Title: Can this error dismiss my traffic citation?

Question:
Florida

I was pulled over for minor traffic violation. I was driving (unknowingly) with a suspended license (suspended because I didn't finish paying for a previous traffic citation). Now I have 2 additional traffic citations 1) for the traffic violation and 2) for driving with a suspended license (which calls for a mandatory court appearance).

The officer took my drivers license away. However I noticed on the citations that he marked "NO" for "DL SEIZED".

Is this an error that could get my tickets dismissed?

Thank you for your time!

Answer: Absolutely, typos absolve you of all crimes.  True story, Jeffrey Dahmer killed and ate 17 people, and to this day he walks around in complete freedom because an office assistant accidentally wrote "Jeffrey Damher" on one of his court documents so they had to let him go.  He's currently working at a Starbucks in Minnesota.Answer #2: No, clerical errors do not get tickets dismissed


Title: [Philadelphia, PA] Drug dealer living upstairs, buyers yelling and knocking at all hours, occasional fights, damage to property.

Question: Hi. My best friend lives beneath a drug dealer. Nearly every night people yell outside of her windows for him. Sometimes they knock for lengthy periods on their shared door, sometimes on her windows. Fights have occurred upstairs and outside. The door to is apartment has been broken and people have tried to enter her apartment. The landlord is aware of this and claims to have asked the guy upstairs to leave but he has not done so yet. Would it be within my friend's rights to withhold rent until this guy is kicked out? Her quality of life has diminished in no small way from this guy's goings on.

Answer: Not a reason to withhold rent, but sounds to me like a reason to call the police to report the nuisance, drug dealer or otherwise.


Title: Appointed as executor, but would like to hand off to someone else

Question:
My friend was appointed as an executor for an estate of his friend who passed. Although they had been close at one time, they had not seen each other in decades and my friend, who lives in OH and has a lot on his plate, does not want to or feels able to take on the role, which requires handling two properties close to foreclosure and, possibly, other issues. He may not even be allowed to, since he doesn’t live in MD.

However, he also doesn’t want to saddle the widow and the deceased’s two kids with huge costs by just saying “no” and letting the court appoint an executor.

What are his options here? Can he take on the role and immediately hand it off to someone else that’s acceptable to the above three named beneficiaries of the estate?

Answer:
 Was he appointed by the probate court, or merely nominated in his friend's will?

If he was merely nominated, he can tell the beneficiaries that he declines to serve, and they should ask the court to appoint somebody else. The beneficiaries can nominate anybody of their choosing, including one of the three of them if they want (assuming they are eligible--not a minor, not declared incompetent, etc.). He'll likely have to file a formal renunciation document with the court to accompany their filing.

If he's already been appointed by the court, then he needs to consult a probate attorney immediately.


Title: Child custody untreated undiagnosed mental illness

Question: My exboyfriend has bipolar. I'm 99.9 percent sure of this. We have a 1 yearold together and we are going through a messy custody trial soon. I have A LOT of evidence pertaining to his mental illness via text. What I really want is for him to get help though. Will the judge order him to get an evaluation for bipolar and therapy in order to keep custody with sufficient evidence? He is very manipulative and emotionally abusive right now. I'm concerned about what my daughter will have to go through with him if he does not get help.

Answer: You should retain a lawyer if you want to pursue this. They can help you in petitioning the court for  psychological and custody evaluations. Be aware that, if granted, it is common for both parties to be evaluated. There also may be significant fees.


Title: How much trouble am I going to be in?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Sounds like quite a bit of trouble. For instance, PC 417 has a mandatory minimum 30-day jail sentence all by itself. You have a lawyer, right?


Title: Wedding caterer messed up on the day of. What compensation could my sister seek?

Question:
My sister recently got married. We live on the IA side of the IA-IL border and her wedding was on the IL side. The caterer operates his business out of the IL side.  (This is important because if my sister were to sue, it would need to be in small claims in one of those states).

The caterer was supposed to provide plated meals as chosen by guests when they RSVP'd. My sister gave the numbers to the caterer prior to the deadline.  There were two primary meal types as well as a vegetarian option.  The caterer requested that my sister provide them with the numbers by a certain date, and she sent them several days early.  She also requested two gluten-free meals which they agreed to provide in their email response.

On the day of the wedding they arrived with the correct total number of meals, but they were all chicken. They did not have any beef meals available.  In addition, two of the side dishes were not consistent with what my sister selected. The vegetarian and gluten-free guests were served breaded chicken entrees as well.

The caterer did not inform my sister of this ahead of time; we only found out when guests started noting to the waiters that they had received the incorrect meal, only to be told that was the only option.

The only thing the contract says about substitutions is that the vegetarian option relies heavily on fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables, and if quality ingredients are not available the vegetarian option may be substituted for a comparable vegetarian meal.

The caterer is offering my sister $275 off her catering, which is about 7% of the total bill.  They are arguing for such a low percentage because they argue that most guests who had initially requested the something other than the chicken entree were able to eat it; only a handful of guests were actually served food that they could not eat. They even went as far as to say that when clearing plates the wait staff counted only 6 plates on which the chicken entree was completely untouched.

My sister is considering their offer but our initial reaction is that the caterer should be providing more of a discount. I am simply looking for a little bit of advice on what is appropriate, as I have no idea if there are set standards for this kind of thing.

Thank you.

Answer: Is there a difference in price between the chicken & beef plates? Chicken & vegetable? Between the sides she ordered & the ones she got? If there is, and the ones they served cost less than the ones she ordered, she should take that into account for her negotiations. Answer #2: I would probably figure out how many beef meals she didn't get.  Total up the price per plate, then divide that in half because that is probably close to the actual cost of the unwanted chicken.  That way, id basically be asking to for a 50% discount on the chicken plates she didn't want.


Title: [OK] Is an offer letter (completely) legally binding? (Scrivener's Error)

Question:
So my former employer made a mistake on a job offer letter which is generated through an automated HR system.

The letter had a typo which offered the pay at a much larger amount that advertised or budgeted.

That being said, once the employee was hired in the HR system, their pay was set up at a lower rate of pay under the amount advertised (for some dumb reason $500 - less.) 4 people approved their hiring and reviewed these documents above prepper's pay grade.

1. The employee never noticed the offer letter was set too high or notified anyone with any concerns.
2. The employee never checked their payroll personally with the payroll office or HR to find out why they were not making as much as offered.
3. For 13+ months - the HR Department, Payroll, the Supervisors, and the Employees had no idea of this situation.
4. For 6 of those months the employee was authorized a raise (to the budgetted amount) and when they had not recieved it - went to HR who discovered the offer letter had this type.

The HR people SEEM to think they are legally obligated to honor this typo and pay the employee for the offered amount as back pay, despite the typo greatly exceeded the budgeted amount (and the funds would come from a grant-paid position with hard limits on funds.)

I am not so sure - I read about a "Scrivener's Error" legal precedent - that contracts with obvious typos are not binding in court.

Do they have to pay the employee if they did nothing about their payroll for over a year, never caught the error, and aren't demanding this backpay based on an error?

Thanks!

Answer:
 Can you explain the error to us in detail?

Because “Scriveners Error” is typically used in a case like “he was supposed to be offered $50,000 but the letter said $500,000” when he’s an assistant (just an example)

If they put “$55,000” but the job was supposed to be advertised at $47,983” it would not fall under that error type.


Title: [Lousiana] My Dad is a standardized patient for a private university that has been paying him 10% less than his equally qualified coworkers who do the same job. Can he seek back pay, and if so, how? Thanks.

Question:
My Dad works as a [standardized patient](http://www.omed.pitt.edu/standardized/faq.php) for a private university in Louisiana. Usually he's just portraying a patient with common disease and the students have to diagnose and "treat" him. He can also sign up to have more invasive tests performed on him by the medical students. These gigs usually pay a lot more.

He recently found out that he's being paid 10% less than the other standardized patients that have these same invasive tests performed on them. He's been doing this for about 3 years. As a private university employee, can he seek backpay from them? And if so, how? I appreciate any help or advice you guys can offer. Thanks.

Answer: He can ask the employer for backpay, but they are under no obligation to give it to him. It is actually quite common for people who have been working at a company to be making less than the new hires for similar roles. As a side note, that is why some people job hop, since their prospects may be better if they negotiate higher pay than staying with a company that will pay them less when raises are taking into account. For example, someone may start making 50k their first year, and then work up to 56k their fifth year, but then a new hire could make 60k for that same role if they negotiated when he or she first starts.


Title: Dad is possibly suing for grandparents rights in Texas.

Question:
My Dad seems to have lost it. He has sent me many hateful texts which I have responded to in a mature way. He didn't like that I told him to leave me and my family alone. He has threatened to sue me for grandparents rights.... I have always had custody of my children. He has been mildly involved and now I have a plethora of really unstable texts from him.

I guess my question is, what should I do? Should I seek a lawyer before him? Do I have anything to really worry about here?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: Advice given already is pretty solid. Long story short, if you're not an unsuitable parent, he's probably blowing smoke and there's virtually no shot he has any available legal remedy. If you get served court papers, review them, talk to an attorney, and follow his or her advice. Otherwise, only pay him what attention and allow him contact with his grandchildren you feel he deserves. For your family's emotional health, that might be less and less if he can't get it together. Sorry about your situation. IANYL.


Title: Can I get custody (as a dad) when the mom keeps moving from relationship to relationship. As well as moving in/out with said partners?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 I have lived in GA and worked with the family courts extensively, both in Atlanta and in very rural GA. What you are describing is not accurate. The courts will *always* try to keep custody as close to 50/50 if at all possible.

