Title: How can my parents come to the US for my graduation because they are repeatedly denied for a visitor visa?

Question:
My parents and I all were permanent residents of the USA 12 yrs back, we came here, stayed for a month 12 yrs back, and then went back to my country and never came back. 4 yrs back we applied for SB 1 visa which is returning resident visa and my parents and my sister got rejected for that visa and mine was approved as I was below 21 yrs old. Since then I have been living here,(for 4+ yrs now). While I was staying here my parents, after getting rejected for SB1 visa, tried for visitor visa a year later so that they can come to visit me. But then they again got denied as USCIS was saying that last year u told u want to go there as returning permanent resident and after getting rejected, now u are saying u wanna go as a visitor, your intention contradicts so we cant issue u a visa, that's how they got rejected again. This year I am graduating college and I really want them to come. If they are getting constantly rejected, how can I bring them? Why the USCIS doesn’t understand that once I become a citizen I will bring them here anyway, so what's the point of not granting their visa now? A lot of bad people and status-less people are getting a visa, my parents both being doctors are not getting one, why?

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PS: Please don't explain why they are being rejected for a visitor visa, because I think I know it, the consular thinks that they are not going to go back to their country once they get to enter the US. But they would not do this as they are government employees there but the consular is still not convinced. The reason why I am posting this question is to get a solution as to how I can get them here before this December to attend my graduation, and not listen to the reasons why they are getting rejected. So if you have a solution to this, please reply. Also, I don't understand why they are rejecting my parent's visitor visa when I can bring them soon here once I become a citizen which will be in a year or pretty soon. So what's the point of stopping them from entering the US now to see me or attend my graduation, when eventually, I will bring them here anyway.

Answer:
 The government has complete discretion here, you cannot force them to change their mind

Talk to an immigration attorney in the US about how they might be able to improve their chances of getting a tourist visa

> when I can bring them soon here once I become a citizen which will be in a year or pretty soon

Your parents will be better off than your sister once you become a citizen, but are still not guaranteed entry, permanent resident status, or citizenship


Title: Is it illegal to explain to someone, in detail, how to do something illegal? California, USA

Question:
It's a bit of a hypothetical, but it has me curious.

I do a lot of work with bitcoins. Nothing I do is illegal whatsoever and I am not here to debate the merit or future of them. They exist, and I have made a decent amount of money, but it's not my career. It's just something I happen to know a decent amount about.

Since I know a lot about the entire btc economy, I also know exactly how one can access and make purchases on Internet black markets. I never have myself, and have no intention to. However, one of my very close friends has started to develop an opiate (pain pill) addiction after a legitimate medical issue, and he has been trying to get himself off without recruiting professional help, before he messes up his life. He has a plan to get methadone or suboxone and sedatives and it actually seems like a workable plan. It's not my business what he does, but I do want to help him. He isn't going to get professional help and I can't force him and I am not going to judge him. He asked me if I knew how to get them, and I do. But frankly, I am terrified of what my legal liability would be for even giving him instructions on how to do it, should anything go wrong.

Could I somehow be charged with conspiring to traffic drugs? Or anything? If I were to write something like a document explaining how one would go about making purchases in general, is this somehow illegal? Again, I do want to help but I am far more concerned with my personal risk. Trying to talk to him about legal, professional methods on backing himself off the meds isn't an option, unfortunately. I realize I can wash my hands of it and not help, and if it is a choice of putting myself at risk or helping, I will protect myself. But I am very sympathetic to his position, have seen it before in others, and do feel he is trying to resolve a problem before it gets bad.

Any input is appreciated. Again, I'm not asking for help circumventing laws, I just want to know what my potential liability would be before making any decisions. Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 > and he has been trying to get himself off without recruiting professional help, before he messes up his life. He has a plan to get methadone or suboxone and sedatives and it actually seems like a workable plan

For what it's worth; that's a shitty plan.


Title: Do I have legal grounds to sue if a neighbor's dog entered my property unleashed and bite my dog?

Question:
Location: Orange County, CA

I was taking the trash bin out for trash day and my dog busted through my back screen door to follow me outside. I told my dog to go back inside and walked back to my porch waiting for me to let him back in the house. As I am 3-4 feet away from my dog to let him back inside, a large dog from 3 houses down the street runs on my property and bites my dog from our porch. Both are unleashed. My dog did not agitate the other dog as the dog seeked mine from down the street to attack him. My dog suffered from lacerations and required surgery. I've filed a report to animal control and they took both our statements. After I spoke to them about the situation, we both verbally agreed that they will reimburse us for the hospital bills. I have a strong feeling they will back out on our agreement. If they do, do I have legal grounds to successfully sue them in small claims court? Thanks in advance.

Answer: YesAnswer #2: Yes, absolutely. And the verbal agreement is most likely eminently enforceable.


Title: Montana- Father was scheduled for surgery, hospital scheduling error moved surgery three weeks out, he is now in hospital for sepsis.

Question:
My dad was supposed to have a surgery on his kidney (he only has one due to cancer) last week on Thursday. The hospital scheduling had no record of him or his operation on the day of, he had paperwork proving he was supposed to be admitted that day...and they moved his surgery date out by three weeks.
Today he was admitted to the ICU after being brought in by an ambulance and has sepsis. He has a kidney infection and might be helicopter flighted to a larger hospital in the morning if he doesn't improve.
My question is.. what, if any, action should we be taking against the mishap that led him here? Had he had his surgery, he wouldn't be in such rough shape.

Answer: >Malpractice is very fact specific. If you feel you have a case you should take your medical records to a local malpractice attorney for a consult. Most malpractice consults are free.


Title: Another tenant has moved in before my tenancy has finished [UK]

Question:
I came home last night to find a person asleep in my room. I was unable to use my room key & stayed over with a friend. My tenancy at the address is not up until the end of March, and although I have moved most of my belongings out of the house, I still have some bulky, expensive musical equipment in my room. I have to work this morning but I plan on heading over after lunch time to sort moving this stuff out.

I would like to enquire as to how I can go about reclaiming any rent/compensation, as I was not informed of another tenant & if it wasn't for a good friend, could have been left stranded & I'm having to shuffle my accommodation plans for the next few weeks. A problem is that my landlord clearly does not work legally- he insists on being paid in cash, the rent 'includes' council tax, and I also believe he is renting out too many rooms in the property. I have a signed agreement with him that he hasn't supplied to me despite my asking. Hence I'm getting out of there!

Many thanks for any feedback!

EDIT: Thanks for the replies all. The police were initially incredibly unhelpful- I rang their non-emergency line and was advised that it was a 'civil' matter, so that there was nothing the police could do, even though I had advised them that my possessions were in my room. So, I smashed the door in today. My stuff is gone. Suddenly the police were a little more helpful and even though they gave me a ticking off about the door (what else was I going to do...?) they advised me to continue to contact the landlord over the next few days and report a theft if there is no avail. I intend to visit his home address tomorrow, although I fear that it is a fake. We'll see!

/u/okonefortheroad & /u/itsMetatron You are correct and I should have rang the police immediately. I was however quite drunk, tired and was incredibly surprised and confused.

/u/waytootired unfortunately the police were unhelpful on this one! Weirdly performing a criminal act (breaking the door) was the only way to get a positive response from them. No sign of the new tenant today.

/u/LegalNA I did try to ring Shelter, but unfortunately they had nobody answering the phone on Saturday. Your HMO licence comments are interesting- It is very likely that he does not have an HMO licence so I will ring the council on Monday about that.

Thanks again all!

Answer:
 Does this interloper have any paperwork or lease?

If not, phone the police on a non emergency line and have him removed. I'm sure you've received plenty of mail at the address that can back up your claim that it's yours.

Hell, if you have alternative accommodation, make a real stink out of it and start reporting the LL too.


Title: Is the final decision in the film 'Gone Baby Gone' realistic or would the legal proceedings be different in real life?

Question:
Posted this on r/legaladvice but was told to post here instead.

I just finished re-watching the 2006 film Gone Baby Gone. The ending of that film presents a moral dilemma and I’m just curious what legal proceedings could potentially happen in a perfect world. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, here’s a very condensed version:

Casey Affleck is investigating a case of a very young missing girl in Massachusetts. The mother of this child is extremely neglectful, incompetent, a drug user and seems very detached from the fact that her daughter is literally missing. However, the media paints her as a caring mother who is worried sick for her daughter. Through various leads and other crazy movie shit, Casey Affleck finds out that a convoluted conspiracy took place between his fellow detectives (Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman) and concerned relatives of the missing girl and her mother. Basically, Casey Affleck goes to Morgan Freeman’s house, where it’s revealed that the missing girl has been there the whole time and is perfectly safe and Morgan Freeman and his wife have a very loving and beautiful home, stable jobs, all that good shit. He wanted a future for this child that she almost certainly wouldn’t get living with her abusive mother. Casey Affleck calls the cops on him and Morgan Freeman ends up going to jail and the missing girl returns to her mother, who doesn’t seem to have learnt much from the whole ordeal.

In a perfect world, could this have gone down differently? Or rather, in the real world?

Answer:
 > Basically, Casey Affleck goes to Morgan Freeman’s house, where it’s revealed that the missing girl has been there the whole time and is perfectly safe and Morgan Freeman and his wife have a very loving and beautiful home, stable jobs, all that good shit. He wanted a future for this child that she almost certainly wouldn’t get living with her abusive mother

And that's still kidnapping. We give the authority to remove a child from a situation to CPS, not random guys who know better because reasons.


Title: Accidentally pressed "pay" rather than "request" for $1k on Venmo. The guy kept it and told me to f off.

Question:
This happened a couple of months ago. Chris was my tenant at the time. Chris had been late on rent for 5 of the 6 months that he had lived there.

