Title: [VA] Friend is charged with using inhalants. How do I get him a Public Defender?

Question:
My buddy (let's call him Bill) contacted me a week ago and told me he was a passenger in his friend's car when they were stopped by a police officer ( I believe it was a City of Richmond Police officer as that was where the summons was from) on suspicion of using nitrous (N2O/Laughing gas) canisters for the purpose of getting high. The summons says Bill is charged under VA code [§ 18.2-264](http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title18.2/chapter7/section18.2-264/):

 "Inhaling drugs or other noxious chemical substances or causing, etc., others to do so."

 Apparently the officer had seen a whipped cream charger (something like [this](https://www.webstaurantstore.com/5-liter-white-whipped-cream-dispenser/47290068.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIk7DK7MDN1QIVVCWBCh1paAMMEAQYBSABEgKZBPD_BwE)) through the window of his car and saw loose chargers on the floor of the vehicle. Bill was not the one driving and the driver was not charged. Bill plans to claim that since he wasn't *intending* on getting high that he is innocent under the statute. I love Bill like a brother but he clearly needs better legal counsel.

I believe his court date is in a few weeks and he lives paycheck to paycheck so I feel certain that he would meet the income qualifications for a public defender, but I don't know how to go about getting one for him (I understand that the court appoints them, but with his trial in only 2-3 weeks I don't know why he doesn't already have one? I understand that in Virginia you have to be charged with a crime that could result in jail time to qualify for a PD, and a Class 1 misdemeanor can result in jail time (although unlikely).

So my questions are this

1) How do I go about making sure Bill has legal counsel

2)What are Bill's chances as first-time offender?

Thanks LegalAdvice,

-WG

Answer:
 Bill has to request a public defender. You can't help him not idiotically represent himself.Answer #2: > (I understand that the court appoints them, but with his trial in only 2-3 weeks I don't know why he doesn't already have one? I

Generally the first court appearance is your arraignment.  At this time you are given time to see if you qualify for a public defender.  This is when your friend will speak with the PD.

Assuming this is his first appearance, the trial will not be occurring on this date.


Title: [Baltimore MD] Package from amazon was stolen, second time in two- three months this has happened, nervous that amazon will close down my account if I tell them it happened again.

Question:
Sorry for the long post in advance. So here's the deal. I ordered a blue and red joy neon joycon from amazon a few days ago, and it was supposed to arrive this afternoon. I was at work, so I could not be home to get it when it arrived. Tracking said it arrived, so I was excited, cause I already picked up two switch games to use on it.

I get home from work, package is not there. I checked around the outside of my house, and with the neighbors, nothing, except that they say the usps truck arrive and drop it off at my porch. I know for a fact that someone had stolen it, and I want to tell amazon that my package got stolen.

The problem is, back in august, a package i got from amazon for 50 dollars, containing small items got stolen. I told amazon, and they refunded me. I'm nervous contacting them, cause I have read that if you report to them that multiple packages got stolen in the same year, and they will close down your account.

I'm just afraid that my account will be taken down from amazon if I report that a second package got stolen from my place, what should I do people?

Answer: It's up to you to tell Amazon or not, but you need to start having packages delivered elsewhere, either to work or use the Amazon Lockers.Answer #2: Contact amazon and tell them this and provide your police report information, because you DID file a police report for the theft, right?Answer #3: Amazon might make you wait until tomorrow to report it as missing and get a replacement. USPS will sometimes mark things as delivered the day before they deliver it. How many orders have you placed with Amazon where you didn't have issues of stolen package? If you have only had two issues with packages in many orders I wouldn't worry about it.


Title: I have false employment history on my resume I submitted and got offered the job but am worried of potential consequences.

Question: So I did something I regret and I don't know what to do now. I applied for a job and lied about my employment history saying I worked somewhere I didn't for a summer. I got the job under the conditions I pass the drug test and background check. In the packet of papers I have to turn back it I have to sign a clause stating the information in the application provided is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge and that a "knowing and willful false statement on this application can be punishable by fine or imprisonment or both under section 1001 of title 18 of the united states code". This is an entry level job paying about $10/hr and I don't know If I should continue with my application process/training or just say forget it and not turn the packet back in or go back. I feel pretty dumb for thinking background checks were just for criminal history but I just want to know what's the best option now. The worst part is that I probably would have gotten hired if I just used my normal resume but my friend told me it would be fine and I didn't research before listening.

Answer:
 Is your employer the judicial, executive, or legislative branch of the government?  If not, then  18 USC section 1001 wouldn't apply.  It generally covers situations where you'd be making false statements to a government agent.

It is generally not a crime to lie about work history.  It can get you terminated, though.


Title: (Virginia) Wife’s employer falsely accused her of stealing, fired her, and is withholding her OT pay and vacation days earned.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 First, you realize that her take on the events is totally unbelievable, right?

Of course, she is entitled to wages for the time she worked. She can file a wage claim. However, she has to weigh whether doing so increases the chances of her employer reporting the theft to the police.


Title: Can I Be in Trouble? [NC]

Question:
Long story short, roommates and I were heading to the car to go home before going back out for the night. They needed to pee so they end up attempting to go behind my car in the parking garage. Meanwhile I am putting my work laptop bag in the car and do not pee but am in close proximity to them. One of the parking garage's employees stops her truck and appears to direct attention to them.

They claim to not work for Company A when asked and the employee gets none of our names. However she stops by a police call phone (pretty sure that's what it was) right as we are leaving the garage.

Could I be in trouble for this? Again no ID was taken, no cop interaction or anything.

Answer:
 Ok first: there are no Dr Who call boxes in NC are there? Please someone tell me.

Second: dont whip your dick out in public. It is illegal.

Third: You are unlikely to get in legal trouble but it isnt impossible.


Title: Neighbor filed for bogus protection order. GA

Question:
Approx 1 year ago our neighbor claimed that our dog attacked her. The responding officers told us that by her own admission the dogs presence caused her to run and she fell and claimed to hurt her neck. She admitted the dog was not on their property, it never barked at her, growled, or chased her

 We took meticulous notes, bought a harness, fenced our dog, and bought a go pro for walks. We expected she'd at least try to make a home owners claim, which she did and on advice from our lawyer we never responded.

Since that day she has called the sheriffs department 5-6 times making accusations. Each and every time the responding officers basically said We don't see evidence of what she claiming. In one case my sister was walking the dog. The neighbor called the Sheriffs department and claimed that the dog was suppose to be quarantined. The responding officer was the same one that came out on the 'attack' call and he documented the dogs harness, enclosure, and the recorded walks. He went back to her house and told her the dog was fine and unless the dog is off leash do not call about it again.

Since then she has made 2-3 more calls, the most recent claiming my dad cussed her and her kids out and that she had proof, which was a video of us on our boat with guests listening to music and talking to each other. The responding officer said there nothing was done on video to even merit a warning.

We were informed by the officer during the most recent event that she claimed to be suing us, which isn't true. I think when she followed up with her lawyer after she called about us, he informed her that he didn't file suit cause there was nothing there.

TL:DR She filed for and received a stalker ex parte temporary protection order against my dad. Court date for the extension is the 7/15, I have zero doubts we will beat it. I would like to know what if any legal recourse we may have against her to get her to stop using the police to harass us as well as filing for a bogus PO.

We have a meeting in the morning with our lawyer, just interested in what you guys think. Also would it potentially violate the PO for us to put up security cams around our house and dock? This would be to document what we are doing so that when she calls making some wild claim we can easily disprove it.

PS I sincerely believe this lady is off her rocker.

Edit: The only time we received a ticket was for the initial call, it was a warning stating we were in violation of the leash law. The law had been added to county ordinance a couple years ago and we weren't aware they are required in a rural area.

2nd Edit: My dad was in the process of gathering the police reports for the lawyer when he requested something in writing saying it'd be ok to be on the dock and at our home as it's with in the requested 200 yards. The Sheriffs department wasn't comfortable answering that and passed my dad onto the Judges Assistant. She said he could go to jail for coming home, and that they thought it was odd the lady requested such a long distance. Now that they know it was to include our home the judges assistant is attempting to get the Judge in contact with my Dad. It'll be interesting to see where this goes. I think it is quickly becoming apparent to the judges assistant that the neighbor filed the PO to be vindictive.

3rd Edit: the judge amended the PO to specify that my dad can be anywhere on our property, until the hearing on the 15th

Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 First off your neighbor sounds like a real nut case and the neighbor from hell! You have my sympathies.

Unless the order says something about not using security cams or something similar I see no reason that putting up security cams would cause you to be in violation of any order or law for that matter.  Putting up security cams has nothing to do with stalking as far as I am concerned. Answer #2: Your neighbor sounds nuts.  Avoid her when you can, document any interaction, and if she tries to talk to you or anything just tell her everything has to go through your lawyer first and refuse to say anything else.

As far as security cams, I don't see why they would be an issue as long as they're all pointed towards your property and only viewing your property.  It might seem a little stalkerish if they were pointed outward, even if the intent is to deter trespassing or something.  Still, talk to your lawyer about it just to be sure.


Title: [WA] Landlord charging $600 in fees due to late rent payment

Question:
For some reason in November, my rent payment bounced. I used the online processor and the same bank account that I always use, and there were definitely sufficient funds in that account. They let me know 3 weeks into November, so I paid it again + fees the same day.

Today, they called to say that the November payment bounced again (but my December payment was fine, again with the same account and same online processor) and are charging me $600 in fees with November’s rent and January’s rent. They gave me 3 days to pay it or vacate.

