Title: [Los Angeles, CA, USA] About to start a tech job with a film studio, I write amateur scripts on the side. What precautions should I take to protect intellectual property that I create? [Entertainment Law, Intellectual Property]

Question:
Like everybody and their brother in this town, I too, am an aspiring screenwriter on the side.  I am about to start a tech job at one of the major studios, and in my offer letter it has the boilerplate stating that as of the day of my employment I assign any and all IP to them.  I don't really have any choice about signing this if I want to work there.  This job is not creative, but I could be exposed to creative projects at various stages of development.

I have developed to a reasonable degree one TV project (pilot written, season 1 outlined) and on film script (fully outlined with 20 pages of dialogue).  I've never really done much with either project other than have my friends read them.  I have no representation, nor am I a member of any trade union.

Obviously I'd love to have the film studio pick up either of these projects, but I don't want to have gifted these work (nor anything else that I create) to the film studio just because they've hired me as a code monkey.  What are my rights here?

I know in CA that as far as tech is concerned as long as you don't develop the IP with the company's time or resources and it is not substantially related to their business you can own it.  Does the same thing apply to creative works?  Can I continue to create works on the side?  Obviously, I can't steal ideas from anything I get exposed to at the studio.  What precautions should I take to avoid any appearance that I've done so?

You can find a lot on Google advising independent creatives about sharing stuff with studios, but I don't see anything pertaining to individuals with an employment contract.  Thanks for reading.

Answer:
 Take your start paperwork to an entertainment attorney to review. And yes, for the love of all that is holy, never ever ever work on your screenplays while at work, or on a work computer, or even have them on your laptop if you take your laptop to work, etc. Don't have a copy on your Dropbox that you use the company wifi to sync. Just keep them totally separate.

In general though most companies won't claim they just own your screenplay from 2016 because you work for them coding now. It wasn't a work made for hire. Without the exact language (you say boilerplate but I've seen many boilers) no one can guess any more at what you're looking at, so spend a few hundred bucks on an attorney for an hour or so to advise you. Plus you'll establish a relationship with an entertainment attorney.


Title: Want to marry a relative, confused about which laws are relative.

Question:
Hi, please don’t judge me for this.

Some background: I (f23) never knew my family growing up and was in foster care. My father’s name wasn’t even listed on my birth certificate. Recently I found some family through ancestry.com. Turns out that I have some pretty great family that didn’t know I existed. My mom has a 30 year old half brother (share a dad but different moms). I have been talking to him for about a year and I love him a lot. We work really well together and I am the happiest I have ever been in a relationship.  I didn’t grow up with the guy and I just met him. He doesn’t feel like a relative to me.

Anyway, we would like to get married but I am not sure if certain state laws apply to us. He is my half uncle, so we share about as much DNA as first cousins would. We live in Texas right now but can move to Louisiana. Both of those states say that it is illegal to marry your first cousin.  However, because we are like half uncle and niece and not first cousin, does that apply to us?  Also, would it be enforced? How would anyone know?  I know when my friends got married in West Virginia they had to take a DNA. Is this the case down here?

Thank you.

Answer: It’s illegal in every state to marry your uncle. Half or otherwise. Also it’s sick and not Ok. Please seek help. You are having some sort of inappropriate transference towards a blood relative. But I’m 100% positive it is not legal anywhere in America.


Title: [tx, usa] I threw a party as a teenager and the cops came

Question: So basically I threw a party at my house and the cops were called and I got a citation for "alcohol - owner allow drinking on premises" I'm 17 and my parents don't know. I have to go to court. What are my next moves?

Answer: Tell your parents.  Get an attorney.


Title: Recently terminated over policy that doesn't exist

Question:
**EDIT:** Okay, since I guess this isn't clear enough. My question isn't so much just "why was I fired and where can I go from here?" and more so "if a company can fire me for a policy that does *not* exist, why is this *not* a wrongful termination?" as this *does* have an impact on my future employment as well.

So, I live in California and had been with this job for quite a while now. I understand that California is an at-will employment state and that an employer may fire you for any reason. Upon showing up to my workplace for this meeting (on my day off, too) I was told the reason I was being fired was because I broke a policy that corporate has that we weren't trained on or made aware of, and when I asked to see this policy they didn't have anything for me. When I left, I called HR but they didn't have anything either. Everyone else was pissed that I was fired but more so what I was fired over as it was a frequent practice in our workplace and was something we had done at least once a day, so one of my old co-workers even dug up as much as they could and couldn't find this policy either.
I already tried to do some research, and had found that I either have no case at all, or I have a case for wrongful termination or/and maybe even defamation. Obviously I'm no lawyer, but that's why I'm here. I have gotten another job since, and I am really trying to keep it pushing, but I would like some sort of closure as this is still hurting me in a few ways. This had really caught me off guard as it was relatively out of the blue and has practically ruined me financially in just a matter of weeks (I was already in quite a difficult spot, but this hasn't helped). Any help is greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 > "if a company can fire me for a policy that does not exist, why is this not a wrongful termination?"

Because a wrongful termination is, by definition, an illegal termination and firing you for a policy that does not exist is not illegal.


Title: Zipcash toll roads fine of over $11,000 in Texas.

Question: My sister helped a family friend get a car. She is the primary applicant for the auto loan while the other party is the co-signer. The car was driven exclusively by the co-signer and he accrued a large debt from toll roads. He has now landed himself in jail and the car has been repossessed, while my sister has been sent a bill for over 11,000 dollars in fines for tolls and fines.

Answer: She's on the registration and/or title?


Title: Allowed to drive drunk

Question: I work for a winery in California.  I recently received a bad review which include accusations that I was drunk at work.  It's not true, but the accusation was made.  If my supervisor believed I was drunk, but did not say anything to me and did not try to prevent me from driving home, can I sue?

Answer:
 You sound kind of drunk right now.Answer #2: Sue for what? You're the one responsible for your own actions. Don't drive drunk.Answer #3: Wait....you're saying someone made false accusations about you.  But want to know, if your boss thought they were true, would you be able to sue your boss as a result?  You're a gem.

And no, you could not sue your boss for "allowing" you to drive home drunk.  Especially if you were not, in fact drunk.  And doubly so if you didn't not suffer any harm as a result.


Title: I found a credit card and made it my goal to give it to this lady. She threatened me with police. I'm 16y/o and scared please help.

Question:
Carson City, Nevada.

I'm really freaking out right now. To start the story, yesterday I found a credit/debit card in a parking lot of a walmart. I honestly didn't even think of giving it to their customer service because whenever we found something i the ground we found the person and gave it to them. Anyways I call the bank and they asked for a card number and I put it in. They then asked for last 4 digits of social security number and I don't have hers so I just looked the name up on google. I found this lady that lives 20 mins away from the walmart so I knew it was her.

 I messaged her saying I found her card and sent her a pic of her card. She texts me a couple hours later and gives me her number. Now when I arrived home I put the card on the counter. I went to go eat and take a nap. I see she texted me and I look for the card. I couldn't find it and told her I lost it and she should just cancel it. Then I found it it fell on the ground in a stack of papers next to the counter. I told her never mind I found it.

Then I call her soon after, she starts off the conversation by saying "I don't know if I should be aggressive or because first i say i have it and then next I say i lost it and then I found it and that she always pays with cash. I said I found it on the ground and wanted to return it. She said she'll call me in a little so she can organize where to pick it up. An hour or so goes by and I ask her if I should just destroy the card because it's for her safety. Then I said I'll send her a pic for proof that I cut it up and she then could cancel her card.

She sends me a voice message threatening me saying she could call the police and I can't just cut up her card, it's her call. I say chill out I was just asking. She send another voice message even angrier. So I just call her and before I could say a word she starts yelling at me. I explain my story again and said I was only asking if she wanted me to destroy the card. I then said I'm just a 16 year old boy going out of my way to help you find your card. She then stopped yelling and kind of toned it down a bit. (She didn't know my age until that point). She said she was having a party and she'll call me back after so she can pick it up.

At this point it's 6:00pm, the same day I found her card. i was waiting until 10pm for a call back and she didn't. as you'll see in the texts she says I refused to meet her last night and that's not true. Then comes night and I can barely sleep. I'm so scared. I got around 4-5 hours of sleep when I should've got 8.

Then comes next day. There is a parade and that's when the texts start. Please help me man. She's threatening to press charges and call the police. I know I shouldn't have cursed in the texts but she was making me extremely angry.
http://m.imgur.com/a/ZOMC3

texts start from bottom to top.

Answer:
 It sounds like you genuinely wanted to do a good deed.  I'm sorry it turned into such a mess.

Contact the bank and let them know you found the card.  Just pound 0 and get to an operator. They may ask you to mail it to the bank or to destroy it.

The police won't care.  Cease communications with the woman and move on.Answer #2: Throw her card in the trash and block her number.

You've done nothing wrong and she's a nutcase.


Title: Parking Citation lists wrong state (CA) Update

Question:
Link to first post[(http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/315n5z/parking_citation_lists_wrong_state_ca/)]

A couple of weeks ago I received a parking citation for blocking a disabled ramp.  I noticed the ticket listed the state of registraion as CA, even though my car is registered in a different state.

I was contemplating ignoring the ticket, but then I looked up the citation online, and it had pictures of my car that included the license plate.

Since they had this info I decided to contest it online(rather than ignore it).  I noticed the field for the VIN in the online database was blank, even though it was listed on the actual ticket.  When I did research on CA vehicle codes, I noticed a law that says if they screw something up on the ticket they can mail you a correction in a "Reasonable amount of time".  The appeal time is under 21 days, I appealed at 15 days to give ample for a correction to be mailed.  Also at the bottom of the ticket there is a whole "All information correct under penalty of perjury" deal.