&#x200B;

Around October 15th, he was late again on rent and I tried to request rent from him via Venmo, but pressed pay instead. I immediately informed him of the mistake. At this point in the story, he owes me $2k. (1k for October rent and 1k for the Venmo $ I had just sent him accidentally). It turns out that he was also in debt with Venmo. My 1k went towards his Venmo debt. What he decided to do was pay me $1k from his paypal account and keep the Venmo payment, saying it was my fault. He then moved out.

&#x200B;

So there's no landlord vs tenant issue here. He paid for the time he stayed in the house. There's just a citizen vs citizen issue. I asked a lawyer if I had a case. The lawyer said it was an open and shut case in my favor due to something called "conversion law."

&#x200B;

Here's where I need your help. Chris is slimy and savvy. I took him to court (in TN) last week over this. He knew I had to fly in for the lawsuit, as I live in Boston. When the judge called our names, in court in Nashville, Chris stood up and said, "I'd like to reschedule so I can find a lawyer." He had plenty of time to get a lawyer. He's just trying to use every trick he can against me.

&#x200B;

What else do I need to prepare for? How can I best prepare myself?

&#x200B;

&#x200B;

Answer:
 Prepare yourself for what? Presumably you showed up with whatever evidence you have to your last court date, so there shouldn’t be any work left to do there.

It’s $1000. He’s making it prohibitively expensive for you to collect. You mentioned already that you had to fly in for court. Maybe see if the court will let you attend virtually to reduce costs.

Seriously though, given this guy’s history, do you expect to actually collect on this debt if you win?


Title: Is This Legal? Meet Nadia: Host of 575 Airbnb sites, Nadia claims to live in Portland... and Seattle... and San Diego. That's curious, because Nadia appears to be a fake. (ARTICLE)

Answer:
 I should mention that Portland has a law that requires hosts to live onsite for 9 months out of the year and that hosts may only list one property, however this often isn't enforced. Answer #2: I'm sure I've read other articles talking about how this is a violation of bylaw/city ordinance/ethics (considering Portland's housing market). But the rub is that the city has like 3 officials to enforce this, so not much if anything is done about it.

Makes me think of the phrase, "It's only against the law *if you get caught*."Answer #3: It obviously violates the bylaw, it might be fraud, particularly if owners have to fill out a form with the city of something.


Title: falsely accused by a total stranger US-MI

Question:
Hey!! Help!!? Applying for my Master's Degree at Stanford, and my brother recently graduated from Harvard, and a total stranger accused me of harassing employees at a local arts and crafts store, and I was unaware of this person making false claims to the police, who without explanation instructed me not to return to that place. I returned and spoke with the owner who was unaware of any complaint, and later that day received a disorderly conduct while drunk ticket despite not being drunk, by a police person later that day.

After speaking with the local police station, who requested a statement from the business owner to dismiss the ticket, I returned and spoke with an employee who said there were not any issues with me being at the establishment. Later that day I was arrested for stalking, and later instructed by a retained attorney to plead guilty, despite never having read the police reports of the strangers accusations, which are completely false, because the attorney promised to dismiss the charges and remove any probation.

After pleading guilty, the attorney did not have the charges dismissed and the probation is two years and a mental health evaluation with meds was added to the probation requirements despite not being said in court when the probation requirements were stated.

I refused to complete the mental health evaluation and was issued a probation violation hearing, at which the probation person tried to have me sent to jail, and the judge granted a delay.

How could I cancel the plea and say not guilty, and cancel probation, and remove the negative records and return to my normal life?

Help!!!

Answer:
 You sure get arrested a lot for doing things you don't do. Why would strangers be accusing you of things? Why would any stranger take the time or care to do that to anyone?

> After pleading guilty, the attorney did not have the charges dismissed

Because that's not how pleading guilty works. You plead guilty to the charges. They won't be dismissed.

> How could I cancel the plea and say not guilty, and cancel probation, and remove the negative records and return to my normal life?

You can't appeal because you pled guilty. You may have some type of post conviction relief you can do but that's not going to put you back to normal life. It's going to put you back to before you plead guilty and back on trial. Honestly, it sounds like you might need the mental health evaluation. The court believed you needed it.


Title: I need help finding legislation. My friend was fired in louisiana because he told another employee his wage. (Private company, not a federal contract)

Question: I was wondering if someone knew where I should look to find it. We work in louisiana for a private company, non union and not a federal contract, and my buddy was fired yesterday because he told another employee what he made and that person reported him. I know it may have been that way in the past, but I thought that was illegal now. Every where I look online just references federal contracts.

Answer: Your buddy should file an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board.  The regional office for Louisiana is in New Orleans, he should call the information officer in that office and get the forms to file for violation of Section 7 and Section 8(1)(a).Answer #2: I work at a daiquri shop and we had a meeting yesterday and the first thing my boss told us was if we discussed pay we would be fired... (in Louisiana)


Title: When Put On The "No Fly List", Can You Still Travel By Land & Boat?

Question:
 So I already know that due to the 14th Amendment. That if you are a US  resident and are abroad, the USA would have to send you a commercial  flight to come, and pick you up. According to this link below.

[https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/what-do-if-you-think-youre-no-fly-list/](https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/what-do-if-you-think-youre-no-fly-list/)

However what it doesn't explain. Is if you are already in USA and on the no fly list; are you still  allowed to travel by land and boat? For example if you in California; can you still take a cruise ship to Japan, or a bus/car ride to Mexico?

Answer:
 Yes, you can. Being on the No Fly List doesn't even make it illegal for you to travel by plane either.

It makes it all but impossible because if you are on the list, airline companies will not sell you tickets, airports will turn you away, and you will be prevented from boarding a commercial flight.

It doesn't make it a crime for you to fly, it just prevents you from doing it.


Title: Attempted to buy weed, fucked up

Question:
I was in town after a night of drinking, so I was obviously a bit intoxiated and not too clear thinking. Somehow I ended up talking to these dealer guys who were selling, and I agreed on joining them to take out some money. They convinced me really well to buy this big package for 4 000kr (490$), so I took out the money. We drove in their car and they told me to take out 1000 more. Before I went out of the car, one of the guys told me to give him my money, even though I was very sceptical and wanted to wait. Still, I gave into peer pressure and did it. As I went out of the car on my way to the ATM, they just simply drove off very fast, and it was obvious they were bailing as fast as possible.
I still remember the license plate.

This happened in Norway by the way, so I don't know if the legal procedures are similar, but hope anyone can help.

Answer:
 This isn't going to fly.  It turns out that when you're breaking the law, you can't rely on the people that enforce the law to protect you from criminal activity without getting yourself in trouble.  Also, that's a *shit load* of money to be handing to some dudes you met at a bar who convinced you to get in a car with them and drive to the ATM.  I would highly suggest not drinking in public until you can trust yourself enough to not do something this foolish again.Answer #2: If it's anything like the US, you can't sue someone when you were both doing something illegal.  It's called having "unclean hands."  The courts are not for settling problems between criminals.

You could call the police and they might arrest them, but you may also get arrested.

Let it go and learn from this.


Title: In legaladvice, why do people always post their ages and genders?

Question:
Half the posts on LA are along the lines of "I'm 29F and my boyfriend is 37M, can I record audio in public without consent?"

/r/legaladvice isn't a dating sub. Why do people always bring up their age and gender in posts that have nothing to do with anyone's age or gender?

Answer:
 Because so many posters are directed to LA from the /r/relationships shitshow where the age and gender of every possible person is listed. Even worse are those folks from subs that use the DH, DS. DD, etc... acronyms. Answer #2: Some laws are age sensitive.  They can permit or prohibit certain actions based on the age or relative age or the actors.  Sometimes the legal advice will be different based upon age, like a guardian ad litem.

As well, some laws are not gender neutral.  While they mostly are, there are some that make assumptions about the gender of the people.

Some resources are gender (eg. women's shelters) or age specific.  They might only help their target demographic and turn away others.Answer #3: Personally, I'm glad that they do.  It fills out the overall picture better.  And while this might sound age-ist, I might tone the info to an 18 yr different advice than a 48 yr old.  Legal advice would probably be the same, but I might put in an extra comment, like maybe "if it makes you feel any better, most people don't learn this kind of thing until their older" or something like that.  Or maybe something even more helpful than that.Answer #4: A lot of the posts non la are full of facts that don’t relate to whatever legal issue they are trying to allege but because they aren’t lawyers you can’t really blame them for not knowing that’s why they are seeking advice Answer #5: Because they think legal and relationship advice are similar...for some reason. Sometimes it accidentally ends up being helpful, though.


Title: When ordering you to exit your car, can a law enforcement officer legally order you to leave your phone in the car?

Question: I'm in Ohio, but interested in the answer in other states, too.

Answer:
 During a traffic stop, the violator is lawfully detained by the police.

With this detention comes the ability of the police to control the movements of the detained person(s).  They can be ordered to get out of (or stay in) the car, they can be placed briefly in the officers car, etc.

During the detention, it is not unreasonable for the officer to keep items out of the hands of the person(s) detained for safety reasons.

I would guess that it would fall under reasoning of SCOTUS as seen in [Pennsylvania v. Mimms](http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?navby=case&court=us&vol=434&invol=106).


Title: Got a speeding ticket but the ticket was wrong.

Question: I got a speeding ticket yesterday from an unmarked silver Ford Taurus. I was admittedly speeding. I was caught going 68 in a 45 and the total ticket was just about $200.  According to the Pennsylvania point system, I will also be getting 4 points on my license. The ticket says that I was pulled over by a marked police car even though there were no markings on the car itself. If I plead not guilty, would there be a better chance of getting less points or possibly getting out of the ticket all together?

