy shit is it?Answer #2: They probably recorded it on their end as well. Anytime you call the police, there is a good chance it is a recorded line.


Title: Went through an automatic toll road without an EZtag, and now being charged $53

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Pay or go to court. If he goes to court it will be much more than $50


Title: [UPDATE] [TX] My ex owes 20K+ in child support.

Question:
This is an update to [this post](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2ns75u/texas_my_ex_29m_owes_20k_in_child_support_im_at/) from 7 months ago. I apologize that it took so long to update, its been a slow process.

Anyway, since the last thread, I faithfully called the office of the Attorney General requesting enforcement every month for 5 months. On the 5th month, they told me it was out of their hands and I should be receiving a letter sometime soon. After not receiving a letter by the 6th month, I called again, only to be told the same thing.

Last week, that response finally came when a constable came to my house and served me papers. It appears to be a motion to enforce the child support order against my ex. There is a court date that I need to appear at in mid August.
Now, the part that I'm confused about, is that the front page citation says that I have been sued and I need to file a written answer. I can't really afford an attorney and I can't really see needing one too much as I'm not the one in trouble.... but I definitely don't want to miss out on anything and am not sure what or how to answer. Also, how should I prepare for this court date?

Thank you guys all so much for the help. :)

Answer:
 Are you being sued or your ex?

I live in Texas and pay child support. When the attorney general's office goes to court (even for routine checking up on the correct amount is being paid) they file it as a lawsuit against whoever is paying child support but the one receiving child support is still listed.

It is the whole nine yards with exact language for lawsuit paperwork even if there's no enforcement action. Even saying answer is needed within X number days.

My ex got an exact copy of the paperwork I received even though their presence wasn't required.

In my case the first time I was confused so I called the attorney's office listed on the paperwork and they were extremely helpful.

Read it carefully and make sure it is about you and not your ex. Chances are they are notifying you about the court date so you can show up.Answer #2: Given that you are not sure how to proceed you probably need a lawyer to represent you. Family law is complicated and you can end up with a poor outcome if you attempt to do this by yourself.

What county are you in?

There are several legal aid sources available in Texas geared towards family law including child support. Some are state wide some are county specific.

You can look here: https://www.texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Legal_Access_Division&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=21384
Answer #3: This doesn't seem to have anything to do with your claim for child support. You wouldn't be served papers for that. You've been sued *for what*? What does it say on the papers? And who is suing you?


Title: I owe the government 6 million dollars

Question: Due to a civil judgment placed on me back in 97 I owe the government millions of dollars.  What kind of attorney would I need to try to remove this?  It's a civil judgement. And I don't know where to start.  US Government..

Answer:
 You might be very close to the statute of limitations expiring on that. In [this law review article](http://www.metnews.com/articles/2012/legcomm011312.htm) it cites to a fifth circuit decision that says federal judgments are governed by the state where the debtor lives - and from your other posts you live in texas. [here is a CLE](http://www.texasbarcle.com/Materials/Events/5832/95556_01.pdf) (PDF warning) discussing the duration of judgments in texas - which is 10 years, and they can be renewed - but it seems only once.  You may be able to wait this out  - but you should absolutely talk to a lawyer about it. Answer #2: What kind of attorney did you have at the time of the lawsuit?

If a Bankruptcy attorney can't help you, (s)he can at least point you in the right direction.Answer #3: Assuming this is serious, you need to provide more information.

1) Is someone coming after you with collections notices?
2) Did interest accrue on this?
3) Did you have a lawyer in the initial lawsuit?
4) Were you even notified of the prior lawsuit?
5) Have you made any payments on this in the past 20 years?
Answer #4: It is probably more than 6 million now with interest and penalties. A lawyer familiar with Federal court or judgements could give more information. At some point it is going to catch up to you - the IRS will hunt you down owing federal taxes. I can't even imagine owing that my student loans is 50K.


Title: Stop neighbor from driving down private road [Oklahoma]

Question: Country neighborhood with private road.  We currently don't have an HOA but the road doesn't get maintenance unless we pay for it.  Recently, myself and my closest neighbors (we are all at the end of the road) spent $15k to fix up our section nice.  Only problem is we have an asshole neighbor that lives right at the entrance. He hates my closest neighbor because they are Mexican.  I know racism isn't illegal but it is relevant to my dear.  There is a Mexican couple near him on the other road that connects to ours.  They fixed up their section and as soon as we got a good rain, he took his big four wheel drive truck and fucked it to hell.  My question is can we establish am HOA or something for our section and have him trespassed if he acts a fool?  Can I put trail cams or something by the road and Sue him for repairs if he decides to tear our section up?  I tried to talk to him but apparently I love illegals and not worth his time.  Please help!

