Title: [Internet gaming]Using other games' graphics

Question:
I'm working on a 2d game and the only talent required to create games that I lack is graphical one. I think I'll be trying to get finances for the looks through Kickstarter, but until then I'll need some kind of promotion. But it's hard to do so with game looking ugly.

So, the question is: **is it against the law to use graphics from some other game in alpha build of mine (so no commercial gain)?**

I mean to publish the alpha build and let people download it for free, so it's not only for me.

Answer: Commercial gain is not a requirement for a copyright violation. So yes it is against the law to use another game's graphics without the permission of the copyright holder. This maybe either the original artist who created the graphic or the company who made the game.


Title: Came back from vacation to a preschool bill that is half our monthly income! Help!

Question:
We are young and poor, we are using a few public benefits, but my wife and I are both in the process of earning degrees so we can get better jobs, which will eventually lead to us paying back into the public benefit programs. Basically, we are using public benefits they way they *should* be used.

Anyway, we have been taking our son to preschool using a state childcare subsidy. Our co-pay has been $5/week.

In December, the county subsidy office called our the preschool to let them know that our subsidy was going to expire if we didn't send in some paperwork by a certain deadline.

The preschool got that phone call 4 days before we left to stay with my parents for the holidays. They saw us drop off and pickup our son for 4 days, and nobody mentioned it.

The county also sent us a letter detailing the situation, but that mail came while we were at my parent's place, and the deadline had passed by the time we got home to read the letter.

In the meantime, without any sort of communication, the preschool director backdated our son's tuition rate to the full cost to include the time up to the subsidy expiration date.

Basically, we had no idea any of this was happening until we returned home after the holidays. We came back to a tuition bill of >$700, which is about half of our household monthly income. More than half of our monthly income goes to rent and utilities each month.

We called to ask why there was no communication, and we were told, "We didn't want to bother you while you were on vacation." We were a few hours drive from home on our "vacation". They could have said something in the 4 days leading up to the holidays, or made a phone call at any time, and this entire situation could have been avoided.

It wasn't technically their responsibility to tell us about the county calling them, but they have always communicated with us about everything. They have even called us at work over trivial matters, but when it came to a bill of hundreds of dollars, not a single word.

Had we been aware, we would have had options:

1. Filed the paperwork on time with the county subsidy office

2. Pulled our son from the school and re-enrolled when we returned

3. Decreased his attendance days to save money

All of those options would save us money, but the preschool would lose money.

Now, the preschool is trying to stick us with this $700 bill, and won't allow our son to return to preschool until we sign a re-payment agreement.

This whole situation feels very predatory to us.

Is there anything we can do?

Thanks in advance, /r/legaladvice!

Answer: this is on you, nothing you can do. you had to update or refile, which you failed to do, and they had no duty to inform you. they are allowed to past date to when they stopped recieiving the governmental assistance, and to bill you for that time and service. Answer #2: Work out a payment plan. Perhaps ask to speak to their owners about situation. Its not predatory. I assure you they would much rather get the guaranteed state money then bill indigent folks.


Title: (KS) Can my employer require me to cut my hair?

Question:
My employer has two separate hair policies for men and women. It specifically states "women are allowed to wear longer hair styles than males, but cannot have hair styles that dangle in the face"

 Men's hair style policy states that it can not extend below the collar of our shirt.

Are they allowed to require me to cut my hair as a male? What if i tell them I identify as a women now? (I don't).

Answer: It is legal to have different dress codes for men and women. It is not uncommon.  Have you ever seen a female  life guard in nothing but swim trunks?Answer #2: What is the nature of the business?


Title: Would like to sell my condo to my brother in a way that allows him to pay me over time. Thoughts?

Question:
I just bought a new house and want to sell my condo to my younger brother. He is going to give me a large amount down, and then pay me monthly for a few years until we're square. We decided not to involve a bank because he is in his early 20's and I don't want him getting screwed on interest rates like I did.

However, I would like to put the deed in his name ASAP. What kind of contract do we need to set up?

Answer: You will need a promissory note and a mortgage or trust deed, which will need to be recorded. **You want an attorney to draft these for you.**


Title: [TN]Custody Battle, no money for a lawyer, cannot lose my 7 yr old son, please help!

Question: We live in TN, my son is almost 7, the father and I were never married. We’ve always worked things out together, and now all of a sudden he’s hit me with a petition asking for full custody. I have no money for a lawyer and his wife’s family has TONS of money and they have hired the most expensive lawyer around here. I have two weeks left to reply to the petition before default. I’ve looked into any legal aid society and public defender I could find and everyone says they cannot take custody cases unless domestic violence is present. I CANNOT lose my son. What can I do? Also I should mention that he’s lied on the court petition and used his mother in laws address because his actual physical address is across state lines in KY, not TN. It’s only about 10-15 min across the line though, but still 45+ minutes from me and my son. Please help! Anything is appreciated, thank you!

Answer:
 Public defenders are for criminal issues, not family law like this.

Many attorneys take payment plans so call around.

That said, do not let this go to default. You need to respond before the deadline or you will lose by default.  Answer #2: I've been in this position.  You must respond.  Find your local legal aid clinic, may be at local university.  They may be able to help you.  I represented myself pro se,  meaning without attorney.  I won custody, so it is possible but it was exhausting and scary.

If this is not something you think you can do yourself then borrow money, use a credit card, sell stuff, whatever to give an atty a retainer.  It's too important.Answer #3: Continue trying to find a lawyer.  Try contacting your nearest law school.  There are a fair amount of lawyers who will take payment plans, and this is definitely something worth going into debt for.

If you absolutely can’t get a lawyer, you can still respond without one.

If your son is healthy, well cared for, doing well in school, your home is safe and there’s no abuse/neglect and you’ve been the one taking care of him most of the time, it’s fairly unlikely that the judge will order that your gets full custody as long as you do respond by the deadline.

Don’t focus on the bad things your ex or his wife have done.  If your son is living with you now and is doing well, focus on how well he is doing now and how there is no need to uproot him.


Title: Husband being falsely accused of two felonies and we are awaiting trial (MO)

Question:
So here is the situation. I'll try to keep this short, but back in 2016, my husband was on Craigslist in the Casual Encounters section and he sent a response to an ad that advertised an ADULT. E-mails were exchanged and they brought up that they had a 14 year old kid. In the e-mails, husband expressed no interest in the child at all or any sexually explicit conversation and only expressed interest in speaking to the adults. The adults kept pushing him in the e-mails to talk to the "kid" and mentioning the "kid."

Husband ended up texting and calling the person, and again, he expressed no interest in the "kid" but they forced him to talk on the phone with her, even after he explicitly told them no several times. He actually figured out that they were cops on a sting operation and called the police out on their game. The police got mad and husband ended up saying, "If you are who you say you are, then send a pic." He was not even thinking how that sounded when he made that statement, and now he's facing a Class B felony for enticing a minor and a Class C felony for attempting to possess child pornography (later changed to possession of child porn even though they didn't send anything and they did not seize our property).

Here's the thing: we have our discovery. We retained a screenshot of the original ad and saved the e-mails. The police have no recordings of the conversations. In the probable cause statement, they claim that their recording equipment wasn't working. They also claim to have the call where he asked for the picture, but it is not included in the discovery, which means that either they are withholding evidence (which is illegal on the police end) or they DON'T actually have it. I'm leaning toward they don't have ANY of the recordings. They also lied about incidents that did not happen in the probable cause statement. Furthermore, they waited for three weeks after the event to start harassing him to come in for questioning (he refused) and before filing charges and issuing a warrant for his arrest (he turned himself in). They did not get a warrant to seize his phone or to seize any of our computers in our house. They would not have found anything anyway because my husband would never, EVER hurt a child and that sort of thing absolutely repulses him. The prosecution also did not show up for the last three preliminary hearings. As a result, the judge has scheduled a bench trial in April 2018, a year and a half after the whole thing.

It should be noted that this happened around election, and the sheriff was up for re-election (which he didn't get). My husband's arrest made it to the front page of the paper, the story was completely twisted to make him sound like this horrible POS, and he ended up losing his job and his retirement and many of our friends abandoned us because of this. He was also the ONLY person to be arrested in this operation. This was clearly a ploy to get more federal funding and a political ploy to make an example out of someone to get votes. And it has come at the cost of my husband's innocence.

The prosecution has a weak case according to our lawyer, yet I can't understand why they want to pursue these charges. My husband committed no crime and there was no INTENTION to commit a crime. This example of police misconduct and entrapment has upended our lives and caused us unwarranted emotional and financial stress. Furthermore, my husband is an innocent, law-abiding citizen who faces jail and becoming a registered sex offender which is a LIFETIME REGISTRATION in my state and all for something he did NOT do. He has threatened suicide if convicted, especially if it gets in the paper again.

Someone PLEASE tell me there is a chance there will be a good outcome in all of this, that we have a chance that the case will be dropped. Our Defense Attorney seems to think they don't have crap on him and his strategy is to wear them down, but we are so scared and have been for the past year. Also, we don't want a reporter in the courtroom. Can we request that the reporters leave when it's our turn for the bench trial? Also, if the case is dropped entirely, would we have grounds to sue the sheriff's department for false accusation/police misconduct?

TL;DR Law-abiding husband was entrapped on Craigslist and was the victim of police misconduct. Police have NO EVIDENCE. We are extremely afraid and want to know what might happen. Also want to know if we can sue if the case ends up dropped.

Answer:
 There are some serious holes in your husband story like why he kept talking to the person after he revealed himself as a child pimp. You can sue the press for defamation but it's unlikley going to win as you can't prove beyond reasonable doubt that any of their accusations are false.

