Title: My cousin was falsely told that she wasn't pregnant by a doctor.

Question: This happened in the US. Two days ago my cousin gave birth to a baby girl. However, she only found out she was pregnant three days ago when she want to a doctor in Bangladesh(she's visiting family) because she was having severe stomach pains. Months ago, she'd gone to a doctor in the USA regarding another stomach ache, she asked the doctor if she was pregnant but the doctor said she wasn't. Can she take any legal action against the doctor?

Answer:
 That will be fact dependent.

How many months ago?

Was a test done?


Title: [Medical Student] Needing advice on Unfair policies

Question:
Hello,

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I am a medical student in the US.

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My school arbitrarily created a rule this year to limit the number of weeks we have to study for an exam.

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To explain further, we normally get 6 weeks of vacation termed "dedicated study period" after our last class in the 2nd year of medical school.

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However, the administration has sent emails forcing us to take the test by the end of week 5  OR force us to to go on an Academic Leave of Absence for 2 months  OR take a preparation course that lasts 7 weeks and costs approx. 3,250$ USD.

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Taking either of the 2 alternative options are Expensive And ABSOLUTELY AND UNEQUIVOCALLY DAMAGING TO A MEDICAL STUDENTS CAREER.

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The thing is, we still get 6 weeks off. This is their way of saying "everyone needs time off... truck drivers etc..."

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For more context, they sent us emails in late January saying this was a new "policy".... but the Student Handbook was updated in April 2019 and has no mention of this.

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Also additionally, whether I take the exam at the end of 5 weeks or 6 weeks will NOT AFFECT when the scores get released to the School. So it in no way hurts them.

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I feel like my rights are being trampled.... how can a school dictate what I do in my free time? I know people say "don't fight it just take it early....." but medical students study intensely for several months for this test.....

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I was originally planning on taking it this week actually. But I got really sick for 1 week and it really threw me off and am in need of the extra week.

Answer:
 1. Did they provide a reason that they wanted test results early?

2. You have no rights here. They're not being trampled on.Answer #2: Gotta say if you’re in med school I don’t think you have time for a lawsuit.

I would imagine that somewhere in that handbook it tells you that they can change policies and describes the process for doing it.

Not seeing a path to victory here.


Title: Carsalesman looked me in the eye with one number, put something completely different on the paper and had me sign it. Located in Dallas, TX

Question:
Update: After my trip to the dealer, he helped explain a couple things.
1. The $5000 price is the cash price, and due to financing reasons for high risk people like myself, he has to charge $6400 when financing through these second tier finance options.
2. The 15% interest rate that he said I qualified for would have been for newer, more expensive vehicles. I remember this being a thing from when I was talking with Capital One a few months ago. Seems to make sense.
After me going and being a bit upset, he helped me understand these things. He even threw in oil changes for the rest of athe year (a value for me, since I live in an apartment with a garage and drive 22000 miles a year.) Also, he said he would help me when it came time for maintenance, car inspection next year, and tires at a lower cost. Obviouisly I would shop any of his prices around, but all of these bonuses are definitely helpful.

--------------------------------------

Located in Dallas, TX

Carsalesman looked me in the eye with one number, put something completely different on the paper and had me sign it.

Looking for general advice on how to handle this situation.

Wow. I really got swindled. I signed for a 2008 Mazda 3 i Touring that was listed on the dealers website as well as a couple third party sites as "$4995". I signed papers on it on 5-13-17. It is currently 5-21-17 It is a small dealership.

So I came in. Looked at the vehicle. One sales person asked me what I was looking for, I pointed at the Mazda. We chatted a bit, and I know I was gawking a bit and said "This is a nice car for $5000". The salesperson didn't dispute the price. I took it for a test drive with my BF. We liked the vehicle.

Came inside to talk to the finance guys. My plan was to go look at other cars, but I got sidetracked. Ended up running a credit check. I talked to the finance guy about the fact that part of my income is tip money and isn't include in my taxes or paystub, and he said he could work with me. I also told him I previously got a 25% interest rate quote, so I was worried about my credit. The guy runs the numbers through a finance company. He says something to this effect.. "Hey man, this is pretty cool. So I know you have poor credit, and you got declined by all the banks, except this one finance company qualified you for 15%." I was shocked. I chattered on for a minute or two my shock at getting 15% interest rate, and that was better than what I could have hoped for. He then said "So they would require a downpayment of $1800, and your monthly payment will be $250 a month for 28 months." He didn't say anything about the vehicle price, or any difference in interest rates. Obviously, I didn't do the match to see exactly what those numbers added up to. I felt secure in that he told me I got qualified for 15% interest rate and that the car was listed for $5000 online. I assumed the higher monthly payment came down to JUST the shortened loan period, nothing else.