Answer: Who does the "private road" belong to?Answer #2: You can also check with the local street department and code Enforcement. An attorney might be able to help in setting up an LLC or non profit corporation to "own" the road with the various homeowners as shareholders. Then the corporation would handle maintenance for the road.


Title: [MA] My friend tried to section a family member. The ADA refused and called her entire family to warn them and tell them what an awful person she is.

Question:
This is in the Boston metro area.

My friend Alice has a family member with a severe substance abuse problem.  We'll call him Bob.  Alice has plenty of documentation demonstrating that Bob has a substance abuse problem and is unable to adequately care for himself.  Alice went to her district court to petition for a section 35.  The ADA she spoke to, apparently, is somehow acquainted with Bob.  The ADA refused to help her, and instead started calling Bob and his friends and family, and telling them how awful Alice is for trying to do this to him.  Alice is understandably under a lot of stress, so she just left without finding out who this person is or what she should do next.  Now Alice's extended family and friends are furious at her.  Bob broke contact with Alice and is hiding out somewhere, because he's afraid of being involuntarily committed.

I've sectioned people through EMS or at the hospital, but I've never had to petition for a section in court.  I assume you go to the clerk's office and have someone assist you with it.  I am however familiar with this district court, and I can't imagine any of the ADAs there doing something like this.  What can Alice and I do?  Should we reach out to the main DA's office?  The state Bar Association?

Answer:
 It sounds like there is a court proceeding to attempt to establish the factors required for a section 35 commitment.  Your sister is the petitioner and should hire an attorney to help with this.  Probably any litigator would work.  As someone from a state that leans libertarian, I am shocked that this exists and that a judge can issue a warrant based on an ex parte petition.  Seems like something that could very easily be abused. Answer #2: If Bob's friends and family don't feel that he should be sectioned--and the ADA agrees--is it possible that Alice's judgement is off here?

In any event, a substance abuse problem is not sufficient grounds for forced hospitalization/institutionalization.

Answer #3: > The ADA she spoke to,

ADA's have nothing to do with Section 35 Commitments its a Civil issue. She spoke to the Clerks office.

>I've sectioned people through EMS or at the hospital, but I've never had to petition for a section in court.

At some point every Section goes to court.

> What can Alice and I do? Should we reach out to the main DA's office? The state Bar Association?

I feel like a huge part of the story is missing.

When did Alice go to Court?

Was Bob Summonsed, was there a hearing?

Answer #4: Why is the go to a section instead of trying to help him in other ways? Especially since it doesn't look like anyone else agrees with Alice?


Title: Aprils fools, legal consequences?

Question:
So lots of people joke around on april first, and it isn't limited to people either, organisations also tend to joke around. But I was wondering if there are any "jokes" that are not allowed, or if there are examples of jokes that went too far.

For example with promissory estoppel, could a company joke about a job offering? When for example a museum makes a joke about finding something really special that will be displayed in their expositions, is that false advertising?

Answer: Big companies that do April fools jokes also have big legal departments that clear them.Answer #2: This question is so broad it's impossible to answer.


Title: Father suddenly sent me a copy of his will that is notarized, but undated and makes no mention of his wife of 20+ years

Question:
Location: Connecticut, USA

Out of the blue I received an email from my father with a copy of his will. It was very simple, basically naming his children as the beneficiaries of his estate. No mention is made of his wife (not our mother) of 20 or so years. Both my father and his wife are in their 80's. No assets are listed - it just names us as the beneficiaries.

A separate document names me as the executor of his estate.

Both are scans in a pdf file. Both are ink-stamped with the Notary's name and commission expiration date, and the will has an embossed Notary Public stamp. Both documents are signed by two witnesses (names not legible). Neither of the documents are dated in any way. I suspect the Notary log will server to tie it to a date.

As I was writing the above, I received another copy of the will with a correction. This copy still has the notary ink-stamp, but no embossed stamp. It also only has the signature of one witness, which I believe invalidates it as a valid will in Connecticut.

Before there's any confusion, I'm in no way trying to cut my step-mother out in any way.

Being named executor is not something we'd discussed before, and I don't know a lot about what I'll need to do. I don't know what prompted him sending the documents, but I do know there is significant strife between them.