Is this legal? The monthly rent is $1700, so it’s going to be tough to pay $4000 out of nowhere. Feeling blindsided

Thanks for any advice

Answer:
 Let's be clear: You're not paying $4000 out of nowhere.

There's no reason it should be a problem to pay the  $1700 sitting in your account since November, along with your anticipated $1700 for January rent.   Send the 3400 by Jan 1.

What part of $600 charges are you disputing?  Right now, $150 each for two bounced check fees and 2 late payments seems pretty reasonable.    Is this consistent with your lease?  What did your bank tell you about the reason for the first bounced check?  Did you address the error?


Title: Is it legal to stop traffic entering a small town to prevent parking issues?

Question:
Context:

* I live and work in Telluride, CO.

* I recently purchased a vehicle, and therefore do not have the 'sticker' you are issued upon registering to prove I am a local, and need to enter the town to work.

* This weekend is one of the largest festivals of the year, and the city will be taken over with an influx of attendees.

I'm told they set up some kind of a 'check point' at the entry into town to prevent people who aren't locals from entering via personal vehicle. The purpose of this is to somehow throttle, or otherwise mitigate excessive parking problems within the town itself.

For those curious, Telluride is located at the end of a box canyon, so unless you're willing to descend into town from a very dangerous 4x4 jeep trail, there isn't another way into town.

It seems absurd that I won't be able to drive to work tomorrow without being harassed at a freaking check point upon entering the town.

Is there anything I can do to prevent getting harassed and harangued about whether or not I do, in fact live and work here?

Out of principle, I really just want to tell them I pay taxes for these roads, and they are operating outside the bounds of what is legally permissible, but I don't know if this is accurate and even if I did know, I wouldn't know what to say.

Also, my vehicle is somewhat recognizable and the town is very small. If it's the local police, I really don't want to get on the bad side of the local law enforcement either. But this is 'Merica, and not being allowed to drive to my workplace tomorrow without getting harassed because I don't have the 'I live here' sticker on my car seems ridiculous.

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: Formatting.

Answer:
 > Is there anything I can do to prevent getting harassed and harangued about whether or not I do, in fact live and work here?

I think you're being a little too dramatic.  Just tell them you're going to work, have some proof of where you work in case they ask, and you will probably have no problem at all.

But to answer your question, yes, the town can restrict access to public roads if needed.


Title: Five-Day Eviction Notice in Illinois- what does this mean now?

Question:
Hello!

I'm still very new to Reddit, but I'm really needing some help/advice, so I'm going to jump into this..

I have a boyfriend who lives with his mother. His mother bought a house 5-6 years back using money she received from life insurance of her oldest son's passing. She put most of the money down on the house, but added her boyfriend's name to it and they've been renovating and improving the house together since.

Long story short, the mom's boyfriend (former) just served the mom a 5 day eviction notice- he got from court. He's also trying to have my boyfriend pay him $6,000, despite my boyfriend never agreeing to pay rent (he moved in after his brother died to help his mother.)

&#x200B;

From what I can tell the Five-Day Eviction Notice in Illinois is for a landlord that owns the property to kick out a tenant that's renting and if the tenant doesn't pay or move out within the dive days, the landlord will have to file a lawsuit.

Does the mother's boyfriend have any right to give a 5 day eviction notice to the mother, even if her name is on the house? She pays rent and bills on top of it. I'm actually pretty scared for them and have offered my apartment to his mom, him, and his 8 year old sister if they need it, but have a very small apartment and I'm not sure I could house them too long.I'm just looking for advice or anything on what his mother can do in this situation. None of us have any understanding of what steps we can take (other than get a lawyer... which his mom is doing.)
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: OP- If your mother received an actual *eviction* notice, it will have a court-date/time on it that she will need to attend and show proof that she is a co-owner of the house and can't be evicted from it by another co-owner.


Title: Do we have a case?

Question:
My father in law was an optometrist with a home office in New Jersey that he inherited from his father, also an optometrist.  The office has a secretary that had worked there since my FIL was young, maybe something like 40 years. Five years ago my FIL was diagnosed with cancer, and fought an up and down battle.  He finally succumbed to it this past March and so the office is closed.

My mother in law was never really involved in the office or household finances, but now it's her responsibility.  She recently reviewed the books for the office and noticed a few suspicious things, for example it seems the secretary had sometimes taken an extra paycheck when it wasn't earned, starting around when my FIL first got sick.

Another suspicious thing - the last two years he hired another optometrist to help him part-time. The last three months of his life he spent in the hospital/nursing facility, so this doctor was doing all the work.  It seems that the secretary had been paying herself $75/hour during this period.

Is there any chance my MIL can sue the secretary and get this money back?

Answer:
 Well, first - post your state. And IANAL.

But, it *sounds* like you do, and it *sounds* like you should speak to a lawyer experienced in your area for a consult - usually pretty cheap (at least compared to how much this secretary likely stole from you).

Don't take advice from reddit on this issue past "You should speak to a lawyer, in their office, for more information" and make sure you bring evidence that you have with you. And make copies of that evidence and hide it under a mountain in Switzerland.


Title: Employer taking hours off paychecks as punishment/so they can cut corners

Question:
Texas. TL;DR sums all this up so you can skip the details if you want to.

I work for a major private company in a production role. Every employee including myself works 10+ hours a day so we get a lot of overtime. This has been the case for years and the unlimited availability of overtime was a big selling point to me and many others.

We recently got a new manager, but he was hired because he's the bosses friend. To say he doesn't know what he's doing would be an understatement. He's spent the whole time he's been with the company working on products that the company God's haven't asked us to make, so he's been forcing us to waste time and they've essentially been paying us all this overtime pay for nothing. There's a lot more he's done but you get the idea.

Because the God's are sick of paying us 40 hours worth of overtime each week they've told the boss and new manager to cut our time and deny us all overtime. We've been told we can only work 40 hours a week, so 10 hours a day 4 days a week and no more than 10 hours, which sucks since I will lose more than half my income, but it is what it is. Something that I don't find OK is that they've told us that, on days when we have holidays we will only get 8 hours, so I will work 30 hours tuesday - thursday, but on Friday when we have a holiday it will only count for 8 hours, so 38 total.

On top of that, we all received emails saying that, say, if we come in at 7 and work until 5, but forget to clock in at 7 and go to them to ask them to enter in our hours, they will only give us 7 hours for that day, not 10, even if we can prove we've been there for 10 hours. It is our punishment for forgetting to clock in. Also if we're forced to miss our 30 minute lunch break because there's too much work, they will take an entire *hour* out for the lunch we didn't take. I still have the paperwork from when I was hired stating that we get a 30 minute lunch.

TL;DR

- Employer changed our hours so we have to work 10 hours a day, 4 days a week, but any time out for holidays or sick time only counts for 8 hours so on weeks with a holiday for example we only get 38 hours.

- If we forget to clock in in the morning or out in the evening then we're punished by only getting 7 hours even if we worked the full 10 and can prove it.

- If we miss our 30 minute lunch break because there's too much work to do we automatically get a whole hour taken out for lunch.

Answer:
 This is not legal. Answer #2: Your employers cannot legally do this.

Contact the state labour board, because they'll love to hear about this. If more than one of the employees can do that, even better.


Title: Legal avenue to remove a Facebook Post?

Question:
We are looking to have a hate post removed from Facebook, but after many attempts to report via Facebook's tools, they just keep coming back saying it does not violate their policy when despite that is clearly does.  I think their AI algorithm is just not understanding and we feel like we are beating our head against the wall.

What legal avenues are there to bring a Facebook post down? Have others had success going the legal route? We hear maybe making it an intellectual property violation may work?  We have tried reporting the post via Facebook's tools, but the Facebook AI algorithm keeps telling us it does not violate their policy when clearly is does. Very frustrating!!!

We are in California.

Thank you for your input!

Answer: I'm terribly sorry to have to be the one to break this news to you but people are allowed to say things you don't like, even hateful disgusting things.


Title: Landlord may have signed a lease to someone else for my room.

Question:
Here's the situation I find myself in:

I needed a place to live this summer (June - thru Aug) before moving cross country at the end of August. I found a place that seemed suitable, but the landlord said I couldn't stay short term/MTM unless I lived in the basement. The basement is disgusting and smells like mold and mildew and god knows what else. If you've ever been in a hoarder's house, think something like that. I have a cat too so not a good environment for my little buddy.

So I said "Ok, if I sign a year lease for one of the second floor rooms, and find a subletter for the period of the lease after I leave, would that be acceptable?"

"Of course" says the landlord and the lease reflects that. (I have this in writing)

So I've been operating under the assumption that this was the agreement we had, I signed the lease and moved in no sweat. There have been a few issues, AC had to be replaced, first floor tub would not drain for weeks (not exactly my problem but still) and they refused to fix that.

Mid July I get a call from the landlord telling me I need to move into the basement to make room for a new tenant starting Aug. 1. Obviously taken aback, I inform the landlord that 1. no, I won't be doing that, and 2. I was still looking for a subletter for the room.

I believe the landlord has signed a new lease on top of mine, for my room, for someone else to start living there Aug. 1 (aka tomorrow!). Currently they are trying to talk the new tenant into living in the basement for one month until I leave on Sep 1. Not sure how well that will go considering the state of things down there.

Does this new agreement void my current lease? I'm leaving in a month regardless but I'm just wondering what recourse I have here since I am still on the lease I signed and could be there til next June if I wanted to be. Is this breach of contract?

Let me know if anything needs clarification. This is in MD as well.

Answer:
 > Does this new agreement void my current lease?

No. Your lease is still valid, which is why they are trying to get new tenant to take basement. You would have to be evicted, via court, to be forced to move. That said, it may be in your best interest to try to help work this out cause its better for you to let this new tenant move in rather than deal with hassle of a subletter.