Because of the better interest rate and the fact that they would work with my tips, I decided to go ahead and try to finish the deal that day. Got my insurance taken car off. Ended up giving him the down payment and signed for the papers. Took it home.

Fast forward to today, and I finally go over the paperwork and read it. I see that the interest rate is 24.95%, and the vehicle price is listed at $6399 + Taxes + title + registration + inspection fee. So it is 6399 + 529.07 in  fees.

So basically, this guy looked at me and said "15% interest rate", and no other number, and yet he put somehting totally different in the paperwork. The car is listed as 5000 online, but he put a totally different number in.

What can I do? Tomorrow will be day 10, and I am unsure of any protections exist in Texas for this. I was screwed $1400 on vehicle price, plus about $700 in extra interest.

Answer:
 If it was possible, you should sue yourself.  It is your responsibility to read every document you sign.  How you failed to check such a basic item such as price and interest is beyond me

With that being said, Texas has it's own consumer protection laws but you waited 10 days to read what you signed.


Title: In my business law 101 course, the professor said advertisements can be legally binding contracts and must adhere to typos; but then I read a case study where a company made a typo that screwed over a bunch of people and declined to honor it.

Question: When is a promoted price or sale or whatever legally binding and when can the company just go "no, that ad should say 5% off, not 50% off. We won't honor it."

Answer:
 NAL, but

> In my business law 101 course, the professor said advertisements **can be** legally binding contracts and must adhere to typos; but then I read a case study where a company made a typo that screwed over a bunch of people and declined to honor it.

Did your prof mean "could possibly be" in the context of the lecture?Answer #2: An excellent example of how this is not the case:

In the ‘90s, Pepsi had a deal where you could collect “points” by purchasing their products, and trade them for prizes. One of the prizes was a Harrier jump-jet for 7,000,000 points. A customer read the fine print, and found you could just buy the points for cash, and that enough points for a Harrier would cost $700,000 (a little less than half the sticker-price of a Harrier fighter jet, which cost around $1.5 million).

Pepsi refused to honor the claim, saying it was clearly a joke. The customer sued. Pepsi won. No Harrier jet was awarded.

Details [here](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/1996-man-sues-pepsi-for-not-giving-him-a-harrier-jet/).


Title: [CO] Thumb vs. Cheese Grater (spoiler - thumb lost)

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: You definitely have a case. Call around for person injury lawyers in your area.


Title: What should i do next

Question: Coworker posted nsfw video about sex dolls on their fb. page and captioned that these are just what billy from work needs.  I am billy and a male and the poster is female. I see the post as not only inappropriate but demeaning and meant to humiliate. We are not friends so this is not just a joke in poor taste. What if a male were to post videos of dildos and vibrators on social media addressing a female coworker would that be different. Company name is listed on poster page as employer. Department has a history of bullying,intimidation and retaliation against those who go to upper management. What is my next step.

Answer: You can speak to HR or your direct manager.


Title: [Ohio] Healthcare business/suboxone clinic trying to take custody of my uncle without the family knowing.

Question:
I'll try to keep this as brief as possible without leaving out enough relevant details. So my uncle has been a drug abuser for a very long time, was addicted to heroin at a time but for many years has just been going to a suboxone clinic. A few years ago he suffered from a mass in his brain that left him with severe cognitive and memory issues. He couldn't remember things from 5 mins prior and would repeat, couldn't remember family, almost like dementia in a way. During that time my mom (his sister) tried to get him into some kind of assisted living program. It was denied 3 times by the state when doing the assisted living assessments because he seemed to be able to take care of himself fine although my mom did get medical power of attorney. He has got a lot better but he still very much is someone who shouldn't be allowed to make all his own decisions on matters.

So fast forward to two days ago and a lady from the suboxone clinic he goes to (we can't stand this place or the fact they have kept him on suboxone for so long). Anyways she asked my mom if she was aware there was a guardianship hearing April 27th for my uncle. We had no clue!! So I help my mom look into it and I pull up the records from the court website on the case. They filed this all the way back in Feb. Nobody notified my mom, didn't notify any next of kin including my uncles father or son. In fact on the next of kin part of the paperwork filed with the court they only put down my mother and they put down false contact information for my mother giving her an Arizona address instead of her Ohio one. Upon further digging I found the company that started this process for guardianship of him which a business that advertises Elderly assistance, Financial managing and coaching, and a "Guardianship program". Just so happens to also own the suboxone clinic my uncle goes to.