Finaly your husband wasn't entrapped because the police didn't use their power to make him do something he wouldn't have ordinarily done.

Listen to your lawyer and send all your questions to him, you are unlikley to succeed in a productional misconduct charge unless you can prove they faked evidence or something.

Consult this comic before shouting entrapment in the future
http://lawcomic.net/guide/?p=633Answer #2: You cannot bar the press from the courtroom. Your husband was not forced to speak to a minor, he could have discontinued the conversation. Whether you could sue for some prosecutorial misconduct depends on facts we dont have access to in this post. I would suggest asking your lawyer AFTER the criminal trial.Answer #3: (IANAL)... just thinking out loud here... if I were in the OP’s shoes, I would be mad that my husband was in the Adult section of CL trying to hookup for sexual encounters in the first place unless you and your husband have an open relationship...

I can sympathize with your husband up to the point where he was told that there was a minor involved... at that point, if I were him, I would have said, sorry, not interested and ignored any further emails from this person...

It is easy to do so... just hit the delete key.


Title: I want to sue the USPS for firing me because (and I'm not kidding) I shit myself. I loved my job and need to know what I can sue them for. Please help

Question:
So this happened way back in May 2014. The reason I ask now is because I'm severely depressed at my new retail job and would love to at the very least go back to my old job at the usps. Sorry if it's too long and the formatting is from my phone. Let's jump into it

So the day in question I went missing for an hour from work. For about a month I was suffering from an extreme case of diarrhea and even went to the hospital because of it. There was a lot of blood and mucus but for some reason the doctors couldn't figure out what it was. I had to do 3 different types of stool tests and with the results coming back inconclusive for a month, I suddenly just stopped in June 2014. Anyway I had the hospital notes before I was let go so it was not a lie to try and keep my job or sue. So this one day it was really bad. In the morning I went to the doctors and they gave me the take home tests. I worked overnights so when I got to work later that same night I want exactly 100%, I only got checked out so no medicine no nothing. 6 1/2 hours in I had an accident. Thankfully I was covering someone while they went to lunch and she was in the back against the wall by herself loading packages into cages. This was lucky since there is rarely a time you work alone in this whole facility. When she came back I said ok I'm going to the bathroom and bolted straight to my car. I spent the next hour cleaning myself. I come back and see my gf and she said that they were done for the night so I go to lunch with her with everyone none the wiser. The next night the supervisor asks me where I was the night before and I said I was working(big mistake i know). Turns out they were looking for me for that whole hour and caught me in the lie. I go to the office to what I think is my second write up. The first being late a lot in February 2014 because I worked two jobs but after that I quit my other job and came to work on time since. So after some grilling on exactly where I went I come clean and tell them I have the papers in my car that I went earlier in the day for my problem and that I had had an accident. I still had my tests and papers from the day before I was just too embarrassed to say, which anyone stools be I assume. Even with all this they fired me for "lying about where I was to begin with."  I'm livid. Not only was I a tremendous worker who was hand picked to work for two facilities at the same time but I was fired for a medical condition. Enter the depression.

Before I was walked out I quickly talked to the woman who hired me and told her my situation. She said I was still eligible to be rehired and since work was scarce she said it wouldn't be until honestly as seasonal position come Christmas time. Cool I guess? But that's fine I took a much needed stress free week off. But then weeks turned into months and it got to me. Did I really just get fired for having an "accident?" To think of other workers that I worked circles around still have the job that I've covered for "oh so and so just went to break" when they wasted waaaay more than an hour bullshitting each and every day. I'm mad, sad, and embarrassed all at the same time any time I think about it. I didn't get a job until November in retail where I do more work for A LOT less. Then I see a posting for the seasonal job where maybe I can work my way back up from the bottom. How wrong I was.

I did all the pre-interview BS and the day of the interview arrived. I see one of the managers that I didn't get along with buy I shrugged it off and waved hello. He sees me and his face turns white. Hee pulls the woman who was in charge of the interviews and I can already tell it's trouble. She pulls me aside and says I'm not re-hirable. I tell her about the woman I asked who is higher ranking than dickhead manager that said I was re-hirable and to pull up my file. Sure enough they do and I am eligible for a job. So they sit me down and told me to wait for an interview. I see them tell dickhead and he leaves the room AGAIN and didn't come back. I'm 100% positive he told them not to hire me. Lady comes back to me, this time more rude and stand offish and hands me a paper. She says write down why we should rehire you. I of course take it and write my heart out running out of space of why they should. She comes back 1 hour later to read it, seat me back down, and talk with an old friend who was also giving interviews. This is when I hear her say "just do it and we'll get him out of here." I already know the answer I'm about to get and it's taking all of me not to cry. He gets me and gives me the interview knowing full well I'm about to sink but I give him the interview and we're there around 25 minutes catching up and asking about my condition. I get up and feel relieved that I didn't cry and forgot about that awful interview woman who said to just get through it and send me on my way since it was supposed to be 5 minutes and I'm gone. I sit back down and wait while she sits and talks with him again. I'm one of 8 people left, them included, and I can hear her clear as day say " well we can at least say we did that" and laughs about it while my old friend looked disgusted with her. Now tears are falling. She notices he's not a heartless bitch like dickhead manager and comes to me and says sorry but we won't be hiring you. I ask why, my file not only says I'm rehirable but I have the experience and references from not one but two facilities to show I'm a great worker and I gave a great interview. She says and I quote "you aren't sorry enough." She turns around and shuts the door on my face.

As I'm typing this I am getting more of those three feelings of mad, sad, and embarrassed all at once even more than I already have been feeling since June. My question is what am I able to sue for? Harassment? Sue for my job back? Sure for emotional damages? This cannot be 100% acceptable...can it??? And just to prove myself I took a picture of the little "essay" they made me write and still have my doctor notes dated and all showing I had a pre-existing condition. I have all the proof I need.

Tl:dr I got fired for having an accident with a pre-existing condition then was forced to jump through hoops to get my job back to only find out they were messing with me. What can I do??

Please help with any information because I don't know if I can start on any case or even if I can start with anything to get my old job back

Answer:
 You didn't get fired due to a medical condition. You got fired for lying. Answer #2: You lied and you got fired. You weren't re-hired because you lied. Game, set and match.

Find a new job, and don't lie to them.


Title: Pronunciation of "amicus"

Question:
As a lifelong "Law & Order" watcher, I've heard two pronunciations of the word "amicus" (as in amicus brief).

Is it *ah-MEE-kus*, or *AM-a-kus*?

Answer: I've only ever heard AM-ə-kus or AM-i-kus.Answer #2: Different people say it differently; I've heard both the pronunciations in your post. I tend to say "AM-i-kus", like "Atticus" with an M instead of Ts.


Title: Can a religion copyright it's deities?

Question:
I'm sure any figures from ancient texts like The Bible couldn't be copyrighted because they're in the public domain.

What if I modify an existing deity? So I create Zeus++ The God of Thunder And Hipsters.

What if I make a completely new deity? So I create Bob the half unicorn half oak tree and start a church.

Could the Church of Zeus++ or Bob copyright him and prevent other people from opening their own churches to worship their deity? Could I prevent works of religious art that my church doesn't approve of? What about if someone wants to make their own Book of Bob, could I stop that?

Answer:
 Depends on how you want your deities perceived.  Are they dramatic or artistic art, or are they fact?

> [What does copyright protect?](https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-protect.html)
> Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section "What Works Are Protected." Answer #2: If this is in reference to the Sabrina case the issue there is not that the deity itself is under copyright. The issue is that they used an exact replica of a statue that is.

You can't copyright Zeus, but if I draw a picture of Zeus I can copyright that picture. Same with things like the Lightning Thief, Passion of the Christ, ect. You can't copyright mythology but you can copyright your telling of that mythology.

Answer #3: OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

If you want it to be a possessive, it's just I-T-S

But if it's supposed to be a contraction then it's I-T-APOSTROPHE-S.

Scalawag.

The short route would be to claim that the deity created itself and wrote the work personally, and as such copyright still persists because the lifetime of the author hasn't expired yet.


Title: Stepdaughter signed our name to apartment lease without our knowledge (NY)

Question:
My 21 year old deaf stepdaughter is a full time college student at a prominent university in New York - our home state is Florida. She signed a lease for an apartment at a student housing complex (not affiliated with her university) last November, along with four of her deaf friends. In the process, she signed my husband's name as a cosigner to this lease. We just found this out in the last two weeks.

To give you some background info, because of her deafness, she essentially operates on a lower maturity level than most people her age - she acts and functions on about a 16-17 year old level. While I understand this is not an excuse to not act like an adult, we genuinely believe she didn't understand what was happening or what she was doing or how serious it was (she STILL is having trouble understanding the gravity of the situation). The entire time she dealt with this student housing complex, she thought she was filling out an application, and that was what she had communicated to my husband and I at the time. When she asked him for information about financials, he thought it was for a credit check for the application. She rushed all this at us last year in a few hours one afternoon while we were at work - everything had to be immediate because the housing complex was pressuring them to apply because "all the apartments were going to be leased so fast." He never saw the lease, and she signed his name to it without him knowing she was doing that. He would not have signed this lease if he'd known or read it. She didn't tell us anything about this until two weeks ago, because suddenly all her friends are also not going to live in this apartment because none of their government funding, which all five of them rely fully on, is going to cover off campus housing, even though the apartment complex told them it would be no problem. So really, there are five students here who have signed this lease, and none of them plan to live there.