If you believe your custody arrangement needs to be revisited, find a good family attorney who can help. Answer #2: Yes, stability of living arrangements is a factor. You should consult with an attorney about seeking a modification of the custodial arrangement.


Title: Being sued for a car accident from last year

Question:
A year ago, I was living in NJ and got into a chain accident. I was the car that was one to last. The police report indicates that the incident happened because the first car in line had broken down in the middle of the highway. I was hit from the back first, meaning, I didn’t hit the person in front of me until someone hit me from the back first, which caused me to also join the chain and hit the one in front of me. Insurance totaled my car, I got the money, and I moved on with my life.

Recently I moved to MA and changed my insurance policy. Now out of nowhere, I got a court letter that the person in the front car is suing all of us! I have a few questions:

1. Is my insurance at the time of accident in NJ responsible here, or my current insurance from MA?

2. Did they try to get money from my insurance first and they refused, then they sued us? Or is this person just suing all of us hoping one would pay?

3. If I have police records showing I was not at fault, do I still have to pay? Is that proof good enough?

Oh, and the accident happened in NY, so the court letters are from NY supreme court (I know, what a mess!).

Answer:
 > Is my insurance at the time of accident in NJ responsible here, or my current insurance from MA?

Insurance at the time (NJ)

> Did they try to get money from my insurance first and they refused, then they sued us? Or is this person just suing all of us hoping one would pay?

I have no idea. I can't read minds. Maybe. If you are being sued personally, send that letter to your old provider. You paid them to take care of stuff like this.

> If I have police records showing I was not at fault, do I still have to pay? Is that proof good enough?

You shouldn't really have to worry about this. You've already paid professionals (your insurance) to deal with this stuff. Answer #2: Take the Complaint and Summons to the insurance company who covered you at the time of the accident and tell them to handle it.


Title: My son was hit in the hand with a cain by his substitute teacher.

Question: This happened yesterday and his knuckles are bruised. The teacher used a cain to hit the hands of my 9 year old son. The teacher said that they were trying to break up an argument. With a cain, across the hand, of a 9 year old kid. I'm a little upset and am looking for options and what I should do here. I live in Oregon

Answer:
 File a police report and get the injury documented.  Then speak to the principal about the substitute's actions.Answer #2: Your location is very important here.

At the very least, you should report this to the school and school board. Where I live, substitutes are contract employees through a third party service and do not work for the school district. Because of this they have absolutely no right to touch a child, even if they are being attacked (within reason obviously). Now your location matters, as this may not apply to you, but there could be an issue here.

Beyond that where you are matters.

One thing to note, however, is that without damages most you can do is get the teacher in trouble. Damages would include medical costs, etc, incurred from this. So you maybe limited to complaining to the school and school board, along with possibly the police if the substitute committed a crime.


Title: Ex won't pay me back

Question:
Gf and I broke up a few weeks ago because she moved back home to work and save money and it was too far away. She owed me about $200 from trips we have taken together that she promised to pay me back for (no written promise, only verbal).

When we broke up she quickly blocked and removed me from all forms of communication and won't answer back to any attempts to contact her. There was no bad blood between us so this conversation as very surprising.

$200 doesn't seem like a lot to most people, but as a student it really sucks to lose out on that money.  My concern is that any legal action I take will cost more than it's worth. I'm in Ontario, Canada btw

Any advice is much appreciated

Answer:
 I believe in Ontario, it is $75 to file in small claims court. The fees should be posted on the government site. However, if you take her to court and you win (there is a chance the judge might rule that the cost of the trips were a gift, and you won't get anything back) then you still have to get the money from her. This can include additional court costs to apply for garnishment.

In the long run, stuff like this happens in relationships, and although it sucks, its usually best just to chalk it up to a lesson learned and move forward.


Title: Little Sister Got Scammed, Money Being Taken From Her Account. Please Help

Question:
She’s in Miami, FL.
An acquaintance asked her for a “favor”, to use her Venmo/cash app to sell concert tickets that he was allegedly selling. He had told her that his Venmo wasn’t working and convinced her to let him use hers. He had her drive him to the bank to give him the cash from each purchase. There is footage of her on the bank camera seeming afraid and the teller even asked her if everything was ok.
All in all it was about $600 of tickets that she had sold for him. Now Venmo has taken back all of the money from those transactions from her account.
AND NOW APPARENTLY this kid is threatening her and calling her names. She says she found out after this ordeal that he sells illegal pills(she would never be involved with someone who does that).

In order to get her money back and have peace,
Should she:
Call the cops
Explain the situation to her bank
Get a lawyer
??

She’s 21 I’m 24 we don’t know much about any of this stuff.

Answer:
 She needs to call the police.  Now.  Especially because threats have been made.  If they're able to track the guy down she can sue him for any money she's lost.

And in case this experience hasn't made it abundantly clear, tell her to quit doing favors that involve her financial accounts.


Title: How is it a parent can disown their offspring, but there's no legal action that can be taken the other way around?

Question:
A written notice of 'no contact' or a restraining order is all I could find.

Would a name change be necessary?

Edit: In South Carolina, but recently moved from Pennsylvania, which had the filial responsibility law. As to where the question came from.

Answer: There's no legal way to "disown" your children in a general sense.  You can disinherit them by drafting a will properly, but that's about it.  Answer #2: They can specifically write you out of a will but that's about it. Your legal name is your legal name. If you're an adult, they can't change it.


Title: [VA] As someone who rents an apartment rather than owning a home, can I decide if a person is trespassing/entering without permission?

Question:
Landlord/owner excepted, obviously.

There's been a bit of a schism in my friend group. I won't go into details, but I regularly host social events at my apartment, and am no longer inviting one friend thanks to the way his mental health issues have altered his treatment of the rest of us. So he knows where I live. I keep the doors locked and all, but if someone else agrees to drive him over and he wants to come in, am I allowed to bar him from entering, or if he's already inside, demand he leave or be considered trespassing? I don't own the property, so I'm not sure how the law would operate in this situation—who can decide who's welcome, and whatnot.

The easiest answer is, of course, to not let him in at all and associate with him as little as possible, but I'm trying to cover my ass, just in case.

Answer: Yeah you can decide who is allowed in your apartment. If someone enters your apartment without permission and refuses your instruction to leave then they are trespassing (exception for a landlord or their agent who has given proper notice, or a government employee acting lawfully in their official capacity).


Title: Urgent! MO/AR - helping a friend (18/f) run away from an abusive home. Her Dad threatened to call the police. can he?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 It's not "running away" when you're 18.

It's "moving out."

He can report her missing, but all the police will do when they find her is make sure she's okay and then tell dad she's okay.Answer #2: he can but she's an adult and allowed to go missing. She can call the local non emergency number for the town he'd call and let them know she's not missing.


Question:
Hi Guys, I’ve been looking all over for some information on this but it’s a bit of a peculiar case and I couldn’t find anything specific so I was hoping some of you law aficionados in this sub could help me out.
First of all, I think it’s worth noting that my sister lives in Spain (Catalonia) atm, I don’t want to give too many details away to protect her privacy but she is studying there from abroad i.e. we are not Spanish nationals.
This is going to be a long-ish post so I’ve split it up into two parts for ease and clarity.

**Back story:**

So basically she was out with her friends a couple of weeks back celebrating at a Spanish festival. On their way home they witnessed a fight between two men outside a nightclub. One of the bouncers was beating the living shit out of some man (who may or may not have been causing trouble) and when my sister saw this she felt compelled to stop the violence.

She went over to the two men fighting and tried to break them up. The bouncer was standing over the other man and punching him while he was on the ground. When my sister tried to separate them, the bouncer turned on her and bit her on the arm!

She’s been borderline traumatised by this incident and still has a mark on her arm where the bouncer bit her. Luckily she’s a strong girl and has been able to go back to college but even the people in college finding out about this incident has caused her embarrassment, even though she didn’t do anything wrong and was only acting out of good nature.

My sister’s Spanish isn’t that good so when she went to the doctor and told them she had been bitten by a man, they couldn't believe it and thought she was mixing up the Spanish word for “man" with the word for "dog"! They even pulled open Google translate so that she could confirm that it was in fact a fully grown man that bit her.

**Question on insurance claim:**

She is set to appear in court and make a statement but she really doesn’t want to go as she’s very busy with college (a very intense course) and really just wants to put the whole thing behind her. She’s been told that she could make a claim against the bouncer in court but we don’t know if it would be worth her while.

We’re not the type of people who would make a claim for no reason, I’m sure anyone who’s read this post would agree that what happened is pretty shocking and my sis could probably use some of the money from a claim to help pay her rent, not to mention the tetanus shot and antibiotics she had to get for the wound. She finds it tough to find work over there seeing as she doesn’t speak that much Spanish(she goes to an English speaking college there).
The problem is, similar to the doctors who examined her, any searches we make on the matter only return results regarding dog bites.

Anyone who has any information on claims like this, especially to do with the way it would be handled by Spanish law, if you could give us some advice it would be much appreciated.

**TLDR:** (As in the title) My sister was bitten by a club bouncer in Spain, how much could she claim for in court?

Answer: I know nothing about spanish law, but if it's anything like the U.S., she's likely only entitled to her actual damages, such as the cost of the medical services she required. I'm not sure why she expects money to pay for her rent.


Title: If you catfish with Venmo, is it illegal?

Question: Girls on Instagram with fake accounts often have “their” Venmo (also fake) in the bio, is this illegal?