Title: Could I be held criminally liable if my neighbor's cat activates a trap I've placed in my back yard?

Question:
I live in Ohio. I have a very tall privacy fence, but my neighbor's cat frequently gets in somehow and does damage to my house. I've spoken to my neighbors about it but they were not only unwilling to do anything about it, but were extremely rude.

I also have a problem with mice, and have a good reason to leave a good number of glue traps around. If my neighbor's cat happens to walk on it and get stuck, can I be held criminally liable? At what point am I legally obligated to inform anyone that the cat is stuck?

Posted under a throwaway because this line of questions is certain to be unpopular.

Answer: Dude, don't put out traps for the cat. The fact that WE can see that you are trying to ask if you can get away with it means a JUDGE will see from a million miles away that you tried to harm the cat on purpose. Did you think through why you would try to trap mice OUTSIDE YOUR HOME? What damage could a cat possibly be doing to your home?


Title: [Illinois] Neighbor's apathy about her yard makes me unable to use mine

Question:
My neighbor has cultivated a nirvana for mosquitos, and it keeps me from being able to use my own yard. Is there anything I can do to my neighbor's yard that will not get me arrested for trespassing? Can I use pesticides on my neighbors land if it affects my property? I live just outside of city limits, so all local authorities I know to contact are unable to help.

My neighbor has a small yard, about 60'x25'. She has only had it mowed three times in the three years I have lived in my current rental house; once the first year, and twice last year. I don't care what her yard looks like but the severely overgrown vegetation, a burn barrel with no drain holes, and pile of sticks and limbs the size of a short bus have led to a terrible mosquito infestation that makes me unable to spend more than a couple minutes in my own yard at a time. Repellents no longer work with a concentration this high. I have a young child that can't play outside because of this.

The neighbor does not want to do anything about it, and won't allow me to do anything because I'll hurt her 'plants'. She has yelled at me for using a fogger by our fence line for this very reason. Since there is no ordnance for grass length outside of town, what would be my best legal course of action? Or, what would my best course of legal action be?

Answer:
 Not advice just an observation from a [Floridian](http://www.pestcontrol.us/blog/2013/06/the-10-worst-states-for-mosquitoes/) about your mosquito observation.  Mosquitoes spawn from the surface of still water.  Having uncut grass doesn't help mosquitoes to reproduce.  Maybe the barrels help if they have sitting water in them but honestly I'd bet you are putting the blame of mosquitoes on your neighbor when your neighbor has has very little to do with it.  As you say, the neighbor's lawn has always been like this as long as you've lived there.  It isn't as if you've lived there for 20 years and some new neighbor moved in allowing the condition to deteriorate causing a new mosquito infestation.

The interesting thing to me is that if you follow /u/beaglemama's advice and have both code enforcement and mosquito control come out at around the same time you'll feel vindicated in blaming the neighbor since they'll have to fix up their yard at the same time as the mosquito control people do whatever they do to abate the mosquito problem.  I only mention this to hopefully keep you from hating your neighbor too much not to talk you out of calling the officials.


Title: Guardian forced a medical procedure onto child (minor), with repeat refusals from child within the medical organizations' practice. Any legal action possible?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 depends on the age of the child and the nature of the proceedure.

If a 5 year old doesnt want braces, yeah it's legal. If a 17 year old doesnt want a voluntary amputation, than probably not.


Title: How can a landlord prevent animals, including support animals?

Question:
If a landlord doesn't want ANY animals on their property, what can they do? I've seen plenty of situations where a person springs an Emotional Support Animal or whatever after the paperwork is signed. My cousin has an ESA, and I know through her that the process is a joke. It's basically "get a pet and deal with a tiny bit of paperwork".

If a person wants to rent out a home with a total "no animals" rule, what are their options? Or do they even have any?

Purely hypothetical, btw. I'm not a landlord. But I do think that a property owner should be able to set some limits

Answer:
 There are no absolutes, unless you're running a property exempted from the Fair Housing Act (a single family home or a building with 4 or fewer units).

Otherwise, you can ban animals, but must still accommodate tenants with disabilities.  Whether the requested accommodation is reasonable or not depends on the situation.  Or you can roll the dice, deny an ESA, and hope they don't try to sue.


Title: Got laid off after 6 days of work. Need help!!

Question: So I left my previous job on June 1st because I accepted another offer at this company in Santa Monica. I started work on June 11th and on June 18th, I got laid off! One of the owners just showed up on Monday, laid off the director, the supervisor, and then me. I was blindsided considering I had just started this job and I left my old job for this company. I have never been in that situation before and I didn't even know what to do. All they did was pay me for the 6 days I had worked and the 12 vacation days that were promised when I got hired. SO I got no severance pay, nothing! I am just out of a job after 1 week! The owner said that my layoff was not performance related and when I asked why me, all he said was that I was the last person hired. Now i'm just trying to process what happened and see what I can do. Please help!

Answer:
 If you're looking for a legal angle here, there isn't one. This sucks, but unless you had a contract that guaranteed you a certain minimum employment period or payment, this is what can happen.

You should call your old job back and see if they still have your position open, brush up your resume in case they don't, and prepare to file for unemployment.


Title: [CA] Used a utility knife to pry open a paint can, the blade chipped and went into my friends eye

Question: So i know it was a mistake to use a blade to pry something but he figured since it was a utility knife it was sturdy enough to do it. As a result he had to get eye surgery costing thousands. Since then he's been in constant pain and can't go back to being a construction worker. However, it turns out the blade didn't go through quality testing for some reason, can that do anything to help get some financial relief or personal assistance for not being able to work? Thank you

Answer:
 Call your home owner's insurance company.

>However, it turns out the blade didn't go through quality testing for some reason, can that do anything to help get some financial relief or personal assistance for not being able to work?

Sure. He can sue you and the company that made the blade that wasn't quality tested. The court will figure out if you were using the blade correctly and if their lack of QA testing would have changed the outcome.

He should file for disability and talk to a personal injury attorney.

(You might want to get one as well)


Title: My social worker is not administering a court ordered drug test

Question: [deleted]

Answer: do you have another court date for the truancy? or did you get probation or any kind of punishment?


Title: Can I sue my employer for not getting 10 minute breaks?

Question:
California - Have been with this company for a little less than 4 years. Most people are salaried but 15 of us are hourly. We work 5 days a week from 9-6 with an hour lunch. We have been trying to fight for our 10 minute break. We’ve done our research and found that for every 4 hours of work you need to have a 10 minute break. When we told our boss about this, we were told that you EITHER get an hour lunch OR a 30 minute lunch with two 15 minute breaks. We can not find this anywhere on the internet and of course we don’t make enough to hire a lawyer for advise. Any advises or facts that you know of?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 5 hours- 30 min
9 hours- equals two 10 min breaks

So your employer policy affords more breaks than is required by law

**Note, rest and meal breaks are supposed to be separate, they should not be combined. Your boss cannot give you a single 1-hour break and say that that counts as all of your meal and rest breaks.**

You can file a complaint with the labor board.

But it seems since he is offering two 15 min breaks and a 30 minute meal break it seems you are ok. He just cannot require the one hour break.


Title: [Tx] Fellow employee threw me onto the ground

Question:
Last night, a fellow employee came in on his time off and threw me onto the ground.

I was sitting in the back office when he came in, and when I heard someone come in I got up to go see who it was. I saw the employee and greeted him in a pleasant way like always. After greeting him, without warning, he grabbed me and threw me onto the ground and kept asking where his money was as he stood over me. I was confused and continued to tell him that I had no idea what he was talking about.

He continued to stand over me during this time and forced me to call the owner. Apparently, the employees check did not go through for some reason and his account had been put in the negative. I have nothing to do with payroll however, so coming after me didnt make any sense. The thing is, the employee knew that the cameras system for the office had been stolen (we never found out who did it), and that I was usually the only one at the office late at night. (around 8:30 pm)

What do I do? I'm scared to press charges because I feel like he'll come after me if I do, and I dont have any evidence aside from him admitting to the owner that he threw me. I also dont think the owner would come to my defense in fear of the getting in trouble for paying an employee with a bad check.

Answer: I reported the assault. Honestly it's scary and confusing doing all this for the first time. Thank you everyone that commented. Hopefully he doesn't become vindictive and nothing else comes from this.


Title: Renters haven't paid rent. Now need to be kicked out. Not sure how to recoup money (ME)

Question:
Long story short: My parents have a renter who consistently misses payment dates and owes them a fair amount of money (let's say $5,000). They've lived in the rental for a about 3 years. They'll be kicking them out soon but I was wondering what they should do about getting back some of the money owed?  This person will probably never pay it all back, but is there a contract they should ask them to sign before they move saying they'll pay X amount a month?

I don't think my parents would bother with court if they didn't pay, but I'm so mad at these people for taking advantage of my parent's kindness it's not even funny.  This is their only rental property so they don't really know the business of being a landlord.  I figured I'd reach out here.

Thanks for any help- it's greatly appreciated:)

Answer:
 Your parents have to go through the legal process to evict the tenants, and to sue for recovery of the past due rent (both things can be done via the same legal action).  Your parents should keep tabs on how the tenants have paid (via check) so that once they have a judgment against the tenants they can garnish the tenant's bank account.Answer #2: > This person will probably never pay it all back, but is there a contract they should ask them to sign before they move saying they'll pay X amount a month?

If they signed a lease, they've already signed a contract saying they'll pay you X. Then they didn't pay you. What would a second contract change, especially if your parents wouldn't bother going to court?