I have no idea what anyone else's parents are doing, but we've tried explaining the situation to the apartment complex, and they are adamant that the lease is binding and the only option is for the students to find someone to relet their rooms to. However, if none of them move in August 1, the entire rent defaults and is due immediately for everyone. They all live down here in Florida, and only are able to talk to their friends and post on facebook groups to find someone to relet to, which is proving futile. The apartment complex has placed them on a "relet list" but they only refer to that list once the entire complex is full, which it isn't at this time. We're now on the hook for over $10k for this because my husband's name is on this lease.

I don't know enough about real estate law, or if there's anything we can do about this situation, or if we're just stuck because our name is legally on this lease. We're trying to get in touch with the legal services at the school, but because it's still summer, it's hard to get a hold of anyone. Is there any way we can get out of this lease? What would happen if we pursued legal action against our daughter for signing my husbands name without her knowledge? While paying the $10k bill monthly or immediately is really going to be incredibly hard for us, we could feasibly consider paying for a lawyer if it could get us out of this lease.

TL;DR - deaf stepdaughter fraudulently signed our name to lease as cosigner for student housing; will not be living there, can't get out of lease.  Is there anything we can do?

Answer:
 >Is there any way we can get out of this lease?

Your daughter committed fraud. You will need to file a police report to be able to get out of this.

>What would happen if we pursued legal action against our daughter for signing my husbands name without her knowledge?

She would be charged with forgery and you would successfully be able to sue her if the apartment pressed forward with charging you.


Title: [VA] Home-bound GF needs to set up Power of Attorney before several major surgeries, but her State ID expired years ago. How can she get a new ID if she is unable to leave home?

Question:
GF's health is bad, and she is in need of several extensive major operations.  She has an Advance Directive/Living Will set up.  She also wants to set up a Durable Medical Power of Attorney, and a Financial Power of Attorney.

She has been home-bound for many years, and she can only leave home with medical assistance.  During that time, her State-issued photo ID expired, and long enough ago that she would be required to go to Motor Vehicles to get another one.  (So says Motor Vehicles when I called them, even after explaining that *she* can't *get out*.)

The Advance Directive is not required to be notarized, but to get a Power of Attorney, she will need an ID either for the attorney or for a notary.

My question is: How can she get a State photo ID if she can't leave home?

Thank you for your time.

Answer:
 In Virginia, a notary public can verify a person's identity by taking the oath of two witnesses who know that person and are unaffected by the notarial transaction in question. (E.g., if you are the one being granted power of attorney, you should not be one of the witnesses.) Those two people must have their identity verified in the usual way, by showing one of the required documents.

Many notaries will make house calls for an additional fee. You can call around to see who will be willing to do this for you; describe the circumstances ahead of time.


Title: Welcoming people with a shotgun in your hands (ontario)

Question:
I am trying to prove a point to my husband, so this is theoretical.

Husband and I live in Ontario, Canada. We own too many guns but they are all legal.

My husband is a beautiful, wonderful man... Who is turning into a crotchety old man. Especially in light of these teens going around the neighborhood egging houses, playing dingdong ditch and such.

I don't care if I wind up a "victim" but his bright idea is to swing open the door, yelling gooblygook and holding one of his guns.

He assured me it would never point at the kids and it wouldn't be loaded. So the kids would just get a bad scare. That way it is legal because it is his property and isn't directly threatening them.

I assured him that he'd be arrested and I'm not staying with no jail bird.

How can I make him realize that I am right and he is wrong?

Answer:
 Brandishing a firearm with the intent to intimidate or threaten is SUPER fucking illegal.

Edit: IANAL and less familiar with Canadian gun laws. I would suggest he could **easily** be charged with Careless Use or Storage of a firearm (6 months in jail/$5000 fine) or pointing a firearm (same possible sentence).

The gun being loaded does not matter. Pointing is something he does not want to have to argue in a court.

If it went REAL far he could get charged with Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose. Answer #2: u/phneri identified some firearms charges that could apply. Your husband is also contemplating assault:

> Assault
>
> s. 265 (1) A person commits an assault when
>
> (a) without the consent of another person, he applies force intentionally to that other person, directly or indirectly;
>
> (b) **he attempts or threatens, by an act or a gesture, to apply force to another person, if he has, or causes that other person to believe on reasonable grounds that he has, present ability to effect his purpose;** or
>
> (c) while openly wearing or carrying a weapon or an imitation thereof, he accosts or impedes another person or begs.

Emphasis mine. The maximum sentence for assault with a weapon is ten years in prison, or eighteen months on a summary conviction.Answer #3: "Is the threat of death an appropriate response and punishment to common teenage antics?" is what I'd ask him.Answer #4: It's time to get rid of the guns because anyone who seriously poses this question is too irresponsible to own them.


Title: A Veteran losing his Disability Benefits

Question:
My father, a Vietnam serviced Veteran from 1969-1971, was diagnosed with B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Cancer in 2012.  The US Department of Veteran Affairs harbored the blame and ruled that he is considered 100% disabled.  He underwent treatment for the Lymphoma, which proved successful, and have been Lymphoma free since 2014.  But since being diagnosed with Lymphoma, he has had over 40 cases of skins cancers, basal and one other kind, and they are still finding more.  He now has neuropathy in his legs, which has severely altered his movement and balance, and in his hands which makes him unable to do his work.  Also last year he had a pulmonary embolism, which still sits in his lung, which he is required to take Warfarin blood thinners to combat. The conditions stated above have been symptoms of the Lymphoma and the treatment of the Lymphoma.  The VA has now sent him a letter that wants to remove is 100% disabled status.  He has an appeal hearing March 30th, which he intends to delay.

I am searching for the best course of action to try and reinstate his disability status.  If anyone has any advice it would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 I don't know what the other guy is talking about, of course the fact that you're trying to preserve VA benefits is a legal issue.  Administrative law is still law.

Veteran's disability policy is very complex and as with most administrative processes, if you go about things the wrong way you can permanently close off methods for relief (for instance if you fail to raise a valid issue you may not be able to raise it on appeal).  He should seek out a lawyer who handles VA cases and hire them for the hearing.  This isn't something you want to try to handle pro se.


Title: Wife received a DUI last night in NJ. Seeking advice...

Question:
My wife and I took my little sister out to dinner last night for her birthday and had some wine with dinner. My wife had about 3 glasses of wine. We decided that we were gonna go to a bar after. On the way there she was pulled over for speeding. My fuckface brother left an empty nip of SoCo in the back seat from earlier that evening (don't get me started on him). The officer saw the bottle and asked my wife to step out the vehicle. They proceeded to conduct a field sobriety test which she failed. No excuses for that. They conducted a breathalyzer at the station but never told her what she blew. She was charged with DUI, speeding, and careless driving. This is her first DUI but she has had speeding tickets from over 5 year ago.

We're already planning on hiring an attorney that slecializes in this type of case, but I was wondering if there was anything else we should expect. I find it odd and a little unsettling that they never told her her BAC. Any advice is appreciated.
Topic:
DUI

Answer: Her BAC changes little. If it is .08 or higher, then they do not have to prove she was too drunk to drive. If it is under, the DA will have to prove her driving was unsafe.


Title: [Arizona] Can I sue or demand restitution from my former employer for terminating me suddenly/at no fault of my own?

Question:
I'm not trying to make a quick buck or anything, but two weeks ago, my employer suddenly laid me off due to needing a more experienced/senior level employee, but they insisted it was a layoff and I did NOTHING wrong, they said.

When I took that job, they assured me that I would have plenty of time to get up to speed and they would work with me for at least 90 days, so I felt more comfortable. Around that time, I still had two promising interviews lined up, but I cancelled them after my background check cleared. 1 1/2 months into the position, they let me go without notice. I am still unemployed now, I have a car payment, rent is almost $900.00 and my savings is running out because my pets got sick.

Or at the very least, can I report them to the labor board or something, so this won't happen to anyone else? I did my best at my job, got a lot done, but they kept telling me to take my time on all projects-- yet they later said that they needed the work to be done faster, as a reason for letting me go.

I just don't get why anyone would not give someone at least a few day's notice, especially if it was a "layoff."

Answer: They haven't violated any labor laws and you have no damages.


Title: My birth mom is in prison and won’t give up her parental rights what can I do so I can get adapted

Question: Okay guys so I’m a 17 (I’ll be 18 on Saturday) year old girl from Michigan my birth mom (bio father out the picture name isn’t on my birth certificate either) has been in prison (convicted of conspiracy to commit murder got life without parole) since I was a baby I’ve been living with my biological aunt ( I call her mom) since her incarceration. I have no idea how she has maintained her rights from behind bars. There’s been petty things said on both sides. Now because I have a different last from my parents it was hard and long process for me to get on there insurance.  The last time we went to court my birth moms lawyer said that if the adoption went through she would never see me again(the judge also asked me what I wanted I told him I wanted to be adopted that still didn’t persuade him to rule in my favor)There the only parents I’ve known and having there last name would make me feel complete.

Answer: After your 18th birthday, you won't need her permission and you and your Aunt can file for an adult adoption.  Since that's less than a week away, waiting for a few more days is the best thing to do.Answer #2: Reconsider.  I understand that there is an emotional component, but if you are planning to go to college right now you are pretty golden for financial aid.  As in grants and scholarships that you don't have to pay back.  You can get adopted anytime.  Do it after you are 18 and after you don't need financial aid.


Title: Can I charge my neighbor for wear and tear to my fence from their dog? (Colorado)

Question:
I’m wondering if I can attempt to charge the property owner of the house next to me for wear and tear done by their dog to my fence from it jumping up on it? It’s a cedar stained fence so dogs can cause some damage if jumping up in the same spot repeatedly.