When I wrote the appeal I mentioned the wrong state of registration, the VIN missing from the online citation look up page, and that I had not received a correction by mail.

Well, much to the chagrin of a few redditors in my first post, the citation has been **DISMISSED!!!**

Hopefully when people come here for parking ticket advice they find this post.

Answer: You asked if you should ignore it, you got advised not to ignore it, you didn't ignore it. Everything worked out well to nobody's chagrin.Answer #2: So you did what those redditors said and won.  Congrats!  And you didn't win because there was an error, you won because they did not mail a corrected citation to you in time.  So there's that.


Title: How to go go about bringing attention to a college that is out to make money and take students money?

Question:
My girlfriend just got the results back from a test worth 45% of her grade. She failed by 0.6% on a subjective test and is now being charged a few thousand dollars for this class. SHE IS DEVASTATED. So this school is mostly online and is one of those you see commercials for on TV that aggressively recruit new students and has a graduation rate of 30%. This isnt the first time this school has been under scrutiny for its practices and I now want to make it known that the treatment here is unfair and based purely off money not education. Her class started off with 32 students and is now just 9. I could go on and on with all the other tell tale signs of inappropriate operating procedures but I wont wall text. This is a school operating out of central NY. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks Reddit.
EDIT: This paragraph does not describe the countless other unfair acts from this school. its the unwillings of staff to address any concerns. changing the test content a day before exam. not answering emails asking for clarification. no access to dean. student adviser not returning calls. threats from staff to remove students from program for utterly nothing. Including " discrimination and deviance from policy."

Answer:
 >So this school is mostly online and is one of those you see commercials for on TV that aggressively recruit new students and has a graduation rate of 30%. This isnt the first time this school has been under scrutiny for its practices

Not to be overly harsh, but what makes you think YOUR story is going to make any more of a difference than all the other times this school has been scrutinized? And if they already have a reputation for this sort of thing, do you think they'd really care if you got all publicly upset about it?Answer #2: Not a legal issue.  Have her go over the test with the instructor of record.  Don't go to these schools.


Title: Applied for a rental home in a new town. Owner backed out, but claims fees are non-refundable. Now seeing claims that this is something ‘they do.’

Question:
Partner and I are relocating. We’ve spent two weekends driving over to find a rental home. Fell in love with one in the first ten minutes. It’s beautiful, old and checks all the boxes. The owner told us that the current residents wouldn’t be out til the end of October, but we could deal with that.

Within a couple hours, we gave our intent to apply. My partner applied that night and we sent in both of our application fees. We were told that ‘if things didn’t work out, we would be refunded.’  We stayed in communication with the couple and were told that we were their ‘favourites.’ My application was not submitted as I will not be making the move until late December, per our conversation while viewing the house.

Two days ago, the wife texted my partner in the morning that they would be making the final decision within a couple days. That afternoon, I texted her to thank them for the experience so far. She informed me that someone else had already signed the lease and that we were out.

We have since inquired as to refunding the application fees. They’re now claiming that fees are non-refundable and that they went with someone else because they ‘didn’t think we were serious.’

Now that this has blown up, I’ve done some research and found that a number of people have complained about this happening with a location/couple meeting their description. All in all, we lost $100 and the joy of not being stuck renting from these people, but is there anything I can do to help other people from getting scammed like we did? This has put us back a total of three weeks of critical time for my partner’s new job.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 We need to know where this took place.Answer #2: Try small claims court.Answer #3: You might be able to file a complaint here but having had an issue myself (not in St Louis) the people who took my money didn't even own the house.
http://ehocstl.org


Title: What happens if someone shoots and kills two pet dogs in Texas?

Question:
So my girlfriend lives in South Texas while I am from the UK. A local man shot and killed her two pet dogs. I'm not too sure of the legal ramifications of this man's acts so this is the reason for my post.

Is it illegal to shoot and kill someone else's pets for only the reason of that "they were attacking my chickens." and if so what are the punishments likely to be?

Thanks.

Answer:
 Dog Law specialist here.

Whoo, doggy. You're skipping over the salient points here. You're framing this as someone busting into her home and killing the dogs in their dog beds.

Were the dogs on this person's property attacking the chickens at the time of their passing? If so, the penalties are "your girlfriend owes the chickens' owner replacement chickens for any the dogs killed prior to their being shot."


Title: Mate followed me jaywalking, was killed in hit-and-run. Am I liable?

Question: [removed]

Answer: She lost her son. Anger and blame are part of the grieving process. Let her vent. Don't attempt to argue or reason with her. If contacted by the police or sued consult with a lawyer. Answer #2: No, if he jaywalked on his own free will, you are not liable.


Title: Bountyhunters continue coming to my house looking for prior resident! Very scary and intimidating!

Question: I recently bought and moved into a new home in Denver. Ive been living here for a couple months now and Ive had bountyhunters come to my home 3! times already! I dont know if theyre all the same people but they come banging on my door at 11:45 with flashlights down my face asking/looking for this Ramirez guy. I keep telling them Im not him and to remove me from the list. Please help. Is there anything I can do? Its super scary and I dont want to get mistakenly shot and arrested.

Answer:
 Whether the bountyhunters are different people doesn't matter, the bail bondsman is the person who is sending them out. If you know the guys full name you could look up his case file in the county court and find out which bail bondsman put up the bond for this Ramirez fellow. Then you can simply send him a cease-and-desist letter and if they come again you could sue.Answer #2: Call the copsAnswer #3: Why would you open your door for a complete stranger?? You aren't obligated to talk to them or answer your door. Call the police next time they show up.
Answer #4: When I moved into my apartment I had constables coming once a day for a couple of weeks looking for the previous resident. They had a warrant for his arrest.

After telling one that the dude didn't live there and to *please* stop coming to my apartment, I finally had to tell the next constable the day after that this is considered harassment and to stop immediately. That seemed to do the trick. Answer #5: Was it Dog?


Title: What do I need to legally prove my religion to my employer?

Question: Recently I have became a seventh day Adventist, this requires me to observe the Sabbath day on Saturday. I work for a Tax softwate company that has mandatory 10 hour work days Monday-Friday and 9 hour work days on Saturday for tax season, we are closed Sunday. Since I started going to my new Chruch I'm unable to observe my Sabbath day because of the hours. What will I need to prove my religion to my employer so I can have Saturdays off?

Answer: You're not going to get it off. The business can make reasonable accommodations if possible, but at this point you would be getting twice as many days off as everyone else.


Title: My Dad Stole my college fund(33k) my Granny left after passing.

Question:
Edit : (Austin TX)

When I was about 19 my Great Grandmother passed away ( RIP ) Beautiful woman, miss her everyday. She was taken care of by my grandmother who is around 80 years old and my grandpa who is about the same. My great grandmother had dementia so it was difficult sometimes for my grandparents especially since they were aging themselves. They took care of her for about 8 years so we could keep her out of a retirement home. She was in one previously and didn't like it. When she passed the money she saved from not paying for a retirement home she saved enough for me and my brother to have 32k to start school with. My Dad is really cool sometimes but he is an alcoholic and when he drinks he does some very shitty things. I could go on forever on those but those dont really effect me anymore. He did however take all 32k from me ( it was transferred from my Grandmothers bank to my Dad to transfer to my account and for me to put into savings ) And instead of transferring the money he took all 32k and put it into one stock..... I cant make this stuff up. It crashed 80% the next day. I went to ask why it hadn't hit my bank yet and he told me the grimm news. He claims up and down " it was for the family" " we needed to have enough for rent" "I wouldnt understand" etc etc. I am almost 22 now and have seen baisicly none of the money. I still live with my dad while i try and save up to go to school and hardly talk about it because all it does is end in me being berated and called selfish for even bringing it up. He always claims he will pay me one day but i dont see this being the case, hes a raging alcoholic and about to get married to his second wife. I recently heard him boasting that he had 33k ( im guessing in his 401k) because he is about to get fired from his job and she was worried about money. I heard this and asked him to atleast pay me something, but nope again I am berated for no reason and im the selfish one. His mother( my grandma ) was the one who made it possible for us to have that great opportunity and my Granny of course. It took me about a year and a half to even tell my grandma, it broke her heart but she wasnt suprised. I am at the point where I want to pursue legal action, I see this going no where other wise. I just have no idea where to start or what options I could possibly have. I have limited funds at the moment. Any advice would be greatly appreciated I really dont know what else to do.

Answer:
 What are you talking about? He obviously didn't put that money in stocks and lose it all in a single day.

>I recently heard him boasting that he had 33k ( im guessing in his 401k)

 No... . That's your money. You need a lawyer.

 Answer #2: If it was in the will to go to you, he has a fiduciary obligation to get that money to you. I would contact a lawyer, and you may need to get law enforcement involved if it is a crime in your area to defraud the estate.


Title: Employer is paying us minimum wage from a neighboring town which is lower than the town that it is actually in.

Question:
Hello everyone, so this has been on my mind ever since the minimum wage has been raised in my state.

I work in a restaurant in a city where the minimum wage for tipped workers is $5.35/hr. The restaurant is on the edge of the city, but still technically in it (The deed is posted in plain sight and it has the correct city labeled on it.)

The problem is, we are getting paid $2.13/hr. When this is brought up to our managers, they claim that our restaurant is in the neighboring town, and it has been this way for a couple of years now.

I have researched the minimum wage laws, and it says that you must pay *AT LEAST* the local minimum wage if it is higher than the State or Federal minimum wage.

Are there any loopholes to where my employer can get away with this? If not, is there anything I should or can do?

Answer:
 [Contact Labor Relations.](https://www.dws.state.nm.us/Labor-Relations/Resources/Minimum-Wage-Information) Let them look into it.