I’m thinking it’s possible my father may be trying to limit what my stepmother can inherit by not naming her. That would only affect assets and property that is not jointly owned, correct? How is joint ownership determined?

I could come up with specific questions all day, but what I’m really trying to figure out is what the potential problems are going to be and how can I start to prepare or mitigate for them. I can see this being a huge mess, especially given the problems between my father and his wife.

Answer: Yeah, the absence of his wife of 20 tears can get the will invalidated. While things like jointly owned houses and accounts could still pass to her, they would do so outside his estate, which she should also be entitled to a share of. He needs to speak with an estate planning attorney and have his will properly written.


Title: Boss is telling a coworker and I that we can't talk at work as it appears "unprofessional" - Ontario, Canada

Question:
Coworker and I work at a small tutoring company. We have desks side by side and most time during class hours, we are busy working one on one with students. However, there are periods near the end of the evening when we have no students and are simply marking student's work. We talk quietly back and forth as we mark, however recently my boss has told us she doesn't want us talking to one another as it looks "unprofessional" to the parents (the classroom space has windows in the lobby that allows the parents to observe the classroom space).

Is there any precedence for this in terms of labour laws? Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 Precedence?  Your employer is allowed to make rules about who you chit chat with while you are on the clock.

He wants you to mark papers, not gossip with other employees.  He is allowed to have that rule.

However, you aren't forced to work there.  If you dislike that rule, you can certainly find different employment.

If you want to socialize with your coworkers, you can arrange to get together on your own time, outside of work... there is nothing your boss can do about you having a conversation with whomever you would like on your own time and away from work.

I get that this rule may seem harsh, but trying to see this from your employer's perspective, he wants his employees to come to work to work, not socialize. Answer #2: I would look for representation from a Union.  Unfortunately, management will always have the economic upper hand without organized labor taking place. Talking while grading papers sound like a fairly regular thing to do, depending on the conversation.  It sounds like your boss is only trying to justify their employment.


Title: House broken into twice by same person. I know it’s the same person because they’re selling my things on the same letgo.com account.

Question:
Yesterday my house got broken into and my Asus RoG laptop, 15.6 in, intel i7, GTX 1060 was stolen. That same night, someone on letgo.com posted the same exact laptop for sale for $200. Same zip code I live in. Cops can’t do anything because the pictures don’t show the serial number or anything identifying. I tried to buy it from the person but they sold it to someone else.

Today. I left home for work. Made sure all windows are locked. Took any other electronics and important documents with me. I was still tracking his account on letgo. Right before leaving work, I check his account again hoping he hasn’t actually sold the laptop...and saw that he is now selling my Alhambra classical guitar. That guitar is really specific. Can’t really buy it in stores. It’s made in Spain. I got it in 2008. It has a 636 mm neck, shorter than the usual classical guitar with a 650 mm neck. The top is solid rosewood, the back is laminate. Tuning pegs are mother of pearl. There’s a crack on the lacquer and wood on it from an accident many years ago. The case itself has the remnants of a fragile sticker gained from many years of flying.

And the cops can’t do anything because I can’t prove from pictures that the guitar is mine.

I don’t know if I’m even allowed to link his profile here or would that lead me to legal problems in the future. I just needed to vent. I feel targeted and violated.

Answer: File a police report. They can get info from leggo. They dont have PC to think this person is the burglar, but it should be enough for trafficking stolen property. Make a list of what was stolen and then show the officer the items for sale at the same time as the theft.Answer #2: cameras!! And you must find your point of entry!!!Answer #3: Do you have the serial number of your device? Call the retailer of the laptop to get it. Then report it to the police again and ask them to do a check together to see if he is the culprit.


Title: My friend's (19F) father's girlfriend froze a bank account, denying my friend access to money that she had earned and deposited herself.

Question:
My close friend (19F) has lived with her father and his girlfriend for nearly her entire life. The situation has become escalating abusive as of late, and she moved out yesterday evening. (This is in California.) She did not take anything with her that was technically her parents' property; only clothes, her phone, and very basic toiletries. Predictably, her parents lost their minds when they realized that she was gone. They blew up her phone, threatening all sorts of things if she didn't come back home. She did not respond to any of the calls or messages (she had sent a text right after leaving that explained her choice to move out, so they do know she isn't missing or in danger).

Today, her parents shut off her cell service and froze her bank account. They had been paying for the cell service, so definitely had every right to shut it off. The bank account, on the other hand, is a different story.