We live in new construction, and the house next to us was bought as an investment/rental. We had to pay to put in a fence, and while neighbors on other sides were happy to split the cost, the owner of the rental property still has not agreed to after almost a year.

I’m about to send another email asking her if she is willing to split the cost of the fence, but expecting a no, am wondering if I can respond with a request (that would have any chance of being enforceable) for a yearly wear and tear payment from her tenants since she allows dogs in her rental.
Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 Sure, you can ask. It's up to her whether she complies. If she doesn't, it's up to you whether you try to sue for damages. If you do, it's up to a court who prevails.

There's no obligation on her part to split the cost of a fence with you. Especially if you've already purchased it, I just don't see any reason they would retroactively agree to pay you for half of it.


Title: My boyfriend's younger brother (a minor) took explicit pictures of me without my consent. Best way to go about taking legal action?

Question:
My boyfriend and I are both 21, and he lives alone with his younger brother, 17 years old, for the most part as their mom works out of town and father is out of the picture. I recently found out his brother has been sneaking into his bedroom and taking pictures of me while I am asleep and naked. I was using his brother's laptop to finish a lab report (with his permission) and when I went to save the document, I just named it my first name and a folder named \[my name\] of the pictures popped up. I haven't spoken to either of them about it as I would like to know what legal options I have before having a conversation.

Thank you.

Answer: Ianal You need to get your phone and take pictures of the screen when the brothers are out of theroom. DO NOT LET ANYONE KNOW THAT YOU KNOW. Go to the police to report the younger brother, they can get a warrant to search the younger brother's computer.Answer #2: For the maximum legal impact upon the younger brother, this is what you do.  You call the police and tell them that you've found naked pictures of yourself on the younger brother's computer.  Invite them in.  Show the pictures to the police.  In this manner, the police can take the evidence themselves and begin the investigation immediately from the home, which preserves chain of custody.


Title: Can I skip jury duty in New York?

Question:
I postponed it twice already. Once because I got the letter too late and the second time because it was during school. I was a criminal justice major at first and just lost interest in it all together.

I know about jury nullification and how this all works and stuff and quite frankly it just doesn’t interest me at all. Can I just not show up and not get in trouble? I’ve seen many people say they just throw away the letter and act like nothing ever happened.

Answer: “Doesn’t interest me at all” is not a valid reason not to attend. As a citizen you are obligated to complete jury duty and there are penalties for not doing so.


Title: Can I take Saturn V from the Atlantic ocean?

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 No, you can't.  Articles VII & VIII of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 are interpreted by international custom to mean the nations that launch rockets retain ownership and liability for their spent launch vehicle stages.Answer #2: Are you serious? First, you will not be able to access any  stage because they are supposedly so deep, only a specialized sub can get near them.

Regardless, any part of the wreckage or stage is property of NASA. Answer #3: Good luck arguing legal nicities with the United States Navy in international waters.Answer #4: You need to contact an expert in admiralty law, specifically salvage of wrecks.Answer #5: Though it has been under the sea for quite some time, the Saturn V first stage could still contain many hazardous materials and metals (e.g. cadmium). Putting it in your garden in a degraded state could result in exposure for your family.

[See the EPA's response to the Columbia shuttle explosion for an indication as to how serious the risk of hazardous materials is.](https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2003/05/05/environmental-protection-agency-sent-1900-responders-columbia-shuttle-search)Answer #6: Nobody here has mentioned how the first stage of the Saturn V is almost certainly not going to fit in your garden. [Here](http://imgur.com/a/UjHU0) is a picture of the one in the Kennedy Space Center, note the people for scale. So all legal and transportation difficulties aside, I'm not sure how you expect to put it in your garden.Answer #7: This has got to be my favorite post on this subreddit to date


Title: Is it legal to buy a billboard on the side of the highway and put photos of naked woman or other erotic material on said the billboard?

Question: Hypothetical.

Answer:
 Here is an easier way to look at it.

Do you see many of these anywhere?  With how sexualized out society is - if it were legal you would see it.Answer #2: No.


Title: [FL] Barber cut deep into my nice hair and cost me my job

Question:
I had a glorious head of hair and I took it to a new barber. First fucking thing he does is fucking swipe the clippers in my hair... giant buzz cut down the middle of my head!

I immediately took a picture on my phone and then told him to fucking just finish the whole fucking job

I work in a fairly high end business and my boss immediately fired me when he saw me with my shaved head.

Do I have any recourse?

Answer:
 Yeah, you can not tip the barber.

What kind of job do you immediately lose for having a buzz cut?


Title: New (f) employee being harassed and physically intimidated by (m) employee of 15 plus years

Question:
I'm a new employee at a pest control company doing dispatch and administration. I'm a single parent so this job and it's benefits has been a blessing for me, and I desperately need it.

&#x200B;

One of the pest control guy has been pretty rude to me since the beginning, and its gotten to a point now where it's not stopping and only accelerating into being physical. This guy is a veteran of the company, and kind of "runs the show". He's constantly poking fun at people, and everyone want to be on his "good side" as to not be the constant butt of his jokes. He's also the only black guy at the company, and about 6'5"...he's an intimidating person.

&#x200B;

Since I started, he's made extremely rude comments to me such as "no ones talking to you", when I'm asking \*another employee\* about paperwork etc.. He said a comment about how "all bitches are the same" when I refused to acknowledge him yelling "what are you doing here?!" while i was getting coffee in the communal breakroom. One of the other pest guys was concerned and asked if I was okay, and he made a comment that "he must have a crush on me, and is flirting like a 3rd grader" for him to be treating me like that.

&#x200B;

Even between all the harrassing comments, I would try and "shoot the shit" with him, and we've laughed....all because I didnt want to be on the bad side of the "veteran employee". I needed to keep my job, and I thought because it wasnt necessarily "sexual harrassment" it wouldnt be taken seriously.

&#x200B;

A few days ago he came to my desk and was giving me a scowling look. i told him "we're not friends anymore \_\_\_\_" and he looked at me, and said "I'm not your friend you stupid bitch". My desk is centrally located in the office, and a EVERYONE heard. All except the owner because the owner wasnt present, and he is definitely on his best behavior around the owner.

&#x200B;

This morning, just hours ago, he came to my desk again, I didnt even look at him and he threw a paperclip \*at my face\*. Now Im fucking pissed, and FED UP. I'm shaking, and i say (YELL) "ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS?! THIS IS A PLACE OF BUSINESS" He then laughs at me, does the the "jump scare" thing to make me flinch, I dont, i go back to my desk and he PHSYICALLY rolls my chair with myself in it out into the hallway, and walks away. i have to get up and roll my chair back to my desk. All the women in my office and a couple of the men heard and saw everything and did NOTHING. Its now the middle of the day and no one has said a word to me about the incident. Not even to ask if I'm alright.

&#x200B;

Im now about to go to lunch, and go over my options. Im nervous about discussing this with my manager, because she saw and heard the whole thing and has been avoiding me since. The owner isn't at the office currently, and there isnt an "incident report" i can fill out. I've only been here 90 days and Im worried they'll take his side over mine....it kinda seems like they already are. i really cant be unemployed. What are my options? Can i take this to court if the only evidence I have is a bunch of people who may not even take me side?

&#x200B;

sorry for the spelling errors....Im typing this at my desk on the DL.

Answer:
 It's not illegal to be an asshole. Nothing he said seems to be discriminatory unless he speaks to all of the women in the office like that.

It sounds like he just doesn't like you personally. He is allowed to not like you, but he is not allowed to put his hands on you.

Him throwing a paperclip at you would likely technically be assault. You can definitely file a police report for that. Your employer is allowed to side with him and dismiss you after the report is made.

Practical advice: Some people are assholes and sometimes you have to put up with assholes at work. Be like a duck in water and let it roll right off you. You can't make him be nice and your employer has no requirement to make them be nice.


Title: Friend is no longer welcome in my home, won't/can't take his stuff with him [California]

Question:
Someone I know was released from prison and broke the terms for staying with me (after curfew, got drunk). I kicked him out, now he's homeless, but he thinks he can just come and go picking up stuff and dropping it off.

I just want the stuff out, but am unsure of my legal rights. Can I refuse him entry even if he wants his property? Can I throw it all out on the doorstep? Looking for some guidance. Thanks.

Answer: How long was he living there? Was he paying anything?


Title: help adopting grandchildren

Question: I have 2 grand kids I have had since birth. One is 14 and the other is 9. Same mom, 2 different dads. Mom is willing to sign rights over so we can adopt. Neither dad has seen or attempted to contact kids in over 7 years.  I do not have a fortune to spend but I want to assure the kids are safe in case anything happens to me or my husband.  I have 2 other grown children who would be made their guardians in the event we could not care for them. I was told we could not put this in a will or other document unless we have adopted the kids. I was told that custody would revert to the parents even though they are not involved in the kids lives.  The oldest has emotional issues related to abandonment by her parents and the youngest is on the autism spectrum. I need to be assured they are safe and well taken care of.  Is this something I can do without a lawyer or what type of lawyer do I need.  We live in a small town and the juvenile and domestic judge is shared by 3 counties.

Answer: You'll need to get a lawyer to do the adoption. If the fathers do not cooperate then it may not be easy to force it. If they do cooperate a lawyer should be able to sort it out in a relatively quick fashion.


Title: [NC,US] Baby momma won't let me see my kid. What are my options?

Question:
I have a daughter that's 2.5 years old.

She currently lives with her mom in their own place.  The two of them used to live with me.

Me and mom had an on and off relationship, and when it was off I couldn't see my baby.  It was basically a "fuck me to see your kid" setup, and I rolled with it as long as I could, in order to see my kid.