Answer: Clerical errors generally don't invalidate or change tickets.  You should proceed forward as if the ticket were filled out perfectly; any leniency due to this discrepancy would likely be a bonus, not a given.


Title: Former Corporate Burger King employee, Just laid off

Question:
Literally 24 hours after the official announcement of burgerking acquiring tim hortons they laid me off with no severance package.  I heard last time BK did layoffs they gave all their employees a severance package.  The official reason for my dismissal was cited as "performance related", although I was never advised their was ever an issue with my performance.  I don't have any time to waste as I look to find a new job but is there any legal recourse I should take?

edit: including location - BK World Headquarters - Florida

Answer: You can file for unemployment while you look for a new job.


Title: Should i sue the school?

Question:
The "add location" isnt working..

LOCATION: OKLAHOMA.  Hooker

  I need advice and justice

Last year i had a constant issue with the teacher abusing my 7 yr old son. The teacher miss roberts old as dirt, at the bigging of the school year was hitting my son and others in the back of the head, (my son constantly complained about headaches) she was also pulling hair to get the kids attention, shes smacked them on the knuckles, the nasty lady would make them rub her feet. My son even cried to me cause he couldnt wash his hand afterwards. There suppose to call us if he is acting up we did not give permission for physical punishment.

My first step was the principal and had a meeting there was proof of her being rough with little kids we were told she was gonna be delt with and the next day nothing had changed.

The next steps all followed the super intendent did nothing went to the cops, he got the class moved the library she can teach there while being watched and she would retire at the end of the year.

 Well she didnt retire she gave us a good smirk registering my son in the next grade. The principal quick her job afterwards  told us she couldnt be ok knowing this.

 Reddit i have other kids that will being following shortly in this class im not exactly in a position to move away or homeschool. Ill have more information and sources later just getting something setting up now. There are several other parents that had experienced this BS

Answer:
 If someone is hitting your child, make a police report.

You can also go to the school board about the principal and the teacher's behavior.  Keep escalating until someone does something.

This isn't a "sue them" issue.


Title: "Friend" borrowed money and then moved away.

Question:
I do have multiple screenshots and chat logs of proof of this. Just want my money back. Suggestions? (Yes, I know. Don't lend money out to friends or anyone else).

EDIT: I have the address now, what are my next steps?

Answer: You'll need to track them down and sue them. Outside of that, there is no other option.


Title: Trump says he wants all protesters arrested at his rallies. How would he go about doing this?

Question:
As far as I understand it, police would be the ones to file charges, and the convention center would probably  be the ones choosing whether or not to charge someone with tresspassing on their property. Does Drumpf have any ability to do this? If so, how?

USA

Answer: He has no ability to dictate anything.


Title: [AL] Medical malpractice question.

Question:
I was just curious who can sue on behalf of someone who had a botched procedure or something attributable to medical malpractice.

My mom is in the hospital and isn’t doing well. My aunt is recording conversations with physicians and staff using her cell phone (without telling them) and taking pictures of my mom and her wounds. She says she plans on meeting with an attorney to sue if she dies.

If something did happen, can my aunt actually sue and keep the money for herself? She has sued for sketchy disabilities (won hundreds of thousands twice and squandered it all on bad business ventures and expensive thing in under a year both times. She  now collects a small disability check and food stamps). I would not put it past her try to do this.

Hopefully, my mom will be ok and it doesn’t come to any of this. I’m just curious right now. Thanks.

Edit: my mom doesn’t have a will and she has two life insurance policies. The biggest is split 50/50 with my brother. She has a $10,000 policy she is leaving to my aunt.

Answer: Recording hospital staff without consent is a great way to damage any case your mother has.Answer #2: As long as your mother is alive, only she can sue for malpractice. In Alabama, only the personal representative to the deceased's estate can sue for wrongful death. (EDIT: And only the deceased's estate may be paid in the event of a judgment.) Your aunt needs to knock it off. Your mother may ask the hospital to bar your aunt from visiting if she wishes.Answer #3: Hm . . . if there is something concerning about your mom's health care, your aunt or you should be speaking up rather than just documenting.  If not, the documenting could have a negative impact on her care.


Title: Skipping States

Question:
so i need a little advice if any of you could help me

right now i live in chicago and just got a ticket for possesion of weed under 10g which is just a civil violation here, possession of parphenalia (sealed blunts smh), and tresspassing after dark. and i have a court date in the end of august for the two weed related ones.

my issue is, i planned on moving to another state across the country on july 25th, plane ticket already bought and move in with roomates planned, and my court date is at the very end of august here in chicago...

do any of you know the potential outcome if i were to just thru with my move and skip court and pay none of the tickets? i know eventually a warrant would be out for my arrest but that would only be in illinois right? i dont plan on ever coming back so that wouldnt be the issue if thats the only condition. but any other comments or knowledge of all the consequences/outcomes if i were to skip out on these tickets and court itd be much appreciated.

also i have no priors whatsoever and am 20

hope this was the right place to post this lol
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 If you are stopped by the police, it will show up when they run your licence. They could choose to detain you and you could be extradited back. Say hello to thousands in fees.

It will also show up on a background check, so don't count on having any sort of meaningful career.


Title: DMV clerk changed sex marker on my ID without mentioning/asking about it. Any consequences I should be worried about? [WA]

Question:
For context, I am transgender.  I was born male but my legal name and my appearance are both female.

I moved from Mississippi to Washington state a few months ago.  In August, when I went to the driver licensing office, I only had to give my old MS driver's license and proof of WA residency to get a WA license.  The guy working the counter there didn't ask me for any of my personal information except for my home address in Washington and my weight (WA shows weight on ID cards; MS doesn't).

So, from my MS license, he copies my name, date of birth, eye color, height, and eyeglass restriction onto the WA license.  But, even though I had an M for sex on my old license, he puts an F.  I guess maybe he didn't bother looking at my card for that bit?  Or he thought the MS license had a mistake on it.  Or he thought he was doing me a favor.  Whatever it might've been, I didn't notice it during my time in the licensing office.  The clerk did have me look at a screen "to check if all the information was spelled correctly", but it didn't occur to me to look anywhere besides my name and address before signing off.  A couple weeks later I get my WA license in the mail with the change on it and notice then.

My understanding was that usually a court order is required to make this happen.  Am I wrong?  It was pretty surprising.  It doesn't especially bother me and I wouldn't exactly want it changed back; it's a lot less awkward now getting carded at bars/pot shops/job interviews.  But I'm also kind of worried I could get in some sort of trouble?  Like providing false info on a government form even though that's not what happened.  Or, could I possibly be implicated in fraud if I tried to buy health or auto insurance using the information on my ID card?

Answer:
 Pretty sure “Dave” at the DMV in Washington state isn’t the authority figure that designates gender transfers...

You know this... deep down inside, yes your ok with it and many people are and will be but it’s not legally binding.

Legally you should probably get it changed to reflect the actual status.

Personally... you just saved yourself a lot of time, headache and paperwork... loopholes aren’t just for the rich when doing taxes. ;-)Answer #2: If you are so worried about it then go back to the licensing office and tell them their mistake, get a new license. It’s not a crime, it’s a typo.Answer #3: > But I'm also kind of worried I could get in some sort of trouble?

Don't be. It's not that kind of party.

Generally speaking, as a public employee, we are generally going to "follow the lead" of the person we are talking with. If you were using female pronouns, there's no reason for the guy @ DOL to question your gender identity. She or he (or they) are just gonna go with it.

On another note and just to show how far WA is from MS, there is a movement to change WA-issued birth certificates to show a third gender, X; more info is found here: https://www.doh.wa.gov/LicensesPermitsandCertificates/BirthDeathMarriageandDivorce/SexDesignationChangeonaBirthCertificate

But to answer the most pertinent question, no one will bat an eye. I'm going to presume the guy @ the DOL figured that you had already done all the legal stuff & this was a formality.


Title: Dentist doing procedure without my consent.. what can I do?

Question:
Hi everyone,

It's a long story but I'll try to keep this simple so here it goes. A while ago I decided to get Braces (ortho), went to the Dentist and got the examination. He told me that in order to start my process I'd need to get my 4 premolars extracted. He gave me a good explanation about my mid crowding and I accepted. They sent the inquiry to my insurance and got accepted, so my out of pocket expense was  around USD $155. We schedule the meeting for ortho and extractions for a couple of weeks further and everything was moving in the right direction.

The appointment day came and I went to the dentistry to get my process done. I'm with the doc and the first thing he says to me is that he was thinking about me and he thinks it's better if he only pulls out one of the front tooth since I only have crowding in the front. This is going to be better and faster for me he said. I'm no doctor, so what do I know? I remember that I was just thinking about trading 4 tooth for just one. The process was smooth and I got the ortho on. On my way out I ask the receptionist about my credit(since I got only 1 extraction instead of 4) she tells me that she doesn't know and I should call later in the week. I decide I'm not in a hurry so I'll wait until I'm back in two weeks to get my stitches removed.

The day arrives and I'm at the dentistry again. This time I ask for the credit as soon as I arrive and the girl tells me that not only I don't have any credit but I have a due balance!!!??? She tells me that I got Bone and Tissue inserted and that is around 600! and that they are waiting for the insurance to come back on that bill... Are you serious/?

I went in with the doc and asked him about that... he tells me that having bone and tissue is going to be much better for me because the regen will be faster and better.. I'm like what? I didn't asked for that... In the end he ended up convincing me that it was a good choice, and the girl in the reception told me that once the insurance covers I'm only going to have to pay around 100 dollars out of pocket. I was like, this miscommunication thing cannot happen again, but I'll pay it this time.