Title: Need birth control - TX

Question:
I'm a 19F in Texas and I want to use birth control because my periods are very long (minimum 8 days, usually 10) and pretty heavy the first couple days.  I don't have any health problems, but it can be a very inconvenient, especially since I'm a lifeguard and we have in-services almost every weekend.
I'm currently on my parents health insurance and they are EXTREMELY conservative, so asking them isn't an option.  My mom wouldn't even let me use tampons until high school because she thought it would take away my virginity and that only promiscuous women used them.  She still doesn't like that I use tampons, even though my aunt (who's a doctor) told her they're fine.
Is there anywhere I can get the pill without having to use my parent's health insurance and without a doctor's prescription?  I've sent ads for online services like Nurx and the Pill Club, but idk how safe or reliable they are and if they require insurance.

Answer:
 You don’t have to ask your parents anything, even if you’re on their insurance. You’re an adult and your medical decisions are your own.

Make a doctor appointment with your GP and go ask for the prescription.

If you don’t want to use your parent’s insurance you can look into planned parenthood or another clinic option in your area, but they should have zero ability to access your patient records.Answer #2: Planned Parenthood


Title: MA. Ex wife secretly purchased house in New school district last week and now wants them to change schools, can she get an emergency order?

Question: Now she's filed a complaint and motion today to change their schools. But we have a 60 40 schedule and joint custody. I don't see how she can this. She created this emergency.

Answer: Who had primary and does your current decree discuss education?


Title: Is this housing discrimination?

Question:
We live in Missouri and have recently been looking for a new place to rent. We have been looking for a couple of months now and finally found one that meets all of our qualifications, so we applied. The problem is the add stated, "no undergraduates".

There are three us total, my husband and I (23 and 22) and a roommate (22). My husband is out of college and works full time, our roommate will be graduating this May and works part time. I am also working part time and attending school full time, I will be graduating next year with a dual degree.

When I went to drop off the application fees the landlord asked if we were all in college. I explained our current standing. She gave me an odd look and then turned to her associates and said, "They are millennials. They have had everything handed to them."

Is this legally considered discrimination? If so is there anything we can do about it?

I would greatly appreciate any insight you can offer.

Answer: Neither your age nor your status as a student is a protected class. So yes, it is discrimination, but it is legal.


Title: One ER Visit, 11k in Costs, Insured by Employer, But No One Noted My Info, Now 11k In Debt

Question:
Posted the below in /r/personalfinance and was advised to post here, as I may need to lawyer up. As I've never lawyer'ed up before, ANY guidance will be very much appreciated. Many thanks in advance.

Back in 2013, I was in a car accident. An ambulance ride and hospital trip later, there was a bill totaling $13,000. I remember giving the EMTs and nurse my information (ID, updated address, and medical card). I was insured with my employer's health benefits at the time. During those months, I was dealing with all this + my mom's death and did not have a good tracking method of everything that was going on (not an excuse, just a confession of being unorganized).
Now, I just received a letter from a collection agency for the ambulance ride to the updated address I'm currently at--I just took care of that. I couldn't find anything about the ER stay, so I went to the hospital and saw the balance of $11 which is now with the Department of Revenue.
I reached out the insurance company and since timely processing has passed (I'm also no longer insured by them as my company switched to a different company), they don't want to pay for it. They noted the only exception is if the address was wrong, and in which, it was. The hospital took down my outdated address from my ID, and even then, they wrote it down as "court" instead of "circle."
Even with this, the insurance company is being pretty adamant in not wanting to pay, so I just obtained an itemized statement with the incorrect address to fax them and have not heard back. With the 11k balance in my face, I'm scared and don't know what the next steps would be. Anyone ever have to deal with health insurance companies and/or Department of Revenue? Please help/advise.
tl;dr: 11k balance for an ER stay, now passed timely processing for health insurance company, they don't want to pay, the bill is with the department of revenue

Edit: I'm in California

Answer: I'd actually reach out to /r/insurance on this one.


Title: Would it be legal to "booby trap" the inside of your car to stop people from hot wiring it?

Question: Like If I wanted to move the wiring around in my car, and make it so if someone tried to hotwire it, they instead got a dye pack to the face, would that be legal?

Answer: Booby traps are almost never legal.


Title: [NV] My ex girlfriend cheated on me, which caused us to break up. I've now found out that she's pregnant, because she either lied about being on birth control or it didn't work for some reason. Don't know if I'm the father or not. Would she be able to get child support from me in this situation?

Question:
Never used protection because she told me she had implanted birth control. I felt a weird little rod under her skin, so that was good enough for me.

This is probably important: we had sex one more time after I found out she cheated on me. It was supposed to be break up sex, maybe give our relationship some closure or whatever. Again I didn't use protection because I'm a moron.

If she decides to have the baby and keep it, and it turns out I'm the father, would she be able to get child support from me? I know literally nothing about child support. Does the fact that I still had sex with her after I knew she cheated on me change things in some way?

I'm freaking out right now.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: If you are the father the child deserves support from you no matter what. It doesn't stop needing diapers and food because she cheated on you or lied about birth control


Title: [DE] I received a 950€ cease and desist letter from Waldorf Frommer

Question:
first of all I mean Germany and not Delaware!
Hello,
A few days ago I received a letter from the law company Waldorf Frommer who want 950 euro from me for downloading a movie. I've been on a lot of Websites now and know my options but I still dont know what to do. I'm thinking about taking a lawyer but I don't know which one or just taking a UE letter from the internet and filling it out and hoping for the best. I don't have a lot of money I'm only 16 and I downloaded like 10 movies. I hope someone in here has any advice or experience for my situation. I appreciate every help.

Answer:
 German here. I got one of those letters a few years ago.

First of all, you have to act. Ignoring that letter is a bad idea. Do not try to contact them to "talk it out", this will only end up badly for you.

Do NOT sign their cease and desist letter! This is the worst thing you could do. Download one(modifizierte Unterlassungserklärung) from the internet and send them that one.

As for paying them, well that is up to you. They have 3 years to sue you. Noone can tell you if they actually will sue. Most of those kinds of law firms send those lettrs in the thousands and simply can't sue every single guy that doesn't pay. If you decide to not pay they will keep sending you letters demanding money and threatening you. This is standard practise for those law firms.

Oh and i suggest you stop torrenting stuff!


Title: Scammed on OfferUp

Question: I purchased a Nintendo Switch on OfferUp that included 17 games, it was in the title, in the description and everything. when we met in person he told us he would leave the profile and we could have it. The next day he deactivated the account on our end and made it so that the games wouldn't work. We reached out to him and he blamed it on us. He refused to help and finally stopped replying. I found his facebook profile and I would like to know what I should do next to make sure he doesn't do it again and faces some sort of consequence. I have screenshots of the posting just in case showing that it included all of those games.

Answer: You could attempt to sue him directly for the value of the replacement games.


Title: Does the fact that I have annoying neighbors help me in terms of breaking my lease and getting out of paying the remainder of the lease agreement?

Question:
I just moved into an apartment complex and have a six-month lease. I have heard that in certain situations you can break the lease by giving notice to the landlord, and they have a duty to find a new tenant, which would get me off the hook. I have very bothersome upstairs neighbors who make tons of noise early in the morning and late at night. I have talked to them and have talked to the property manager, and neither of them will do anything about it.

Does the fact that I have annoying neighbors, and that the property manager is on notice, help me in any way to break my lease and not have to pay for the remainder of the lease agreement?

Location: Los Angeles, California

Answer:
 Do you have a clause in your lease allowing you to break it if your neighbors are annoying?

Are the neighbors just doing normal things and you can hear it or is there like construction or loud music happening?

When you say "early in the morning" and "late at night" what time periods are you referring to? Those terms can be different for everyone.

What do the neighbors say when you talk to them? What does your property manager say when you talk to them?


Title: If I, a US citizen married to EU citizen, win the Euromillions, who should sign the ticket?

Question:
Because I like to be hypothetically and optimistically prepared...

If I claimed it myself I would have to pay 30% taxes to the IRS as I'm a US citizen. I am a French resident but not citizen. My husband is a French citizen though so if he signed he would not have to pay US taxes. Euromillions winnings are not taxed in France but all gambling winnings are taxed for US citizens no matter the country they reside.

However if my husband claimed it would he legally have to split it with me or could he do a runner and leave me with nothing?

Of course I would get a team of accountants etc, but the question I've always wondered is who should sign the back of the ticket as that is the person who can claim it.

Answer:
 A common practice in the US anyway is to setup a blind trust to claim the ticket under, in states where this is allowed anyway.  This helps shield your identity a little bit more from public record a bit more.

This has nothing to do with taxes, but protecting yourself from becoming a target as a newly minted ultra high net worth individual.Answer #2: Renounce your US citizenship, then claim the money.Answer #3: Hey it’s me your husband!Answer #4: Regardless of where you live, the very first thing you should do if you win the lottery is put the ticket in a safe place like a bank deposit box.

Then hire a tax attorney, a financial advisor, and a therapist... all experienced with "windfall" cases.  People get inheritance, settlements, trust funds, etc... and they need help so they don't screw themselves up.Answer #5: You would have to pay considerably more in taxes, both to France and the IRS.

Your husband can't run off with the money as anything you get as a couple would be divided equally in the divorce. I would let your husband sign it.Answer #6: In France, unless you had specified otherwise (e.g. through a contrat de marriage), the couple will have joint assets.  Should you sign the ticket, or he sign, either way he can take the money and run.

BTW top marginal Federal income tax in the US is 37% not 30%. Your "home state" might also want a bite.


Title: Can a fake ID be kept legally if its clearly void?