Surprise surprise, that toxic relationship crashed and burned four months ago.

I haven't seen my daughter since.

Baby momma also, during this time, filed for child support.

Now NC is demanding I pay $400 a month to a person who is keeping me from seeing my kid.

I have a recommendation for a custody lawyer, I'm just too poor to currently afford the $300 is cost just to talk to them.  I picked up a second job so that I can afford a custody lawyer.

What am I likely looking at going forward?  I just want to see my baby.  I have no desire to try to take her from baby momma or prevent them from spending time together, I just want my girl to grow up having a father.

Answer:
 >What am I likely looking at going forward?

You are going to hire a family law attorney to go to court with you in order to get a custody agreement.


Title: Terrible job, terrible manager. Would I qualify for unemployment?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Don't refuse to come into work. Come into work but absolutely refuse to clock in as somebody else. If you're fired, file for unemployment then.  Also you can quit and file for unemployment if you're not being paid for all the time you worked. (but refusing to show up to work doesn't count)


Title: My husband and I worked for the same employer-my last check bounced and his is 6 days late at this point. Refusing to pay. TIA!

Question:
This is Maine.

My former employer has a bad habit of bouncing checks and/or them always being days late. One employee kept track, and 12 out of 18 weeks in a row something was wrong with the checks. When he pointed this out to boss(on social media), he was fired. My husband and I who worked for the same guy, in two different locations, took this as a sign to get out and got new jobs. Well, low and behold my last check bounced and my husband's second to last check, which was supposed to be in Thursday 7/2, has not arrived yet as of 7/6. The husband went in today to get the money from the bounced check and was rudely told that boss would not give him the money from the bounced check unless I came in with the bounced check(which I cannot do, as I gave it to the bank through ATM deposit and cannot get it back). We offered up bank records of the bounced check, but he said he needed the physical check. Just looking for advice on how to proceed collecting the bounced check and my husband's last two checks because this is not being handled in a clear headed way, and I'm trying to avoid it escalating into something time consuming and energy draining. Thank you for reading the wall!

Answer:
 http://www.maine.gov/labor/labor_laws/wagehour.html

Here is the link for the state of Maine Department of Labor. You want the links about half way down about final payment of wages.


Title: my monopolizing isp is fucking with me bad

Question:
ok so where i live,i ONLY have one option for internet, verizon. I pay 60 bucks a month for a 15 mbps connection (only because fios stops service 2 houses down from me). Ive noticed that even though it says i get 15mbps, my connection is much slower then that.

So i called verizon to ask them what was going on. when i spoke to the representitive, she said for some reason, even though im paying for 15mbps, my connection was set to 3 mbps. i asked her why and she had no explanation, but also told me she couldnt fix it.

there is another service they offer which is about half the price and the speed goes up to 5mbps. i asked if i could switch to that plan, and she told me that if i switched, the throttle would stay in place at the same ratio, so id get less than .5mbps.

i got pissed and told her i would be switching isp providers and she told me "good luck were the only provider for this area"

then about 2 months ago i downloaded interstellar which really pissed them off and they cut my internet connection for about a week 3 seperate times in the past 2 months. now that my internet is back it is going so slow it takes me like an hour and a half to download a 50 mb file.

what do i do about this considering during the past month my internet has been so bad that i cant even watch videos on youtube.

edit: i live in yucaipa, california

Answer:
 The FCC wants to know about this.  They have various projects out there meant to make ISPs toe the line about claiming one speed and not holding up to their promise.

[Here is the form to file a complaint](https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=38824) and [here is the FAQ about what happens after your complaint is filed](https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us/articles/205082880-Consumer-Help-Center-FAQ).


Title: A Very Random Medical Question That A Lawyer Can Probably Answer Better Than A Doctor

Question: Is there any research out there... Does ones body sublingually absorb alcohol when swishing Listerine?

Answer: Are you really asking if mouthwash will trick or affect a breathalyzer?


Title: [FL] He owes me $700. I keyed his car. Should I just let it be?

Question:
**Edit: And it's taken me all of 10 minutes and a few succinct comments to make me realize nothing good will come of pursuing this. Thank you all.**

Okay, legal advice. I just recently suffered a very messy, painful breakup that involved lots of his lying and cheating and using me. When the break up itself happened, I keyed his car. Not my proudest moment by far, I just lost it and pain and anger. So if $700 is the price I have to pay, let it be a lesson to me.

The other side of this story is that my ex owes me $700 from quite a few times where I had to make large purchases on his behalf because he had no money. He swore up and down he would pay me back. He says that because I keyed his car he will not be paying me back and we are "even".

I did some research and to fix it would probably be around $300-$400. Is small claims court worth it to settle this matter? I want my money back (or rather, my money less the actual cost of fixing his car), and likely he is not actually going to spend the money to fix the scratch. Admittedly, part of me wants to do it solely as a big "FU" to him, but I do want my money back.

Thanks!

Answer:
 Yes. Leave it.

1) You have no way of knowing how much the scratch would cost to fix. Sure, you may have looked up scratch repair online, but the actual cost is highly dependent on situation. It could cost a lot more.

2) He could file criminal charges against you for keying his car.

If he's not going to file a police report---why on earth would you tempt fate?Answer #2: He owes you civilly. You owe all of society criminally. Let it go. Answer #3: You can sue him for the $700. He can sue you for the cost of car repair. You both have good odds at winning, but I think you look worse in this.Answer #4: You'd be best suited to just walk away.

It would be unwise to admit to a crime in court, and you defending yourself of the charges you will be hit with will certainly cost you more than the $3-400 you are out right now.

Let this be a lesson in controlling yourself and acting like an adult.  Had you not keyed his car you would have been able to bring the dispute to small claims court with no fear of being hit with misdemeanor criminal charges. Answer #5: > Is small claims court worth it to settle this matter?

You really want to poke that hornet's nest for $300?

> Admittedly, part of me wants to do it solely as a big "FU" to him,

Disregard my question. You just answered it.


Title: Fiancé’s boss is a racist

Question:
My fiancé (white male) works with predominately other white males. His boss blatantly speaks poorly about Hispanic and black people especially knowing fully well he is engaged to a Hispanic woman (myself).

He constantly uses the n word, states people act like the n word when they have a broken down car, etc. my fiancé has done his best to speak up about being uncomfortable and after being blown off (his boss said “I facebooked you before hiring you and saw you’re friends with a lot of ‘n words’ and figured you’d be a wanna be thug”) he has not interacting with the “jokes” and stood quiet.

Today my fiancé said that his boss called him a “self loathing snowflake”

I directed him to write time and date down. Is there anything we can do to get this to stop? This is a small business with no HR and the owner of the company doesn’t really care.

We live in NY

Answer:
 Contrary to the other opinions, the 2nd circuit has concluded that even one severely off color comment  can constitutive a hostile work environment, even in consideration of the “totality of circumstances”.

Given the pervasive nature of the comments, the affected employees should complain to the organizations internal structure, then if that goes nowhere, take their records to a licensed attorney for evaluation. They could also file a complaint with the EEOC.

You don’t have to be black to find casual use of the N word a prima facie hostile work environment based on the totality of circumstance.

Daniel v TM Protection Resources. Answer #2: IANAL. New York is a one-party consent state as it pertains to the recording of conversations. Your fiance could record his manager's discriminatory comments to strengthen any hostile workplace claims if you choose to go that route.


Title: [US-Wisconsin] Divorced father fearing emotional abuse from custodial mother. Mother has extensive behavioral health history.

Question:
The background:

State of Wisconsin resident and divorce case. I am a divorced father of three daughters (10/10 (twins)/12) for about 15 months, we were legally seperated for almost three years due to a credit and debt dispute listed below). There is about 150 miles of distance between where I live and the children reside. Due to work requirements and the difficulty of the divorce on my children, I agreed to allow them to stay in their school district with mom. The divorce agreement mandates they stay in the district, but mother is allowed to move, so long as the kids are not removed from their district. I pay $1500 a month in child support. Reason for the divorce was her having an affair and after the divorce was filed, discovering she ran up over $60,000 in credit card debt under my name...thanks to Wisconsin credit law, I was unable to prove I didnt apply for the credit cards via online services.

The problems started arising almost immediately after the divorce.

1. Mother refuses to allow children access to electronic devices/communication/internet when they are with her. When I do manage to contact them (the school provides iPads for the kids) she will monitor and read all communication or stand in the same room when I attempt to face time/audio chat with the kids.
I encourage the kids to call her when they are with me and provide them with a quiet and private space for communications. They are given free run to call or communicate when they wish to.

2. I have a strict rule about not discussing negative or hurtful things about the kids mother in front of the children. Often times the children are dropped off telling stories about how horrible i am. She tells them I do not provide her with child support (I certainly do), tells the kids I moved to get away from them (I moved because of work and I was living in a rural community a hundred miles from my family and social support) and that I moved because I broke up the family to be with my girlfriend (who I have only been seeing for about a year). I actually have a letter their mother wrote to my mother and grandmother about her affair and how she was responsible, so she is straight up lying. I cant show the kids this, because it would crush them...they are too young to understand the dynamics at play.
She has no showed twice on holiday visitations or demands changes with little to no notice...Like she takes off a Friday and tells me I need to drive and pick the kids up at noon on a work day (over two hour drive round trip) or I will "forfeit my weekend with the kids".

3. She spends every weekend with the kids sleeping at her boyfriends house (the same man she had an affair with) and brings the kids. He lives in a two bedroom house, but the children are forced to sleep on couches/floor, because one bedroom is "filled with grenades and guns". On a rare opportunity to facetime with them, my daughter showed me the room...not sure if they are functional, but several firearms were not secured and were just lying on a table.