Answer: Naw yall just thirsty


Title: Arrested in Utah with cannabis and mushrooms

Question:
Hello,

Last night I was arrested at a storage shed that contained 4-5 bags with small amounts of marijuana (3-5 gram). It was actually all mine, and wasn't intended to sell. But I did sell 1-2 bags to friends here and there. The stuff they found was my 'personal' which just happened to each be in the bag they came in (I know it's stupid).

They found 2 scales, one of which I did use to measure weights of USPS packages for selling on Ebay but they both probably have residue on there.

I also forgot I had about 4 grams of psilocybin mushrooms that I honestly forgot were in there. I have had them for months and never used them and never have. Another bad idea.

I have called and setup an appointment to talk with a attorney for a free consultation. I will be calling them on Monday to find out more. My record is squeaky clean, I have no criminal record besides a tail light out ticket. I was very cooperative and the detective made mention of 'helping him out' to reduce the severity here. In the car the detective said I'm probably looking at possession of paraphernalia, possession and intent to distribute, and possession of those mushrooms

I've never dealt with anything law related, and don't even know what I'm looking at here. My hope is to at least be able to stay in school and not lose my job. I work in IT and am going to school for computer engineering. The company I work for did not do a background check to hire me and I have been working there for 1 year this month.

In summary, I would just like to know what I can expect, and what steps I can take now, though I'm sure when I get an attorney they will have specific advice. Thank you for your time.

Answer: You could easily be looking at 5-10+ years in prison plus substantial fines. School and your job are the least of your worries at this point. Granted, a competent criminal defense lawyer can probably negotiate a plea deal, but it's certainly no guarantee. Stop talking about this with anyone, including us, and talk to a lawyer immediately. Answer #2: Please don't tell me that you admitted to the officer that you "did sell 1-2 bags to friends here and there" FFS.Answer #3: You are in serious trouble. You need to talk to an attorney experienced in criminal law. Too late for this now, but there is no reason for you to take what the police tell you at face value. Stop trying to be helpful to them. The words coming out of your mouth will only be used against you.


Title: (TX) My parent own a restaurant, which has Direct TV playing so customers can watch TV while they eat. When the service was set up in the restaurant, they were still in the personal account and not business. (Continue)

Question: Now fast foward 9 months later, they get a later saying they had unauthorized  and commercial public displayed of Direct TV NFL Network. What should they do?

Answer:
 Did you guys fail to hear the announcement before, during, and after games?

*"This telecast is copyrighted by the NFL for the private use of our audience. Any other use of this telecast or any pictures, descriptions, or accounts of the game without the NFL's consent is prohibited."*


Title: Grandparent rights

Question:
We live in Richland county, Ohio. My son’s (9) biological father didn’t get involved in my sons life until he was 5, he stayed involved for about a year before he began steadily dropping off. In 2015 he kept him overnight maybe 5 times, when he is supposed to go every other weekend, 2016 he spent all of 8-10 hours around him never once keeping him overnight. This year 2017 he hasn’t seen him once, he’s talked to him on the phone three times tops all of which my son called him so he has not made any contact, so he hasn’t seen him in over a year, since Christmas of last year. He has since gotten divorced this year leaving his wife and baby behind, and moving, none of which he has ever communicated to us, I found out through other people. Now last week out of nowhere he asked to see him, I had a feeling it wasn’t really him that wanted to see him but his father, I spoke with my attorney and asked at what point Can I say no here I mean this is ridiculous and has had serious negative impacts on my son. The attorney said I could say no and if they did take me to court over it the court wouldn’t do anything based on the last few years. This was a few weeks ago when I spoke to the attorney he is now on vacation and I am unable to talk with him.

Now his father has begun texting me, at first I was kind replied saying sorry but we hadn’t heard from my sons father in months and that we had plans and maybe some other time. I have since just ignored his messages but now he is threatening to take me to court for grandparent rights, mind you he has seen my son twice in the past two years each time around Christmas so he can take his little family photo to make it look like he cares. I am fairly confident that he has seen my son less than ten times total since they took me to court 4 years ago. I’m sorry but if you truly wanted to be apart of his life and see him it’d happen more than once a year, his excuse is that he’s busy, give me a break, we’re all busy.

So now I don’t really know what to do. Honestly I’m not comfortable with any of them seeing my son at this point, they have no idea what they are doing to him, he’s been in counseling for over a year, he’s been sleeping on our bedroom floor for months every night, he’s having issues in school and regulating his emotions, his counselor believes a lot of his issues are stemming from feeling abandoned even though he doesn’t realize it. I just want them to leave us alone, and stop hurting my child. His bio father has done exactly what I said he would from the beginning and I feel like his record these past few years proves that. His grandfather is a horrible person, who has talked bad about me in front of my child the few times he’s been around him, his other children and drug addicts and convicts, it actually says in our court papers that my son is not to be around smoking due to his asthma, his grandfather chain smokes and now that’s where his father lives so over my dead body will my child be going there. I just don’t know what to do I don’t want to have to go to court but I think at this point I should have the right to refuse to let him go.

I am the custodial/residential parent we have the standard rule 24 visitation so he should take him every other weekend which he hasn’t done in over three years as I mentioned. Any advice would be appreciated.

Answer:
 You have an attorney, so first of all, get in touch with your attorney once he returns from vacation. Your attorney is going to be able to provide you with actual legal advice that takes into account all the relevant circumstances.

Ohio does allow grandparents to petition the court for visitation. [Link](http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3109.12). The grandparents would have to prove that visitation "is in the best interest of the child."  From what you have said, it may be hard for the grandparents to prove that.

That said, it sounds more likely that the father will seek visitation on the paternal grandparents' behalf. If he already has court-ordered visitation, you need to comply with that unless your attorney advises you otherwise. If you want a change in court-ordered visitation, then you have to go to court. If the father is not satisfied with the current visitation, then he can take you to court. Ultimately, the father is likely going to get some form of visitation in court, but it can have conditions. If the father isn't complying with the conditions then the visitation can be modified or ended by the court. This is really something to discuss with your attorney--it's too complicated to assess here.Answer #2: We need a location.

Do you have a court-issued custody order?Answer #3: Please add paragraph breaks. This is extremely difficult to read.


Title: I need advice

Question: So I'm on this dating app bio says 18 I'm 22 we start snapchatting I say hey she send two explicit vids of her and I say so fucking hot then I asked her how old are you to make sure she was 18 before I send anything  she said 17 then I said I'm sorry your 17 . then she said no one will find out I blocked her deleted snap chat and delted my dating account could I possible still get in trouble for this I live in Michigan

Answer: You're fine. This was just a scam attempt.


Title: Sexual harassment resolved in the worst way possible

Question:
Before I begin, I want you all to know I will do my best give you an unbiased story.

I am an aspiring 24-year old post-graduate working on going back to school for a physician assistant program. For those of you who can relate, it is extremely competitive. My belief is that you take what you give from your clinical experience. I am currently working in the post-anesthesia care unit as a technician where I am responsible for providing any sort of assistance to my fellow nurses and regulating the flow of patients in and out of the department. I don't plan on being here forever and try my best to learn something every day to improve myself.

I'm sure at one point in your life you had that one coworker you weren't always fond of due to conflicting beliefs. In my scenario, I worked with an attention-seeking, cringe-worthy nurse. Her beauty was easily masked by personality yet the doctor's would go crazy for her. Every time she is with a patient, she always needs help with the simplest tasks and I think this takes my focus away from the patients who require more attention. Whether I'm busy or not, she continues to bug me anyway. Moreover, she will openly use her phone while she is tending to a patient. In her defense, "there's nothing else to do." The bottom line is, I wouldn't want nurse who can't function autonomously and professionally to take care of me. I don't think anyone deserves that. I'm not the only who has recognized this and reported it to our immediate supervisor. As a result, I have no respect for this nurse yet I do understand that I must cooperate with her as any sort of tension could negatively impact patient care.

In my first few weeks of working with this nurse, I wasn't really quite aware of the nurse's behavior. I treated her just like everyone else and in her eyes, she saw this as a beginning of a friendship. If you must know, I am the kind of person who jokes around frequently and doesn't think take anything seriously. As a result, I am very easy to get along with however no one will ever know when I am being serious. I admit that I said and did some things to imply that I was okay with friendship but as I slowly began to learn about the negative impact her behavior had on my work performance, I stopped catering to her needs. I still helped her when she needed it but if she said jump, I tell her I jump as high as I fucking want to. It's not because I am trying to shun her but because there are more important things at hand.

It would be inaccurate for me to say that the nurse was confused by my change of heart. She held every right to because of my easy-going temperament. However, that doesn't excuse her from the way she treated me. Before my change of heart, our relationship reached the point where all of my deeds were ended with a flamboyant "THANKS U/PARAMOUNTZ! YOU'RE A DOLL!" I already thought that was a little excessive to begin with and after my change of heart, I thought it was extremely inappropriate for the workplace. I don't want to hear it and I'm almost certain no one else wants to hear a nurse serenade me with gratitude every five minutes for my deeds. She also began talking to me in a baby voice. If I refused to do something for her, she would say in baby voice "BAD U/PARAMOUNTZ! SOMEONE IS BEING A NAUGHTY BOY!" It doesn't end here. When I am busy, she will touch me inappropriately. She has put her hand on top of my hand when I am working on something. She has tickled me to the point where I feel extremely uncomfortable and I have asked her to stop. Last but not least she has placed apology notes in my lunch box. So far, I have tallied unwanted advances and invasion of privacy.