The account is technically in her father's girlfriend's name. It is a standard checking account under Wells Fargo. However, all of the money going in and out of the account belongs to my friend. Her parents do not deposit or withdrawal money from this account at all. They don't touch it; it's essentially her account, she just never bothered to have it put in her own name because she didn't consider the possibility of something like this happening. The amount in the account isn't very significant; she just paid off the damages from a car accident, so the remaining sum in the account is around $500. But it's now the only money that she has to support herself while she continues to work, so it's important that she be able to access it.

What sort of recourse does she have, if any? She's a legal adult, she files her own taxes, and she handles her own finances aside from the account being in her stepmom's name. Any deposits and withdrawals were made by her. Do her parents own the money because they own the account?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I apologize for this post being fragmented and a little bit loose on details; I'm across the country in college and trying to help her over the phone. Please let me know if I need to clarify.

Answer:
 If the account is in someone else's name, then that person can access the account and cut off access of others to it.

She will have to sue the account owner in small claims court to get it back.


Title: [NC] Sister has been stealing money from mother. Is there any recourse for the money?

Question:
I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask this question, exactly. It's been a frantic morning, and this might just be a kneejerk question. My sympathetic mother obviously doesn't want to consider police or legal involvement, but I want to know what all the options are, even the nuclear one.

My sister has been surreptitiously taking my mother's debit card out of her purse and using it to make periodic ATM withdrawals over the last few months to buy drugs. Occasionally helping my mother pay bills, I noticed her retirement savings account consistently dwindling. Our initial reaction was just, "Damn, bills are hard." However, this morning it was much lower than I remembered it being, and that prompted us to look through the history. We haven't tallied or confirmed the damage exactly, but it could be up to $10k out of her life savings. Sister first denies then confesses after mention of police involvement.

She's had mishaps, but I didn't know the problem was this bad. Nevertheless, I just want to know what the options are.

Answer:
 You can change the ATM so she can't steal anymore, and throw her out of the house - guranteed she's been stealing jewlery or other things to pawn or sell for her habit. If she's so far gone to steal money like that, everything is on the table, theft wise, been there, done that. An addict is an addict, they reach a certain point, and you either deal with the addiction, or don't.

After that, your options are to turn her onto the street, where her crimes will escalate, and she'll probably turn up dead, or you get your family together, and get her into rehab. She can deal with paying your mother back, or not, when she's sober. IF she gets sober, many don't.

Other that that, you'd have to have her arrested to stop her (which is a legit option, she has better chances in prison than on the street), or sue her, and good luck suing an addict.

Sorry you have to deal with this. Like I said, been there. Addicts ruin their own lives, and the lives of people around them. Rehab or the street. That's your options. You can't trust an addict once they've started stealing from you, it will only get worse.Answer #2: > Nevertheless, I just want to know what the options are.

First, cancel that card and get a new one issued.  Also, don't tell your sister the PIN.

Second, your only options are the police or a lawsuit.  Your chances of recovering anything significant are slim.


Title: Lost 3 fingers at work last week

Question: So I lost 3 fingers from my right hand last week at my job , I was working in a new machine where I had not been trained on, and we'll things went wrong when I put my hands where I wasn't suppose to, the doctors, tried to put my fingers back which they did but unfortunately they didnt survive and they took them off yesterday , the company insurance is paying for everything but I want to know what to do now , my bosses came to visit they have been on top of things , they told me the CEO of the company is giving a donation for what happened, I don't know if they are doing this so I won't sue them , I have had 2 surgeries now, I'm having my 3rd one tomorrow , many therapies to come according to doctors, please guide me on what to do, can I sue them? they told me im receiving workers compensation but I don't know how that works,I live in nj by the way.

Answer: It is time to talk to a workers comp attorney. Your boss and other management are not your friends here, and are certainly being advised by an attorney on what to do to limit their financial liability.


Title: Help. My neighbor has camera's pointing in my windows.