Question: Fake IDs are popular with a lot of my friends, as we live in a college town. However, in my state, fake IDs are a felony regardless of intent. A couple of my friends were discussing keeping their fakes after turning 21 as a keepsake, and were saying they would not get in trouble if the ID was clearly voided by cutting off a corner or writing “VOID” with a permanent market on it. I was wondering if this made these legal to have, as it otherwise seems quite risky.

Answer:
 >fake IDs are a felony regardless of intent

Sounds like you answered your own question.


Title: Got t-boned in my car today. What happens if I go to court?

Question:
I am working with his insurance to get my car fixed but I love that car. The accident was 100% his fault. I don't want to mess his life up but I'd like a few grand for ruining my day and making me miss work to get my car fixed.

If I go to court, do I need a lawyer?
How should I prepare?
Is it worth while?

Answer:
 If insurance is handling it you have no reason to sue anyone. If you want money for time off work you can make that claim through his insurance.

You aren't going to get any money for having your day ruined.


Title: [CA] Uncle crashed his sister's car. He wasn't supposed to be driving and doesn't have insurance

Question:
This is in California.

Uncle wasn't supposed to be driving his sister's car(he doesn't have a licence), but their mom let him take it to pick me up. He crashed into a parked car on the side of the road. Neither of them have insurance. When we crashed my uncle was panicking over going to jail and that the cops couldn't see him like that, making me think he was on drugs, so I think that is partly why he crashed.

We have a case number, but neither of them know what to do or what to expect and are just waiting on being contacted by the person he hit.

Answer: Being sued is one thing to expect


Title: [Arkansas] What does law says about frisk search? Can a male officer frisk search a female in a traffic stop? What if female feels that officer was little out of limit and it was sexually suggestive in nature.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 I can frisk or search anyone of any gender that I stop.  If a female officer is available, I will do that.  If one is not available, I will make sure the search is on video.

If you feel the officer acted in appropriately you can absolutely contact an attorney or file a complaint with the department.Answer #2: A frisk search of a female has to include the bra line; that's where a woman is going to hide contraband 9 times out of 10, because it make male officers uncomfortable to check there for just this reason. They can't be rubbing it and cupping the breasts while making sounds behind you; it should be a professional search, but they do have to do a thorough check.

Policies differ, but typically there is nothing wrong with a male officer searching a female suspect. But to protect the officer from bogus complaints, most will want it done with at least another male officer as a witness, or on video. Answer #3: What /u/citicop said.  The frisk is supposed to be a check for weapons, which is an officer/public safety issue.  An officer could not be required to risk safety by not being allowed to frisk a potentially dangerous person, female or not.

A search for drugs sounds questionable from the way you describe this, but without more information, it's not possible to second-guess the officer.  Talk to the officer's supervision, and if you're really upset by this talk to a civil rights lawyer.


Title: Employee spreading confidential information (Pennsylvania)

Question:
My husband worked at a company as an assistant manager. This same company also allows the employees to live on site. My husband made friends with the night time housekeeper "Glen"  who started his work hours while my husband was already off the clock. Since he lives on site, he would sometimes go and chat with "Glen". They ended up becoming pretty good friends and would just talk about random things. Well, the topic came up about my husband smoking pot on occasion. Now he NEVER smokes during work, and had passed the initial drug test to get the job. "Glen" said he himself doesn't smoke pot, but has friends who do and never has a problem with it.

Well some months after that, my husband was called in on his day off to take a drug test. His managers told him somebody filed a complaint that "he wasn't able to do his duties to his full potential because of alcohol/drugs". My husband didn't understand, because he doesn't smoke pot while working, and the managers told him that if he didn't go take the test he would be fired. So he went to take the drug test.

The managers, HR, or anybody else would not tell him any kind of information about it. It took 2 weeks (he was suspended during that time) to get the results of the drug test and ultimately fire  him in the end. During the meeting to fire him, all they said was he failed, and was fired. Nothing else was mentioned at all because it was all confidential information. HR wouldn't even tell his managers who it was that reported the incident, or when it was reported.

Well he heard through the grapevine, that "Glen" was the person
who called corporate on him for smoking pot and couldn't perform the duties of his job. I don't see how "Glen" would even know that, because he works the exact opposite shift as my husband. "Glen" didn't talk to my husbands managers, just went straight to corporate about it. My husband found out that it was "Glen" because he has been telling all the staff and other employees that it was him that got him fired for failing a drug test.

What I want to know is it legal to be spreading this confidential information to other employees? My managers only found out because of the gossip that was be spreading around because "Glen" is telling people. "Glen" is the only person who knows the real reason he was fired, but now everybody knows. Is this a breach of confidentiality? Can "Glen" be sued for this breach?

Sorry if this is a bit confusing, I can answer any questions you may have.

Answer: Glen does not owe your husband a duty of confidentiality for his remarks. They may have been made in social expectations of confidence, but they're not legally confidential.


Title: Confiscated ID (AZ)

Question:
I am 25 years old, turning 26 in August. I am often told that I look 30, and I am often allowed into bars based on my appearance alone (ie, no doubt I am not underage). I went to a bar and used my US passport card as identification on Saturday night. The bouncer took my ID and told me to leave, claiming it was clearly not me on my identification. I have never had this problem before and it is clearly me in the picture... who else would it be? I insisted that it was me and demand he give it back. He asked for a second form of ID and I told him it was all I had with me, but I did have a debit card with my name on it. He then told me that my ID had supposedly been used earlier that night by someone else, which isn't even possible. He told me if I wanted my ID back, I'd have to call the police, and that they would arrest me for allowing an underage person to use my ID. I told him the ID was my property and I would need it back, and he told me the passport card is state property. At this point, he tried to confiscate my phone.

Anyways, I didn't contact the police because I don't want to be arrested as he threatened me. I am not sure what my rights are in this situation and I just want my passport card back. It is definitely my picture, I have several other photo IDs as well as my mother and father who are willing to go to verify that I am who I say I am. What are my rights in this situation?

Answer:
 Call the police. Somebody stole your ID. When you meet with the police, be sure to bring your other IDs. Answer #2: You should have called the police on the spot. Make bouncer man explain his reasoning to the officer for improperly confiscating a legal federal form of ID. Answer #3: Report your passport as stolen to the police and [Department of State](http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/passports/lost-stolen.html). Whether your ID was legitimate or fake, a bouncer (unless *also* a police officer, which they sometimes are) cannot refuse to return it. If he is a police officer and was confiscating it, you would've been arrested.

> At this point, he tried to confiscate my phone.

You mean he tried to steal your phone.


Title: USA KS I had my car stolen out of the lot of my workplace. They have cameras but they were ineffective I had to miss a day and a half of work and there is no lot insurance or seemingly any reimbursement of any kind

Question: I had my car stolen and while they did have cameras we couldn't even get the plate. All we know if that it was at least two people and what time my car was stolen. They have had all sorts of problems with people stealing out of the scrap bin and there have been a few broken windows and stolen effects but nothing this bad. I was wondering if there was anything I should know about

Answer: Who do you think should reimburse you? Did you report this to the police? Do you have insurance covering the car?Answer #2: Who exactly would be responsible to pay your reimbursement other than the people that stole the car?Answer #3: So, you filed a police report and contacted your insurance, right?


Title: Just a question: why do i keep seeing mobile games advertised on Facebook that very blatantly use well known video games as screenshots of their game?

Question:
How is that not copyright infringement?  I saw Age of Empires screenshots to advertise a completely different game.  Assassins Creed Syndicate, Call of Duty...

And i keep seeing them.  Is a video game screenshot considered original artwork?

EDIT: i live in Oregon, but location wasnt important to my question!

Answer:
 Yep and the devs can and do ask facebook for DCMA takedowns.

Facebooks copyright policies though [don't have an amazing reputation](https://youtu.be/t7tA3NNKF0Q) and can be quite sluggish.

Also a lot of the rogue indy devs who rip off artwork tend to be from countries where copyright laws are much harder to enforce or are poorly policed. In which case getting your pound of flesh could be difficult to say the least.Answer #2: It works like this.

Scumbag developer makes a shoddy game clone to make a buck.

Scumbag developer gives the game a title people will confuse with more popular games, like.. "Clash of Candy".

Scumbag developer throws together some famous game assets and screenshots to make a cool looking ad. This has multiple purposes. The first is to obviously create an association with far better products. On top of this, they get free advertising when people inevitably post screenshots of "lol this game is copying WoW" on their walls.

Of course, this is copyright/trademark infringement (whichever applies, I am not a lawyer). Unfortunately, not only is Facebook very slow to take action against stuff like this, but the developer will just remove the ad and immediately create a new one with new assets instead, starting the cycle anew.

The absolutely best thing you can do as a consumer is to straight up ignore them. Don't give them free advertising, don't give them free discussion, don't give them nothing.


Title: My employer is changing the hours of the workday for me alone in order to avoid paying overtime.

Question:
Location:  California, United States

I work for a small company.  I work Monday, Wednesday and Friday because those are the days we get shipments in and I am the person who deals with shipments.  On those days I work 6:30 AM to 7:30 PM with a one-hour unpaid lunch and two paid breaks.  In total I work 12 hours paid.

According to my contract, I am supposed to be paid time and a half for hours worked over 8 hours, and that is how I have been paid up until now.

However, the contract does not specify that the workday is from 12:00AM to 11:59PM.  It just says "during the 24-hour workday."

My employer says he needs to cut costs and he is changing the workday for me.  Now my 24-hour workday will be from 12:00 NOON to 11:59AM the following day.