In the midst of all this, everyone in my department including my immediate supervisor, seems to be very amused by my response to all this. On the surface, it seems like I don't like it because they don't take me seriously but in reality, it's making me very uncomfortable. Subsequently, my immediate supervisor approached me and asked me to cut the act but I told her it wasn't an act and that the nurse's actions were making me very uncomfortable. I mentioned everything I felt uncomfortable with and where my indifference towards this nurse stemmed from. She concurred that other nurses have said similar things about her work ethic. More importantly, I also told my immediate supervisor that I already told this nurse to STOP. In response, my immediate supervisor suggested that I have a talk alone with the nurse to resolve the issue. Not only did I address the problem to my supervisor, I also told her about my attempt to resolve the issue and how it's still an ongoing problem, yet she still wanted me to resolve the issue myself.

A month has passed since I addressed the issue with my supervisor and in the meantime, the attention-whoring nurse went on an assignment to convince her coworkers she was leaving but in reality she would return monthly to work for us. Her anticipated return was shortly-lived when she discovered that I was still giving her the cold shoulder. In addition to her aforementioned behavior, she would also text me and I would never respond to these texts. If body language, a verbal warning, and lack of communication over texts wasn't enough to spell out how uncomfortable I am around her, I don't know what else will work.

Today has to be one of the most disappointing moments in my life. Said nurse approached my supervisor and insisted that an intervention was necessary which was very predictable on her part. I'm not catering to her needs like I used to so of course she's going to complain about it. I specifically warned my supervisor this would happen yet she still refused to address this problem with the nurse independent of my presence. Consequently, I was asked by my supervisor to join her and the nurse to resolve the issue later during the day. This was the last thing I wanted to happen.

During the meeting, my supervisor and the nurse proposed the following statements:

1. My relationship with the nurse was having a negative impact on patient care (which I concur, they win)
2. In defense to my statement about her touching me, the nurse claimed, "Well no one saw me touching you so how can you accuse me of that?" ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS!? THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT! WHO THE FUCK SEXUALLY HARASSES SOMEONE INTENTIONALLY FOR EVERYONE ELSE TO SEE!? More importantly, unlike her, everyone else is giving their undivided attention to something that matters more, like patients.
3. As predicted, I wasn't catering to her needs. I would "intentionally" ignore her and help others. She also attempted to provide an example where I neglected her when she needed me the most. She had a combative patient and those patients are often difficult to treat when they're tossing and turning. However, the patient's first language was not English and actually spoke my second language. I asked him what the problem was and kindly asked him to stay still so that the nurse could give him pain medication. The patient responded accordingly, problem solved. Not really a problem but rather the nurse's inability to address a language barrier. Moreover, I later found out that the patient had no idea he was done with surgery or where he was for that matter. This shows that the nurse failed to do a focused assessment of the patient which could potentially result poor treatment.

Although my supervisor and the nurse were both right about the relationship being harmful for work environment, I don't agree with the way the matter was handled. Not only do I feel uncomfortable being around the nurse, I was being lectured two against one on how I need to suck it up and be an "adult" about handling these situations in the future. I felt like the nurse's actions were justified, like I was forced to accept what happened to me. If the roles were reversed, I am almost certain that everyone would be standing up for the nurse. What disappoints me even more is that every day I give it my best to help these people so that they in return can teach me what it's like to be a true healthcare professional. It's very discouraging watching your heroes turn against you. I want to contact HR but I need to think this thoroughly as I may be unemployed if I don't choose my options carefully.

Answer:
 Ok, so I skimmed your novel. Where exactly was the sexual harassment? I must have missed it.Answer #2: You know, I'll admit my response might not be the same if the roles were reversed, but there's something to be said for reconciling with yourself that you aren't going to get anywhere with a sexual harassment claim here, and that you need to focus on furthering your career instead.

Your post was a thinly-veiled biased assessment of what happened, but even if we take the majority of what you wrote as truth, it's still apparent that you will screw up your career long before she will screw up hers. You need to put your head down and get the work done. As you so clearly pointed out, neither of you are doing any of the patients any good by bringing this dispute anywhere near their vicinity.

Reserve your complaints about her for serious misconduct related to being negligent with a patient because she's on the phone all the goddamn time. Because that will happen sooner rather than later. Answer #3: Even from that biased account, I'm not seeing any wrongdoing in the part of the employer.  Sounds like the administration thinks both of you are immature and is giving you a chance to take care of it yourselves before you start a process that's going to torpedo your career.

So yeah.  Go ahead and go to HR and start a paper trail that shows you're the kind of person who will sue over someone touching your hand and baby talking to you.  She may at least get a write up too.


Title: Sent home from work until I sign a blank legal document

Question:
Was asked to sign a distracted driving policy from our insurance carrier. My company was supposed to put it's name, date and repercussions for breaking policy, but instead left those spaces with (insert company name here). I'm more than willing to sign it when it is correctly filled out by both parties but I don't feel that I should be dismissed through this. I'm in Florida. Anything I can do?

UPDATE : I win!

Went to work this morning because I didn't want to fuck over my customer or my co workers. Boss doesn't come in until I leave the shop. Fortunately, I'm working with someone who can drive. I go do my job and come back to the shop. The secretary comes up to me with a new form, all properly filled out. She apologized to me and told me I was completely correct and she admitted to not even reading it herself before making copies for everyone to sigh. Everyone had to re-sign their form when she realized she made the mistake. Apparently, the boss jumped to the conclusion that I wouldn't sign because I disagreed with the policy itself, although I never said anything like that at all. He is known to be irrational at times. No apology from him, but that was expected. At least I'm back to business as usual. Thanks for all the advice.

Answer:
 You can sign the blank document (I wouldn't either) or not.

If they let you go, then apply for unemployment benefits.

They are allowed to fire you for anything they want (except for being a protected class). Wearing black shoes with tan slacks is enough to get you fired if they wanted.Answer #2: Have you discussed this with your employer yet? Perhaps simply say, "hey, I think you guys forgot to fill this out," in a non-confrontational way.

Alternatively, fill it out yourself and return it, and place "N/A" in the consequences section. That be seen as confrontational, but if you think they will Fire you for refusing, and you are unwilling to return the blank document, it is your only alternative.


Title: I am a minor living with my (divorced) mother. If custody is changed to my father can do I live with another family?

Question:
My dad isn't' quite one to research, so I figured I would do the work. Basically, my dad is an airline pilot working out of the country.
 For a number of reasons, I really cannot live with my mother and my mom, dad and I all agree on this. She has no intention of wanting to visit me or see me or anything, so visitation is not a concern. If the parenting plan is changed to my father, under his approval and facilitation can I legally live with another family, approved by my father here in the US, rather than out of the country?

Any advice is MUCH appreciated, its an important matter currently.

Answer: As long as your parents agree to it, you could live on the moon.


Title: Received a Cease and Desist letter... sort of

Question:
I boarded my horse at a barn for a few months (aka I paid someone to take care of him and feed him), I moved my horse to this barn with my friend's horse as well. Both of our horses was losing weight and weren't getting fed so we moved barns. I have vet records showing his weight loss, nothing else changed other than the barn, he has no health conditions. The barn manager, who is the daughter of the man who owns the barn, was very hostile. She claimed I was making up that he wasn't getting fed and that it was my fault he was losing weight. He was supposed to get supplements in the am and pm, at the end of the month I would end up with 10 more am than pm packs, clearly they weren't getting fed. So I left.

My friend and I moved our horses about a year ago and several months ago I noticed a facebook post for someone describing their horse just like I would describe mine (older, nice horse, very sweet), and said they just moved to the state and were looking for somewhere to keep him. Someone recommended that barn. I PM'ed the girl and gave her a "heads up" on what my experience was there. I was very political. I just said she may want to have a backup option if her horse starting losing weight, I told her to make sure to be clear with the barn manager what her expectations are, etc. She started saying, oh maybe I won't even look at that barn then. I told her it was worth checking out, just to make sure that she felt it was the right fit when she visited.

Turns out, someone else had posted something similar and my friend replied. She said something very similar. We were both very political and didn't say ANYTHING UNTURE. I even sent this girl before and after pics of my horses showing his weight loss. Well... we're pretty sure that it was the barn manager making fake profiles to bait us into talking shit (which we really didn't even do).

My friend got cease and desist letters at her house for BOTH of us. She must not know my legal name, I got by a shortened version, and she clearly doesn't know my address. I don't even want to bother replying. She claiming that my friend and I are defaming her business, and the letter said we need to remove anything we posted on social media. I've never posted anything about the barn, only the private message to the girl who I now think is the barn manager.

Is is ok if I just don't reply? Had my friend not told me, I would have never even know she was trying to send me one since it wasn't sent to my address.

Sorry if anything was unclear, I can clarify if needed.

Answer:
 Who sent the letter? Not that that's likely to matter, but I'm curious if they got a lawyer to send it.

I'd ignore it. Don't reply, don't do anything. From your description here, you've done nothing wrong.


Title: Mom won't give me my passport and other legal documents. GA

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Call the police and report your Mom's theft of "identity documents".


Title: I got an email from Google notifying me that the FBI requested information about my account.

Question:
Here's the transcript :

Google received and responded to legal process issued by Federal Bureau of Investigation [State] compelling the release of information related to your Google account. A court order previously prohibited Google from notifying you of the legal process. We are now permitted to disclose the receipt of the legal process to you. The agency reference number or case number on the legal process is NO. Xxxxxxxx-xxx, x:xx-xx-xx-xxx.