Question:
Hello Legal Advice. I currently live in DFW Texas. I have an abandoned old house next to me and the owners son (I will call him Creeper) has set up cameras all over the house for security. I was 100% fine with that.
Here is the problem. We don't have much of a privacy fence between us and I have noticed Creeper walking really slow and repeatedly while I was suntanning in my bikini. So I stopped that. Then he was doing the same thing if I was in my hammock. So I only did that when Creeper was away. Everything was fine other than being nosey and giving off rapey vibes. If he came over I would just go inside.
Then he set up cameras all over the house. I counted four on our side. The one on the garage points halfway onto our back porch. You can see one inside the window with the curtain open pointed directly to our house. While I was cleaning yesterday I noticed another camera near his roof pointed directly into our living room window. We have five widows on that side I keep open for sunlight. Now I'm sitting in the dark creeped out. The cameras are so high I do not think any trees we plant will be able to conceal us and I am 100% certain a privacy fence would not work. We have old Craftsman style homes.
I can't believe Creeper has been able to see in our house for four years and I don't even know where to begin. How can I get these cameras pointed away from our property? Any advice would be very appreciated and thank you for your time.
Edit: Creeper is actually a grown man. The owner of the home is 97.
Edit II: Headed out of state for ten days. I will get back with you guys because I am confident I can get results when I get back. I showed my husband this post and the fourth camera and he was definitely like WTF, I'm going to try to get a big purple martin bird house for blocking his view and my husband is going to get a letter from some lawyers we know. We also have quite a few law enforcement friends. We will try to avoid a lawsuit. Thank you for the research, PM's and support, really. I did not know where to start and now I have a step by step list of what to do.
Edit III 2/22: Creeper and his wife have not been to the property to talk to. Our law enforcement friends said there is no law against this invasion of privacy. The garage camera has mysteriously disappeared. Four more to go.

Answer:
 Would she be allowed to point a low wattage laser at the cameras? (Not enough to damage them).

At the very least it's a solid "duck you, I know what you're doing and I don't like it" without having to confront him in an skyward conversation (which, by the way, is the thing I'd actually recommend)

*edit: it appears that the Google keyboard is somewhat Puritan, but I'm amused, so it's staying...Answer #2: I don't know that you can have him move the cameras (other than the ideas from /u/districtio) but I would recommend [Privacy vinyl.] (http://windowfilmworld.com/frosted-privacy-window-film.htm) You can find similar products at local big box stores. (think contact paper but semi opaque with a pattern that scatters shadows)You can open the curtains and let in the light/heat. The down side? You can't look outside and see anything. The upside? He can't look in and see anything.

Wow. Um. Yeah. *Shudder* Answer #3: Tx penal code 21.15: Improper Photography or Visual Recording

http://law.onecle.com/texas/penal/21.15.00.html

I'm not sure what's happening here meets the statutory requirements, because it seems like you consented to him setting up some of the cameras, and who knows if he's doing it to "satisfy a sexual desire," but you could try calling the police.


Title: My Sister (33) and her husband (38) accused my husband (32) of calling CPS on them. (MS)

Question:
Pretty much what the title says. One of my cousins told my sister a lie about something my husband said about how he doesn’t like to go to my sisters because she drinks and smokes (pot) in front of her kids. My husband doesn’t agree with excessive drinking, so we don’t go over there often. Someone made a report to CPS about my sister and mentioned her smoking and drinking and such. I know 209% it wasn’t my husband, and I’ve seen his phone records from work and from our cellular carrier. I’m at a loss. My sister is planning on getting a lawyer, and do we need to get one to so we can try to prove my husbands innocence? I’m at a loss. They’re also telling all kinds of lies about my husband and I and it’s coming to us from other family members.

Sorry for format; I’m on mobile.

Answer:
 She's getting a lawyer for what, exactly?Answer #2: Your sister has zero recourse for this at all whatsoever. Even if he did make that call. Let her waste her money on speaking with an attorney.

 Your cousin probably made the call to CPS.Answer #3: You don't need to do anything. She isn't going to sue you, and if she does she'll lose.

Your sister can tell her kids whatever she wants about you.


Title: I got my bike stolen, need help getting it back

Question: I recently had a lock cut on a Critical bike a week back, I saw someone riding it. I know it’s my bike because you can’t get one in a bike shop, and he told me he bought it at one. I have a receipt on amazon of me ordering it and I wanna get it back. I don’t have a serial number. How can I get my bike back? Am I SOL on this one?

Answer:
 > I know it’s my bike because you can’t get one in a bike shop, and he told me he bought it at one

Or he bought it used, or he bought it from a bike shop online, or he just didn't want to talk to you.

You would need a whole lot more than we have the same bike to go after that guy.

You can file a police report about the stolen bike but realistically you're not getting it back.


Title: (CA) Hit a parked car, bit of a hairy situation.