Are you sure you're looking at the deed? That would be really odd to have the deed posted in a business. It's more likely to be a license, and have a mailing address, which isn't necessarily the actual location.

For example, I live out in Smith County, not within any town or village. If I want home delivery of my mail, I have to use the Bobtown post office (which is actually in Jones County, not Smith County) for my mailing address. But I live closer to TinyVillage, and they have a post office, but they only have box pickup. Answer #2: Many businesses that are outside the city limits still have a street address or mailing address associated with the city, if they are in an unincorporated portion of the county.    My office is like that; our mailing address is in Big City, and our corporate legal address is in East Big City, but we're a few blocks south of Big City's boundary and are not subject to their minimum wage.

You need a detailed map that shows the precise Albuquerque city limits relative to the physical location of the restaurant.

There's a very good CABQ Map Viewer that is going to be your best source of reference:  [https://www.cabq.gov/gis/advanced-map-viewer](https://www.cabq.gov/gis/advanced-map-viewer)

My nearby big city's minimum wage law applies to people who work in the city for a certain portion of the work week, even if their office is outside the city.   Not sure about ABQ, and of course in general all restaurant work is done at the restaurant.   If you're a delivery driver, your workplace is probably considered the restaurant itself.


Title: POSSIBLE PROBATION VIOLATION

Question:
I am from the state of illinois.I am on probation for a dui. Im done in 2 weeks.

On thursday i drank which im not supposed to but cops came to drop me off at my house. Apparently i was very compliant and they were very nice to me.

According to my boyfriend, they were just worried about my safety. I do not have a drivers license but i have a state ID.

Apparently i refused medical attention so they just gave me a ride home. They did not breathalyze me either.

I am of legal drinking age and the cops said i did nothing illegal and i was not arrested or given a ticket and my state id was given back to me.

I am on probation. But i do not recall them being aware of that. Unless they checked it later after they dropped me off.

My PO did not call the following day. What are the chances that i got away with this? I think the cops were just trying to be nice people and drive me home.

What do you think?

Answer:
 > What are the chances that i got away with this?

Non-zero, but impossible to give exact chances.  Definitely possible that you "got away with it," meaning that the police did not notify your P.O.

It is also possible that your P.O. will be notified.  Honestly, you have two weeks left on your probation and decided to get so drunk that the police and others were so fearful for your safety that they tried to give you medical attention?

You have a drinking problem, and I hope you get it addressed.  Probation obviously isn't helping.


Title: Illegal Tattoos

Question:
I live in an apartment in New York and my roommate is hosting a party here next Friday. I won't be there at the party but she insists on having her friend who is an amateur unlicensed tattoo "artist" come here to practice tattooing on drunk college kids. I told her it's a terrible idea and she could be sued but she won't listen. Since my name is on the lease for the apartment, could I be legally liable for someone doing illegal and unsterile tattoos on drunk kids in our living room?

Thanks for any advice

Answer:
 The person giving the tattoos would be the one these kids eventually sue.  Your friend could also share some liability.  You can do your best to not be in the house that night.

[Tattoo artists must be licensed in your state.](https://www1.nyc.gov/nycbusiness/description/tattoo-license)  You can report this guy to the department of health (info in the link) if you want.Answer #2: "amateur" "unlicensed" "tattoo artist"
These words in conjunction made me flinchAnswer #3: Not advice on the tattoos, but don't leave valuables in your room. There have been a couple of legal topics recently about drunk party goers stealing from absent room mates rooms. Answer #4: Check your lease to see if it prohibits illegal activity. If the landlord finds out and isn't happy about it, and you are both on the lease, you may both be evicted. That is obviously worst case scenario, though.Answer #5: Yeah it's all kinds of stupid but I can't do much about it. She doesn't have tattoos, has never seen one done, and knows nothing about state laws regarding them.


Title: If I have a restraining order against corporation Y, and I tell corporation X about it, and then Y buys X, can X give my personal info to Y?

Question:
I am not a fan of companies being able to get around privacy laws by buying each other. To that end, I'm considering ways to stop acquired companies from giving my private personal information (medical records, credit records, passwords, etc) to companies that I'd rather not have it.

To that end, someone suggested to me that if my problem with Y is significant enough (such as ongoing harassment), I might pursue a protective/restraining order against them.

If I then tell X about that order, before Y buys X, will X still be able to give my info to Y with impunity?

I currently live in the US but am, for most intents, not a resident of any state. The companies in question are headquartered in California, Massachusetts, Texas, Georgia.

Answer:
 It's unlikely that you'd be able to get a restraining order against a company.  If you did, that restraining order would be to stop certain actions that are being taken **against you**, not about you.

If Y buys X, X's stuff becomes Y.  If you have data stored at X, then it would become the property of Y.  Your restraining order would very likely have no effect on that transaction whatsoever.Answer #2: What do you mean by companies getting around privacy laws by buying each other?!

Also, your plan isn't very bright.


Title: NC-Can I file a sexual harassment lawsuit against a student?

Question:
Ok so we were at school and I was doing tutoring(14 years of age all around) and a student which is on the schools softball team told a girl at the school to finger herself, and to let another student put his dick. Could I file a lawsuit against him and the school for doing nothing about it?
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: You have no standing to sue based on your narrative.


Title: Is it legal to ask a liquor store not to sell to someone you know because they have a serious problem without documentation? Pennsylvania

Question:
My parents both have a drinking problem they have been perpetually drunk for the past two days and do this every other week which is when my dad gets paid. They refuse to get help because they believe they're not alcoholics. Evidence says otherwise. I'm 18 so would it be possible for me to go to the liquor store explain the situation to the store so they refuse to sell to my parents anymore. Without my dad possibly losing his job or license because I work but don't drive. Also could the liquor store legally tell my parents it was me who asked the store not to sell to my parents anymore?

**tl;dr** Can I ask the liquor store not to sell alcohol to my parents anymore?

Answer:
 This is the wrong question.

The right question is “how can I learn to drive and/or use public transportation so I can move away from my alcoholic parents”.

You won’t be able to stop them from being alcoholics this way.

(It’s not illegal to ask but the people at the store will likely just laugh at you, and it’s not their problem.)Answer #2: The liquor store is in the business of selling liquor, not monitoring and managing customer drinking problems.Answer #3: You're certainly allowed to ask them, but they're not under any obligation to agree, nor are they obligated to keep your asking a secret.Answer #4: You can ask. The store can decide to not follow your request, and they could tell your parents it was you who asked.


Title: How do drug addicts go to rehab without being charged?

Answer: Do you mean charged with a crime?  Because being an addict isn't a crime.  Possession of drugs is, but having them in your bloodstream isn't illegal.  If they show up with a stash, that could get them in trouble, but rehabs generally just confiscate and destroy them if that happens.  The rehab facility isn't the police and they don't have an obligation to report a crime.Answer #2: Generally, every facility has their own admissions standard.  They go to a facility and apply.  If the facility has beds and they meet criteria (and have the money) they can attend inpatient (if offered and available) or outpatient services.


Title: [CA] An Officer Calls me telling me to stop calling an old roommate (28) that owed me money for rent

Question:
Old roommate owes me money and I was trying to get ahold of him. After a few attempts he called me back and said he'd send me a check. He didn't and then  I got a call from a police officer from another city in the state \[CA\].

&#x200B;

This guy asks me to stop before asking me what was going on. I took down his name and information and of course told him he owed me money. He didn't care he just told me this person filed a case against 'annoying contact'. This guy seemed to be a friend of my roommates because he wasn't asking me anything it really pissed me off. He told me to open a civil case and would ignore all details about how he used to room with me and didn't pay rent when he said he had. He actually lied to me about knowing my friend then retracted himself. I was telling him this guy clearly was lying and he didn't change anything about his understanding against my 'calls'.

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I called and emailed the chief of police about all the deceit and got a return call from one of his associate officers (I think confused about what he was calling about) and he just chewed me out as if I was a 'suspect' who should have zero information.

I asked if I was a suspect to some criminal investigation along with other clarifying questions and he just responded that the case was just: 'informational'. I have no idea what that even means. Now another officer emailed me that the case was 'suspended'.

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I really don't trust what's going on because none of them are even able to tell me what 'laws' I ever broke for them to have intimidated me like that, only to 'suspend' an 'informational' case. My roommate was a girl (28) and I'm a guy (33) and think they assumed I was somehow 'a threat' or something. But they've stopped responding to all my calls and emails and I have no idea what to do because I've already messaged the chief and he sent a cop with no clue at me.

Answer: Stop contacting the old roommate. She has made it pretty clear she is not going to pay voluntarily. Filing a small claims case against her at this point is your best option. If the judge asks if you tried to sort this out without filing a lawsuit, share this story with him at that point.


Title: Fighting a Speeding Ticket - Do I hire a Lawyer?

Question:
Okay so this is actually for my girlfriend. We live in Queens NY but the ticket was issued in Long Island. The other day she got a ticket for going 11-20 MPH over the speed limit. This carries a fine of $240 and 4 points on her license. The problem is she already has 5 points on her license because of another violation (not speeding). If you get 11 points on your license it can be revoked or suspended. Also with this speeding ticket her insurance rates are probably going to go up significantly. Someone she knows said she has a lawyer that will give her a deal and go to court for her for $500. ~~He claims he has never lost and will get her out of everything.~~ This was by word of mouth and I have found out it is not true. I could use some advice on the following questions:

1) How easy would it be for her to fight this ticket herself? (we don't even have the extra money to pay the ticket let alone $500 for a lawyer)

2) If we do decide to get a lawyer is $500 actually a good price for this? Is this guy pulling some shit by charging this price? He says his normal price is $750 but he's "cutting us a deal".

3) Do you have any other recommended courses of action?

Answer:
 >He claims he has never lost and will get her out of everything.