Well, in the next couple of days I got an statement from the dentistry, that I owe more than $500 dollars!!!! Turns out my insurance don't cover that procedure when is part of an extraction, and that I'm going to have to pay for the Bone and Tissue procedure! It was a total of $700 something minus the payment of $155 I made for the extractions in the beginning. Honestly, I feel scammed.. I don't trust this dentist anymore, and the worst part is that I have a 2 years process ahead of me with my braces. I don't feel like coming back to that dentistry and get scammed again.

I honestly don't feel like I should pay for that procedure at all, I never signed anything stating that I wanted that procedure, and I feel that they should have inquired the insurance BEFORE, not AFTER the operation.

Answer: Oh man. Sounds similar to a tree branded office I had issues with years ago. I would have disputes immediately saying that you did not agree to tissue and bone transplants, nor were you informed of the procedure until after it had occurred. At this point, they can just sell the debt off to a collector and you'll have to fight it out.


Title: Grandparents Rights concern (AR)

Question:
I've gone no contact with my mother. We have a rough history with abuse on her end. She has put my child in danger a few times, and myself numerous times. For instance, she gave my child a known allergen while babysitting. I should have made a police report in retrospect, but it never crossed my mind that was illegal. Thankfully she hasn't reached out or made much of an effort since cutting contact, but I have heard that in some places grandparents can sue for visitation rights to the grandchild.

Before that becomes an issue, I was wondering what the laws look like in my state, and what I can do to ensure my safety and my childs safety in the event of a legal fight. She has been in legal trouble many, many times for assault, but even with that she is pretty squirrelly. She was able to get custody of my brothers after her divorce even with her history and no income.

TIA

Answer:
 The delusional machination of 'grandparent rights' is something that comes up pretty frequently here. Outside of a very narrow set of circumstances, they simply don't exist.

If you are providing a safe and healthy home for your child, the rights of the parents will always take precedent over any other family member. That includes any decision on who to include or exclude from contact with the child. A grandparent may ask to see the child, but they have no legal power above what would be available to a perfect stranger, and the law is written to protect *your* rights first.

Because of this - it's an all-too-common tale where the grandparent attempts to frame or endanger the parent and child, in an attempt to prove that a safe and healthy home is not, in fact, being provided. Only then, will a family court attempt to intercede and place the child with a close relative (but not necessarily a grandparent) until such time that the parent can fulfill their role.

You may want to move forward with filing a restraining order against the grandparent as a proactive measure against this.


Title: Being blackmailed by ex-wife Oklahoma over potential underage porn

Question:
I live in Oklahoma. Roughly a year ago, while still married, my sex life was in a rut in my marriage, and I went on The Pirate Bay, clicked on recent porn uploads, and downloaded about 15 of the most recent files. My wife found these files and went through them, she confronted me and told me she thought some of them were underage. They were mostly amateur porn, and while I didn't see anything that indicated under 18 (appeared to be in dorm-rooms, indicating college age), I deleted the files out of concern for violating the law and because my wife didn't want me to have them.

For roughly a year now, she has brought up the photos during conflicts (roughly half a dozen times). She apparently saved them to her computer right away, and has been using them to settle arguments by threatening to go to the police. In May I decided to leave the marriage, and these photos have come up several times since then to get me to back down from demands regarding material possessions and keep me from arguing.

It seems like blackmail, I don't have the best documentation though, just a few text messages (most was over the phone or in person)

6/10/17 "I look forward to all of the underage porn of yours that I get to show in court"

5/24/17 "I have...so much underage porn that came from your laptop!"

And then one talking about how we would discuss the porn in marriage counseling, can't quote it without butchering it to avoid sharing personal info.

I've avoided doing anything about this out of fear that I would get in trouble for potentially downloading illegal pornography. This evening she has been threatening to share it with my boss and with the police, and I'm not sure what to do. Do I contact the police? Do I lawyer up? Is this blackmail if there weren't recorded demands, only threats?

EDIT: Title should be "ex-wife IN Oklahoma", Oklahoma is not my ex-wife.

Answer:
 IF any of those files DO contain underage girls, your ex is violating the law worse than you are. She is also blackmailing you, which is illegal.

You can't buy silence, you can only rent it.Answer #2: Like others said, just ignore her when she brings these up.  Its been over a year since you say you deleted them, and provided you've been regularly using the computer they were originally downloaded on, the data will have been overwritten so many times that it will be nigh on impossible to prove that you had them.  She, on the other hand......Answer #3: > "I have...so much underage porn that came from your laptop!"

I have never contemplated a more stupid thing to send to someone in a text message.  But what makes you think that she is even right about it being CP?  Unless there is proof, she is blackmailing you with blanks.  Still illegal though, so there's that.  And if they *are* CP, she is blackmailing you with evidence that would put her away!

If you still care about her in the least, you might advise her to delete the pics immediately and stop blackmailing you.Answer #4: NAL

Have you started divorce proceedings yet? If you have, share this information with your lawyer, he can advise. If you haven't, you are past due, the quicker your divorce is finalised the quicker she is out of your life.


Title: Photography

Question: Can someone take a picture of me after I have specifically told them not to? What about on public vs private property? Can they post it to social media?

Answer: It's not that simple. You don't have the authority to dictate you never being in a photograph ever. If you are out and about in public, you run the risk of being photographed. Now, if you're in a private setting and you have an expectation of privacy, legally that would be an invasion of your privacy.


Title: cousins got kicked out [NE]

Question:
My cousins are 15 and 16 years old. Their mother (we'll call her D) recently (as in, this past week) kicked them out of the house. As far as I know (there is probably more to the story), the eldest drives the youngest to and from school/activities and asked D for $20 for gas money, and D flipped out and kicked them out. The youngest stayed with another aunt of mine and the eldest with a friend for a night. I am uncertain where they are staying now.

Do I have a legal responsibility to report child abandonment/neglect? I can't find any statutes that aren't super vague about this situation. I ask because I don't want my cousins or anyone else in my family to feel D's wrath for calling CPS or something (because she probably wouldn't know it's me calling, as I have no contact with her). She is kind of crazy. I might also mention that D is fairly promiscuous, with different guys over most nights. I'm not sure if this, by law, creates an unsuitable home for the kids, so it might not be relevant, but I thought I'd mention it in case it is.

Thanks for any help.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 > Do I have a legal responsibility to report child abandonment/neglect?

You can certainly call and report it, if you want to.  Unless you're a mandated reporter(teacher, social worker, medical worker, et cetera) you have no requirement to.


Title: Rapist wants to move in to student house still [UK]

Question:
So a little background, there were a group of us that decided to live together for the next year of uni, we found a nice house, signed the tenancy agreement and then things got weird.

Two of the people i am living with have a brief history, they slept together once and then one of then lets call him J confessed strong feelings for the other lets call her S. A few weeks later there was an incident where J forced himself on S, it didn't come out straight away, it took S a little while to establish how she felt about the situation but now has come to the realisation that it was rape and she does not feel safe living in a house with him.

J refuses to not live in the house, he is adamant that we can't do anything about him living with us.
A police report has been filed but we don't have enough evidence to prosecute. What can we do?

Answer:
 >we found a nice house, signed the tenancy agreement...he is adamant that we can't do anything about him living with us.
A police report has been filed but we don't have enough evidence to prosecute.

You can't force an innocent man out of his leased home, and he's legally innocent. She could try for a protective order of some sort, but if that fails she has no recourse.

You could also offer to pay his moving expenses and a month's rent if he agrees to leave. You'd need to offer to legally absolve him of his obligations under the lease, which would mean getting the landlord involved. He doesn't have to agree to the deal, however.

You should review the lease/tenancy agreement to see what exact terms you've all agreed to and try to work within that framework.


Title: Former roommate left her cat at my apartment when she moved out and said she'd come back for it; it's been a month and the cat's still here. Legally, am I ok to take it to an animal shelter? (NC)

Question:
This woman subleased from one of my roommates over the summer, and moved out at the beginning of August, leaving behind several of her things - including her cat. She's a really sweet cat, but per the terms of our lease we're not allowed to keep pets in the apartment (former tenant was allowed to have her because she was registered as a therapy animal, but considering the fact that she's abandoned it for the past month, it doesn't appear that she needs the cat very much). We thought about asking the landlord if we could keep her, but a week ago when he came to do routine maintenance on my apartment he saw the cat and told us we needed to get rid of her ASAP. That was a week ago, and despite numerous requests to the cat's owner to come get her (as well as all the roommate's other stuff that she left here), she has not come by to get the cat yet.

I don't want to get evicted or face any legal repercussions because of the cat's irresponsible owner, and frankly I'm tired of having to care for and buy food/cat litter for a pet that I don't even want. Legally, would I be justified in telling the former tenant that if the cat isn't gone by a certain date that she will be taken to an animal shelter, and following through with it if need be? I've already had her for a month, violating the terms of my lease in the process, and since she hasn't come by to get it yet, I feel like the cat would probably be better off with another owner anyway. I just don't want to open myself up to legal action by the former tenant, and I definitely don't want it to still be here next time my landlord visits.

Thanks in advance for any advice you could give to me pertaining to the situation!

**UPDATE:** I sent her another message today saying that the landlord said we can't keep her cat any longer, that it isn't our responsibility to take care of her cat, and that if it isn't gone by Thursday that we would be taking the cat to an animal shelter. She was furious, but she came by within the hour and collected her pet. Thanks for the advice, everyone!

Answer:
 Make sure you do it in writing and get some kind of response.

 "Hey X, The landlord told us we have to get rid of the cat by X date because it's a violation of our lease. I can not keep it any longer. If you haven't come to get it by day before X date I'm surrendering it to X shelter."