Question:
Last week, I backed into a parked car in a parking lot and caused a dent. I left a note on the windshield with my first name and phone number. My plan was to have the guy contact me and exchange insurance info, as I am under my parents' insurance. However, I know my parents are very tight financially right now and are dealing with their own problems, so to have their rates go up (they're already paying for my rent in addition to their own expenses) because of my fuckup would make me feel horrible. My dad rear-ended someone a couple years back and they did accident forgiveness for it, but I'm sure they won't forgive this one.

The guy ends up calling me twice on Monday and once on Tuesday, leaving a voicemail to call him back. However, I got cold feet and scared shitless and as a result, never answered and haven't been in contact with him. The general area in which the incident happened is somewhere I go to sometimes, and I'm freaking out because there might have been cameras (I suspect he works at one of the stores near the parking lot in which it happened) and he might have seen the footage, and he might spot my car if I go back to the area and call the cops on me. I read the corresponding statute and the consequences have me scared shitless. I'm just a broke college student trying to finish school whose worst thing that he's done is skip class once.

This has been eating at me for the past week. I haven't driven since and I can't stand to drive anymore right now. I really want to make things right with the guy, because I can totally see it from his perspective and can understand how crappy it is for him, but I don't want to make things hard for my parents either, who are already going through a lot.

Ugh, I'm a terrible person. What should I do?

Answer: California police officer here.  If you do not contact him back he can report it as a hit and run.  He has all of your information and you face a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and 6 months in jail.  After you're done with that his insurance company will sue you and they will win.  Your father's rates will go up even more and they may drop you entirely.  Man up and fix this person's car.


Title: [NYC] My pictures and name are being used on Instagram to advertise sex

Question:
Background and sort of summary: I am a gay guy in NYC, someone is using my photos to convince people to message them both on Instagram and on two separate phone numbers. They’re also using someone’s photos of their ass and pretending it is mine.

Tonight, a friend notified me that I had followed them on another account with my name. I was confused because I was on facetime with him and hadn’t made any other account. When I checked it out, sure enough, it was my name and had my photo. This person posted two photos of me that I had posted on my public (now private) instagramc with a bio that said to message them and like the posts. They were following a lot of people who I follow and some of my mutuals even followed that account back.

I reported the account and let my followers know this is not me. Instagram quickly took the account down. However, I looked up the account and found another account with the same username format [my first name followed by three words which I’m not sure I can disclose according to subreddit rules] as the one I reported and they had two posts, both photos of someone’s ass. This account was open since March. Their bio says something along the lines of they’re a gay guy that likes to suck dick, send nudes, and fuck, along with a phone number. I started to think this was the person who is pretending to be me, so I messaged them asking if they were involved with anything. They did not say anything or read it.

I looked up the phone number they had posted but nothing comes up.

About an hour later, another friend DMs me and says that there’s another account pretending to be me. This account used the SAME username format, but used my MIDDLE NAME instead of my first name. I have no idea how they got my middle name, because I do not have that on my instagram page.

They made two accounts like this and, again, followed people I know—including people I work with!!!

The same bio was also there “I’m a gay guy, like to suck dick, fuck, send nudes” but this time a different phone number. They posted the same two photos of me they had posted on the now deleted account and two different photos of someone’s ass that were similar enough to be the one from the account I spoke about earlier.

There’s been a total of four accounts pretending to be me, following the same username format, and using my photos.

This is stressing me out because I can’t control how many accounts they make or know how to stop it. Who knows how many of my photos they have!

They’re following people I know and also people I WORK with, which could get me into sexual harassment problems (?!).

I have screenshots of the accounts and also have the two numbers they included in their bio when asking for people to hit them up. They’re saying lewd things while using my picture.

What can I do about it?!!! Please help!

Answer:
 This is lawyer time. It sounds like someone with a vendetta against you who is trying to hurt your reputation.

I hope someone with more experience can suggest the best people to contact.Answer #2: Sorry this is happening to you. It's terrible.

&#x200B;

If I were you, I'd go to HR and give them as few details as possible but make them aware that someone is creating multiple accounts, posing as you online, saying lewd things, and linking up with people at work. Let them know that you are taking actions to handle it. That way, if something does come up with someone at work, HR will know it's not youAnswer #3: Ask Instagram to assign you a contact with their Trust & Safety Team to help with the persistent harassment and impersonation.  They may be able to detect images or something similar.  In my experience, Facebook and Instagram have really great Trust & Safety people who are eager to help...  Twitter does not.