I find that very, very hard to believe.


Title: [NY] Landlord’s brother stole things from us.

Question:
So the other day a random person I have never seen in my life knocked on my door claiming he is the landlord’s brother and asked if he can use my outlet. Before I even responded, he walked into the porch and started searching for an outlet. He didn’t find anything and left. I was a bit started the fact that he actually walked in to my porch without and invitation but after confirming with the landlord that he is her brother, I didn’t make a too much of a big deal.

Later that day my boyfriend came home and found that his pile of tool box has gone missing. We contacted the landlord and she gave me her brother’s number. My boyfriend talked to him and he said that he will bring the tools back the next morning.

Next day, he wasn’t here until about 3pm and out of curiosity, we typed his name on Google, only to learn that he was accused/charged with stealing tools from  a local hotel construction site back in 2011. The news was found on at least 10 different local news/websites. Thankfully, he later brought the toolbox back and it seemed like we got everything back.

Fast forward to today, while my boyfriend was working on his car project, he realises two combination wrenches are missing from the box and that he cannot really go further with the car project. He texted the landlords brother asking those wrenches back by tomorrow because we need to put the car back together so we can go see our family for Christmas. We haven’t heard back from him yet, but if he doesn’t respond, or refuses to bring back the wrench, we are going to text the landlord that we are deducting equivalent value from January’s rent, and if she says no, we are thinking of getting the police involved. The wrenches are only $7 dollars worth so it’s not a huge deal on either party, but honestly I don’t want to have to deal with this bullshit of a person again, and knowing that he is charged for the same thing, I honestly don’t feel safe him even being around.

I just wanted to hear different opinions of what we can do in this situation. Thank you.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Don't withhold rent, just call the police to report the theft.Answer #2: NAL. I don’t think the most correct move is to threaten to call the police and withhold rent. I think it’s better to simply go ahead and file a police report (sounds like you can mention trespassing and stealing of the toolbox). Hopefully that will make the people involved take you seriously, but it also protects you from other crimes in the future. I think you’re making yourself liable to the landlord if you withhold anything from rent.


Title: GF got rear ended by Uber Driver with passenger, who should she file insurance claim with, his personal or Uber.

Question: Car was towed off the highway and she needs to get rental car for work who should cover the cost?

Answer: She should go through her insurance first. Typically, Uber will ask their partners to attempt to reconcile their claim with their own insurance before bringing in their own. Answer #2: Your girlfriend should contact her own insurance company, who will take it from there. This is what she pays them for.Answer #3: IANAL: When a car hit me I was told by MY insurance to contact his as I would have had to foot the deductible if I wanted my insurance to deal with it. I called his insurance and they proceeded to pay approximately $10k between my repairs and car rental.


Title: A crazy person recently threatened to SWAT me (i.e. call the police, fake an emergency, and have a SWAT team sent to my home). If they went through with it, would the police have the right to search my home and, if so, could I be charged if they were to hypothetically find, say, illegal substances?

Question:
Can the police just bust in and do whatever they please any time some maniac calls up and lies to them? Should I prepare for the worst?

I'm in Oklahoma.

Answer:
 Now would be a good time to stop possessing illegal substancesAnswer #2: You might want to call the police yourself and let them know about these threats. Answer #3: Yes, you *could* be. If you get swatted, and cops happen to see a small amount of weed in your house, there's a chance they may let it slide, but they might also be assholes. However, just because you get swatted doesn't mean the cops can just search every nook and cranny of your house.

For example, if someone calls and says "there's a person in here with a gun killing people," police would be able to enter the house. Once they establish the whole thing was bullshit, they would no longer have the right to search your house. They would only have the right to conduct a search to the extent necessary to accomplish that purpose. If they come in and see some drugs on your table in plain sight, you're out of luck. If they peek inside each of the rooms to make sure there isn't a dead body, and they see some drugs in one of the rooms, you're out of luck.Answer #4: In case anybody is curious what SWATTING is like, here is the first person account of a Blogger/LA County DA who had cops break down his door.  http://patterico.com/2012/05/25/convicted-bomber-brett-kimberlin-neal-rauhauser-ron-brynaert-and-their-campaign-of-political-terrorism/ This is a very dangerous practice.

You can attempt to contact the police to prevent the swatting from succeeding but they still have some obligation to take note of a 9-11 call.  Hopefully, they keep the warning in mind if the report is made and they check on your residence.


Title: Can an employer legally force the content on your social media?

Question: My former Co worker told me that the boss stood over her today and demanded she change her LinkedIn from her personal information to her work email and delete her side business and change the verbiage of it all. I believe that this is not only unethical but also illegal. We are in Michigan. What/is there a law that protects her from this type of social media harassment that she can quote to get her manager to stand down?

Answer: Your friend can refuse to do it, and the boss can fire her for it.


Title: Multiple safety/registration expiration tickets. Need legal advice

Question:
I'm knee deep in multiple expired registration and safety tickets given to me by police, while driving with an outdated car (probably 15+). Which I haven't shown up to court for and paid my tickets for. I'm sure most of my tax returns went to collections.

I'm wondering what I can do to stay out of legal trouble, as I'm already pushing my luck.

Not sure if I'm even able to get new registration cause of the tickets. I'm thinking about donating my car.

Any advice some of you can give me. Turning 22 and still clueless to how much trouble I could be in.

Answer: I don't want to sound like a jerk here, but "what you can do to stay out of trouble" in this situation is 50% not driving an illegal car anymore and 50% taking responsibility and paying your tickets.


Title: Legal requirement to prove you're homosexual?

Question: Just to be clear this is a question of curiosity, but I was wondering if there's any precedent for proving you're in a homosexual relationship. At the local skating rink there's a date night with 2 for 1 abd my wife abd I joked about getting our guy friends in with the discount abd the attendant said they need to kiss to prove their a couple. I was wondering if this is a legal rule they can enforce. On the one hand some people aren't willing to kiss in public that are homosexual, but I guess the rink can decide what constitutes a date. Is there a precedent for cases like this?

Answer:
 A private business can do whatever they want that is not prohibited by law.

There are anti discrimination statutes at the national, state, and local level. What you describe in your scenario would be discrimination based on sexual orientation if the skating rink only made homosexual couples prove their relationship while hetero  couples aren't put under that level of scrutiny. This is not a protected class on the federal level but depending on your state it might be or even your city might cover it by ordinance.

If the rink makes everyone kiss to prove they are a couple then I don't see an issue. If someone is too shy or doesn't like PDA then they don't have to give the discount to them.


Title: Can I get arrested for mailing a 23 year old girl a letter explaining I think she is my daughter and asking if she would like to get a dna test?

Question:
My ex gf had a child after we split up 23 years ago.  The man she cheated on me with ended up marrying her.  The time of conception lines up during the time she was fooling around with both of us.  I received a letter anonymously with a few photos of the girl recently.  So I had friend tell my ex to contact me.  We talked for a couple hours then I got around to mentioning the photos of her daughter.  I asked if she would be willing to do a dna test.  My ex turned cold and got really mad.  Hung up and blocked my number.

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So I send the girl a letter explaining the situation and included a few photos of myself.  The girl went to her mother soon after.  Now my ex has the police trying to contact me.  My ex has lied in the past to police about me being violent when we were together.  Her allegations were always false, but police have to do their job every time they get called out.  It's 23 years later and I do not know what she has told the police at this point.  She still uses the same old playbook, but mailing a 23 year old young lady a letter doesn't seem like something to get arrested over.    The way she is fighting against me trying to talk to her daughter to get a paternity test makes me feel the girl is mine. Should I be worried?  Should I return the call to the police?

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I know the time for needing a father is in the past.  Even though my ex and the man that raised her are divorced she still is fighting tooth and nail to keep me from getting this dna test.  I honestly don't know if it's the girl that doesn't want to do it or if it's her mother using parental alienation tactics.  All the women I have talked to in real life say they would have no problem considering we were together for many years in the past.

Answer:
 You can not get arrested for mailing that type of letter. Reach out to the daughter not her mother she is an adult and can make her own decisions.Answer #2: Cop here... With what you told us here, there is NOTHING remotely illegal about what you did (did you leave some details out?). Which is why I would be VERY careful... There is zero reason for the cops to be contacting you. I would suspect she has lied, or it is not a real cop calling you.Answer #3: Have you considered doing an at home DNA ancestry test? (23 & Me, etc.) I know that one of them will show you people you’re related to. If this young lady has done one, it could possibly trigger an alert.

This is a long stretch but very plausible.


Title: [FL] does home insurance typically pay out for stolen liquor in the event of a burglary?

Question: Our house was broken into and among the items taken was a few hundred in good quality liquor. I don't know if I'm being an idiot adding these to the police report/insurance claim form or what.

Answer: There is no benefit to not adding whatever you can think of. You lost items of value, add them.


Title: Update: FUCK TRUMP driver arrested on outstanding warrant (not for sign)

Answer: Politics aside, the attention-grabbing sign probably wasn't a good idea with a warrant outstanding.Answer #2: "The Fort Bend County District Attorney said his office had no plans to file charges over the sticker."


Title: Stolen groceries

Question: [IL] I bought a bunch of food the other night but I wound up going home and my friend took it all back to his house but now won't give it back to me. Can I call the police?

Answer: Call the police and file a report.  Possibly take them to court.  Not much of a friend.


Title: Death and child support

Question:
This may be a long read I apologize in advance.

My mother had a child (my sibling) with my father (not biological)
they had a strained relationship as she found out he was living a double life. Long story short he died and as a consequence our child support for my younger sibling stopped. We are trying at the moment to get his child support back because my sibling's father was our ordered to fulfill certain things (which he never did)
We ahem talking to attorneys but they can't seem to agree if we need an attorney in the state of CA where my sibling was born or in CO where he moved and possibly died. (we are having trouble getting access to information because he and my mother never married and his wife and children won't give us any information. My sibling is a minor and and when his father (who was somewhat involved in his life) died they (his wife and adult children) refused to tell my sibling any information robbing him of a chance to grieve properly and the chance to say good bye.