4. I have several Email chains and text chains where she lashes out and begins ad-hominem attacks about various items. She was verbally and emotionally abusive to me during marriage and she has not figured out that dynamic doesnt work anymore.
One of my daughters has started to display emotional issue related to weight and is displaying early signs of an eating disorder. Her mother would not allow her to seek behavioral health treatment until I had to strong arm an appointment via the school counselor. She then told my daughter she has to go, but she doesnt have to say anything and that she shouldnt talk about behavioral health issues, because I am, according to my daughter, "just trying to make [mother] look bad".
There is a litany of other past behavioral health issues with the mother that are manifesting again...she previously was bulimic, anorexic, has a documented suicide attempt, Bi-polar disorder and anxiety issue. She also has a history of delusional paranoia that had been controlled by medication, but I believe she is no longer using her meds and her behavior has become progressively worse.

5. the last major point is the kids have been isolated from friends and social circles that dont include her family. In the past year, the children have not been allowed to invite friends over when they are with her and have not been allowed to attend friends houses. When asked about this, they are only allowed to play with her boyfriends nieces and their cousins. They have almost no social interactivity, outside school, that isnt controlled by her and her family.

I have kept careful documentation of all these items and even have had access to her behavioral health records, because she thought the doctors were conspiring to get more money from drug companies with her diagnosis. The children have voiced they dont want to live with her and its getting to a point where I feel the kids are in danger...not as much physical danger, but I believe they are being emotionally abused.

What are my resources and is there anything I can do in this situation?

Answer:
 1- you follow whatever your court order says about communication

2- if your court order talks about this then you can find contempt if you want

3- you can file to modify your court order regarding then staying there. You can call a welfare check when they are there to check on access to guns

3- you can talk to your daughter about participating in counseling.

5- mom can have those rules. You can enroll then in activities that occur during your time.

Hire an attorney to modify the order


Title: [MN] Landlord is requiring me to turn my office into a laundry room

Question:
**TLDR: Is a tenant forced to accept all upgrades from their landlord?**

There is a small room in my apartment, about 6 feet x 6 feet, that I am using for an office. The apartment complex did some renovations before I moved in. I was told (verbally, I won't be able to prove this) that my unit would have no more renovations for the duration of the lease. I am currently 4 months into a 12 month lease.

There is a shared laundry room that all residents of the apartment use. I received an email yesterday stating that in 2 weeks, they will be removing this laundry room and installing a washer and dryer in each unit.

This is a problem for me because I will have nowhere to move my desk or office supplies. This might seem like an arbitrary problem for some people, but I use this office frequently, and it was the deciding factor in choosing this apartment vs. a different apartment.

Do I have any options here? It seems like in principal they shouldn't be able to require me to add anything major into my apartment if it results in having less space.

I am in the process of tracking down my lease, and I will update this post once I find it, but I believe the laundry room agreement was written into the lease. Could removing the public laundry room violate the lease, if it is in fact written there?

Any advice is greatly appreciated

**Edit:**

I found that MN Statue 504B.211 states that a landlord may enter a tenant's unit for "reasonable business purposes" [source](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=504b.211). Would this be considered a reasonable business purpose? Can I ask them to wait to do this until I leave? It will require 2 weeks of daily access by contractors, which seems excessive as a "reasonable business purpose"

Answer:
 The landlord can upgrade the unit as they see fit, as long as it's not a detriment to the tenant. Let's be honest, it's a 6'x6' room. It was originally meant to be a laundry area.Answer #2: >I believe the laundry room agreement was written into the lease. Could removing the public laundry room violate the lease, if it is in fact written there?

Yes, it could. But the lease could also say something to the effect that this may change. Dig up your copy and see what it says. Answer #3: They are really, really going to want to do any remodeling necessary to install washers & dryers (plumbing, electrical, vents, fire/smoke/CO alarms, tiling, etc.) at the same time that they're doing all the other units. You could ask them to not install the washer/dryer until you move out, though. They might be willing to agree to that.Answer #4: Your landlord wants to install a washer and dryer in your apartment and you're complaining?Answer #5: I think the lease probably stipulates that you'll have a laundry room, not that it will specifically be the designated laundry room they currently have. This is not a great solution, but you could ask them not to bring the units into the apartment after they finish the conversion. You could keep it as the office, they could move the washer and dryer into the unit if and when you ever move, and you could do laundry at a laundry mat. Answer #6: Unless it says otherwise in your lease, you don't have to let them put a washer and dryer in your unit. However, they also don't have to keep the community laundry facility.


Title: Is it safe to travel with a backpack that smells like marijuana from the inside?

Question: I had a bunch of weed in my backpack. I obviously don't have any more in there but you can still smell it. Would I be safe traveling to California with the smell. Its the only backpack I have and I'm worried that that if they randomly open it to search it they will smell it.

Answer:
 They will not only search your bag butt they will also search you.Answer #2: Officer Scrumples may signal, and you’ll get a thorough search.

It would be an exceedingly bad idea for any residue whatsoever to be present.


Title: Was told my position was being terminated, then got injured on the job.

Question:
I've been a seasonal federal employee for a few agencies over the past 10 years in New York. On 2/26 I was informed by my boss that due to over staffing and budgeting all temp labor positions in the North East Region were in the process of being terminated. I was never given an exact date just that I would be kept as long as possible.

    On 2/29 about halfway through the day my finger gets crushed. My supervisor gets my information and a workers comp claim is started and a coworker brings me to an Urgent care. Doctor stitches my finger shut tells me i'll be out 4-6 weeks and refers me to a specialist.

    3/1 Ortho says it should heal fine, schedules a check up in 7 days. I stop by work on my way home drop off updated paperwork, no news on an end date.

    3/8 Stitches come out and the doctor tells me the earliest I can go back would be the 21st if I wanted and if it was light duty, after another 3 weeks he would clear me.

    3/9 Swing by work to give them the good news and I'm ambushed with a document on official letter head containing an end date of 3/19. I called HR and my WC will still pay for any health related expenses but I will not continue getting paid.

   I've been searching for jobs but I still don't have full use of my dominant hand so finding something that doesn't start immediately is damn near impossible. Do I have any other options aside from collecting unemployment for the next month until my finger is healed?

Answer: I don't see anything illegal about it. You just so happened to be injured near the end of your employment and it sounds like your medical bills and lost wages have been covered. If you are medically cleared to return to work you can file for unemployment after your last day. Do not delay in filing your initial claim even if you think you will get a new job right away.


Title: Ex-Wife Allowing Her Step-Father Around Our Daughter After He Was Arrested For Meth-Use and Has an Outstanding Warrant

Question:
[PHOENIX, AZ] Long story short, my ex-wife is aware of her step-father being arrested for using meth in October of 2017 and being on the run from police.. she is continuing to allow him to visit our 6 year old daughter at her house. I've explained that I do not want a meth-user around our daughter and her words were "I don't care, he's her grandfather".

Is there any sort of legal action I can take against this? I don't even know if it is legal or not for her to knowingly let a meth-addict around our child. Any advice is gladly accepted. Thanks.

Answer:
 Your recourse is to return to court and ask the court to issue an order prohibiting her from allowing him around the child.

If he threatens you or the child directly, you can file a restraining order against him.


Title: Please help: My Uncle agreed to let my brother rent his summer house for one year. Brother moves with fiance ACROSS THE COUNTRY and moves in. Now the uncle demands they must agree to BUY the home in full or kick them out.

Question:
**UPDATE:** Brother called the uncle and was just completely straight forward with him, citing that he was being a dick. They went back to the original deal and everything is okay now

This is in Michigan, USA.

* My brother is a struggling veteran and was living in Texas with his fiance, who are both trying to get through school while trying to pay high rent in Austin.

*  At a family gathering my uncle brought up the idea of them renting his place so they can get on their feet.

* On MULTIPLE occasions they agreed to rent for one year, then after the year buy the home if they felt comfortable.

* The deal was completely worked out to rent for one year. Brother and fiance drove 2000 miles across the country and moved in.

* Uncle met with them at the house YESTERDAY AND AGREED TO THE SAME DEAL, EVEN WORKING OUT THE PRICE.

*  After that meeting, he called my brother 20 minutes later and told them they have ONE MONTH to agree to buy the house in full or move out.

* No legal documents were signed regarding either "deal", just verbal agreement.

**What options would my brother have in this situation? If there are witnesses to agreement (myself, parents, and many others) could they still rent for one year, or does the uncle still have the right to change the agreement? Would anyone have any general advice for this situation?**

Answer:
 Verbal contract to rent for 1yr can be subjected to promissory estoppel by the court. Although family, the nature of the agreement is substantial and for a period of 1yr. Yes he had not signed the lease, that is due to it not being presented to him, although he had agreed on its terms. There is case law supporting this which his lawyer may refer to when he hires one. Yes he needs one as this argument is going to be outside of his knowledge. Also, contact from his lawyer to your uncle may be enough to enforce the contract as your uncle may realise hes a dick. Answer #2: And their lease agreement says? That's why leases exist.

There's a decent chance they will need to leave or get evicted so let me just check your local laws and find out what's what.

EDIT: yup that'll do ya. In Michigan with no lease you get 30 days. So after he gives them the notice to quit, they need to move within 30 days or they will face eviction proceedings.


Title: My GF possibly had a seizure. She confided in a coworker who told her boss, now they aren't letting her drive.