Email is better than texting. Texting is better than a phone conversation. If she won't respond to an email and you really want to be thorough send a letter to her new address via certified mail.


Title: Is anyone responsible for medical bills after death?

Question:
Hello, a friend recently was found unconscious in an apartment fire (Michigan) and suffered from massive smoke inhalation. Unfortunately, he was in critical condition for days until finally being pulled off life support late last night.

My question: is any family responsible for the medical bills? He was 21 years old and has no assets to cover it.

Answer:
 His estate would be responsible for the bills.  Liability could also be pushed to anyone that accepted the shared responsibility.

Did he share an insurance policy with anyone?  Did anyone agree on their own to pay his bills?  If the answer to both is "no" then it's unlikely anyone else would be responsible.


Title: My diabetic father

Question:
So my father (53M) has really bad diabetes. He’s almost went into a diabetic coma and almost died 4 times in the past year or two and yesterday makes 5 times it’s happened. He lives by himself. Anyhow we keep finding him with his blood sugar going down all the way to 26. My family just cannot keep a constant watch on him 24/7. So my advice I need is,  my family and I want to put him in some kind of assisted living, but he does not want to go so he will have to be placed by force. I’m wondering how my family and I go about doing that. State is Alabama.
Topic:
Disability Issues

Answer: You can contact adult protective service but if he is of sound mind it's likely you cannot force anything on him. He has a right to die this way if he wants to.


Title: A website scammed me

Question: I don't know where else I am supposed to go with this issue so if someone could lead me to a subreddit better for this issue, I would appreciate it. Anyways, on October 9th I had ordered a chain off of a website called [menacejewelery.com](https://menacejewelery.com) who I also follow on Instagram. Out of curiosity of when my order was going to ship, I commented on one of their posts asking when my chain was going to ship. They told me to "Learn how to read" and after some back and forth of me asking where exactly I should read and the owner just being rude, he blocked me and cancelled my order and then updated the websites homepage to state when the chains would ship. I was charged $25 when I originally ordered that chain and now that my order is cancelled, I should get my money back. They refuse to respond to any of my e-mails, blocked me on Instagram, and nowhere in their TOS does it say they don't issue refunds. Since the website was ran through squarespace, I tried looking up the transaction on their page but it says it doesn't exist. What can I do?

Answer: I would suggest calling your bank and have them do a stop payment to prevent the transaction from withdrawing.Answer #2: Issue a chargeback with your bank for non delivery. They will require the merchant to provide proof of delivery, since they won't be able to they will lose the chargeback. Your bank will issue you a credit within a day or tw of you contacting them.


Title: Data contract ended 3 years ago, now suddenly I'm getting billed enormous amounts

Question:
I live in south Africa so not sure anyone will be able to help.

I took out a cheap data contract 5 years ago. It was something stupid like a 2 gig a month data bundle over 2 years and included a router with a sim card. It expired after two years, the company stopped debiting me and that was that.

3 years later I find the old router and I throw it out. The very next month I'm billed an exorbitant amount. I call the company and they said they would sort it out. The next month I'm billed again, even more. I call again and they say they will sort it out...But now I'm being handed over to debt collectors and I'm probably already black listed.

My guess is the sim was still inside and somehow someone activated the account again. I didn't think twice about throwing it out, and I get that that was a mistake. But I can't afford to pay the amounts they claim I owe, let alone for something I didn't use.
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer: You're probably not going to find many experts on SA law here. However, you need to contact the company and escalate up the chain that you weren't in possession of the router/SIM card, and these charges are owed to someone else.


Title: (PA) I was involved in a vehicle crash and was hit directly on my airbag sensor, but my airbags did not deploy.

Question:
I was involved in a crash last Thursday evening after a woman ran a red light as I was making a left-hand turn at an intersection I've crossed a million times. I was wearing my seatbelt and was not injured, however, my airbags did not deploy. My question is this: is there some type of follow-up that should be made with the car manufacturer to inquire about why my airbags did not deploy? The sensor is located directly under the crumple zone on the bumper, which was smashed in a good six inches. The impact was strong enough to bend my frame and the car is being declared as totaled.

&#x200B;

Who would I even begin to contact in this situation? I am not looking for financial compensation—my insurance company is handling everything as far as replacing the car goes, but I would hate for somebody else to be involved in a more serious accident when the airbags would have saved their life.  Material items can be replaced, but people can not, so I'm glad that I was able to walk away unscathed.

&#x200B;

Car is/was a 2006 Audi A3, which currently has a recall on its airbags due to material used in deployment potentially containing shrapnel, nothing about potential to not deploy in a crash was noted. It's currently on the list to be repaired, but there are not enough parts in existance (multiple other makes of vehicles are involved) so the wait list is quite long.

I am located in Philadelphia.

Answer:
 Airbags are designed to deploy only in certain types of crashes.

It would be impossible for anyone here to tell if your airbags failed to deploy properly, or failed to deploy improperly.

You can start by inquiring with the shop repairing the car as to what they think.


Title: (FL) A customer got sick after eating dry beans and now wants to sue me.

Question:
I make a living selling produce and bread at a farmers market. I sell dry beans as well, I put a warning and cooking directions on every bag.

About a week ago a guy bought two bags of pinto beans, this morning I got a call from him claiming that he got sick after eating them, I asked if he cooked them properly. He didn't soak them, he just boiled them for 45 minutes.

He wants to sue me for medical costs. Any chance of that succeeding?

Answer:
 I never soak my pintos, usually because I plan meals the day of eating and not the night before. And, there is NO DEFINITIVE way to cook pintos. Some people soak, others don't.

Legally, could he sue Kraft because he used gasoline instead of milk in his shitty Mac N Cheese? I suppose he could, but he wouldn't win. Don't worry about it unless you receive a complaint.


Title: School Chromebooks

Question: Our school is sending out contracts to sign saying that we "will pay for damages to our new chromebooks". However, they are forcing us to sign these "contracts" with the threat of detention. Does this nullify the contract because we are under duress while signing?

Answer: Detention is not duress. Also, why would you think you wouldn’t be responsible for damage you cause to the school’s computer?


Title: 8 weekends locked up

Question: Has anyone had to go through weekend lockup periods before? I don't reslly know where to post this question but a little insight helps... I mean it's considered legal? I just want some advice on how it is

Answer: Yes, it's legal.  It's so people don't have to quit or get fired from their jobs to serve a short sentence.


Title: Can a landlord legally make renovations while there are still tenants living there?

Question: I am a college student living in an apartment complex that is also occupied for the most part by other students, paying way too much to live in this shitty one bedroom apartment. One wing of the apartment complex I am living in was already renovated; however those tenants were allowed to have their leases terminated, and they received a 300 dollar payout, on top of their deposit to move out early before construction... Yesterday the landlord had begun bringing that construction over to my side of the building, and the other tenants living here have received no warning, no compensation, no nothing.. The entire floor constantly smells like paint, there is construction debris in the hallways, and there is the constant sound of construction right outside by door in 8:00 in the morning... I pay way too much, study way to hard, and sleep way to little (much less now that this shit started), to sit idly by while some greedy motherfucker tries to make mint.. Do I have rights as a tenant to peace and quiet? What compensation can I look for if there is any to be had?

Answer: Since construction starts at 8 and its not in your apartment, you really have no recourse.


Title: My manager is changing my clock out time, is that legal?

Question: I'm not sure if this is the right sub for this question but I was wondering if anyone knew any laws on a manager changing times. Example I worked until 2:14 and the manager later changed my clock out time to 2:00 to save labor and make him look good I'm sure! And I can't find it on google:/ thanks!

Answer:
 Clock in at 07:14 and see if he rounds it back.  He has to work it on both ends. His rule not yours.

I worked at a place where you had to go through a mantrap to get into work.  Not even a clock in.  Some idiot in management started making salaried people put down going through 1 minute late on their time cards.  So they could be docked one minute.  But did nothing if we were held up and left like 7 minutes on leaving.   after about a week HR spanked the shit out of him.    Call your HR department.  If you have one. Answer #2: Rounding to the nearest quarter hour is permitted, but it must be done in a way not disadvantageous to the employee.  2:01pm to 2:07pm could be rounded to 2:00pm, but 2:08pm to 2:14pm would have to be rounded to 2:15pm.

Keep careful track of your actual clock punch times for a while, in a journal or something.  Compare with your hours after the manager has gotten through with them.  If you are being disadvantaged, file a complaint with your state labor agency.Answer #3: You must be paid for all hours worked. They can round time to the nearest 15 minute period, generally (so this sounds like your manager is breaking the rules). What state are you in?


Title: Young Canadian woman dealing with a delusional American male.

Question:
I have a friend who is a model. Today she posted the messages of some guy that has been harassing her for about a year. This guy is really delusional. We'll call them Kim and James.

Kim lives in Canada and James lives in the U.S. They came into contact when James wanted permission to use her work for one of his projects. After making contact James deluded himself into thinking they belong together. Kim has a boyfriend and has repeatedly told him no as well as blocking him on multiple social media platforms but there are ways around blocks. Messages can get sent if you tag someone in something, they get the notification.

These messages range from things like thinking of her or wishing he could be cuddling with her at that moment but the worrisome one so far is the one where he said he'd wait until she was ready and come to her when she's ready.

Because this is an international situation I'm looking for advice on how to keep him away from her or at least offer her some advice to keep her safe.

Please and thank you.

Edit: I can provide screenshots to those who need more information about the nature of the messages to provide better advice.

Answer:
 Deluded.

Has she tried calling her local police?Answer #2: >Messages can get sent if you tag someone in something, they get the notification.