For more information about how Google handles legal process, view our transparency report [link] . Google is not in a position to provide you with legal advice or discuss the substance of the legal process. If you have other questions regarding this matter, you may wish to contact an attorney. Please reply to this email and/or include the case identification number located in the subject line in any further communications regarding this matter.  Regards,  Legal Investigations Support Google LLC

What the hell is this? I don't even live in the US, should I be worried and how would I go about checking out whats this is about

Answer:
 First off, are you sure those links do not lead you to a phishing website? What I'm saying is how confident are you that this actually came from Google? Answer #2: In the USA, federal legal process is often accompanied by a non-disclosure order, requiring the receiving party(Google) to keep the existence of the order silent for a period of time. One year is the standard period of time. When that order expires, the company is free to(but not required to) disclose the existence of the order.

That's likely what's happening here - Google got a court order roughly a year ago, the non-disclosure order expired, now they're notifying you. We can't guess what the invesitigation was or how you were connected to it.


Title: Roommate will possibly file sexual harassment charges. What are my rights?

Question:
I have been living with a female roommate in a co-op of around 10 adults. She moved in around three months ago. I signed a sublease back in April that basically requires me to give 60 days notice in the case that I wish to leave. It also stimulates that my sublease could be broken under sexual harassment or similar situations. I live in California.

Said roommate and I hung out a lot when she moved in until recent disputes. According to her, one night (I believe she has said the first night we hung out) I was drunk and grabbed her butt. I do not remember doing this, but I remember being very flirtatious. At the time I was on a regiment of medication including lithium wellbutrin, and zoloft for mood instability. I take responsibility for whatever I did actually do that night, drunk or not. But the problem has been made worse in that I only have her words against very poor memory.

Any descriptions of sexual harassment was never mentioned until we had a dispute another night I was drunk. I had been texting and emailing her multiple times to see if she wanted to go outside and smoke marijuana. There will be email and text evidence to support this. I ran into her on our front porch and she had been smoking with another roommate. I asked if she wanted to smoke. She said no. I became angry and called her "fake" and "inauthentic" and then slammed the door on her face. I remember calling her fake and slamming the door. I then proceeded to go to sleep. I sent her another email saying "darling, you are so fake" and then went to bed. I woke up later in the morning, a little more sober, and sent her another email saying "darling, I'm an idiot." The following morning she spoke to me in person and told me that she had stayed up all night worried I was going to break into her room and violate her. I apologized for my behavior, but iterated that I would never have even knocked on her door after that incident, let alone barged in. She accepted this but told me that the first night we hung out that I was being sexually aggressive by being extremely flirtatious and touching her. She did not mention how I touched her. She told me that she was considering moving out so I told her that I never want her to feel uncomfortable in her own room and if she ever felt like she had to move out I would move out instead.

We were fine after that. Several weeks went by with only minor arguments over things unrelated to past events. Then, about a week ago we got in a dispute when she told me that I violated a potential roommate's physical space who was interviewing with us when I drunkingly urinated off our porch. The girl never made this complaint herself, and when other roommates brought it up with her in the future, she said she didn't care. She just signed a lease to move in.

Anyways, I argued with my roommate saying that me urinating off my porch did not constitute some form of sexual harassment. This led her to bring up the first night we hung out. This time she specifically said I touched her ass without permission. Prior to this she did not say exactly where I touched her or how. She started screaming and saying she didn't have to live there. Finally I said I would move out.

The next day she called an emergency meeting with our housemates. I told them I would move out in a minimum of 30 days and maximum of 60 so long as I stopped drinking. The house agreed with those terms with full consensus. This was last weekend and I have since not drunk any alcohol.

Well, tonight we had a normally scheduled house meeting. It turns out that the housemates feel uncomfortable with me living here and want me to leave by January 11th. I told them that I was frustrated they changed the agreement even with me keeping my end of not drinking. They basically said tough luck. I told them there is no way I can leave by the 11th. They wouldn't budge on the matter and said that the girl who alleged sexual assault was considering sexual harassment charges. Further, a different female roommate claimed that I sexually harassed her. I demanded that she tell me when and how. She wouldn't give details. Finally she claimed I also grabbed her ass the first night we hung out. Then it changed to one of the first nights. I asked if there were anyone else around and she said a former roommate was. I asked if she could be a witness. She said no because she didn't actually see it happen. I have zero memory of ever touching this girl's body in any way.

This girl does have one valid charge against me and that is that I flashed my penis to her and another roommate one night when drunk. This was about two weeks ago. I also sent her a very confusing email from a fake email where I talked about those days when we were in love and how I lost her. This literally makes no sense because we hardly know each other. I have no idea why I would have sent this.

So basically, there are parts of this story that I remember and accept, there are parts I don't remember and don't know if I accept, and there are parts I don't remember and don't accept because there is no "paper trail" or external evidence to go by.

These are the things I accept happened:
1. I was very flirtatious with the roommate who might file sexual charges.
2. I slammed the door on her and called her fake one night.
3. I flashed my penis to two other roommates one night.
4. I emailed other roommate with a non-sensical email about our former fabricated love.
5. I urinated off the porch when a house applicant was interviewing.

Things I do not accept:
1. That I grabbed the ass of this other roommate.

Things I'm not sure about:
1. Whether I actually touched the body without consent by the original roommate.

Finally, it isn't like I want to live here now. I want to leave ASAP and I don't want to drink alcohol any more or at least until I get help and work on things. But I literally do not have the money to move by the 11th. I did agree to change my move out date to February 1st but the housemates didn't really accept that. We agreed to take some time to think about everything during the holidays. Following that, they will make a decision as a house and see about filing harassment charges.

In regards to my medications, I am now on only Zoloft at half my former dose. My psychiatrist thinks my former psychiatrist misdiagnosed me and put me on way too much medication. Since I had my meds reduced I haven't been as batshit crazy when I drink, but it still isn't to the point where it is civil and I acknowledge that I can't drink right now.

Sorry for the length. I have no criminal record and have never been accused of sexual assault. This is really concerning me and I really just want to move out, but not before I can afford it. I have a decent job that I can't risk losing if I end up on the street. I don't have any family or friends here who I could stay with.

Thanks for any help and Happy Holidays.

Answer:
 1.  Dude, you have a drinking problem.  You do stupid shit you don't remember when you drink.  Address it.  Given your memories & behaviors, I don't think it's beyond belief that you did exactly what you're being accused of.  And if I believe it, based on what you say, imagine what a jury would think.

2.  If your roommates want you out, you don't have much of a choice.  But they do legally have to give you the 30 day notice.  Of course, they can also file harassment charges against you.

3.  Start looking for a place to move to NOW.

4.  Do not have any contact with your housemates.  Full stop.  Do not be in the same room with any of the female housemate,s whether drunk or sober.  If they come in, leave.  If you are walking into a room they are in, turn around.  No joke, this can escalate very very badly for you.

4.  Did I mention you should stop drinking?Answer #2: I read the first few paragraphs and stopped. Not legal advice but advice...do not mix Wellbutrin and alcohol. It makes you crazy. Answer #3: So many irrelevant details in that post.  What, specifically, is your question?


Title: Rescinded resignation, employer won't keep me, union worker, Vermont

Question:
It's a small state so I'm not going to give identifying details, if I can help it.

I work for a fairly small non-profit as a case manager for homeless teen parents.  I have been there for almost a year.  I am REALLY good at my job, have an excellent review on file and have consistently received excellent feedback from colleagues, community partners, superiors and clients.  I love my job so much and go above and beyond whenever I can.

The org. is headed by a... how to put this delicately...emotionally unstable executive director.  We are hemorrhaging employees and, in fact, both my clinical and administrative supervisor left about three months ago and were JUST replaced.  In the past three months we've lost 8 employees (out of about 25).  It's a very toxic work environment but I've tried to focus on the work and leave the politics to those who have time for it.  Regardless, I have stood my ground when needed to and the Exec. Dir. has lumped me in the enemy camp.  I've continued to be open, friendly, helpful and communicative with her but she constantly makes her dislike of me known.  It's so bad that a co-worker was recently hospitalized after a confrontation with her.  Luckily, she's leaving on July 1 (which she announced 4 days after I gave notice) but she appointed one of her people interim exec. director and she's already showing her colors.

Partially because of the stressful work environment, partially due to life circumstances, I decided to re-locate.  I gave a verbal 30+ day notice because it was very important to me that my clients be transitioned out slowly and I wanted to give the org. time to hire someone.

Well, my life recently imploded and I'm staying.  I asked Monday to rescind my notice and was notified today that they were moving forward with the hiring process.  I asked for a reason and was told that they don't owe me an explanation.

I contacted my union rep. and we're moving forward with a grievance but, wondering, considering that VT is an 'at-will' state, is there any non-contractual legal reason for the org. to keep me on?  Any other advice that I should be aware of as I move forward?

TL;DR:  Gave 30+day notice, took it back, Exec. Director is a nazi and won't let me stay, no performance issues.

Answer: You resigned, they accepted it. There isn't a law that gives you a do-over if you change your mind. If you are unionized your only remedy would have to come from some article in your collective bargaining agreement.


Title: (IL) Son cannot bury his mother due to estranged husband.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Probate or estate attorney would be a good first step. If they can't help they can refer you to the right kind of attorney. Answer #2: Presumably she had a will and an executor and had recorded her preferences. If not, let this be a warning to those alive today. Always have a will. My brother died recently without a will, and it is a cluster. I managed to get control of his remains by not asking for permission and let the funeral home deal with it.

https://www.funerals.org/forconsumersmenu/your-legal-rights/funeral-decision-rights

> Illinois -- As of January 1, 2006, Illinois citizens can declare their wishes for disposition in a written document that is legally binding. They may also designate an agent to carry them out, or to make any decisions if no specific instructions are left. The law allowing this is found under in chapter 755 of Illinois Statutes, Estates, Disposition of Remains Act. Click here and scroll down to look it up.