So now instead of getting paid 12 hours on three different days, I will get paid like this:

* 5 hours for workday from 12:00 noon Sunday to 11:59 AM Monday
* 7 hours from workday from 12:00 noon Monday to 11:59 PM Tuesday
* Repeat

Since I only work Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I will no longer work more than 8 hours in the 24-hour workday.

He is only doing this for me specifically.  If this change were made for everyone he would have to pay some other employees overtime sometimes.  So this change is specific only to me.

The difference between 3 12-hour days and 6 5-7-hour days is about $600 a month so obviously I am not thrilled with this change.

According to [this](http://employersgroup.com/Content.aspx?id=298) website the workday is "any 24-hour period commencing at the same time each calendar day."

I am wondering: does the workday have to be the same for all employees?  Or can he change the workday for me and not anyone else?

Thanks for your advice.

Answer:
 You can file a complaint with the DLSE. They can't change their work day to avoid paying overtime. It has to be driven by a legitimate business need, not an scheme to avoid overtime.

http://www.gotovertime.com/FAQ/daily-weekly-hours-worked-overtime.html


Title: My adopted sons father wants custody back after 5 years of no contact?!Help please!

Question:
(TEXAS) I need some help guys, 5 years ago i met my wife when she was 8 months pregnant. The father was 110% out of the picture wanted nothing to do with my wife or the kid she was carrying, as soon as the baby was born we got married,short time later we went to court so i could legally adopt the boy and the biological dad was ok with that he signed his rights over and we never saw/heard from him ever again. 1 month ago i got a divorce and the wife decided she would get back together with the real dad, I'm wondering if there is anything i can do to keep him away from my kids since he signed his rights away, he also spent some time in jail for drugs, and is currently on probation/parole for drugs also any help would be very much appreciated.

TLDR:(TEXAS) Married Wife 8 months pregnent,father didn't want kid so i adopted him,got divorced 1 month ago and mother wants real father back in her life,how can i stop him from seeing the child i adopted?

EDIT: LOCATION BOT ATTACKED!
EDIT: Thanks for all the support and advice I got i had no idea this post was going to get so many comments,I will try to keep answering and responding to everyones questions but its getting rough. Also thank you to the Anon who gave me reddit gold i will take everything yall say to help me!

Answer:
 I bet your divorce decree has a standard "morality clause" in there that prevents her from having an unrelated adult with whom she has a romantic relationship from residing at the residence overnight.

If you want a permanent injunction as to allowing this man around the kid, your lawyer can ask for one, but judges do not routinely grant them. The fact that the guy has a criminal history and has had his rights terminated as to this kid should weigh in your favor. Answer #2: IANAL, but I am familiar with the adoption process, having been through it myself. When a parent signs away their rights, they cannot get them back. If they could, a lot of parents who placed children for adoption and regretted it would go back to the adoptive parents and sue for custody. He signed away his rights. He has no right to the children.


Title: Can I be sued for damages I didn't cause with no proof showing that I caused it?

Question:
I have several questions about my situation, so I'll just start with the background story. I was in the military and rented a room in a house which my former friend owned and lived in. We had a disagreement about her putting cameras in the common areas of the house which she could monitor over the internet. She was away at the time and this disagreement ended with her requesting that I move out, which I did upon agreement that she would pay back the advance rent that I had paid her. Additionally, she made the decision to involve leadership at work whom she gave her word to that she would give my rent back.

As of today, I have been moved out over a month and a half ago and am out of the military living over 1000 miles away. She has given one excuse after another as to why she hasn't paid my rent back yet, but the latest is that she is saying I damaged her stainless steel appliances and that she isn't going to pay back my rent as promised and is going to sue over the damaged appliances.

Question 1: Where would she have to sue if she wanted to sue me? As stated I now live in another state over a 1000 miles away and do not travel back to that state at all. I would think she would have to sue where I live from everything I've read (we didn't have a lease agreement or contract either, it was a verbal you pay me this much every month type thing).  If for whatever reason she could sue me in her location, could I countersue for travel/rental car/lodging expenses to recoup them?

Question 2: If she did sue, wouldn't she have to prove or have some kind of evidence that I caused this damage? At this point I don't know if the damage even exists or if she is just saying it is there or even if it is something that was there all along. Also, she rented out the room to another guy from work immediately after I moved out and additionally had her ex husband and daughter staying at the house part of the time while I was there and she was gone. On top of all that, she has given several of her friends the code to the garage and they came by frequently to "check on things" and feed the animals. When we were both living there she was constantly having people over to drink and party and would sometimes bring random people she just met at a bar or club back to the house to party. Of course a judge wouldn't know all of this, but my point is that if this damage is in fact there, there are a lot of people who could have caused it (including herself as well). Does she stand any chance of getting a judgement against me for this with nothing showing I caused any damage?

Thank you for your time and I hope you can provide some insight. I'm pretty upset about this as I'm out $400 in rent that she owes and refuses to pay back and am now hearing from people that she is going to sue for damage that I didn't cause, so I'm not sure what I should do.

Answer:
 As a general matter, the answer to the question "Can I be sued?" is always "yes."  You can be sued for stealing a person's soul...

I'm not being a smart ass (not only, anyway) I'm actually making a very important point.  Anyone can sue anyone for anything - the plaintiff, however, is certifying by filing the suit that it has at least some merit in law and fact.

Therefore, yes, you can be sued for something you didn't do - but if you fight it properly and make the correct motions, you as the defendant could win costs or a counter suit.


Title: Can I sue for wrongful termination?

Question:
Hi,

Recently, I was let go from my job due to absences, which would have been covered under FMLA. However, I was told by the company’s HR representative not to submit my paperwork.

All of this happened within a few days after I had reported my boss to Human Resources and management above him for the way he was treating myself, my peers, and my employees.

Do I have any legal options?

Located in Michigan

Answer: Can you prove you were told you didn't need to submit FMLA certification? Because that is highly unusual.


Title: [US, California] How do I approach my old company about getting my final paycheck?

Question:
Edit: Thanks everybody, I got everything taken care of. Marsh_Castle gave me the last bit I needed to be confident enough to confront them with this. I called the company again yesterday, and when they tried to give me the run around, I asked them if they were familiar with Labor Code § 202. They must be, because they immediately switched gears without giving me any more trouble. They had a guy receive my uniform here today, but unfortunately they mailed me my check yesterday instead of sending it with him. I'm assuming they just wanted the mail date ("pay date") to be set as soon as they could make it.

I recently left a company and did so with a two week notice and everything, so they had plenty of time to arrange my final pay, but they did not. They have an office in my city through witch I have done all my paperwork and meetings with, but now that I quit, they want me to travel to their LA office to get my paycheck. I tried to return my uniform to them, and they told me I had to go to the LA office, and when I tried to pay them money I owed them, they also told me to go to their LA office. I don't know why they want me to drive all the way out there when they have an office right here, but long story short, they are trying very hard to get me to that office, despite them having several high ranking representatives and an office located in my city. They refuse to mail me my final paycheck, and it has been 4 days now since I left the job.

It seems like they are making this more difficult than it has to be, and I just want to be done dealing with them at this point. I have read through the California paycheck laws, and understand that this is illegal for them to do, but I don't know how to approach this without straight up threatening to sue. How can I approach them in a manner that isn't a threat of legal action? Or is that exactly what I should be doing?

On a side note, since the uniform is a security guard uniform, I'm worried they might report me for "stealing" it, witch I understand these days is a serious crime. Should I be worried since they are refusing to accept it?

Answer:
 Contact the labor board and make a [Wage Claim](http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/HowToFileWageClaim.htm)

They screwed up big time

[Info](http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/FinalPay.pdf)

> If the employee gives at least 72 hours
notice of his or her intention to quit, those wages must be
 paid at the time of quitting.

>An employer who willfully fails to pay any wages due an employee who is discharged or quits within the
time frames provided under Labor Code § 201 or Labor Cod
e § 202, may be assessed continuing wages as a penalty
from the date the wages were due up to a maximum of 30 days.  (Labor Code § 203)  The penalty is calculated by
multiplying the daily wage rate of the employee by 30 days.

Edit: I would also ask the labor board how to go about returning the uniform. E-mail the boss or whomever, and inform them that you are willing to return (ASAP) the uniform to the location that you worked.


Title: My Medical Group Has Been Blocking Me From Getting A Life-Saving Medical Device

Question: I will be as brief and honest as I can. I found out last year I have Type 1 Diabetes, meaning I take insulin, I am prone to going very low and have almost ended up in a coma or dead on a few documented occasions. There is a device that monitors your blood levels at all times and alerts you if you are going low, it saves life, I have zero doubt it will save mine. In November I bought the most expensive insurance I could, solely so that I would be sure that I would be covered for the device. Jan 2nd I contacted Dexcom the manufacturer who said that I would be covered but I had to go under the supply group Edgepark. jan 6th Eedgepark called be to say that my insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield will cover the device 100% and they just need a letter of approval from my doctor, they quoted me it shouldn't take more than 3-5 days. Over the next three weeks, myself, EdgePark and BCBS contacted my doctor's office on average 3 times a week, multiple times, myself, as well as both my insurance and Edgepark where hung up on (I have transcripts confirming). No one could give me a straight answer as to who or what department I should talk to, so I emailed the medical group multiple times (No replies), called every department I could find in relation to the group and got nowhere, until today I was given a number to call to check the status, finally got a lady who said "hmmm, looks like you are not approved, we don't work with Edgepark, you'll have to pick a new supplier and resubmit everything, your probably looking at another week or two for approval". Ultimately, I just want my medical device, that will save my life, that was demended necessary by both my doctor and my insurance, but I am no longer willing to wait for approval, is there anything I can do? Thank you in advance

Answer:
 IANAL, But I do work in high volume medical offices.