I’m not sure of the specific social media platform, but often there are advanced privacy settings that can be used to prevent this.  As a first simple step she should dive deep into the privacy settings, even sending a message to the help desk of the social media platform saying “hey, this creep has been harassing me for years, any way to stop him from tagging me?”  Flagging any posts he makes like as harassment if the social media platform allows will be a good call as well.

As to her legal options, those essentially boil down to a restraining order (or whatever the state/provincial equipvelent is) or if he’s committing a crime it would be harassment.

Pursuing the harrassment side of things would involve calling the police in *his* location, asking if this qualifies as harassment, and asking what they can do to help.

The other option, the restraining order, would involve a conversation with either her local police department or his.  Specific locations are going to be important for how or if this is an option.  But honestly a first step of simply calling the police and discussing any possible options they have for helping is a good first step.Answer #3: NAL

It sounds as if she has attracted a ‘love obsessional’ or erotomania stalker. They are the most persistent type of stalker, and the most likely to continue to escalate the harassment.

You can find some helpful advice [here](http://www.victimsofviolence.on.ca/research-library/stalking/) , including reporting to the RCMP


Title: Data Security: College employer somehow accessed my non-college related login credentials, then sent them to me as plain text.

Question:
Greetings!

I was recently asked to fill out some online forms by my employer (a college). We have a password/username management system which gives us credentials to be used globally for all of the colleges online systems, however these credentials were not working.

I emailed the office which requested the online forms, and asked if the global credentials should be working. They sent me new login credentials which consisted of my personal, non-college gmail account as the username, and my personal password which I use for just about everything on the internet, all as plain text. In other words, they sent me an email with my most common un and pw combo.

This raises several security concerns for me- first, it doesn't show prudence sending a password through plain text, coupled with my most common username. Second, how the fuck did they get my personal password? Where did they get it, and who else has access to my info?

As far as I remember, I've never used that password for anything college-related, and even if I did, I know I've never used my personal email for college business.

Obviously, I've changed the password on as many accounts that use that password as I can think of, but a couple of other questions: Am I overreacting? What should I do in terms of contacting IT at the college? What are the legalities of mis-handling sensitive cyber-data? Any other thoughts?

Edit for location: USA

Answer:
 > What are the legalities of mis-handling sensitive cyber-data?

There is no issue here, until/unless you suffer a loss due to it.

As for your personal gmail/password, you almost assuredly used it on college systems at some point.  Likely on one of the systems that is now wrapped into the 'global' authentication system.  There are other methods of getting your password, but they're far more labor and time intensive, and it makes no sense that they'd use them solely to give you a good password at reset time.


Title: Husband losing job over false harassment accusations; what to do?

Question:
Husband works in NYC but we live in another state. Also, this is a throwaway.

Husband works for a big company. He is probably mid-mgmt.  My husband called me on Thursday and said he was accused of harassment by a co-worker that was his “friend”. This co-worker is senior than him and does not work in his group. They have been friends and she often refers to him as her younger sibling.

The accusations focused on two statements he made. First one - made early in this year-  he told her she looks like she lost weight. My husband said this woman often complains of her weight and mentions how she can’t find a boyfriend so he thought she would boost her confidence. She is very open about her weight issues

Next statement is that around a month ago, he messaged her  during a meeting and told her she was distracting.  He said this because she was talking over people during a mandatory meeting.

So she took the two statements and reported them to HR. HR said these are worthy of being fired over. They suspended him and said they hope to make a decision by tomorrow. Husband is convinced he’s going to be fired because he thinks if they don’t, she’ll sue. Is he right? Will they really fire him over her misunderstanding?

For some more context, HR only referenced these two statements.

We took screenshots of different messaging systems to show that he rarely communicates with her.   His work friends are beyond surprised that my husband is being accused of harassment. He said he sees a lot worse than his statements at work at a daily basis.

Husband said he suspects she reported him because he called her out for making disparaging comments about his team’s work product. He was asked by his team lead to say something to her. I read the message and I have to be honest, I think it was a really professional messaged. He essentially said if she has any critique of the work product, she should tell the proper persons rather than just disparage the work openly to other people in the company. Her response to the message was she doesn’t know what he’s referencing but will talk about it later. That’s it.

So if he really is fired, what can we do? He is at will, so I already know the answer. Will the harassment charge follow him to other jobs? Should he quit rather than get fired? Any advice would be appreciated.

TLDR: husband being accused of harassment over misunderstanding by accused? What can we do to prevent him getting fired? What can we do if he is fired. Thank you.

Answer: They can fire him for any reason, including wrong or unfair reasons, not protected by law. That is an internal company decision and most companies never make their reasons for firing an employee public, so it would not follow him. If he is fired he'll have a good claim for unemployment. If he quits he would not be eligible for unemployment. He can't do anything to prevent them from firing him.


Title: How to report therapist for misconduct/mistreatment of a patient?

Question:
I live in florida. I'm not sure exactly what 'type' of therapist he is, he offers my mother counseling. I see a different therapist in the same building who's nice and good. The one my mom sees is extremely irresponsible and messed up. I'v always kept my mouth shut because I don't like trouble but recently he's finally crossed the last line.

I refuse to let him treat my mother like his any longer, this needs to be stopped. who knows if he treats other patients with the same disrespect to? i'll list all the things he's done/does. And also the final thing that made me lose it.

There have been a couple instances were the therapist lost his temper and yelled at her very loudly. He literally yelled at his therapy patient. (i'm not sure what caused it exactly, he was trying to help her with something financial, and she didn't want to take his advice about it.) Regardless of what reason that's no way to treat a patient.

My mother has OCD, she's not in therapy for this specifically for her own reasons. but you's still expect a therapist to treat her with respect when she shows symptoms (like excessive hand washing in the bathroom) right? Instead he literally laughs and makes jokes about her behind her back. "oh she's still in the bathroom, haha she's so crazy"

One of the things she's in counseling for is to help with her relationship with my stepdad, they aren't actually married but we all live together. I'll try not to get to into unnecessary details, but most of the problems are caused by my stepdad (i'll just call him joe not real name). He constantly throws literal tantrums over small stuff, yelling and hitting walls, he's threatened to get physical a few times (never actually has, yet). The therapist treats this as something they 'both' need to work on, rather then calling him out on his abuse.

This might be because 'joe' is an air conditioner worker, and does work on the therapists air sometimes. real professional.

Or it may be do to another problem the therapist has, which is that he often plays on his phone or computer during sessions. He's not looking at anything related to them like files or notes, he goes on his email, texts his family, things like that. He even highjacks sessions by talking about himself and where he's gonna vacation next. He obviously doesn't pay attention to her. He's even ended the session early a few times.

Here's the worst thing so far. Recently my mother has had a good deal of death in her family. One incident was homicidal in nature. She didn't share that part with joe for good reason. However when she talked about it in therapy the therapist looked up the news report on the incident right in front of her, and started talking to her about it as if she didn't know anyone involved, just casually like he was chatting about any other news story. Not to help her or anything, just because he was curious. He didn't care she was in the room still and that it might upset her. And because joe happened to be in the room when that happened, he learned of the incident and uses it to insult her in arguments. " your family is messed up, my family's normal". He wouldn't have known if the therapist didn't divulge that personal information like that.

What can I do to report this malpractice? He can't keep getting away with treating his patients like this. I don't want my mother involved at all, i'm 21 and I would rather do it for her. She's been through enough.

Answer: Your mother is an adult. She can choose to stop seeing this therapist or report him if she feels his conduct was unethical.


Title: [NY] Just moved into a new place. Unlivable conditions. What do I do? [IMAGES]

Question:
So I signed a lease last December that started June 1st. I just moved in today on July 6th. The house is in unlivable condition and we were told it would be fixed and nice. Also there is WiFi included in the lease and there is still no WiFi service and no power on half the house.

I also moved furniture in before June (A mattress, Box Spring, and couch). It’s all gone and the landlord is claiming he never removed it.

I haven’t paid anything yet because of the condition. The Landlord also was just sued by the Department of Justice for “requesting sexual favors from college girls in exchange for reduced rent or for maintenance to be done in a timely manner.”

He was fined $400,000 and he is no longer allowed to manage his own properties but he is still texting me demanding rent and threatening to sue.

Link to images:

https://imgur.com/gallery/z0MVlMQ

Answer:
 he can threaten to sue you all he likes. keep all the texts from him saved and all the pictures you've taken. if he actually does sue you and you get served, get a lawyer and respond to the suit.Answer #2: you don't pay anything and you contact code enforcement and the fire department/marshal/building inspector for your county/city to report dangerous electrical faults and boarded windows that prevent escape in case of a fire. You also call the police for the stolen furniture. Prepare to sue the landlord for the value of the furniture in small claims.

&#x200B;

Also send landlord a certified letter listing every issue and demanding they be fixed.

&#x200B;

If landlord goes to evict, you bring your pictures, messages, emails, your certified letter. In the mean time, find a new place to live and move out. Landlord can sue, but you'll bring your evidence and the judge will find landlord was in violation of the lease too. You countersue for value of the furniture. Have fun.


Title: The DNC just served WikiLeaks via Twitter, what's the legality behind this?

Question: The DNC served WikiLeaks by court order here https://twitter.com/processservicec/status/1027960972504457217?s=21

Answer: The DNC's motion, explaining their justification for the order, is [here](https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.492363/gov.uscourts.nysd.492363.149.0.pdf). Basically, in federal court, if the normal means of service have failed, the court can authorize whatever other means are reasonably designed to reach the defendant.


Title: PA - Ugly breakup/girlfriend moving out. Can her parents legally enter if I say no?

Question:
I recently went through an ugly breakup with my girlfriend, who is listed on the lease with myself (no one else).