His father was supposed to buy him braces and put a little money to the side for him since we all knew he was sick and could possibly die. Which he told us he already did. He hasn't complied with anything he was court ordered to do many years ago and since he had power he used his connections as a well known and respected member of the justice system (in CA) to avoid doing anything that was court ordered for him to do.

We want to know what we can do (if anything) to get our child support back so he can receive what he has a right to. Everything is court ordered. We have a paternity test and proof of our court order.

He did a lot of illegal and abusive things to my mother which cause her over many years to lose her mental health (she is now disabled) and really hurt her because she tried to leave him. I grew up watching their dynamic.
Even after this man has died he's still hurting her and our family.

I just really need to figure this out. Any help I could get in pointing us in the right direction is very much appreciated. Thanks

edit: Thank you guys,

he has a pension.
his wife hasn't claimed anything as far as we know.

no one can tell us what the statute of limitations on this is because they keep telling us they don't know what state has jurisdiction.

Would anyone happen to know?

We also don't believe he had a will. My sibling would be his only child that is a minor (the other two are much older in their late 20s-30s.)

From what a few attorneys have told us is that my sibling should still be able to receive those benefits but they just don't know what state has jurisdiction.

he did not do anything he was supposed to do before he passed which we believe was done on purpose. He was supposed to provide medical insurance, among a few other things as well as he was court ordered to sign the birth certificate of his son (almost 15 years ago) which he never did and because he didn't we haven't been able to receive survivors benefits.

(His wife as you can imagine was very angry he had stepped out side their marriage but was particularly resentful because he did everything he could to maintain the relationship with my mom even when my mom tried to leave him. To the point where he would stock my mom and abuse his badge to try to retain her in public spaces. At this point i fear that there may not be anything we can do to help my sibling because his father did not do what he should have done so his son could receive the benefits he needs if he did pass and now that he has what can we do to be sure my sibling is okay)

Answer:
 The child support obligation is likely over. It's _very_ rare for the estate of a deceased parent to be required to set up a trust to pay child support.

However, the other obligations, such as the order to pay for braces, can likely be claimed against his estate. If it has the assets to pay for them, it can likely be made to do so. If it doesn't - if his estate is bankrupt, or if the window to make claims has passed - then your mother is likely out of luck.

If he was receiving any kind of social assistance or a pension of any kind, she should also speak to a lawyer about whether there's anything to do there.Answer #2: Yeah, the widow and legal children have 0 responsibility towards the illegitimate child.

Your mom can inquire after social security benefits.  Generally, unless he set up anything in the child's name, if he died intestate, the wife inherits.Answer #3: You're trying to get child support from a deceased parent? You can't. He's dead.


Title: Price tag inaccuracy.. store trying to upsell me?

Question:
So, I am trying to buy my husband and I a new sofa for the holidays because we really need a new one and he has severe scoliosis/heart issues.  Yesterday I walked into a nice furniture store (a high-end chain that I won't name) in Northern California and just looked around for ideas, when I asked about the price of a sectional that had a sofa with a chaise lounge.

The saleswoman said that the price was $1500 for the sofa, but the chaise was an additional $1200 for the connected chaise lounge part.  She showed me the price tag and the price was printed correctly for the sofa- as she said- but under the listing for the addition chaise portion, it had been painted over with white out and not filled in for the price.

When I brought up the fact that not having a price listed on a floor item was not legal, she ran to her manager and hesitated to stand her ground.  I went back quickly and took pictures of all the tags.  Can I do anything here to buy the floor model?  I know this would be an asshole move, but I really need a new sofa.  Ideas?

Answer:
 >not having a price listed on a floor item was not legal

What is your source for this?

Ultimately, they are not obligated to sell anything to you, priced/not priced on display or not.


Title: Help. Recently divorced and child support and alimony are destroying me. Is there anything I can/should do?

Question:
I'm recently divorced in CA and my ex and I used an attorney (she hired) to help us with our paperwork and to make things official.  The lawyer used the x-spouse program for it all, which I am under the impression that everyone uses.
She has 80% custody because I work full time and she does not.  I make 75k a year and with the alimony, and child support, I walk away with about 1,400 a month; not even enough to live with a $400/month room rental.  I have some money in savings but that's running out quick.  What do I do?  She's still making enough to stay and make the house payment and I'm about to be on the street if I can't find a way to get some more money.  Is there anything legally I can do?

edit:  This is a big addition but when I really looked into things I felt I needed to clarify exactly what's going on.
I have 3 kids and was married for 11 years.

I'm going over my actual paystub and the xspouse report and I realize that my benefits are skewing my results a bit. I'm going to go ahead and link both of them. The calculation for child support matches up with the link you gave me. There is the added spousal support as well. I get paid twice a month.

[x-spouse](http://i.imgur.com/W90CrSF.jpg)

[Paystub](http://i.imgur.com/RmPhpQ6.png)

Some additional information. The HSA account is only used for me. I'm bipolar and have some hormonal issues and basically end up using all of that + more for my medications and dr visits.

Yes, I do contribute to retirement, which they double my contribution. I know they say never to turn away free money, but maybe I need cut that out just to try and survive here.

She is working a bit, not a lot but it's something and we need to pay for day care. That's $400 a month total.

All that being said. The x-spouse report says I owe her $2646 a month or $1323 a paycheck. Deduct that from my linked paycheck and I have $613 a paycheck left. Which is a little over $1200....God this is depressing.

Answer:
 Hire your own attorney as you essentially paid for the privilege for her to be represented and you to be screwed over. Do whatever your attorney says, short of sacrificing a goat. The price is worth it long term.Answer #2: Are you paying more than $2K/month for child support?  Do you have more than 3 kids?

The calculator said for 3 kids you should be paying $2100, which should leave you after taxes $2200.

Try it yourself:  https://www.cse.ca.gov/ChildSupport/cse/guidelineCalculator#

If you are way off from this amount, then you should figure out why.

The usual rule is that you shouldn't have more than half your net income going to child support.


Title: Renting a house that has a swing set that the neighborhood kids use. I do not have children. I am afraid of one of the kids getting hurt (caught one of them trying to walk on the top of the swing set like a balance beam). If I put up a "play at your own risk" sign, does that protect me? Pennsylvania

Question:
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 I would think the landlord has liability in this situation and not you. It's a man made structure on their property that they either installed or left in place after buying the property.

A sign does not absolve anyone of liability, a swing set would likely be considered an "attractive nuisance" as long as it's in view from the neighboring property or the road.Answer #2: I'd ask the landlord to remove it. If the lanlord doesn't want it, ask the neighbors to move it to their yard.


Title: Brother was involved in a car accident, other parties insurance refuses to file a claim.

Question:
Augusta GA

My younger brother was involved in a car accident. The other driver \(also a young kid\) hit him from the side and there is some damage to the front quarter panel extending to the front passenger side door. The other kid did not see him, but thankfully everyone involved was ok. My brother called the police and filed a report who found the other party at fault. He tried to contact the insurance company \(Best Insurance Group\) and they refused to file the claim until he bought the police report and faxed it over, which he did. Now we have the father of the other party contacting us asking to pay for the repairs if they are fairly minor.

After having a family meeting we decided that we did not feel quite comfortable with this \(considering there maybe additional damage found on the car and the other party may refuse to cover the costs\) so we decided to file the claim with company. They are refusing to file the claim and they are telling him to get in touch with the insurer \(the father\) to sort this out. What recourse do we have? How do we go about getting the car repaired?

Answer:
 First: it is easier to use your insurance.

Second: I am guessing that they are not refusing but the other driver is refusing to cooperate with his insurance. So he doesn't want to go through insurance. That is his choice. Use yours and be done with everything much quicker.


Title: My Lawyer Messed Up & Want Me To Pay For It (Accident/Injury)

Question:
Texas. In a car wreck and my friend recommends me his lawyer. I agree to pay lawyer 1/3 of settlement.

I have $12k med bills and we settle with the insurance company for $18k. We reduce the med bills down to $6k. So the split is basically;
Lawyer: $6k
Medical: $6k
Me:  $6k
I go to the lawyer's office to sign the papers and everything. We get the hospital on the phone and it turns out there is another $2k in bills that the lawyer didn't know about. When I'm at the office he says not to worry if the insurance or hospital doesn't pay for it, then it will come out of his share since it was his mistake.

Then a month later I have a facebook message with him saying we will both (lawyer and myself) pay $1k.

Now the lawyer is saying I have to pay the full $2k for his mistake. Since I agreed to pay him 1/3 of the settlement ($18k)
I did agree to that, but if he had not made the mistake then the settlement would be $20k not $18k. What should I do?

Answer:
 Keep the FB message. Frankly, he likely didn't owe anything on it but if he agreed to split it, he must uphold his word.

How/who reduced the med bills down in the 1st place?

> f he had not made the mistake then the settlement would be $20k

How do you know this? 18k may have been the only number they would have settled with. Lawyer gets his third, you are responsible for your costs, remainder to you.


Title: [Ohio] Framed in theft at Department Store - what are the options?

Question:
Hello!

Temp account for obvious reasons. My Girlfriend of 2 1/2 years was out shopping with a new friend. They go into the department store, look around, and walk out. Behind them, a number of police officers track them down to their car and rummage through their purses. Turns out that there are 2 necklaces from the store in her purse, the same 2 that her friend was asking her about while in the store. So they both get arrested and brought to the police office, fingerprinted, questioned and the whole 9 yards. Unbeknownst to my girlfriend, her friend put the necklaces in my girlfriends purse. The total value of the merchandise was $58.