Title: So at what point does one parent taking a child away from the other become straight up kidnapping?

Question:
Okay, I posted a few weeks ago about this situation, and honestly it's so much worse than I thought.

The TL;DR is that mom has taken the toddler and fled to another state with her new dick. Husband has not been able to contact her at all in almost a month. I had contact with her until her new dick decided he didn't like the advice I was giving her (ie, stop being a fuckhead and get your ass back here and get the divorce over with), but the last she said to me was that she had already filed for divorce and a protective order against husband.

I've been in constant contact with her husband and he has not been served with anything whatsoever. No protective order. No divorce papers. So what she is doing, pretty obviously, is avoiding actually proceeding with a divorce for as long as humanly possible, because she is aware that as soon as a custody dispute begins, she has to come back.

She has gone to great pains to make sure that nobody can find her. Nobody knows the address where she is. She refuses to communicate in any way with her husband, and it has been 27 days now since he has seen or heard his child. She has called the school where the kid was supposed to be enrolled and told them that the kid lives in a different state and isn't coming back, as if that is her decision to make.

So, at what point does what she's doing become illegal?

Answer:
 Absent a court-mandated custody agreement, both parents have unilateral rights to take their child wherever they would like.

If you want mandated time, get a custody agreement.Answer #2: Go to the police.
Do not lie.
But have you reported them missing?

How do you know she isn’t being held against her will? Have you heard her voice? I hate to be shitty here but I would be really weary if you haven’t actually heard from her, vocally.


Title: My ex put a lock on my bedroom door

Question: My boyfriend and I broke up but are living together until he is able to move out. He put a lock on the bedroom (I do not have a key) and put most of his things in there while I stay in the living room. He likes to come out and pull petty shit (keeping me up at night, unplugging my computer or phone, throwing clothes at me, slamming doors, etc.). Is there any way I can legally gain access to the bedroom? I'm afraid of damage and what not because he is not on the lease and therefore not liable for anything like that upon move out. I'm located in Beaverton, Oregon.

Answer:
 According to [your previous post](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/6cm7ns/how_to_serve_a_30_day_notice_to_my_ex_boyfriend_or/), he's established residency in the home. However, you both have access to any and every room in the home, unless otherwise stated in the lease.

As for putting a lock on the door, local ordinance may not allow it due to fire code.

The easiest, most effective way to fix everything is a proper eviction.Answer #2: Have you tried calling the police? Throwing things = domestic violence? Parasites like your ex often have warrants.Answer #3: >not liable for anything like that upon move out

He's not liable to your *landlord* - he is, however, liable to you, and in that event you should look at small claims court


Title: [VA] Apartment complex installed "prospective residents only" sign on their property next to my car parked on a city street

Question:
Whether or not they installed the sign (on their grass strip next to sidewalk along city street) while my car was legally parked beforehand, can they enforce towing for me parking in a leasing office visitor marked spot?

&nbsp;

The city has a 10 day abandoned vehicle policy where the police can enforce towing, but I'm checking on the car and would respond if notified of pending action.

&nbsp;

tl;dr - can a private business enforce a "guests only" spot with a non-city/state/county sign on a public road where parking is legal and free?

Answer: Tip off the city about the sign they won't be happy about it.


Title: My Friend's Parents Want to Take Him Out of the Country. Is There Anything That Can Be Done to Stop This?

Question:
My best friend of 10 years (we are both 14) is being forced to move to Israel because his dad got a new job over there. He doesn't want to go though so we're looking for every possible way around this.

Can his parents legally force him to leave the country against his own will?

Is there anyway that we could make his parents stay here?

My friend suggested that maybe he just live with my family and we adopt him. Can he be adopted without his parents signing off on it?

Thank you for any responses you may give. This is very serious to us and we're very scared about what will happen.

Answer:
 > Can his parents legally force him to leave the country against his own will?

Yes.

> Is there anyway that we could make his parents stay here?

No.

> My friend suggested that maybe he just live with my family and we adopt him. Can he be adopted without his parents signing off on it?

No.


Title: Neighbor keeps trying to get us evicted (CA)

Question:
We've been renting for about 8yrs.  A few weeks ago our neighbor and his pet were attacked by a loose dog.  He mistakenly thought it was my dog, but my dog wasn't home, he was out on a walk until a while after this attack happened.

It's been explained to him that he had the wrong dog, he admitted he wasn't sure when confronted, and he's locked the wrong dog in in our yard recently because he can't tell the difference.