Title: If Roe v Wade were to be overturned, would that allow the government to mandate COVID vaccines by force?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 The Supreme Court ruled that states can mandate vaccinations in Jacobson v Massachusetts. As far as I know, that is still good law.Answer #2: 1.  No, because the two have nothing to do with each other.  "My body, my choice" is a slogan, not a legal opinion.

2.  Forced vaccination is already allowed, under Jacobson v Massachusetts.  (Smallpox vaccine in that case.)


Title: (Texas) I wanted a job. Made a post on craigslist. Somone offers me a check for me to buy them things. Help!

Question: Okay, so someone told me "Hey, I'm an architect and Im out of town so I need someone to go make purchases and mail them to me while im out" And he offers to send a check of $1,800 to cover the items he wants, and 400 is supposed to be for me, and he wants this to be a weekly thing. His name is apparently "Mark Johnson" is this legit? apparently he is going to mail a check to me. Help asap!

Answer:
 Fake. You cash that check in your account. It gets flagged as fake or stolen and you are on the hook for the money and could possibly face criminal charges.

Source:  I investigate plenty of these. Especially close to tax season.


Title: [NY] Is it illegal for the President of our firm to invite only women to a meeting?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > Onto today's particular infraction. I received an email from our President stating that he had a "designer" coming into the office and would like me to meet him. As I stated above, my department is analytics and client management. When we received the meeting invite, only myself and the other woman in the office were invited to meet this designer. The designer, as it turns out, is an Interior Designer coming to look at our office space. I can only imagine the thought process here was, "Well, the chicks know how to decorate!"

While that was discriminatory (in a sense), I suspect it wasn't *illegally* discriminatory because by attending the meeting, you weren't denied a benefit of employment that male employees receive.Answer #2: With only 7 people in the company, the company will be exempt from many laws related to discrimination. EEOC rules only come into effect at 15 employees. I am unsure if NY has state laws that start protections at a smaller number of employees or not. Answer #3: INAL so I'm not sure on the discrimination side of it but, I would suggest that everything be in pink and have Hello Kitty all over it. Suggest the office be as girly as can be and that all the bathrooms (including the men's) need tampon/feminine hygiene dispensers, tampon disposal bins, and baby changing stations.

Also, have them put in an automatic dishwasher.


Title: Was walking my dog and saw someone's military briefcase thrown in the open along with two prescription bottles...who do I tell? (Georgia, US)

Question: Not sure if I should tell my apartment complex or if I should go out there with latex gloves and collect it to bring it to the leasing office? Or if I should call the police? It looks like some kids grabbed stuff from somewhere and just decided to dump them there in a panic. Never dealt with this before.

Answer: this is the type of thing you anonymously report to the cops then get as much distance as possible between you and it.


Title: Sexual law advice

Question:
First time poster here,

I am a 19 year old male in the state of georgia. I have looked everywhere on the internet for results on this and although it seems my situation isnt illegal, there arent enough results or answers to stop my fears. I have recently had a relationship with a 16 year old girl in the state of georgia. The entire relationship took place while she was already 16 years old. The relationship was commited and we were both very fond of eachother. We participated in consensual sexual intercourse, and had a pregnancy scare. The results of a pregnancy test returned negative and it was very apparent that she wasnt pregnant. Recently her parents found out about the intercourse and the pregnancy scare and were very angry about it. They had come in contact with my parents, although i live on my own, and they shared the situation and stated that they wanted to involve the police. Before the intercourse i researched the situation heavily and found the age of consent is 16 in georgia and i felt confident that the act would be legal. However, their reaction concerned me and has me worried in regards to the legality of the situation although i doubt they have contacted the police. So im here to ask, was this act illegal, and are there any legal worried that i should have? Again the act was completely consensual, i am just worried about any unforseen consequences. The girl also tries to remain in contact with me over the phone and states that she still wants a relationship. Legally should i continue communication with her and try to continue the relationship?

Im sorry for the wall of text, and thank you for your time and advice if youre reading this and answering amy questions,

Ghost Tuna Fish out

Answer:
 You're fine for the sex. Her parents can rant and rave all they want.
If you sexted each other you've committed at least one felony.


Title: (Colorado) I lost my pepper spray in a college library, what are the chances I could get in serious trouble?

Question: I carry pepper spray on the walk from home to school because I live in a pretty rough part of town and personally know several people who've been mugged. When I get to school I usually put the pepper spray in my purse or my backpack, but yesterday I just left it in my pocket. The first place I went was the library and when I left I realized my pepper spray was gone. It was with me during the walk. So it must have fallen out of my pocket while I was in the library. My school's policy on weapons doesn't specify whether pepper spray counts but it probably does. What are the chances that they would find security footage, track me down, and I would get in trouble? I know it sounds irrational but when kids are getting arrested for making clocks and throwing carrots you never know.

Answer: I wouldn't worry about it.  Chances aren't they won't investigate this, and you have no control over whether or not they do.


Title: I want to let someone else live in my apartment rent-free - can Strata prevent it?

Question:
I own an apartment in a Strata, and I will be out of the country for a year. I live in Vancouver, Canada, where there is a severe housing crisis, so I'd like to make it available for someone to live there while I am gone.  Essentially I am trading their house- and pet-sitting services for rent.

My strata bans rentals, but the bylaw has said nothing about tenants that do not have to pay rent. Is there anything I need to know in order to proceed?

Answer: It would depend on the exact wording. An agreement to live somewhere in exchange for providing labor is still a rental.


Title: [SC, USA] Auto Accident. Police cruiser rear-ends bf as he is fully stopped, pushing bf's car into a 3rd driver as she makes a turn. What can we do?

Question:
Hi! New to posting, please let me know if I leave out relevant information. Sorry it is so long, I wanted to be thorough.

My boyfriend was in his first auto accident today, and we are a little lost and worried about the procedure because it involved a police cruiser AND a third driver.

**The Accident:**

After going through an intersection, a woman stops short to make a left turn across two lanes of traffic. Boyfriend did not rear end her, and was fully stopped about a car length behind the woman, waiting for her to turn. No part of his car was still in the intersection. Then, a Sheriffs department cruiser (no blue lights or sirens on) rear-ends my boyfriend forcefully enough to slam his car into the back of the woman's car as she is making the turn. She panics, hits the gas, and spins back through the intersection, driving into a business' fence a little bit up the road.

**The Vehicle Damage Descriptions:**

My boyfriend has little damage to his front bumper (he has a 91 steel-bodied Honda Civic) but the rear end of the car is a mess. The body of the hatchback is folded in on itself in a ^ shape, with the bumper hanging off both ends. Back lights busted out, etc. The cruiser hit my bf's civic with enough force to dent/bend its own metal brush guard on the front, as well as the front of the car underneath. The radio on bf's car was jerked out of place, and all the drink carriers, belongings etc in the back of the hatch were vaulted to the front. (Unsure if this is relevant. Pictures can be provided if necessary as long as they don't jeopardize any case we miiiight have.) Unsure of the woman's back-end damage, as her car ended up down a ways from ours.

**The Rest**

Many other officers arrived on-scene and my boyfriend was questioned; we are unsure if the officer was questioned because it was a little chaotic. He was in plainclothes, and they didn't tell us whether or not he was on duty. They did tell us that his dash-cam "failed to cut on to capture the accident." They took boyfriend's license, registration, insurance cards to file a report & said that since it involves a police officer, an investigation has to be made before fault is determined. Another officer took pictures of the cruiser and boyfriend's car.
My boyfriend was then examined on-scene for shoulder and back pain, and taken in an ambulance to the ER. He was examined there and x-rays were taken of his back&shoulder. ER wrote 2 scripts for pain killers and muscle relaxers and said to follow-up in a few days with our regular physician, and we set an appt for Thursday to do so. The car was towed to a nearby body shop after we left for the hospital.

**The Concerns**

This was a 35mph zone, and I feel as though the damages indicate that the officer was either distracted, speeding, or both. He and I have been instructed to wait until the investigation is complete to file a claim, but I believe that since it was a Sheriff's department cruiser, they will try to pin fault on us or falsify information to cover something up.

What is a fairly reasonable "ask" if we have to fight any part of this. I would like a very general ballpark estimate if any of you could give me one.
My two main concerns are the medical and the compensation for the car. I'm afraid they will try to cover it up and assign him at fault to avoid their insurance paying our medical expenses, or giving us any compensation for the car. (Although it was a 91 body, bf is very into cars and has recently put a lot of work into engine, clutch, suspension, etc.) I also am concerned about lost wages, because he is currently employed as a driver.

Ultimately, we are a little out of our element because we both have good records and are unfamiliar with auto accidents & the processes involved. Should we consult a lawyer now or wait until Highway Patrol investigates and assigns fault to a party? Do we even have a glimmer of hope at winning a case if we have to hire a lawyer? I just want a general idea of what to expect, I guess.

***TL;DR:*** Boyfriend rear-ended by police cruiser so hard his fully-stopped car is pushed a car-length into 3rd driver. Vehicular damage may indicate officer was speeding/distracted in this 35mph zone, but his dash-cam was turned off & it is pending investigation. We are afraid they will hush it up. Bf may have back issues due to this, but we are awaiting physicians appointment to determine. Are we screwed if they try to wiggle out of this, or can we potentially fight it?
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 Police don't assign fault, the insurance companies do that.

His car is guaranteed to be totalled, Answer #2: > "failed to cut on to capture the accident."

Of course it did.

> since it involves a police officer, an investigation has to be made before fault is determined.

Of course it does.

> I believe that since it was a Sheriff's department cruiser, they will try to pin fault on us or falsify information to cover something up.

Of course they will.