My questions:
-The store will have video evidence of the situation. Should my girlfriend get a lawyer to defend her case?

-Would a lawyer take her case and also support her in a civil claim against the girl she was with for court costs, lawyer fees, and putting her through this distress?

-As a class 1 misdemeanor, How will this affect her legal record based on each possible outcome?

-What else should I have her discuss with the Lawyer when she's finding one?

For the record: I'm POSITIVE she did not do this herself. I just feel awful that she was put in this situation and doesn't deserve to have to deal with this.

Thanks everyone!

Answer:
 > For the record: I'm POSITIVE she did not do this herself.

...said every boyfriend who's girlfriend tells him she's innocent.

Yes, she should get a lawyer.  If the video shows that, then she may stand a good chance of being acquitted.  Be prepared for the video to NOT show that, though.

Yes, she can sue.  The other girl will argue that they had agreed ahead of time and it may be difficult to win.


Title: CA- Packages keep getting stolen, is it possible that carriers will stop delivering to us?

Question:
Hi Legal People,

I order a lot of things online, in fact that is how I do the majority of my purchasing, I usually get a package or delivery every other day (sometimes more). Every so often packages are marked as delivered and aren't actually here, so I call the company (Amazon, Bloomingdales, etc.) and they send out a replacement. It has happened too frequently for my liking (twice in the past three months) and I am starting to get concerned that carriers will no longer deliver to our address at some point because I am not sure who shoulders the burden when a package is stolen. Can carriers do this? If so, would we get some kind of notice?

Furthermore, what can I do about the packages getting stolen? The fact that it is happening is odd because we live in a gated community (although we have had various incidents with contractors, solicitors, etc. getting in). I wanted to install security cameras but we rent and our landlord is adamant that we cannot have security cameras for whatever reason, even the ones that run on batteries. I have my suspicions about who is stealing them but obviously have no proof.

Should I have reported it to the police?

Answer: Yes they can stop shipping to you. It’s an anti fraud measurement they have to stop people claiming items were not received and getting another. Thus getting two items for the price of one. If you are worried look into renting a P.O. box.


Title: Removing tenant from lease agreement

Question:
Hoping you guys can help shed some light on a problem I am having.
I live in a rental home with three other people. We have a lease agreement with a rental company. The house is old, and hasn’t been maintained well, but we have cleaned it up well and it is a decent place. We recently have had some problems that needed repair - one of the major items was a broken fridge/freezer. The freezer has been somewhat broken since we moved in (the tracks on the door were bad, causing the door to not always seal correctly.) We placed several calls, but the vendors dispatched couldn’t order replacement parts because of the age of the fridge. Eventually, after a year in the house, this got worse, and caused the fridge to stop working. A vendor was dispatched, couldn’t get the part needed. A new fridge was ordered and delivered, but due to the age of the house, couldn’t be hooked to the water line. A plumber was sent out a few days later, replaced the water line. A fridge was delivered again, but this time, the fridge purchased was too big and wouldn’t fit in the house (the homeowner purchased the fridge). A temporary fridge was delivered, with a permanent replacement coming a few days later. We were offered a $100 credit on rent due to food lost when the fridge stopped working.

All of this backstory leads to the real question. One of my roommates has decided she wants out of the lease due to this problem (I suspect there are other reasons she wants out, and is using this as an excuse). She claims she has talked to her lawyer, and he confirmed she can terminate her portion of the lease due to the fridge problem. I am not sure this is a thing - is it possible to terminate one part of a multi-person lease? Do the above details seem like enough legal justification to terminate a lease? If it is possible, what are the repercussions for the other members of the lease who don’t want to move out? This is in North Carolina if that matters.

TLDR: Can someone have “their portion” of a lease agreement terminated over some difficult fridge repairs?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 No, but she's hoping you'll bite it and take her costs when the landlord comes after the remaining three for her share of the rent.

Tell her to have her lawyer contact the landlord and get it in writing from him that she has been legally released from the lease.

And point out that until she has proof of the landlord having been forced to release her from the lease, you will expect her to continue paying her share of the rent and bills.

Then notify the landlord that you understand ~Jane Smith~  is attempting to be released from the lease, and that should the landlord *choose* to release her from the lease, Beth, Betty and Ethel do *NOT* accept responsibility for Jane's  portion of the rent.


Title: Is my employer commiting impermissible pay docking?

Question:
(I posted this yesterday and received no response)

I work for an energy company as a salaried non-exempt employee. We work a 5 week rotation which includes 2 48-hour weeks, 2 36-hour weeks and 1 32-hour week.

Starting this January we started receiving a dock in pay for "less than 40 hours straight time" during the 3 weeks where we work less than 40 hours.

To my understanding this falls under impermissible pay docking for quantity of work when I am ready available and able to work.

Am I entitled to the pay I'm having docked or am I misunderstanding impermissible pay docking?

US, West Virginia

Answer:
 So, this is may be legal. They likely aren’t treating it as a pay deduction, but rather a different salary entirely for those weeks during which fewer than 40 hours are standard.

Since they have set very clear standards for the number of hours expected on given weeks, it’s not *totally* unreasonable that you would have a different salary for weeks with more or fewer hours, so long as they weren’t reducing your pay below a “guaranteed minimum” salary.

If an employer called me and wanted to do this I would tell them to paper the shit out of it (so that employees understand that it is, in fact, a different salary rather than a form of deduction), or (preferably) just set a different, lower rate for all weeks going forward, assuming the goal is to save money on salaries. Actually, I’d almost certainly tell them to make you all hourly.

The DOL might take an interest in this, so you could try giving them a call, but I see a few outs for your employer (as described above).

FWIW, I’m an employment attorney and employee classification is one of my areas of expertise. That said, there may be a DOL opinion letter on this (those are chock full of secret guidance) that says this exact practice is illegal. I’m on my way out the door but may look later, as I’m now curious.


Title: [Germany] Using Internet freely and capitalist whores

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 Trotsky is rolling in his grave.Answer #2: Move to Austria. Streaming is legal here.

No one except you has the legal obligation to tell you all the laws you need to follow. You can read all laws and statues online.

> How to live, folks?

Try /r/lifeadvice/.


Title: Daughter and husband hit and killed by failing to yield to man driving OWI.

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
DUI

Answer: Schedule a consult with an attorney specializing in wrongful death cases.  Even if the sheriff has decided the driver wasn't criminally responsible, a court may find that he (or the city responsible for the blind intersection) is civilly liable.


Title: Got an email from a company asking for $510 to use their photo that is in a product brochure on my website

Question:
I'm in Texas.

I got an email from a company demanding $510 for the use of one of their images on my website. The only problem is the image is used in the middle of a PDF product brochure that was put out by a worldwide company. I'm sure it's on hundred of websites being that several companies in every major city sell this product.

Should I be concerned?

Answer: Did you make the brochure or did the company that makes the product send it to you?


Title: A question about emotional support pups

Question:
Hi everyone,

I have a question about ESA’s that’s very specific to my situation. Back in 2014-2015 I got a letter from a doctor that I only ever saw the one time for an emotional support animal, and I’ve been using the letter at my apartment complexes ever since I got it. I’ve since seen a psychiatrist that I’m sure I could get a new letter from, if needed. I have two dogs, a 20 pound poodle mutt of some sort, and a 60 pound lab shepherd mix dog. I do have legitimate need for an emotional support animal before anyone comes after me saying it’s illegitimate, but I’m looking at getting a new puppy that I already have picked out that I can train to better suit my needs. We just resigned our second year at our current apartment, and we plan on staying here for a while. When we first moved in, the office staff was really dumb and disorganized - they never asked for a copy of my letter and I never paid a second pet deposit for my big dog, and I don’t know what they have written in our file over there, but they’ve gone through at least one COMPLETE management change including office manager since we moved in, so none of the original staff is there. I’m wondering how I can approach our office staff tomorrow about getting the new dog - do I say “I’m getting an ESA, here is my prescription letter”, or do I tell them I’m getting a NEW dog to better suit my needs and offer to pay the second deposit for the dog I already have? I don’t know what they have down there, but since there’s a two dog limit, I think I’ll only have one chance to talk to them about it before I ruin my chance. I’m worried about contradicting whatever might be in our file and raising red flags. I know an ESA doesn’t count as a pet and so I’m not worried about that, but the new dog will be 100 ish pounds, larger than the weight limit at our apartment. I just don’t know how to proceed. I live in Washington state, for reference.

Thanks!!

Answer:
 I think it will be more difficult than you imagine to get a letter saying not only that you need an ESA, but that neither of your current dogs are capable of meeting that need.

Getting an ESA letter is pretty easy. Getting one for a third dog? That's pushing over the line into an unreasonable accommodation, and one the apartment complex can legally push back on. Answer #2: If you plan to get a third dog, you'll need documentation that you need three discrete emotional support animals. It also may not be a reasonable accommodation to exceed the apartment's limits on number and size of dogs.


Title: Can I choose to not see my dad anymore at sixteen? [Oregon, USA]

Question: Websites are so frustrating because they do not give a direct answer for the state I live in. I'm 16 years old, my parents divorced in '07 but a few months back my brother turned 18 and quit seeing my dad on his days with us. My dad is absolutely *terrible* to me and I don't wanna see him alone as it is so stressful. I don't want to turn this into a huge custody battle. He told me I wasn't allowed to not see him but at sixteen what can they do, put me in a car and physically force me to talk to my dad? I don't know how to go about this.

Answer: Your mother needs to go back to court and let a judge decide that. You tell the judge your side and they determine what happens.