Her family responded very angrily to the breakup and I do not want them in my house when she gathers her things to leave - I fear they will cause trouble.

 Do I have the legal right to deny them entry to my home, even if my ex girlfriend wants them inside?

Answer: Your girlfriend has just as much rights to your place as you do because she's on the lease. You can't keep her parents out if she invites them in.


Title: Canada: I believe I am being investigated by the police. Do I have the ability to sue?

Question:
Long story short, I had some drama with a girl who works at a bar in Toronto. She spun a story that I was only going to the bar to see her \(which wasn't true\) and it is my belief that I am being investigated by the police and that a warning about me has been sent to other bars in the city.

I am not genuinely worried that anything will come out of this investigation, but I have been getting treated like a predator around the city which isn't true. I am still gathering all details \(can use the freedom of information act\), but do I have any legal recourse against this girl for filing a false complaint or the police for issuing an overzealous warning about me?

Once I get access to my police records I will pass them off to a lawyer, but would love to know if I have anything to fall back on here.

Answer:
 Your interpretation of what the police would do based on one complaint is well beyond a normal reaction.
Answer #2: You are never going to be able to prove that she didn't make the police report in good faith. You should not be showing up at a bar where someone who thinks you are stalking them works, even if they aren't there at that time.

The police do not send out creepy guy alerts to all the bars and coffee shops in the city (seriously there are like tens of thousands, there is no mechanism for this).

Pretty sure FOI does not apply to active police investigations. If you ever get charged with something this will all come out in the discovery process though.

You need to stop hanging out in places where this girl or people she know might be.Answer #3: >but do I have any legal recourse against this girl for filing a false complaint

Probably not. If she honestly thought you were following her to the  bar, she's free to report that to the police. It doesn't really spund like she made a false report.

>the police for issuing an overzealous warning about me?

Also probably not. First, I'd be surprised if the police did in fact warn all the bars about you. Second, if they have a good faith reason to believe people should be warned about you, it'll be hard to hold them liable for intentional wrongdoing.Answer #4: What quantifiable damages do you have that you would sue for?Answer #5: you can sue, you probably won't win.


Title: My computer keeps making errors, but I keep getting written up for the errors and threatened termination

Question:
Hello there,

&#x200B;

Long time lurker, first time poster. Thanks to r/Slash I thought I would try my hand at posting since the reddit community has been so helpful to so many.

Backstory: I work at a not for profit museum in a coastal city where there are about 5 people on the Board of Directors (BOD), about 20 Employees for daily admission sales operations and tours, and over 100 volunteers that donate their time to help maintain and docent here.

I work in the front selling admissions, as well as during the school year I work full time in their education department running and organizing overnight school field trips, and for major blitz events I will work for 10-12 hours straight assisting departments with set up, take down and answering patron questions throughout the museum. I have been working here for almost 5 years and have helped with every single department from admin to maintenance. I love my job and I love my museum, but over the past 6 months or so, morale has greatly decreased due to lay offs, low admissions, poor advertising and a general disinterest from the public.  On to the reason for my post.

&#x200B;

I've been selling admissions to the general public and those include cash and credit card sales that have to be tallied and totaled and just like most places it is our responsibility to make sure it is balance, with no overages or shortages.

Lately there has been overages on my till due to a computer error, where it will tender the amount given, but not include the cash amount into the total, leading to the overage in the computer system. In no way is this my fault, it has been a known and repetitious issue, but every time it happens, I get written up because it is policy that any overages lead to a write up.

This has been personally draining and stressful because now I have come from being excited about going to work, to dreading it. If feels like every time I turn there is some new policy that I have broken which will lead to a write up, and every time someone talks to me from the BOD, instead of being what used to be thankfulness and praise it is now verbal warnings and threats of future termination.

Is this harassment or is this normal workplace interactions?

Answer: You may feel harassed but harassment in the workplace is usually a term of art referring to specific actionable forms of harassment. It's not illegal for them to be a shitty organization with bad systems and contradictory policies. It's also not illegal for them to fire you as a result.


Title: S/O's father passed, wife is trying to take life insurance policy.

Question:
Hello, thank you for taking the time to look this over.

My S/O's father passed away in April. He went to talk to her about getting a few of his possessions for sentimental reasons. She refused to let him have anything and is currently selling all of his thing.

Here recently my S/O and his brother learned that their father left them as beneficiaries on a life insurance policy. Once the wife learned of this she called the insurance company claiming it should be hers.

 So, now the insurance company has put a hold on the policy until they determines who is supposed to get the policy funds.

My question is, does she have a leg to stand on? I mean they're listed as beneficiaries on it.

A little back story: both father and wife are alcoholics(the reason he died) and were heavy Coke users. They've been married for three years and got married on a whom while on vacation in Jamaica.

Answer: There will be lawyers involved now. Pretty sure that who ever he listed gets the money.


Title: Need to kick out my ex-girlfriend. Need help on how?

Question:
Long story short my now ex-girlfriend slept with another man and got pregnant. I want her out of my apartment as soon as possible. She is not on the lease. She has been staying here for around 15 months. What are her rights? Is she considered a trespasser? Does she get to have a 7 day notice or what? Can she call the cops on me for anything?

I live in Michigan

Answer:
 I sympathize, this must be a difficult situation.

Right now you are her de facto landlord; she has established residency. You need to serve her with proper, written 30-day notice to vacate.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/aero/Notice-to-Quit_224823_7.pdf

If after 30 days she doesn't leave you then have to go to court and file an eviction. If you throw her stuff out or change the locks you'll be breaking the law.


Title: My mom borrowed someone's car and got arrested because that person left their prescription medicine in it without it's container. Kentucky USA

Question: She got pulled over for careless driving and after seeing the pills they somehow charged her with trafficking. (I don't know why or how they searched the vehicle) What will happen in this situation? The guy we borrowed the car from promised to come to court to prove it's his prescription, but will my mom still get hit with drug charges?

Answer:
 Did the name on the prescription match the name of the registered owner of the car?

Either way, your mom needs a criminal defense attorney.


Title: I’m a minor who desperately needs help

Question: So I’m currently staying at my non-custodial parents house in TX and my Custodial parent is on WA. I’m not very educated on legal stuff so sorry if I sound stupid but I really need help because I feel trapped and don’t know what to do. My parent here is refusing to let me go home even though being at this house is detrimental to my mental health. I used to be in a mental health facility for my depression and etc and my therapist there had documented that when I visit Texas that I only stay for weeks because of what happens to me when I’m isolated for so long. The faculty got shutdown so the medial document was hidden away and now he can’t find it. My parent here is aware of the recommendation because my therapist told it to her in person but she denies it to everyone else. She is trying to keep me till sept 1st and I don’t know how much longer I can go Before I pull some stupid shit. I don’t know who to reach out to and no one seems to help me. I’ve tired to do research and contact my mom in Washington and she’s trying her hardest to get me home but my parent here won’t budge. I don’t know if you guys will be able to give me any advice but I’m just desperate.

Answer:
 If the custody agreement, laid out by the courts, allows for your non-custodial parent to have you until September 1st, then there is not much you can do if your non-custodial parent chooses to exercise their right to have you.

Your custodial parent would have to go to court and get the custodial agreement changed, which is unlikely to happen before September 1st.

Recommendations from your therapist are good and all, but they don't supersede court orders, especially from a facility that has been shut down.

It does sound like you are on the cusp of a mental health crisis (or are already in one), reach out and talk to someone [please](https://www.mentalhelp.net/articles/depression-hotline/).


Title: Calling of sick for work

Question:
Relevant information:
Myself - 19M
Sister - 18F
Location - PA, USA

Hello! This is my first post to reddit, and obviously this sub reddit. Bare with me please! I, 19M, was recently talking to my sister, 18F, about her current job at a horse barn. They don’t take taxes out of her check, she makes $10 an hour, and the business is very small. She has a manager and a few other co workers. My question(s) are: when she asks for a sick day, having recently thrown up, is she legally required to go into work because he boss tells her to? My second question is are there any laws relevant to her changing her schedule?

Backstory: she called in before her shift started and she was denied the day off, despite being sick. She has also been to a doctor and been told that she needs to take more days off because of her mental health. She has been denied the ability to change her current schedule from 6 days a week to MTWRF.

Answer:
 There is no legal requirement to go in to work even when you're feeling 100% on top of the world.  Your employer may choose to terminate employment if you fail to show up as scheduled.

There are no laws that would be applicable to her changing schedule.  Employers have certain requires to give notice before changing yours, but there are no laws that guarantee or allow you to set your own schedule in any way, provided you are not working an illegal shift in violation of labor laws.

They can deny your requests to change hours.

Your sister should find employment less physically destructive.


Title: Ohio - Neighbor's roofers left my yard full of scrap metal.

Question:
My situation is pretty much explained in the title. On Friday I returned home from work to find my neighbor having roofing done on his home. However, the roofers set up a portable dumpster in my front yard, and stacked all the old metal roofing in my yard as well. I'm not talking on the edge of the property either, they pretty much took up the whole thing. I confronted the workers and they assured me they'd be gone in an hour and would clean everything up with magnets. So I let it drop and went on with my day.

Fast forward to this morning, I go outside and my yard is still littered with bits of metal, roofing material, and even found a rusty nail. Now I'm a renter so I don't own this property, and my landlord is an old retired guy who lives in North Carolina.

I have not yet confronted my neighbor as I again had to work today and he isn't home as I'm writing. Obviously I don't want this to turn into a big hostile neighbor situation but what can I reasonably do if he's unwilling to pay to have the remaining metal removed?

Thank you for your advice.