Question:
My SO spends a lot of time driving for work, meeting with people, etc. She recently had an episode at home and went to the doctor about it. They're not sure if it was a seizure or a faint and are sending her to a neurologist in a few weeks/months to have it checked out. The doctors seem relatively unconcerned. She mentioned this to a coworker who went on to tell their boss about it. Shortly after without communicating with my gf, they had decided she was a liability and is now prohibited from driving, essentially keeping her from doing her job.

Is this legal without an official diagnosis? Was it legal for her coworker to tell her boss? I am not sure how any of this works. She is concerned they will now let her stagnate/get rid of her before her neurologist appointment.

Answer:
 It is legal and appropriate for an employer who becomes aware of a medical concern that may affect an employees safety to ask for medics certification before allowing the employee to return to work.

Your GF should be allowed to resume work with a doctors note saying it’s safe for her to do so.Answer #2: >Is this legal without an official diagnosis?

Yes, since if she has a seizure while driving a company vehicle and the company knew she is prone to seizures, the company has extensive legal liability.

>Was it legal for her coworker to tell her boss?

Yes, since

>She mentioned this to a coworker

so no HIPAA protections apply, since her coworker is not her medical care provider.

Sorry that your girlfriend has to deal with this, but she may want to consider not driving anyway until a doctor rules on whether she is predisposed to seizures or not.


Title: Tennant shut off electricity to save money while moving out (Pennsylvania)

Question:
A tenant at one of my father's rental properties recently shut off the electricity while he is moving out to save money. The house has electronic heaters and we are worried that without heat a pipe may freeze and burst. Is there anything we can do to make him turn the electricity back on and if a pipe does burst can we make him pay to repair it. I do not know exactly why but he is already not getting his security deposit back.

Edit: tenant is out, electric will take 3 days to get back on and in the mean time we are going to bring a generator and a couple heaters over. Thanks for all the help.

Answer:
 Has he vacated the apartment? If so, he's under no obligation to continue paying for electric. Your Father can put the electric in his name until a new tenant is found.Answer #2: What do you mean by "while he is moving out?" Has he moved out yet? If not, when is he? Answer #3: There is typically a clause in most contracts stating the unit must have electricity. It's required for rental properties in most states, which is why people with bad credit have difficulty finding an apartment.Answer #4: Check the lease. If it requires that the property have functional electricity then remind the renter of their obligation.

All told, though, you may be stuck paying for the electricity yourself. Answer #5: If a pipe burst your father would have to overcome a "mitigation of damages" defense if he sued for damages.  He knows the power is turned off.  He owns the property and can reinstate it in his own name.  I don't think a judge would be sympathetic if your father did nothing and then sued after the pipes burst.  He should turn the power back on and sue for the cost of doing so if the tenant breached the contact by terminating the service.  If tenant was permitted to terminate the service, your dad is being foolish in not turning the power back on.


Title: (Nebraska) Boyfriend has been trying to get results from an ultrasound for a week. If he goes to the office are they required to give him a copy of the results if he asks for it? Can they deny?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: It might be a good idea for him to show up and request that someone go over the results with him then. The place is probably very busy and they out out only the most immediate fires.


Title: CA: If I give my two weeks notice and am asked to leave was Intechnically fired? Can I get unemployment?

Answer: You can always apply, but I believe you can.


Title: Yik Yak Trouble

Question: I attended a satellite campus for a major Texas university last year and I still have that location set as "My Herd" which allows me to post yaks in that location even though I now attend the main campus. I posted 4-5 posts about some of my friends that were somewhat crude. They also happen to be in the military academy there. I heard from a friend that the higher ups are pissed about it and want to know who it is. I deleted the yaks. Can I get in trouble legally or with the university even though I attend that location anymore?

Answer: The university, absolutely. You most likely violated the code of conduct or whatever your specific school calls it. Most schools make you sign it before attending. Legally, probably not unless these were threatening or illegal in some other way. You're in college now, make better decisions, time to grow up.


Title: [UT] - Postal Service Failed to get signature for certified mail and return signature confirmation with signature

Question: A month ago I mailed an important legal document through the postal service. I paid about 24 dollars to mail it with every form of delivery/signature confirmation you can purchase. The document was important enough that I sent it again 2 days later and sent it to 2 different households owned by the same person. The post office failed to get a single signature receipt from any of the 4 deliveries. The blunder has so far costed me upwards of $2000 dollars since the recipient is claiming they never arrived. What can I do in a situation like this? Can I hold the post office accountable for the money somehow?

Answer:
 See also the Domestic Mail Manual section on [Return Receipt](https://pe.usps.com/archive/html/dmmarchive20090511/503.htm#wp1063739), specifically section 6.5 when the signature receipt is not received.

> After a reasonable period, not longer than 2 years after the date of mailing, a mailer who did not receive return receipt service for which the mailer had paid may request information from the delivery record, using Form 3811-A. Any request for such information for Express Mail must be filed within 90 days after the date of mailing.

In other words, talk to the postal clerk; sometimes USPS can provide proof of delivery even if they didn't return the green card.


Title: [MO] Excessive move out charges

Question:
I recently moved out of a loft complex. The company that owns these lofts claims that the carpet in both bedrooms needs to be replaced. I'm not sure about this, but will give them the benefit of the doubt, however they want $3,051 just for the carpet replacement of two 11 x 11 bedrooms, which I find to be excessive (a quick search reveals a similar area goes for around $1000).

What are my options - I can try to settle for a lesser amount, but what if they say no?

Legally speaking, what happens if I don't pay then?

Answer: I can't say anything about the price. But they only get the depreciated value of the carpet. So if the carpet is expected to last 10 years and you ruined it after it was used for 6 years than you would only owe 40% of the price of new carpet.


Title: Pregnancy Discrimination at Work

Question:
Hey yo. I am 12 weeks pregnant, I work for a coffee shop in a boutique that sells cosmetics and beauty related stuff. The place is upscale.
They are not giving me normal hours anymore and when I asked the manager I got no response.
This is my only source of income and it’s upsetting to find out that I will barely be making rent...
What can I do?

Answer: How about you start by sharing why you think this is pregnancy discrimination?Answer #2: You're only 12 weeks? Does your employer even know you're pregnant?


Title: So.. Indiana has a Romeo and Juliet law...

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Practically, if you have to ask if the age difference would potentially label you as a sex offender, you need to find someone else to date.

Legally, it depends on exactly how old the two of you are.  If you're more than 4 years older than her, the laws don't allow you to do anything sexual.  This would be a defense against a statutory rape charge, so this would come about after police get involved and you go to court, it wouldn't shut down the process from the start.


Title: Can someone give me a good definition of parental kidnapping in the state of Kansas?

Question:
Brief explanation:

I live with a married couple. They are my two best friends in the world, but their relationship has become toxic. They have two daughters. The wife wants to bail, but the husband will not willingly allow her to take the children.

They will most assuredly come to me for advice and/or help, and I don't want to give incorrect information. What I need to know is this:

What exactly constitutes parental kidnapping?

If she wants to leave with the kids, what can she do, and what are her rights?

If she takes the kids and leaves, what can he do, and what are his rights?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 Without a formal custody order, either parent is free to take the children where they please. If she takes the children, he is within his rights to come and get them whenever he wants.

They need to go to court and come up with a custody/visitation plan if they cannot work it out between themselves.


Title: Neighbor landscaped his yard, which included tearing up some of my landscaping and re-doing it his way. How do I get this fixed?

Question:
Manitoba, Canada

I live in a new development where all of the properties had raw black Earth (no existing landscaping).  Last year I did my front yard - plain grass along the property line.  Before landscaping the yard, I paid $700 for a boundary survey by an accredited company who staked the four corners of the property.

Since then, the lot next door sold and a house was built.  Those neighbors built a driveway within 3 inches of the property line (legal here).  This week they started landscaping their yard and he asked my wife if he could "trim back the grass a bit to install landscape edging" as he was putting a decorative rock border along the property line beside his driveway.  Figuring he wanted to retain his stones, we said "yes."

Today I find that he's cut away 12 to 18 inches of our grass and covered it in gravel with edging; as all of the grass was within our own property, I know assuredly that his landscaping is encroaching on my property.  In doing the work, the neighbor also removed my property stakes.

I have issues with this for a few reasons:

1)  I simply don't think it's right - in principal - for him to modify my land.

2)  The edging of gravel along his driveway makes it *appear* as if that strip of land is his property.  When it comes to selling my home, my yard will appear smaller.

3)  The impression that that land is his will make him more likely (I suspect, not proven) to dump snow onto my yard in the winter when he shovels his drive.  As driveway snow is full of sand, salt, and oil, this will kill my lawn.  I asked him last year to keep the snow on his side and he complied, so this may not come to pass.

4)  I am moving in one year for a new job opportunity.  I'm worried that volunteering my land this way will create an implied easement.  I do not want that easement to hinder me selling my home next summer.

I know, objectively, that I am in the legal right, as I know the boundaries of my land.  I've contacted the neighbor and his wife by text and email, to which they've both responded and agreed to meet to discuss this, but now they are avoiding the conversation.   What is my next step?  Can I send a registered letter and demand that my yard be restored by a certain date?  If I do that, do I cc a copy to a lawyer?  Or, do I need a lawyer to send a letter for me?  Do I need to go to small claims court first and have a judge order compensation?  What happens if I just treat that as free landscaping and "prove" that it's mine by, say, planting some cedars in that rock bed?

Thanks!
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 1.  You paid for the survey & those stakes.  At least in the US removing those stakes is actionable.  You should have him pay for re-staking the property & removing things on your side, including gravel & whatever else he put on the wrong side of the property line.