IANAL, but I would get my insurance involved in this so fast it would leave a sonic boom.


Title: I'm trans (MTF), would it be illegal to put my gender as female when signing up for stuff?

Answer:
 What stuff are you talking about?

Social events? Mailing lists? Social media? Other generic, trivial daily stuff? No. You can express yourself however you wish.

Driver's license? Passport? Census? You're much more likely to run into problems.


Title: [MD, USA] Company changed handbook after I resigned in an attempt to deny accrued and unused PTO

Question:
 Hi [/r/legaladvice](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice)! I'm in the midst of a dispute with my previous employer regarding over $10000 of unpaid PTO which, according to the handbook that I signed when I started a few years back, stated that upon voluntary resignation the entirety of my accrued by unused PTO would be paid so long as a two week notice is given. I forwarded all of the information to the state labor board, and I just received the company's response, showing a version of the handbook I've never seen which specifies a three week notice is required, and that the amount to be paid is limited to 80 hours. Here are some quick other facts:

1. I submitted my resignation mid-month, indicating a two week notice. Both myself and the company have corroborated this date.
2. My last day was the first day of the following month
3. My departure was amicable at first, but soured shortly after and I believe that this is an attempt by the leadership at the company I left to retaliate. I did not submit this evidence, but I can show that the departure was amicable and soured.
4. The company claims that "on or around the month after I submitted my resignation" they informed the company of the updated handbook
5. The new handbook, which I have never seen, is dated the month after I submitted my resignation, but does not indicate an exact day (e.g. "January 2017"). I was high up in the company, so it doesn't make sense that I wouldn't have been informed of this change

Here are my questions:

1. Is a company in Maryland able to arbitrarily change a handbook after someone submits a resignation to prevent them from receiving benefits that were originally entitled?
2. Is there anything I should be doing at this point to help strengthen my case? Have I given enough to the labor board to prove my case? They have the handbook I originally received, copies of my last few paychecks, my written statements, and the emails that were exchanged between the company and myself.
3. Should I allow the state labor board to continue with the case, or would it be in my best interest to speak with a lawyer as well?

Thanks!

Answer:
 I don't know about you, but $10k is a lot that you can't really mess around with.

I would just find a labor law attorney. Answer #2: In Maryland, earned PTO is treated the same way as earned wages.  It's true that company policy can modify the entitlement to the PTO upon separation of employment- but in your case it appears that you complied with the policy in place.  Not to mention the company's response to your complaint appears it could be fraudulent.  The administrative claim you filed is ok- but to get what you're entitled to under the MWPCL, best to get an attorney to represent you.  Many offer free initial consultations.


Title: How to avoid conflict over an aggressive dog?

Question:
My dog is slightly aggressive. By that, I mean she barks and growls when someone she doesn't know gets near her. If they try to force her to get closer to them, she has been known to snap. I've heard that posting a "Beware of Dog" sign helps, but I've also heard that by using that, you're admitting your dog is aggressive and potentially harmful. My fear is that someone will try to press charges if she bites them. However, as I said, she's only been known to snap if they FORCE her to get closer. As in on a leash pulling her towards them, or backing her in a corner. Is there any precaution I can take to prevent someone trying to take advantage of that fact? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much in advance.

State - West Virginia
Country - North America

Answer: Muzzle her. This is the safest thing to do. Ask dog trainer or vets which one works and get her used to wearing it. Maybe socialization dog training classes would help. I don't want you to lose your dog. Once she bites it's over.


Title: Strippers, Private School, and Revenge Porn

Question:
For context, I live in New York State. Revenge porn laws still haven’t been passed, as far as I know.

My children attend a private school. Recently, my sister and 3 of her friends tried to get her children into the same school. They were denied admission. One of the faculty let it slip to me that their entrance was based on the principal and chancellor thinking my sister and her friends are strippers. (Two of them are as a second source of income but omitted this from their applications). My sister and her friends tried to start a petition and file a lawsuit against the school, and then things got shaky.

One of the women involved (we’ll call her “Sarah”) found a nude video in her husband’s phone of one of the other women involved with the suit (we’ll call her “Jane”). Jane was masturbating in the video. Sarah sent the video to all of the contacts in her phone and uploaded it to a few social media sites. Jane and Sarah have had several physical altercations since the discovery of the video. My sister is now afraid that her lawsuit has been discredited.

My questions are: 1) Is it legal for the school to deny admission based on the parents’ perceived employment?

2). Has circulating this video destroyed their chances of winning this suit?
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 1) yes

2) because of 1, 2 is irrelevant


Title: Wife is about to go out on FMLA for our first child in NC; supervisor telling her she'll have to work from home during leave.

Question:
My wife is a special education teacher in North Carolina and is about to go out on maternity leave any day now - as soon as our little one decides it's time. We've filed all the requisite paperwork with our school and her FMLA leave for 6 weeks has been approved.

Her principal is telling her that she'll have to work on special education paperwork from home during her leave because they are bringing in a non-certified long-term substitute who is incapable for doing any of the work.

This doesn't seem right to me - her school is turning the birth of our son into a huge inconvenience for them, and not much else.

What do I do?

Answer:
 Tell your wife to say no.  FMLA is a leave of absence, which means she can't be asked to do ANY work.  If she meets the FMLA qualifications, then they're obligated to let her take the time off without working.  And they're not permitted to take any negative action against her for taking that leave.  Is she a part of a teachers' union?Answer #2: The technical term for that is "FMLA interference," and it's illegal.Answer #3: IIRC, FMLA is leave without pay. So if the principal is saying she has to work then those days she is not "on leave"; which means she should be paid for them and they shouldn't count against her leave time.

The principal can't have it both ways.Answer #4: Is she a member of NCAE?  They should be able to help her with this.


Title: If my employer provided a computer to work from home, and they fail to extend any effort to retrieve after I quit, am I allowed to claim ownership after a certain number of days? Am I required to make effort myself to return the computer?

Question:
Question is in the title. \[I live in IL, but I'm curious about other states as well. Also other countries for that matter.\]

&#x200B;

The question I suppose is in responsibility. If the company owns the equipment, and I quit, am -I- required to go out of my way to return the equipment, or is the COMPANY required to put forth the effort.

&#x200B;

Thanks! Happy Friday!

Answer:
 For Illinois it will become yours in 3 years per 765 ILCS 1026 15-201(15).  If they want it back in the meantime you will need to return it but they are going to be responsible for the shipping costs.Answer #2: Probably in your employment paperwork you signed that YOU would return all company property at the end of employment.Answer #3: You should return it, either by delivering it to them (get a receipt), or by shipping it to them. If you ship it, make sure you package it correctly so that it doesn't get damaged in transit. You should return all your prior employers' property.

Fun story. I worked for an organization about ten years ago. Everyone had company issued laptops. One professional employee was no call no show for a week and was terminated. We couldn't get in touch to request property back. No problem. Her company issued phone was bricked remotely. Her company issued laptop however wasn't connecting to the internet, but we had the server set up to alert IT if it did. Lo and behold a few months later, the computer was turned on and connected to the internet and immediately bricked.

Don't plan on that computer being useful for anything.


Title: (MA/MI) Estranged father took out a loan against his then-minor son's life insurance policy without telling anyone, then ceased contact for decades. He just now decided to throw it in his son's face.

Question:
Asking for a friend, so I can try to provide additional details if needed, but relaying answers to questions may be slow.
 Friend lives in Massachusetts, but the office handling the policy is out of Michigan.

My dear friend's "father" (I use that term very loosely - he was not a nice man, but for the sake of my friend's anonymity, I won't go into it) filed for divorce back in the 90s after leaving his wife and kids for his mistress.  His son - my friend - was 17 at the time.  The month the divorce started, the father took out a large loan against his son's life insurance policy, since the policy was still in his name.  He never told his ex-wife or his children about the loan, and the son was told later by relatives that the policy was closed when he turned 18. The father did not speak to his son again.  Great guy.

Fast-forward to the present: Son is told by a relative that his father wants him to contact their old insurance agent in Michigan.  He calls and finds out about the policy, along with the loan.  Apparently it became his when he turned 24, but the agency didn't have the son's address, so they kept sending the annual statements to the father.  They also told him that almost every single one of the statements over the years showing the accruing interest and declining value of the policy were sent back to the agency, marked "Return to Sender".  The policy is now worth roughly $5,000, but the son was told that if he cashes it out, he will owe taxes that year on the rough $12,000 income his father took.

So the son bit the bullet and called his father, and they spoke for the first time in over 20 years.  His father said it wasn't his fault that he didn't have a forwarding address, that the unpaid loan was not his problem, and that he didn't care what happened with it.  The he hung up on him.

So basically, if the son had known about this policy back when it turned over to him, he could have gotten a decent sum out of it.  But he didn't know, and his father decided to deliberately not tell him about it until there was basically nothing left, after taxes.  THAT IS SERIOUSLY FUCKED UP, and I bring it to you all in the hopes that my friend may have some sort of legal outlet to turn this big "fuck you" from his "father" around.  Thanks for listening.
Topic:
Insurance

Answer:
 Did Dad get the loan while the policy belonged to him or after the child turned 24?Answer #2: If I am reading this right, it looks like the father got $12,000 of cash without having to pay any income tax on it. Personal loans aren't counted as income unless they are "forgiven", if your friend would cash out the policy the loan will be forgiven/closed and the remaining balance is used to pay the taxes. It is possible that this is a ticking time bomb waiting to happen, the balance due will keep growing from late fees/interest to the point where what is owed is equal to or more than what is available. At which point the company might cancel the policy, forgive the loan, and your friend is hit with a large tax bill by the IRS since it got reported to them.