Title: Random check in the mail, what to do with it? (CA)

Question:
So, to prep this. I (21 F) applied at a job that unfortunately turned or to be a money laundering scam. I blocked the number and reported it to the actual company that they were posing as. Now I've received a check in the mail for 3,500 dollars. From someone I don't know, and I don't know what to do with it? Throw it away. Give it to the police? I don't want to get in trouble, so I'm just trying to covering my butt.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: It is fake. Just shred it. You can give it to the police but they are unlikely to do anything other than shred it themselves.


Title: I called the cops on my wife now I regret it [CA]

Question:
My wife had been very verbally and physically abusive.  I believe she has bipolar, but she refuses to get diagnosed.  I’ve always tolerated her hitting me, but today she went too far and bit me 5 times along my arm while I was defending myself, drawing blood.  After she kicked me in the groin, throwing stuff at me and kicked me out of the house, I accidentally lost my temper and called the cops.

I had no idea how serious they would treat it, I just wanted them to talk to her, instead they arrested her.  She’s out on bail by her enabling uncle that lives with us and has to go to court.  I told the cops I don’t want to press charges and it’s OK.  I don’t want to ruin her life over some minor bodily harm.  The cops reported what I said, but I heard it’s out of my hands.  What can I do to not get her jailed and clear her arrest record, I don’t want to affect her job or career.  I feel so bad calling the cops, what can I do to drop the charges and clear her name?

Edit: I know what she did was wrong, but please understand I love her and  I’m just looking for a way for me to dismiss her charges.

Answer:
 > I just wanted them to talk to her

The cops aren't your counselors or mediators. They did the right thing.

> What can I do to not get her jailed and clear her arrest record, I don’t want to affect her job or career.

Well, you could hire a lawyer for her, but personally I think you should speak to a victim's advocate and domestic violence counselor. Perhaps even a divorce lawyer. Answer #2: Biting you and kicking you in the crotch is assault. You did the right thing by calling the police. This is why the state presses charges and you don't; as a victim, it's hard for you to see what the rest of us see very clearly. Please seek some help and support designed for victims of domestic abuse.


Title: Police have called me about vandalism in my apartment complex.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Important question:

Did you do it?

Also, do you believe the video would be incriminating even if you did not do it?


Title: Vehicle towed by private towing company in Florida, on the reason of "expired tags"

Question:
I live in a townhouse, rented from a private property owner acting as my landlord. Apparently, somewhere in the depths of the HOA paperwork provided to obtain a parking decal, is a statement that they are allowed to have a private towing company tow my vehicle if the tags are expired.

They expired last month, July. I was confused because I'm new to the state and was used to it being 1 year from date of taxes paid, but apparently in Florida they expire on your birthday. I never noticed the label. Life was in a bit of a flurry when I moved. Didn't receive a letter in the mail... which doesn't surprise me since my Florida title never made it to me either, another thing on my "to do" list. Yes the address on my license and on file at the DMV is accurate.

Contacted the DMV, and it's still 2 days before I'm considered "late" on the taxes. The tow company isn't even asking for proof that I've paid, they just want their $130 ransom so that I can get my vehicle back. Maybe in hopes that I'll be stupid enough to park it again without updating the plate so they can tow it again.

In a small twist, I forgot to turn in the signed copy of their parking rules, but they provided the sticker to me anyway and never noticed it was missing. It might give some leverage but I imagine life might get complicated if I go after them. Not sure if it's even worth it, other than for the principal.

Do I have any recourse here, or should I just pony up their extortion and accept that my HOA is run by sociopaths? ... Yes, I know, I'm being a bit loose with terms here, I'm a bit peeved.

Thanks in advance for any advice, friends.

Answer:
 > Do I have any recourse here, or should I just pony up their extortion and accept that my HOA is run by sociopaths?

Just pony up the money.


Title: My SO, 15F was touched by her stepdad, and had no actions against his him.

Question:
Her real mother has done nothing against her stepfather, even though he sexually abused her. I believe she has had a minor police investigation, but as far as I know CPS where not involved and her stepdad is off Scott free. Along with being disgusting to her, he has as mentioned before touched her against her will.
Is it possible her mother is covering up to keep him out of legal trouble? And why would he not have any legal actions for sexually abusing his 15 yo step daughter. Something doesn’t seem right in all this. And I do know she is telling the truth, and I can tell it is affecting her mood and how she acts.
Is there anything I can do to protect her from her stepdad if the accusations are true? She says she wants to run away and I need to get something to change soon.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: She should contact CPS herself.


Title: MA - Is it illegal to create a website devoted to reporting a coworker's bad behavior

Question:
I have a coworker who is very bad at his job, and he holds a senior position in the company I work for.

He behaves inappropriately, and actively bullies his subordinates and peers.  He is incredibly manipulative, and very effective at concealing his bad behavior from the senior leadership team.

He has been reported, but is exceptionally talented at talking his way out of trouble and avoiding a document trail.

I'd like to create a website that publishes his name (and/or title, he is the only person in the company with his title) along with a list of verifiable actions he's taken.

e.g.
J. Hoover on 23 February of 2016 was approached and asked to investigate a murder.  He declined to do so and told the requester that they should focus on investigating the president.
Witnessed by:  Jeff,  Amanda

What are the legal implications of this.  It doesn't seem like it would be harassment, but would it be defamation/libel even though all of the reports were true?

Could this be considered journalism?

Answer:
 I mean, you aren't going to jail over it. You'll definitely be fired over it.

>Could this be considered journalism?

Sure, call it whatever you want. Answer #2: First and foremost, it could get you and anyone you name fired.


Title: Is this Insider Trading?

Question:
Was approached to join an anonymous group of people who all work in the same industry who would like to discuss investment opportunities in said industry.

They claim it's nothing that the FCC would be worries about. I'm not so sure.

Even assuming that nobody is talking a about their own company secrets, there are many partnerships in this industry. Hard to draw the line on what is distinct 'trade secret' and what is a rumour shared by a partner of a partner.

Is this Insider Trading?

Example: It's anonymous. Let's imagine that one anon in this group does share a company secret with the belief that others would do the same (quid pro quo). I unknowingly act on it and profit. Am I guilty of Insider trading in that circumstance?

EDIT: Yep, it's insider trading. Not going near that with any length pole. Also, yes, I meant SEC, not FCC.

Answer:
 Insider trading is defined as “the illegal practice of trading on the stock exchange to one's own advantage through having access to confidential information”.

If the information is confidential (not public) it is insider trading.

If the information is public why do you need to get it from the shady people.

Don’t be stupid.


Title: [NC] The internship I accepted today asked me to work full-time UNPAID?

Question:
Hi everyone! I interviewed yesterday morning for an HR position with a small recruiting company. I found out this morning I got the internship.

I am a full-time student, but I only have classes Tuesday's & Thursday's with 18 credits. That being said, I told them my availability was very flexible. However, the next day when the manager emailed me about my availability, she asked me if I would want to work full time on Monday's, Wednesday's, & Friday's. She said she understood it's a lot to work 3 full days a week, but they are hiring heavily and like to promote from within (post graduation.)

Maybe it was wrong for me to think this way, but given that they knew I was a full-time student, I thought there would be additional compensation for me working 3 full days a week and being a full-time student. Because...why else would I dedicate 40hrs (presumably, as that's full-time...) a week to something when I am just doing this for the experience? She said that all of their interns in the past have just worked through course credit with no monetary compensation.

Does this happen often? I was just very surprised by this. I have done 2 paid internships in the past, so I could definitely be in the wrong on this. While I am getting course credit, I only get 3 credits, and only 120 hours of work are required throughout the entire semester (\~8 hrs/week.)

What is a good response to this? Is this typical/legal? I know unpaid internships are legal, but I wasn't sure about full-time unpaid internships. Thank you!!

Answer:
 It's not necessarily illegal to offer you course credit in lieu of monetary compensation (given that your university agrees that they will give you course credit for working for the organization). *But*, I wouldn't allow yourself to be taken advantage of here.

If the position only requires 120 hours to get the credits, I would tell the person you're talking to that either (1) you're only going to work roughly as many hours per week as needed to get to 120 hours *or* (2) you expect to be paid for all the work you do above roughly the 120 hour mark. Answer #2: Valid unpaid internships have to meet a number of tests to be legal. Class credit and not replacing work normally done by employees are two things. You're actually supposed to be learning about the business not doing low level work that normally you would hire an employee for.

>  I know unpaid internships are legal, but I wasn't sure about full-time unpaid internships.

There's no distinction.


Title: Partner was fired for missing work due to being in the hospital [Florida]

Question:
My partner started a new job in May and was loving it. Then two weeks ago had to be admitted to the hospital due to an illness, and will not be able to go back to work for some time. I kept in contact with the manager of their work, and told him that they were in the hospital and we didn’t have any idea when they would be out. Today we went to a doctor and they recommended looking into FMLA if the employer offered it. Upon calling the manager to ask about being able to use FMLA to take a leave of absence, he said that since they had missed work and that they were fired.

This hospitalization was out of our control and we feel like we did the right thing by letting them know about what was going on, but being terminated when asking about being able to take a leave of absence due to illness seems incredibly unfair. This company is pretty small and does not have a HR department either. We informed the manager we would be looking into the legality of this but I’m just curious to see if we have a case. He said that since they were still in a probationary period (under 90 days), that he could fire whoever for whatever reason. Do we have a case to pursue legal action?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: Probably not, no.  Unfair does not automatically mean illegal.  He wasn't there long enough to be eligible for FMLA.


Title: In Florida, is it illegal for a minor to carry a pocket knife on them and to walk around town with a machete in their backpack?

Answer:
 For the machete in the backpack, it is illegal. You cannot conceal carry knives. You can only conceal carry box cutters, multi-tools, work knives or common pocket knives with blades less than 4". There is no law I know of regarding minors and carrying of pocket knives.