2.  You're absolutely right that this is a bad plan for you & you shouldn't just let it ride, especially if you are planning on selling.

3.  After you have the property re-staked, I'd put in some sort of separator.  Maybe one of those tiny fences?  Something to denote your property line.


Title: [MA] Is our landlady overstepping?

Question:
So I live in an apartment in a converted house, not a complex, and my landlady lives upstairs. I am a student and I have friends over a lot with projects and such. One of my close friends who is here often is a woman with PTSD and other issues who has an emotional support animal. We are not generally rowdy people and do not have wild, loud parties or anything like that. Regardless, our landlady is very petty and very nosy and we've had issues in the past with her. She's attempted to extract illegal fees (which we quickly rectified with her) and we have saved voicemails of her screaming at us.

Our lease does not specifically say no pets. In fact, we have one cat, who is listed on the lease, and it does not say anywhere no pets. Our landlady has a dog, as does the other tenant in the building. I know that emotional support animals are covered under the Fair Housing Act, but I don't know if they are still covered if someone is visiting with one. My friend takes her dog everywhere with her, except to school, and as they live far away, she has periodically left the dog in my apartment while we are out. The dog is well behaved and has not caused any damage, but once in awhile she forgets herself and barks if someone is coming in.

A few weeks ago, the landlady cornered my friend on the porch and told them they were not allowed to bring pets here, as this building is "pet free". My friend was upset and froze up and couldn't respond, but she told me about the incident. My partner promised to deal with it, but he never did.

Yesterday, she texted us angrily that there were no dogs allowed, which my partner responded that the dog was not ours and was a service animal. (He did not understand that ESAs are not service animals, which I corrected him on.) She responded by demanding to know my friend's name, the exact nature of her disability, and the type of dog it is.

What are the laws on this situation? Does she have a legal right to ask this of us? Does she have a legal right to ban the dog?

Thank you!

Answer:
 >I know that emotional support animals are covered under the Fair Housing Act

The fair housing act does not apply to every single landlord/tenant.  There are certain landlords who are exempt from the FHA.  This landlord seems to be exempt from the fair housing act.   Even if the landlord was not exempt, the landlord does not have to allow ESAs from non-tenants.

Be careful if you want to fight this.  Your lease may not say anything about pets, but that does not mean you can have unlimited pets.  It also does not mean you are not liable for any damage the pets cause.  It seems that the path of least resistance will be to not allow your friend to leave the ESA at your place, since they are not a tenant.

Having random pets/ESAs at your place will open yourself up to liability when/if you are asked to vacate.  There seems to be a precedent that if you have a pet, it should be listed on the lease.  The landlady is dumb for not explicitly saying "no pets".  This means you cannot get evicted for having a pet.  However, this does not stop the landlady from being a pain in the ass.


Title: [VA] Guy hit my back door in an intersection when he was speeding in a turning lane, admitted to speeding, but I get summons and he's let go. I just got my accident report and most of the information is wrong. How do I approach this in court on the 21st?

Question:
Hi /r/legaladvice, I'm in a bit of a pickle.

I was hit at a rural 3-approach intersection. I was going West across the road after stopping at a sign, (one of those roads that geeeeeeently curve so you accurately judge a car's speed) and he was going north and sped into the turning lane. On the report he admitted to going 58 in a 55 (I know it's not REALLY speeding, but anything over the "legal" speed limit in regards to collisions should be taken into account, right?)

A good way to describe the situation was that I was going forward to turn left at the intersection, and he really wanted to get in front of me to make a U turn, but ended up slamming into my back drivers side door. I have a suspicion he was going faster than he admitted to due to the damages (broken axel, suspension, break lines, rear panel, trunk, door won't open, gas tank messed up, ect..)

Both sheriffs and the one state trooper dispatched got to the scene after the cars had been taken out of the intersection, so we had been in a small dirt parking lot across from the road for about 15 to 20 minutes before any cops showed up. They didn't see the cars anywhere but parked in a dirt lot. They completely ignored both me and my passenger, both sheriffs going over to talk to the other driver until about two hours later when a state trooper showed up and also went over to talk to him. I attempted to take pictures of his damage, but his mother and three other men showed up and blocked the front of the car. The headlight still worked and they ended up driving away whereas I had to get a cab home. The exact wording when I was asked by the trooper with my summons in hand was "What do you THINK happened here" which tells me he had already decided before even speaking to me.

I did not own the car at the time, I am a 19 year old female and my passenger was 20 years old. I get the accident report a day or so ago and it has me down as male, has that I was the owner of the car with the title in my name (this didn't happen until about a week ago, it was under my grandmother at the time of the accident- an entirely different last name as well.) and that my passenger was 21+. It also has that the other driver was going straight ahead when both of us said that he was in the turning lane. None of the officers were there to see the way the cars were aligned. The diagram on the last page shows that our cars made a T (him going north, me going west across the road) but the directions listed put me as going south and him as going north, making it literally impossible for him to have hit me the way he did. It also shows a normal intersection, not a 3-approach intersection. (I'm not sure if they use different diagrams for that.) My charges are failed to yield right of way, and failure to stop at a stop sign. The stop sign was far behind me, and the officers were 20 minutes away at the time. Can they really be sure having not seen the cars anywhere but parked 20+ minutes post-accident?

Thank you in advance for any help.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: Its quite confusing as to what you are saying happened here, so you were going west and turning left at the intersection, to head south.You had just come from a stop sign. Thats parts pretty easy to under stand but you say he was headed north and sped up and went into the turning lane. Which turning lane? Did he have a stop sign? What way was he turning left or right?


Title: I was TERMINATED! I can not afford an attorney so I'm asking for help. It has these factors: harassment, depression, health issues, favoritism, FMLA and more. What can I do? Read on please....

Question: I have worked for this company for 3 years. Last 2 years I have been on FMLA approved intermittent leave for my health condition. I have had frequent episodes of severe illness and pain where I miss days at a time. About 7months ago I started getting the impression around the office of disgruntled Co-workers. It became more noticeable once the harassment started that it was over my days missed from work. The harassment amongst other treatment I endured was a daily struggle to deal with. Up until a few weeks ago I had come to the conclusion I was  being targeted and it was to get me to quit or to get fired. After several lies were distributed around about me from one of the harassers, I started to become very ill again. I missed a day of work knowing when I returned it was not going to be a good situation, but I was so very ill. Being so sick still and hurting I returned to work to be harassed to a point I just did not want to live anymore. I could feel myself giving up and giving in to their wishes of me quitting but I was still clinging on because I did love my job. I told my director I was ill again and would need some days off to rest. It was not received well as expected. I guess the days off to rest I needed so badly came at this expense... I was terminated. I'm at a loss, any advice as to what I can do? They should be held accountable in some way right?

Answer:
 You can not be fired for taking intermittent FMLA. You can still be fired for other reasons.

Not all harassment is illegal.

Usually if you have a viable wrongful termination suit, the attorney will take your case on contingency, which means they take a portion of the settlement instead of paying them upfront.

You can call around and find one who gives free consultations. This is far too complex of a subject for us to be able to determine if you have grounds to sue.


Title: [IL] Would there be legal repercussions for ruining someone's professional reputation?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 This is a terrible idea that could leave you open to civil liability.

Also it's immature.


Title: I'm being framed

Question:
tl;dr; i am being turned into the perfect scapegoat because I can't remember anything due to being roofied and having dementia, I have multiple federal allegations against me and don't know what to do.

I'm in desperate need of help, I've been scapegoated by people I had no knowledge about.

So a few years ago my room was bugged (I was told by strangers in my hometown), I was already not a very likeable person cause I acted in such a childish manner, this was due to my lack of diet, exercise, sleep, and hygiene. What made it worse, due to my thin blood vessels (they were scrunched up for years from being so tense) I was not getting the nutrients I needed. This led me to having dementia and multiple mental illnesses.

 I had a lot of hate and anger inside of me due to being bullied a lot in school for years on end including abuse, during my last year of school I lost it and let it out (verbally) and ever since that day I could not stop talking shit. Everytime I someone called me out on it, I would forget. The students in the school had every right to feel the way they felt about me, but the reason why I never learned my lesson was because I would forget. Since I had no other way of releasing it, I spent my time on the computer browsing reddit and playing video games all day and talking shit to myself.  It was very therapeutic for me.

I promised myself that I would stay in my room all day and let it out as much as possible, while massaging my veins on my right temple due to them being scrunched up and putting them back into place. This was shortly after I graduated high school.

I pissed of a lot of kids, this is the part where they recorded audio and video of my room. They even had a link to where you can hear listen to me  like a radio station. Due to me saying a lot of hate speech and threats ( albeit to myself) I would have these vivid dreams where I would be taken out in the streets and beaten, I had dreams where I've been sodomized in my own sleep, dressed up as a woman, a dog...etc. This worsened my dementia overtime. Instead of going to the hospital and reporting it, I got back in my room and forgot. Anytime something bad happened weather it was being beaten, raped, or humiliated I would  wake up the next day and not remember a single thing. Later on I found out it was due to me being roofied

Now I know what your thinking, if they bugged your room why didn't you go to the cops, police, etc? Due to my dementia I would always forget because I swore those things never happened to me, it was too unbelievable that it couldn't be true, they had to be dreams. I later found out I was roofied, by the time I found out it was too late someone already spliced multiple videos and audios of me masturbating, being very unhygienic and talking shit about pretty much almost everyone I knew plus more.

Now my parents got a call saying that I have federal charges against me, I can't remember what those charges are but I seriously need legal advice, if I don't have any proof or evidence I would go to jail. PLEASE HELP

Answer: You should seek help from a mental help professional.