I would suggest making an appointment with the doctor that is currently treating you and talking to him directly about needing a letter. Docs have to write medical necessity letters all the time. It shouldn't matter if they do not work with that specific supplier. You just need a medical necessity letter on letterhead specifying your need, diagnosis and tax ID or NPI. It doesn't even have to mention Edgepark, just that you need this specific device.


Title: [CA] Need help acquiring certified false arrest and P.I. documentation

Question:
I'm not sure this is the right place for this post, but here it goes. I am  applying for a gaming license in CA. The gaming agent says I need stamped certifed court documents for all arrests, detainments convicted or not. When I was younger I was thrown in the drunk tank for public intoxication. I was also falsely arrested walking to work about 6 years ago... 6 days before Christmas. I heard a female screaming for help so I thought it was a case of domestic violence. I get my phone out of my pocket, I dialed 911 about to press call. When I turn the corner, and see its the police arresting a woman at a apartment complex I cut through. I try to walk past and they detain me, have some people come out of their apartment and "ID" me. After arguing I've never seen this woman a day in my life and I dont know her name. I'm arrested, for what I believe vandalism...not sure. Long story short, Im thrown in jail for 16 hours, get bailed out. One of the arrested officers come to my work the next day and says my bad we know who actually  did it. I Show up to court, I'm  not on the calendar.  So I go talk to the clerk and she says well they have 3 years to prosecute you. So now I need certified documentation of this, the local court house has nothing on either of these encounters. How would I go about getting certified  documentation of these? I paid $70 for a live scan rap sheet from California DOJ. They are on there but its not certified, and it clearly states on the paperwork its not for employment and or licensing purposes. Any help or a point in the right would be very much appreciated. Thanks
P.s sorry about formatting or other grammar inconsistencies wrote this on my tablet

Answer: You need to talk to the district attorney. They can tell you what is happened with the charges and possibly provide you with documentation.


Title: Time Warner digging through my yard. Making a mess.

Question:
Charlotte, NC. I just feel a little violated. I'm in construction and understand things need to get done, but shouldn't they have stuck to the easements? Should they have notified me? Do homeowners have rights in these situations?

http://imgur.com/gallery/MhXGGLl

Answer:
 If they have a deeded easement on your property, they don't have to get your consent. Generally they will do what they can to minimize damage, but if you constructed something in the easement that interferes with it's use, then it's your responsibility. (a driveway might be a specific exception) I think generally they try to minimize damage. If they don't have a deed easement , you can stop them from doing any work.

You will need to check map of your property on file at the county records or look at your deed. If you have your closing papers there should also be a copy with it.
Answer #2: Engineer here. I commonly work with utilities. To answer your questions:

Yes, they have to stick to your easement. No, they do not have to notify you as long as they're in your easement.  Yes, they should have notified use as a common courtesy. Yes, you should go talk to them immediately if you know they're outside your easement (silence is consent). Yes, you should make them move the line (and repair the damage) if you can prove they're outside your easement.

Ninja edit: they may be trying to work around the trees on your property. Keep in mind that they're allowed to chop down the trees on your property to put their line in. But homeowners typically don't want these trees chopped down and it costs the utility more money to chop them down. So they move the utility a few feet this way to avoid the trees and make everyone happy. Bottom line: go talk to them.Answer #3: I don't see any mess? It's just a few guys working who could clean their work up afterwards.


Title: My friend left his bong on the floor of my room, in the dark, without my knowledge and in while I was sleeping. In the middle of the night when I got up to turn the lights on, I kicked it over and broke it. Which of us is legally liable?

Question:
We live in California. The bong costs $60 and I've offered to split the cost with him, but he thinks since I technically knocked it over, that I'm at fault and should pay the entire $60.

My line of reasoning is that he left his bong in a very careless spot considering how fragile and expensive it is. I have never used his bong and had no way of knowing or avoiding knocking it over on my way to the door.

Answer: Half, half. If your friend refuses, withdraw your offer and don't pay him.Answer #2: Seeing that he left it on the floor and it’s going to cost him more to file in small claims than he’ll get, consider whether whiny roommate is worth another $30 to appease.


Title: About to get divorced...

Question:
My wife and I are about to get divorced. She quit her job about a month ago, because we wanted to fix us. That obviously did not work out. It was a part time job in the evening hours. Per week she only made $150 after taxes.

If she is going to get an attorney, do I have to pay for that?

We live in MA.

Answer: The answer is maybe, depending on your state.


Title: Floride, I had my credit frozen with all 3 bureaus but a bank gave my mother a mortgage under my name

Question:
(Throwaway because I don't want my family drama on my main)

My credit is frozen because of my mother. I know for a fact that it is frozen with all 3. My mother stole my identity a bunch of times when I was a kid and by the time I was 18 and aged out of foster care I was $250,000 in the hole because of her. I spent some of my teenage years in foster care because she's been in trouble for identity theft and cheating welfare before. She tried to steal my father's identity but he is in jail for life and she stole our neighbors instead.

No one knew about mine and I didn't even figure it out until I was 19 and trying to get on my feet. My mom went to jail for it but it took almost 4 years and me going to pieces crying in a legal aid office to get help and get it all cleared up.

I got off the street into governmental housing and got my ged. Now I have a job and I want to rent a place. After my mother went to jail my credit was frozen with all 3 bureaus. I know this for a fact. But in the process of trying to rent a place I found out I am on default on my mortgage.

Another bank that wasn't mine gave someone a mortgage under my name. Not me. I went to the police station and told them about the mortgage and the case against my mother before. It was in a different town but my mother was found living in the house with a man by the police. She had a birth certificate and a fake drivers license with my name.

My mother was arrested again. But I don't understand if my credit frozen how she could get a mortgage. I called all 3 of the bureaus after I found out. They sent me letters saying my credit is frozen. Now I have a mess again because of the mortgage she didn't pay. The bank from it says they might foreclose. Now my credit is screwed again and I can't rent anywhere and I have to stay in governmental housing until it gets fixed.

I called the place where I got legal aid before and am waiting for them to phone and call me back. But I don't understand how come she was able to get a mortgage when I know for a fact that it was frozen and I have letters from the 3 bureaus from before this and after this saying it was frozen. Can someone let me know if I am misunderstanding or missing something? Is the bank that gave her the mortgage going to get in trouble also?

All of this happened in Florida. The first time my mom was arrested and went to jail and now this too. I just want to know if I'm misunderstanding this.

Answer:
 I know it's near impossible to get a new social, but this seems the very reason it is at least possible.  Heck maybe you need to go to court and get a new identity.  Change the spelling of your current name, change your birthdate by one month even.. Something.

On going relentless identify theft and fraud.

You might consider (in addition to all else) filing a small claims action against this newest mortgage lender. If you can verify that your credit was in frozen at the time of the loan approval, you can claim negligence and financial injury.  Small claims have limits, but take it to the max allowed In Your jurisdiction.


Title: Police and neighbors are asking for front yard footage, do we have to give it to them?

Question:
We’re in sunny SoCal, specifically Orange County. A couple of months ago we had some shady people rent the house right across the street from ours. Since then, there have been several problems with the son of the people that moved in -people fighting outside, cars driving by and throwing glass bottles at the house/people hanging around outside of the house, vandalism in the neighborhood, some nasty stares etc.- prompting us to install a few security cameras around the house.

We’ve installed 4 cameras, the footage being requested is from 2 of them; we have one camera facing the driveway, and another that also faces the driveway but is angled in a way that allows us to see a lot more of the street and the house across the street (It’s a pretty wide angle so it can actually see about 5 different homes across the street).

On to what happened. So a few days ago (Wednesday), the cops came up to the door and asked if we knew anything about a pair of kids running around the neighborhood, supposedly one of them had done something around the corner and they wanted evidence of them in the area. They then asked if they could view our footage and take it with them to review; fortunately, my mom was the one that answered the door and she doesn’t really know how to work the camera system all that well.

She pulled out her phone and was able to find the footage they were looking for, but she couldn’t export it from the app -you need a computer to do that- and I wasn’t home so I couldn’t get the footage for her/them. They did try to take a video of the footage on her phone to use that as a reason to arrest the kid (he’s 16 or so) but my mom has an old phone and it -the recording- didn’t come out all that well so they said they would be back to get the footage once I was home and able to export it properly.

So they arrest the kid and find the evidence he hid in the bushes outside of his home, eventually releasing him and leaving, but they do stop by again to check if I’m home to export the footage (I wasn’t) so they said they would be back for the footage some other day.

A few hours later, the kids mom comes up to the door and demands for the footage, we deny her request. The following day some random dude pulled up in his car and also demanded the footage, again we deny. Yesterday (Friday) a different guy pulls up, gets out of his car and begins to ask a lot of questions about the cameras -what brand, where is the footage stored, do they have microphones, who has access to the footage, can the cops see it whenever they want- and my mom just tells the dude to look it up (the name of the camera is clearly visible on the front of the camera).

So my question is, do we have to turn over the footage to the police? The only reason we are hesitant to do so is because these people across the street are kind of shady and we’re worried about gang affiliations and having a potential target on our backs.

Aside from that, what can we do about the people harassing us about the footage? We pay for 5 days of continuous footage with the Nest cameras, so the footage is still available to us -for another 2 days, then it gets deleted. When reviewing the footage, you can clearly see the kid planting a brown bag in the bushes and going inside (the police have seen this footage already, and retrieved the brown bag, they just don’t have a high resolution copy of it). Any help would be appreciated.