However, it is illegal for an adult to purchase a knife for a minor.

http://www.knifeup.com/florida-knife-laws-explained/


Title: I got (wrongfully) cited for assault(ing a police officer)?

Question: Hi I recently made a post on this subreddit about being cited for being under the influence of a controlled substance (http://www.reddit.com/r/legal/comments/39s2kj/i_got_cited_a_misdemeanor_for_a_being_under_the/). Well upon closer look at my ticket I realized I also got cited for assault. I don't know why I got cited for assault. I would never attack another person even more an officer of the law. I do remember when I was being handcuffed I kinda fidgeted and the officer got mad and gave me a warning (I forgot exactly what she said). I think she misunderstood this as me trying to assault her? When really I just wasn't fully aware of my surroundings or my actions. I don't know what to do and am desperate for help.

Answer:
 You were on acid. I don't think anyone, including yourself, can trust that you recall the entire incident with anything close to 100% accuracy or objectivity.

Plead not guilty, get a lawyer, read the police report, and move on from there.


Title: W2 employee looking to be paid for holidays

Question: I’m in MA, I was recently hired by a temp company for a contract with a tech start up. I get paid for my hours worked at the tech company by the temp company. On thanksgiving and the day after, the offices are closed for the national holiday.  I’m wondering if I should be paid for those days since I don’t have the opportunity to work and it’s a paid company holiday by the tech company itself. Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated!

Answer: They don't have to pay you for it working.


Title: Is what I did rape? (IL) Really worried

Question:
This was a few years ago now, but I remember it pretty clearly. I met a guy on tinder who claimed to be an attractive transwoman (I know it's politically incorrect to use male pronouns in this case but having been so intimate with him I can guarantee any of you would have a lot of trouble trying to view him as female) . I met him in a bar and right away he looked nothing like his profile picture, although he was vaguely recognizable. The online picture must have used some lighting and angle trickery and possibly some photoshop because he looked like a solid 6/10 but in real life he was at least 400lbs with no effort put into transitioning. It was like looking at a melted trash bag, I shit you not. This was a pretty dark time in my life and I'm not exactly the handsomest guy around so I just pounded a few more drinks than I normally would have. I was really drunk, not going to lie. The guy I met had one, maybe two. I know that I was a lot more inebriated than he was. He invited me back to his apartment almost immediately and when we got there he just took off his clothes and climbed up onto his bed and got on all fours, ass up. It was really demeaning and unpleasant but I didn't want to disappoint so I got up behind him and tried to slide in.

&#x200B;

Immediately he honked out "Condom! CONDOM!" so I leant over as far as I could see because I assumed he was going to hand me one. Instead he just went back to placidly staring at the headboard like I didn't exist. I didn't bring a condom and he didn't seem to have anything more to say about the issue so I just shrugged and got to work (and it WAS work, there was nothing romantic or exciting about this) and after we were done I got out of there as quick as I could. He didn't do much but also he didn't resist or bring up condoms again or really do anything but stare dumbly at the headboard.

&#x200B;

Now people have shown me facebook posts where he's recounting the incident in very specific terms, but all twisted around. He's accusing me of something called 'stealthing' and claiming it's a rape? I think he's just doing it for attention when talking amongst his friends but naturally I'm scared. I'm a married guy and even if I didn't break any laws just being charged or questioned could be devastating. My wife owns a desert eagle. How safe am I from any repercussions and is there a statute of limitations on this kind of thing?

Answer:
 *Stealthing* is the act of pretending to put on a condom during sex, but not actually doing it. It's become much more widely-known in the past few years thanks to various people raising awareness of it.

If we're using strict definitions of rape, then yes; you did something that the other person didn't want, and whether they're play-acting for sympathy or not, they do have a right to be aggrieved.

Frankly, how they look and act is irrelevant and I feel like you're mentioning it so we'll take pity on you.


Title: Who should pay for what?

Question:
I am an occasional driver only, don’t own a vehicle or have an insurance policy. I occasionally drive a friend’s car which he loans me, he has a discounted policy for age over 55, as I am also aged over 55 and it is only occasional I’m not named on his policy and that’s never been an issue. However he was recently working away out of state (we live in CA) and didn’t need to use his car so he loaned it to me but didn’t think to tell his insurance company.

Unfortunately I then had an at fault accident that totalled the other drivers car, she wasn’t really injured but did have some medical expenses. The driver was a 17 year old girl who was driving without any insurance, despite that she still had the right to claim damages, but friends insurance denied her claim as he had not informed them that he had loaned me his vehicle when he was working away.

The girl then got in touch to say that she was seeking advice regarding her options and to whether she would need a parent to represent her with being under age 18 and effectively a minor. This now seems to have resolved itself as she is now age 18 and able to proceed without a parent representing her. As I am the at fault driver, I’ve now been served with court papers and she is suing me personally through the small claims court for $9000 in damages. Friend has agreed to pay for the damage to his own car which is $3000.

There is probably nothing I can actually do about this, admittedly I caused the accident but there would not have been a problem if friend had informed his insurance. I’m not sure if she would have had any case for suing my friend but as I was the at fault driver, she obviously does with me, despite not being insured herself.

We will both have to pay out of pocket but he will only be paying $3000, where I have the girl suing me and I face having to pay out up to $9000.  Does this seem like a fair way of who will be paying for what?

&#x200B;

Answer: You got into the accident, you should be paying for all of it.  It's very, very, very, very, very kind of your friend to pay for the damage to his own car instead of suing you too.  Comprehension and collision typically follows the car while liability follows the driver, so the coverage on the car depends on his policy and your location.  Your friend should check his liability coverage contract coverage regarding permissive use.


Title: PLEASE help me! Serious advice only *going crazy*

Question: Hello, about a month and a half ago someone on Facebook sent me inappropriate content to my message box. Keep in mind I’ve had my Facebook account since I was a 14 year old and I always added everyone and anyone (obviously a bad idea)..Not thinking of it I checked my messages and it was a video just with a black screen as the thumbnail. I pressed it and it turned out to be illegal porn u_derage. I have been going crazy this past month and a half because I’m terrified that the FBI is now after me *im assuming they track Facebook chats or someone at Facebook saw it* and that any moment now they’re going to come to my door. I’ve since blocked the person but I’m just terrified because I’ve seen that people say just viewing something counts as “possession”...this all happened on my iPhone not on a laptop.. please help me I’m extremely scared this is NOT a troll message I just don’t know how to calm my nerves down. I’ve never ONCE sent anything like that to anyone or nonetheless downloaded anything.

Answer: Delete and move on. This isn't the kind of thing that the authorities are going after.


Title: What is the process for courts to accept a new type of evidence?

Question:
Hypothetical situation. A prosecutor charges a person of a crime. The judge asks what evidence they have, and the prosecutors says that they have a box that reads minds, and the box read the accused's mind and it revealed their guilt. The judges initial reaction it dismiss that, but the prosecutor pulls out the box and reveals every though in that judge's mind.

At this point, what does the judge do? Are they in the position to accept this evidence? Must this decision come from a higher court? If the judge refuses, what else can the prosecutor do to show the validity of his evidence?

For a more realistic situation, how did the courts start to accept DNA. Surely, 40 years ago or so when the first lawyer claimed that they could positively identify someone by the molecules in their blood, it would appear like science fiction. How did the courts come to the decision that yes, this is evidence is authentic and can presented in court?

Obviously, this depends on the local laws, but please let me know whatever about whatever law you are familiar with.

Answer:
 The [Daubert Standard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daubert_standard) for admitting expert testimony has three main points:

1) Testimony must be drawn from knowledge derived from a scientific process of testing and refinement.

2) That knowledge must be pertinent to a factual question at issue in the case.

3) The body of knowledge the expert has expertise in was derived from scientifically valid methods as applicable to this case.


Title: Bought a wedding dress 9 months ago. Went to get it altered and during the process we saw two seamstresses. One told us the dress would never look like the sample i tried on originally. She thinks it's likely a defected dress.

Question:
I contacted the bridal shop,  fought with them,  and now they want me to send the dress back 3 weeks before the wedding to have the designer determine if it's defective. They're blaming my alterations even though they've not seen it in person,  just pictures.  I live out of state now.  They want me to mail it back and have the designer inspect it,  but who's to say they won't lie and say its not defective? What do i do? This is 1600 on the line.  We ended up buying the same dress in a smaller size the day after we called them bc they never called us like they said they would to advise if they could send a new one.  What do you suggest i do here?

Update: we hired a third party seamstress to measure the dresses and take pictures.  She discovered the size 16 was 1 inch shorter in the bodice all around.  It had 2 less buttons than the size 12 as well,  which make sense as that's about an inch.

Answer:
 You've taken the merchandise out of state, modified it twice, hastily bought a replacement, and now you want a refund.

If it wasn't a wedding dress, would you be doing anything except reading the terms and conditions of the warranty ?

Edit:  four or five rounds of alterations !

I realize that wedding dresses are time-critical and very purpose-specific merchandise.   But from a legal point of view this is almost certainly a matter of the terms of your warranty.


Title: Can a non-military member use military diversion in court? [CA, USA]

Question:
Simple background: my sister's soon to be ex husband held her hostage and beat her over the course of 48 hours. She pressed charges.

I'm following the case on our county's public court records website, and he was given "military diversion." I didn't know what that was, so a quick google search later, I see it's for AD and vets. He's neither.

So why would the judge grant that?

Answer:
 [Here's information about military diversion.](http://www.occourts.org/lawyers/military-diversion-program/militarydiversionprogram.html)

Without knowing the facts of the case, no one can say.

It is possible he does qualify and you didn't know.

It is possible the public records misrecorded the information.

It is possible you're not looking at the right case.