Humane society investigated, found no cause or harm.  And again, the dog accused was not at the house when the event happened.  He's actually harassed the humane society enough that they told him to stop calling.

He's also constantly harassing our landlord to get us evicted, posting on Facebook groups (though he recently deleted everything), and attempting to intimidate my wife.

I've put up security cameras because if I'd had them a few weeks ago this whole thing would have been simple to resolve, but I don't know what to do now.

Note: in the past he's also sprayed the dog with a hose over the fence and unintentionally sprayed my wife as well.

Looking for any advice to get this to end...

Answer:
 I would suggest having a lawyer write him a 'cease and desist' letter, warning about the potential for his actions to become harassment. It should be quite cheap, might scare him straight and if it doesn't, starts a paper trail.

Also start keeping a log of all interactions with him, just in case. Answer #2: You can't be evicted unless you're breaking your lease.  If he annoys your landlord enough, the landlord may elect not to renew your lease though.


Title: (OKC, OK) Pregnant, Listeria, Blue Bell ...

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 you currently have no damages and no basis for a lawsuit.Answer #2: >I was diagnosed with listeria, but there isn't really a test they can do.

Ummm yes there is a test they can do to confirm.  They can do blood and/or spinal fluid tests to confirm listeria. And since you were pregnant they could actually test the amniotic fluid as well.  So there were 3 different ways they could have tested you if they thought you had listeria.  Oh and don't just take my word, ask the CDC:

>For symptomatic patients, diagnosis is confirmed only after isolation of Listeria monocytogenes from a normally sterile site, such as blood, spinal fluid (in the setting of nervous system involvement), or amniotic fluid/placenta (in the setting of pregnancy).

http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/diagnosis.html

Also the treatment for listeria is antibiotics and most antibiotics are perfectly safe for a fetus.

Edit:  Since there were ways that you doctor could have tested for listeria before giving you any meds and the general treatment given is considered safe for a fetus I don't see any type of lawsuit for you having a large chance of winning with the information you have given in this post.


Title: What are the consequences for an American citizen sneaking into the United States instead of going through a legal point of entry?

Question:
I've been curious about this since reading about some Americans on the no-fly list stranded overseas. What legal ramifications would they have for sneaking back into the country? And is there any difference if you remove the no-fly list element and just have an American who, for example, finds a way to bypass a border checkpoint after staying in Mexico?

EDIT: Somewhat related, if a US citizen does go through a legal point of entry, is it actually possible for customs to deny them entry? For example, if they just refused to talk to or answer any questions. I've never actually traveled internationally, so I'm not sure what re-entry usually consists of.

Answer:
 While US citizens have an absolute right to enter the country, their stuff does not. There's no *immigration* law I'm aware of against citizens sneaking in, but there are *customs* laws. The no-fly list has nothing to do with it; that's about flying, not about entering the US.

CBP cannot deny an American citizen entry, but that doesn't mean they have to just take your word for it that you're a citizen. If you show up with no passport and refuse to say anything but "I'm a citizen," you're not getting in. If you do have proof of citizenship, they have to let *you* in, but as I mentioned, your belongings can be impounded if they think they're illegal to import. Answer #2: I'm not sure about the first part of your question, but Border control can't deny entry to an American citizen. They could potentially detain you for awhile. They could potentially confiscate your phone/laptop for a couple months as well. The ACLU was talking about how the government technically can copy the data from your devices as well. They can't stop you from getting into the country though.


Title: Can I have my friend from Colorado send me weed?

Question:
Since we're both in the United States, would he get in trouble for sending me weed? I'm sure, I would get charged with possession for having the weed, but since he send it from a legal state, then is it legal for him?

My state is New York

Answer: Lol no, not legal. That'd be a federal crime for both of you.


Title: NJ divorce, how to move the process faster to the judge?

Question:
I'm certain we won't be able to come up with a resolution in mediation. ESP is coming up, and my lawyer indicated that if that doesn't work, we'll need to hire a lawyer to mediate, and I believe after that it can go to the judge.

Is that other mediation required? I have 0 faith in mediation based on vast differences we have. Is there a way to push for a court date sooner, and have it over with?

Answer: First off a season mediatior can turn your 0 faith into a mediated dispute. Second, these are questions you bring into your attorney. They have no incentive in making this go longer than need be. "But they keep billing longer this lasts" you say, but clients get angry and report to bar longer shit lasts as well. The extra billable hours aren't worth a bar complaint and your attorney knows that.