Answer: I don't know if you HAVE to, but I certainly WOULD. You say you worry about gang retaliation, fair enough, but having active criminal elements that know they can operate freely and intimidate you into silence living across the street is NOT going to be good for you in the long run.


Title: To Catch a Predator- Entrapment?

Question:
With the introduction of the new To catch a predator style show, Hansen vs Predator, I wanted to know at what point would setting up a sting like they do for the show would be considered entrapment.

Also, if not entrapment, what kind of charges do they get stuck with for having sexually suggestive chats with decoys who pose as underage teens?

Dont know if this is relevant but the original show was filmed in the US - Connecticut

Answer:
 If setting up a sting operation constituted entrapment then very few arrests would ever be made.

If I recall correctly, entrapment applies when a person (who had no intention of committing a crime) is induced by the police to commit a crime. Simply allowing a person to demonstrate an intention to commit a crime (such as solicitation of a minor) is not entrapment.

> what kind of charges do they get stuck with for having sexually suggestive chats with decoys who pose as underage teens?

There are no laws against lying on the internet. You can trust me because I'm the deposed Prince of Nigeria. Also, I have a business proposition for you.Answer #2: Not entrapment.  The predator is not being enticed by the state to commit a crime.  Instead, the predator is looking for victims online and found what they believe to be a minor, but instead is the state posing as a minor.

Depending on state, people face multiple felony sex offender charges.


Title: I was side swiped by a city bus in Chicago not long ago. I wasn't inebriated but we were at a bar earlier and I panicked and drove away. Haven't heard anything since. While I was definitely in the wrong, is there any way I can file a claim without admitting that I had been drinking?

Question:
I know I'll catch heat for being a little drunk but I've learned that lesson and I'm glad I did before something worse happens like a DUI, or even worse, a death.

So here's the rundown.

While I was drunkish, the bus (to my right, one lane over) abruptly changed into my lane from a stop.

Beforehand, my front end was basically even with his before he changed lanes. My buddy was in the passenger seat navigating for me. He said hey we need to make a right here. I had roughly 15-20 feet between me and the car in front of us. I checked to see if the bus was gonna do anything and after a few seconds, he seemed to be sitting at the bus stop.

I turned my indicator on and proceeded to pull forward and change lanes. At about the exact same time, the bus pulled forward and moved left. And ripped the side of my car up. As I said, I panicked and drove outta there, since we were coming from a bar.

We returned home and I surveyed the damage. Wasn't great. I got a quote and they estimate the damages to be roughly $2000 to pay out of pocket. Of which I don't have.

Now if I wasn't drinking that night, I would've pulled over and absolutely gotten my car repairs paid for by whoever is in charge of that with the city. Bus driver was totally at fault. Seeing as I: 1. Didn't file a police report, 2. Left the scene and didn't get pictures obviously, is there anyway I can file a claim saying I parked on the left side of a one way street and it was a hit and run? Or am I basically fucked and I better save my money to pay for it?

Thanks for any help /r/legaladvice

EDIT: thanks for your feedback folks. Obviously what I did was incredibly stupid but I did it. It won't be an issue in the future I may be a big dumbass but I think this lesson will stick.

Gonna bite the bullet and pay outta pocket. Thanks again.

Answer: So you pulled into the left lane and then were hit IN the left lane? Or were you going around the bus and already back in the right lane, about to turn right?


Title: My GF (20) and her roommate are former best friends and moved in together. Now neither want to live together but the lease isn’t up for another 5 months. What should she do?

Question:
So, for a little bit of back story there weren’t any problems between the two until about 3 months ago when my (M23) girlfriend (F20) started to see each other more often. I’d be over at their apartment for most of the day and night and would stay over often. I still live with my family but she’s insisted on several occasions that she hates not having me around. So, her former best friend (F21) began having issues with how often I was over. It got to the point where she began saying nasty things to my GF about her and I. Anyways, my GF has been contemplating just leaving and living with her family and paying for rent for the remaining months at the apartment without being there. I’ve suggested speaking with the landlord in general, I’ve also suggested asking about subletting to one of the other friend’s friends. She’s very frustrated and emotional and has no idea what she should do and what courses of action to take. She no longer feels comfortable in the home and just needs a painless way out. Any chances I could get some solid advice on this matter, if any?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Considering how often you stayed over she probably violated her lease agreement. She should check her lease and see if subletting is permitted. Otherwise she needs to continue to pay rent even if she moves out.Answer #2: Her and her roommate need to sit down and talk this out, and figure out between them what they want to do. Your girlfriend _can_ just leave and pay the rent, and doesn't need her roommate's consent to do so, but that may not be the best way to resolve the issue. If her former friend would be willing to take on a roommate, for example, that could save your girlfriend a substantial amount of money over the next five months, provided the roommate pays rent on time.

Once she and her friend are lined up, they can approach the landlord, if necessary.


Title: [NA] How to Get sloppy gym owner evicted?

Question:
So here is the deal,
The gym I go to is a complete mess, I'm talking broken gym equipment that has not been fixed in years and many health hazards like loose flooring, rusted machines & benches, weird mold on mirrors and so forth. The gym is also missing standard equipment like a Squat Rack and only has one working treadmill which is only allowed to be used by woman.
The owner of the gym is renting the property from a 5 Star Hotel, however he owns the gym equipment. The Hotel lists the gym as one of its services.

What I would like to do is have him evicted and take over the vacant gym space and offer a better experience for its customers and the Hotel guests.

My location is Namibia

edit: Seems like the best course of action would be a proposal to the Hotel.

Answer:
 > What I would like to do is get him evicted

Your only option here is to talk to the hotel and offer your services.  If they choose to go with you, they can terminate their relationship with him in whatever manner their contract with him allows.

Past that, you can find a new gym.


Title: How can Border Patrol demand you waive 5th amendment rights and answer their questions at a checkpoint on the highway 100 miles from the border?

Answer:
 Forgive my ignorance, but does CBP actually demand a 5A waiver that far inside the borders? Where have you heard/read this?

AFAIK, they cannot *demand* that you waive your 5A rights. Only courts can do that, and only after being given immunity.


Title: A good friend of mine says she was sexually assaulted but that the police told her she couldn't press charges anymore because she crossed state lines. Is this really a thing?

Question:
Throwaway account for obvious reasons. I don't want to go into too many details such as giving the state it happened in unless it's necessary to answer the question. This happened fairly recently, around the beginning of May.

She just not too long ago told me about it and after consoling her when I asked her if she was going to file a police report or anything she told me that she had already reported it and that they gave her the option of pressing charges if she stayed in state or she'd be forced to drop the charges of she left the state to go back home from school. Can the police really do this in any state?

If this isn't the correct sub to ask this question please direct me to the appropriate place.

Answer:
 This sounds ... odd.

It is true that if she's out of state, prosecuting becomes more difficult: the district attorney needs to have her available for court hearings, trials, etc. However, there's no magic "ooh, you crossed the state line so everything gets dropped" rule; it's all a matter of scheduling and working with the prosecutor's office.

Have her call the local DA or state's attorney or whatever your state calls 'em and ask to speak to a victim advocate.


Title: [CA] How can I serve my country and get citizenship?

Question:
By the title you probably could have guessed I'm an illegal immigrant. Came to the US when I was 4, speak fluent English, know US history very well, 5s on AP US History Exam and US Government and Politics exam, my parents pay taxes, etc. In all aspects I would consider myself an American and my family pretty much does what is expected of American citizens all without the benefits of voting, social security, etc. I want to change that so that my family can start doing the responsibilities to the country we live in. And as an illegal immigrant the only way I've found to gain citizenship is through military service to my country.

But here's the problem. Military life is not for me. I just graduated high school and was accepted to a great college with an extremely competitive major, aerospace engineering. I plan on getting my PhD and joining the Defense industry or, ideally, working for NASA. But recently I've been thinking about how I'm going to support my parents into their retirement if they aren't eligible for social security benefits.

I get that military service to a country shows devotion and willingness to die for your country and merits citizenship. But why is there no other avenue for citizenship by being a proud and productive member of society? Even if I plan to serve my country through the defense industry or through a government agency I have no other options. I'm just really frustrated because I feel like I have no other option than to put my education on hold for 5 years to get my citizenship.

Is it worth it? I'll be 23 when I start college which is when my friends will have already graduated. I don't suppose I'll be getting a job in my field until I'm well into my 30s because of grad school.

Are there any other options? Can I complete all my degrees, I anticipate I would be around 26-28, join as an officer which might transition into aerospace defense work from a military rather than civilian contractor perspective?

Any other way I can use my specific, educated skill set to serve my country in the way I can best serve and get citizenship?

Answer:
 I'm a former naval officer, and you have a big misunderstanding of your situation.

>And as an illegal immigrant the only way I've found to gain citizenship is through military service to my country.

This is false. You must have legal status in the United States to join the military.

>I plan on getting my PhD and joining the Defense industry or, ideally, working for NASA.

You must be a citizen for most of these jobs. Not even legal immigrants qualify for many of these jobs.

>But why is there no other avenue for citizenship by being a proud and productive member of society?

The Congress refuses to take up the DREAM act is one answer. The other answer is because a majority of elected representatives have decided that there should be no way for illegal immigrants to become "legal".

>Is it worth it?

Like I said, this is not an option. You must be a PRA (green card holder) or citizen to join the military.

>Can I complete all my degrees, I anticipate I would be around 26-28, join as an officer which might transition into aerospace defense work from a military rather than civilian contractor perspective?

All officers must be US citizens. PRA and citizens can enlist.

Currently, there is no way for you to become a legal resident of the United States. You cannot join the military or work in any of the government agencies you have mentioned.