Answer: Ask him the name of the roofing company and call them


Title: BC Canada Fire Evacuation Orders, are they really 100% enforceable?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You know what: if you are ordered under these circumstances to leave and you don't, and you somehow avoid the police enforcement, and you misjudge it, sadly not only will you be a crispy critter, but you will also be putting firefighters lives at risk. How entitled are you to think that your transitory discomfort is more important than putting yourself in the position where public resources and maybe lives have to be expended saving your stupid ass?Answer #2: Yes, they are enforceable and the police will enforce it if you don't leave voluntarily.


Title: Sunbathing nude vs new neighbors

Question:
Clark county Las Vegas Nevada.
I like to lay out nude in my backyard which is enclosed by 8ft walls. I have enjoyed the privacy of my backyard for years and probably would continue to enjoy it if not for my new next door neighbors and their 3 kids ages around 10 or so.
Don’t get me wrong they are lovely people very polite and keep to themselves.
But
They have set up a trampoline in their backyard next to our shared wall. Their kids are on that thing all the time! The kids don’t even need to jump to be able to see into my backyard which they do constantly I cant even do laundry without being watched.
Im getting tired of not having my privacy and I want to get some sun.
 I have no interest in furthering their kids education cause ewww so not right!
Oh and to add to the issue there’s a language barrier. Husband speaks English wife does not and I don’t think telling the husband that i like to sunbathe nude is really the way to go.
What are my rights what should I do? Thank you.

Answer:
 Buy their house. Baring that you cant force them to remove a trampoline just so you can lay outside nude. Maybe you can make the walls higher but that is going to entirely depend on the local laws and hoa if there is 1.Answer #2: Mayhaps it would be worth investing in a portable shower curtain / rigging up something with clothesline? Without knowing specifics about your yard, I imagine a barrier closer to you could have a greater effect than the fence.Answer #3: You may or may not have the right to continue sunbathing. I suspect in the end you prevail but for me it’s not worth the effort or risk.

You don’t have any particular right to see them not use their trampoline.


Title: I got robbed and assaulted at gunpoint while selling marijuana carts, they found the robber. Do I get victims rights? Does insurance pay for my hospital bills since I’m also at fault, or can I sue? (PA)

Question: Hey reddit, unfortunately I have to write this.  So basically, I’m 17 and my little brother is 15.  He arranged a deal to sell some weed carts to some guy and I just drove him.  The guy comes into the car and points a gun at my brother, then pistol whips him.  The gunman runs away and gets caught one day later.  I get charged with a misdemeanor and my brother gets charged with a felony for selling marijuana.  That’s not my main concern however, my concern is the hospital bill.  He got checked out at an ambulance and driven to the hospital.  The bill is going to be massive and my family doesn’t know if insurance will cover it.  In that case, do we get victims rights to sue?  We were also a party at fault considering how we were dealing drugs.  Any responses are appreciated!

Answer:
 Yeah, you can sue for sure.

Do you think that the guys who are robbing weed dealers have a ton of money for you to take if you win?


Title: In some tax troubles, please advise

Question:
I have made a series of bad decisions over the years, and have come to the conclusion that it is time to fix some of those past mistakes. Just need some advice if anyone could be so helpful.

Due to a lot of really stressful personal issues in my life, in February of 2015 I was in a bad place financially. I went to do my taxes at H&R Block like I do every year and found that I owed money and would receive little to none back that year. I wasn't making very good money at the time, and in a lot of debt due to a recent break up. I never paid my due taxes that year, found a better job and ignored the fact that I needed to get my taxes paid.

Instead, I made another bad decision. In the summer of 2015, I increased my exceptions on my checks to 10 in order to pay less taxes every week, and bring home more. It was only going to be for a few weeks, but I got used to the increased paychecks and formatted my lifestyle around those payouts. Because of this, I was scared to do my taxes and never even filed in 2016 or 2017.

I realize I've been incredibly stupid and even more so irresponsible with these decisions. I've now reached the point in my life where I know I've messed up and I need to fix it. Although, I don't know where to start. I know I need to put my exceptions back to 0 going forward, but should I be seeking legal advice from a tax lawyer? Undoubtedly, I'll be owing the IRS a large sum of money.

Please advise me in any way possible.

-Caleb, Indiana, USA

Answer:
 You may not need a tax lawyer.  You should speak to a Certified Public Accountant immediately.  You want a CPA who specializes in individual taxes.  Answer #2: Nah.  Only hiding from it makes you more anxious.  Good for you for wanting to finally deal with it.

The bottom line is you will have to file your taxes and pay back what you owe.  There might be some things a lawyer or CPA can do to reduce some of that debt, but likely that will be offset by paying them to find them.

If I were you, I’d do the following:

1: make sure your W-4 back to 0.

2: file your taxes for any years you didn’t file.

3: figure out your total tax debt (you’ll receive a series of confusing and demanding letters from the IRS). Wait for the one to tell you the total amount due.

4: After getting your total amount due to the IRS, file form 9465 Installment Agreement Request which will allow you to pay back what you owe in easy to manage installments over several years.  They will be auto deducted

5: once you start making payments file form 843 to file for a First Time Abatement of penalty fees.

Note: you’ll most likely never get thru to them via telephone.  Just write letters and submit forms.  It takes weeks to get responses but it’s more effective then sitting on hold all day long.


Title: Food Intolerance: what can I do to protect myself if I am ever hospitalized or jailed (WA state)?

Question:
I have a severe intolerance to a specific food, which is present in many cooking oils, nonstick sprays, and pesticides. It's not a common food intolerance, like celiac disease. I just know from experience that if I eat even a small amount of this food, I will become extremely sick. The food damages my intestines, and after being exposed, it takes me weeks to heal. I believe that I could die if I were to eat large quantities of this food, or to eat it repeatedly. For this reason, I am extremely cautious about what I eat, and I cook all of my own food.

One of my fears is that at some point in my life, I will be incapacitated and hospitalized, and given food that makes me sick. Or, if I were jailed, the only food available would make me sick.

I would like to set up some kind of legal safety net (similar to a living will) to ensure that if I am ever hospitalized or jailed, I am fed only "safe" foods. Currently, I am in good health, and I have never been in trouble with the law. I am just trying to cover my bases. Thank you for your advice.

Answer: Get a medical bracelet that states your allergies.  I'm not sure what kind of "safety net" you're looking for, but you're not going to find a database to put yourself in so no one gives you food you're allergic to.


Title: Thinking about getting married to improve car insurance rates in Virginia

Question:
So I am 18 and realized that married people get cheaper car insurance rates. So I figured that getting married to someone, maybe a friend, so we could both limit our car insurance payments that would be pretty high considering we're both teenagers.

Is this legal? Are there any caveats?

Answer:
 The word you're looking for is insurance fraud.

That being said, the biggest caveat is the whole "community/marital property" thing.  Namely, that when you decide you're tired of this arrangement and/or want to marry someone else, you would have to get a divorce.  And a divorce on poor terms can be cripplingly expensive, both in emotional and financial terms.Answer #2: NO NO NO NO NO.

Is it legal? Sure. Is it a terrible idea? Hell yeah.

This person will be your default medical emergency POC. They will get your whole estate if you die (barring a will). They will be entitled to half your life in the event of a divorce.

Dont do it.


Title: I (24 male) texted (17 female) Father says pressing charges

Question: I live in New Jersey, this girl lives in PA. So I started talking to this girl on OkCupid, Her profile had her age as 19. we started talking a bit then exchanged numbers. started texting as she told me she was 19, and used fake pictures to protect her identity. So given a couple days we exchange pictures of our junk, then today (sunday) her "father" texts me from the number saying to explain what's going on, or he will let the police handle this. Am i fucked?

Answer: Common scam. Ignore it and stop sending pictures of your genitals to strangers. No one wants to see that. Answer #2: It's a scam. Ignore all further conversations.


Title: (OK) What is the definition of a "loaded" pistol?

Question:
I'm being charged in Oklahoma with Transporting a Loaded Firearm, in violation of 21 O.S. 1289.13

"Except as otherwise provided by the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act or another provision of law, it shall be unlawful to transport a loaded pistol, rifle or shotgun in a landborne motor vehicle over a public highway or roadway. However, a rifle or shotgun may be transported clip or magazine loaded and not chamber loaded when transported in an exterior locked compartment of the vehicle or trunk of the vehicle or in the interior compartment of the vehicle notwithstanding the provisions of Section 1289.7 of this title when the person is in possession of a valid handgun license pursuant to the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act."

The gun was in a bag, in my back seat, and had a magazine inserted, but was not chambered. I'm just wondering if anyone could tell me what the actual definition of "loaded" is.

Answer:
 This part of section 21 OS 1289.13:

> However, a rifle or shotgun may be transported when clip or magazine loaded and not chamber loaded when transported in an exterior locked compartment of the vehicle or trunk of the vehicle.

Suggests that "not chamber loaded" is also "loaded" for purposes of the statute.

Which means the firearm you described would be considered loaded.Answer #2: You had a magazine with ammunition in it in the weapon. That's loaded.

Chambered is a separate consideration of the statute specifically for rifles and shotguns under specific circumstances.

You need an attorney.Answer #3: >The gun was in a bag, in my back seat, and had a magazine inserted, but was not chambered. I'm just wondering if anyone could tell me what the actual definition of "loaded" is.

Your gun was loaded. That means it contains bullets, no matter how the bullets are inserted into your gun (whether in a magazine inserted into your gun, or in the case of something like a Magnum .357, in the cylinder)Answer #4: You would have to know if the definition of 'loaded' has come up before in OK and what the court decided. My reading is that 'loaded' would include 'magazine loaded,' since the statute specifically uses that term in reference to an action that would otherwise be unlawful (ie, it being OK to transport a long gun while 'magazine loaded' outside the vehicle).