By some strange thing it seems like the father got a loan and now the son is responsible for that loan and the taxes on it. You can probably report the father to the IRS for getting $12,000 and not paying the taxes on it, but your friend should talk to a lawyer since he shouldn't be responsible for taxes on money he didn't get.


Title: Someone stole my Yeezy sneakers and I have significant circumstantial evidence as to who it was. What do I do?

Question:
[London, UK]

We hosted a party at our flat and invited a big group of friends, and some other acquaintances who happen to live nearby.

At the party I was wearing my 'Pirate Black Yeezy Boosts' (£150 face value, around £400 resale value)- I'm a big Kanye fan and wear them on special occasions.

One of the people at our party (we'll call him Bob) is a loose acquaintance of my girlfriend who had recently moved to the area. He's also a Kanye fan and has 'liked' my Kanye related Instagram posts etc in the past.

Since the party my sneakers have gone missing, and we've extensively searched throughout the house. Then tonight, Bob has been tagged in a photo on Facebook wearing Pirate Black Yeezy Boosts.

Having looked through Bobs historical photos, there is no other picture of him wearing Yeezys until this photo tonight. Furthermore, Bob has uploaded a bunch of pictures to Instagram in the past of new shoes he's bought - yet there's no sign of him ever buying / sharing a photo of Yeezys.

Essentially - I'm 100% certain he's taken them - but appreciate from a legal POV this is all circumstantial and he could just claim he's always had them and just never been pictured wearing them.

How do I approach this situation and is there any kind of legal case?

Thanks a lot in advance.

Answer: Make a police report.


Title: Malibu Media attempting to sue landlord for copyright infringement he did not commit

Question:
Edit: Maryland

So I'm a tenant in a group house that's got internet billed to and managed by the landlord. Our landlord does not live in the house (or even the same state), visit often, or use a computer when he's here. Recently, he received a notice from his ISP that Malibu Media has issued a subpoena to reveal his personal information. They accuse him of using Bit Torrent to download 29 pornographic videos over a period of two weeks in November. I did not do this; I won't speculate about my roommates, nor do I think that is a relevant issue. Malibu isn't attempting to find out who was at the machine with the IP they claim infringed, they have assumed that it was the account owner of that IP.

I'm really angry about this. My landlord is a good guy and does not deserve to have any money taken out of his pocket due to this false allegation. From what I've read, it seems like the end result is always either a settlement and/or legal fees paid to an attorney, whether or not the allegations are valid. Is there anything I can do to help? I would be very willing to sign a document stating that he was not physically present during the dates that infringement was alleged. There really should be no possible way that he is forced into losing or settling this case.

How the hell is it possible for a large organization to bully individuals like this? How are there not protections in place to cover legal fees when a plaintiff company fails to prove allegations against a person? How the hell can this not be a slam dunk for my landlord? I feel like it should be entirely possible for him to walk into a court room with signed statements from his tenants that he could not have possibly committed the infringements and have the judge immediately throw out the case against him.

Beyond that, is there any way I can help fuck over Malibu Media in some way? I wouldn't be surprised if their litigation is their primary source of income, nor would I further be surprised if they're actually behind leaking their content to file sharing services. Moreover, the court notice includes many snippets from other cases where judges have called their actions a "shakedown" and have noted that perhaps 30% of accused John Doe's are innocent. Everybody knows these guys are trolls, how are they still able to cause people so much grief?

Answer:
 There really doesn't seem to be any cause for alarm right now.  So they want the subscriber info.  Next they'll send him a demand letter.  Most people are scared enough of the scary demand letter because the penalty for being liable are stupidly high, and most of them actually downloaded the material in question.  But in the landlords case, he didn't.
Additionally, he has a solid defense.  The vast majority of the time these demand letter companies don't actually follow through with their threats.  So landlord can probably just ignore them.  If they actually sue him, then he'll have to pony up some legal fees, but the risk of actually being sued is very low, and the danger is mostly the cost of a defense.  He can probably safely ignore them unless they actually file a lawsuit.


Title: HOA Preventing City Trash Collection

Question:
(Texas) my City has garbage collection 3 times a week. Once for trash, once for recyclables, and once for brush and other compost.

My HOA sent me a letter saying they are no longer allowing the brush pickup since the trucks (same style as for other trash days) might damage the HOA maintained water pipes that run under the HOA maintained roads.

This wasn't in the CCRs when I purchased so I doubt they can fine me but are they allowed to prevent residents from accessing city services? If the pipes were damaged, I know they could try and sue me but could they prove it was the brush truck that caused the damage? I'm thinking of forwarding the letter to my city councilman. Any other advice? I would prefer to keep recycling than throw all the extra trash in a landfill.

Answer:
 If the roads cannot take the weight of a garbage truck, I'd be concerned about how well made they were, and/or how the pipes are placed.  Even if the brush trucks were heavier than the trash or recycling trucks, moving trucks are even heavier; how do they expect people to safely move in and out?  God forbid a fire engine needed to go through there.  So while you're looking into the legalities of them blocking garbage services, I'd look at state requirements for private roads, water mains, and accessibility for fire engines and the like.

Also, you talked about *you* getting a fine, and you getting a letter.  Are you the only HOA member that did, or that is at risk of a fine?Answer #2: Contact your City councilperson or helpline if available. I suspect one of the members of your HOA board just doesn't like trucks going through so often and made up an excuse.


Title: [UK] Thinking of suing client for non-payment - can he counter sue for non-completion of job?

Question:
Basically got this job through a friend of a friend.

Was a home multi-room audio install, we agreed that there was no rush, however i would need him to pay for equipment up front.

Needless to say he did not pay for equip upfront, and this started alarm bells ringing. First visit to his house and we agreed that i would invoice him for work started and equipment, then come back and finish install after the new year (was Christmas 2014)

Invoice sent, no payment, i was then busy, and was not going to prioritise him as he had not paid initial invoice yet. I have not gone back since to finish the job, and sent several emails asking him to pay before i complete any work. He just wants me to come and finish first.

Thinking of taking legal action, it is only for a small amount (£690)  but that was mostly equipment,so is an expense to me and my small business... Do not have a contract, but enough emails that i am confident that i would win in court. Question is though, can he counter sue for me not finishing the job?

**tldr: No payment, I would not finish job without initial payment.  Can he sue for job not complete?**
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer:
 Probably best to ask this question in /r/legaladviceUK, since we're going to be less familiar with the court system there.

While you don't have an entirely written contract, it does sound like you do have a contract - you offered to perform a service for him in exchange for payment, he counter-offered on payment terms, you accepted.

A lot of what might happen is going to be dependent on the text of those emails and what the two of you said - specifically, the wording of when he would pay you versus when you would require payment on that initial agreement to install bits first, then come back later to finish. That's what's going to determine whether you're going to succeed.

As for a counterclaim - at this point, I don't see him as having any damages to claim fro you, unless you left big holes in his walls or otherwise damaged things during the install. Since (as far as I can tell) his only remedy would be damages, there's not much of a counterclaim - although people sue all the time when they're not going to succeed. I can't imagine that the Court would order you to go back and finish the job.


Title: Officer gave me a citation for theft and will not tell me what it entails

Question: I go to a University in Texas and I'm studying pre-law, and two weeks ago on Monday, I received an email from a campus police officer with the case number as the title saying that the officer would like to speak with me. I called the officer and told him that I would try to go that day but I was pretty busy. Then on Monday I called the officer and asked him why he wants to speak with me and he told me that he is investigating a theft at my residence hall and would like to ask me a few questions. I asked him what it has to do with me and he refused to answer my question over the phone and told me he would tell me when I come to the police station. I told him that if he does not answer my question then I will not answer any of his questions. He then said that if I do not cooperate he will get a warrant for my arrest. I told him to do it and then I hung up. I called him right after that conversation and said that I will come in but he needed to tell me what it regards. He told me again that he would not tell me over the phone so I hung up. Then today he appeared in front of the doorway of my class and stopped me as I was going in to give me a citation for theft under $100. I asked him why he was giving me the citation and he said that he would not tell me in public. I went to the police station to ask the front desk why I was receiving a ticket and they said that I could get an open records request to find out information about the case since I had the case number. The man at the front desk also said the officer would be comfortable speaking to me in the hallway of the police station about the case. I walked in and the officer told me to wait for him in a questioning room. I told him that I changed my mind and then left. I've had a previous encounter with this officer when I was in the room with my friend when he was arrested in December, I was in his room because his roommate lets me watch his tv. I opened the door and the officer told me that he knew I was high ( I was not) and I denied it and let him in and then my friend came out of his room and let him search the room. He found a dab pen that he kept in his room and below or around a gram of marijuana, and then searched me and then let me go. I have no knowledge of stealing anything from anybody in my residence hall and I talked to the residence coordinator of the hall today to ask if she knew anything because I got in trouble a few months ago for taking down posters at the hall and she just told me not to do it again, but she said it couldn't be related to that and she didn't know anything about it. The officer sent the email two weeks ago on Friday to both my private and school email address. I sent the officer an email from my private address today saying, " Do not contact me on my private email again. I do not know how you received this email. I do not want to speak with you. If I see you stalking me I will file harassment charges in court." I filed an open records request regarding the case as to get information on it but it will take up to 10 days. I will go to court soon and enter a plea of not guilty but I'm unsure on how to proceed. This is my first post so I'm sorry if the formatting is incorrect! Any advice is welcome.

Answer:
 He told you what you were being cited for: theft. He does not need to give you a detailed list of evidence against you; that is for court.

You need to consult with a criminal defense attorney.