They have four individuals on the application applying for shared guardianship of him on the basis he is cognitively impaired. They are applying for indefinite guardianship. Upon finding this all out and talking to my uncle and getting him to understand what this really means if these people get custody of him and how they will have control over his life. It's not something he wants at all and they told him differently and everything would be fine. Hard to tell what they told him and doesn't help they provide him legal drugs. He things that he has nothing to worry about that he's fine and a judge would see that. He is borderline refusing to try and let any family help him with this matter and it's clear he's fairly clueless and ends up forgetting everything we explain to him about what is happening. Which appears to be a business trying to take advantage of him and I am sure make money off him as they will be in control of his finances.

Beyond that because of the Corona Virus they have made the hearing one that will take place over the phone on April 27th.

----

We are trying to figure out what options we have and the best course of action. Even if the court decides he is incompetent and needs guardianship, that's fine but that responsibility should go to a family member. His sister, myself, my sister, etc.. instead of a small apparently shady business appointing 4 random people to take custody/control of his life. Is there a way we can get involved in the hearing? My uncle even said he would tell the judge he doesn't want those people to have custody of him, but it's hard to tell what he is turning around and telling the clinic. I would have to assume if the court decides he needs guardianship a family member that is well qualified should be chosen over random people as part of a business.

***TL;DR(ish) Suboxone Clinic/Healthcare service filed papers to take Guardianship of my uncle without notifying family or next of kin and even supplied false contact information. Court hearing is teleconference April 27th. We the family and even my uncle does not want this place to get custody of him.***

Company trying to take guardianship of him:
https://lifespanohio.org/

I can also provide the public records (filed paperwork) on the case from the county court website.

Answer:
 INAL

From what you're saying, this company or group is pretending to be family or close kin, in an attempt at claiming guardianship over your uncle yes? I think that'd be considered fraud, still not a lawyer.

But I would wonder if talking to a lawyer representing geriatrics or stolen identities, would be a good idea. They might be able to point you in the right direction.


Title: Running away at 17 (tennessee)

Question: im done with my parents and high school and i wanna run away but in tennessee you can be placed in CPS custody at 19 and i heard of a case where a girl ran away at 16 and they found her and put her in jail until 19 (in tennessee CPS custody theres levels, foster home/group home are for people under 18, and 18 yr olds can still be in CPS custody) i also heard of an 18 year old being placed in juvie until 19 because her foster mom didnt want her and she was in CPS custody till 19. and you can be placed in CPS custody without being at court. so i was wondering if i go to a different state and try to get a job and make it till 18 (which is in a few months) can they still arrest me?

Answer: You're 17 and I'm guessing this is your last year of high school. Just stick it out a few more months. You will be so much better off with a high school diploma. Moving out on your own at 18 is already hard. Don't make it harder on yourself because you couldn't stand a few more months. It's like running a marathon and quitting 100 yards away from the finish line.


Title: [Florida] Roommate threatens to tell my parents. Is there anything I can do legally?

Question:
My roommate hates me. She hates me because she thinks I'm not the perfect roommate she wanted me to be. She thinks I took away her roommate experience and blah blah blah. We live in a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom where the bedrooms are individually leased. I lease one. She leases the other. The only shared space is the living room and kitchen. I am a hermit that stays in my room regardless. So usually I'm just in my room with my bf all the time. This pisses her off. I have offered her that if she has a problem with him being in my room, I can go to his apt just as easily. She says no and I just keep going as usual. Eventually she kept attacking me about this so recently I moved into my bf's apartment. She has a problem with this too because now she's alone.

Anyways, I come from a strict Indian Muslim family. They do not know I have a boyfriend and the consequences of me having one are very severe. I could get sent to India, have an arranged marriage, disowned, homeless. A lot of things. She is also Indian but Hindu. She also has a boyfriend. So far I've been going off of if she tells my parents, I'll tell her mom. I haven't ever even threatened or brought this up, because ultimately the problems are between us and involving family is just stupid and low. She on the other hand has threatened me multiple times. The other day she was like "I can ruin your life in .2 seconds with the dirt I have on you etc etc." So I said I can do the same. She continually harasses me about this and her threats keep coming. This has caused me a lot of emotional trauma and distress. Everyone I talk to just tells me she doesn't have the balls to do it. I'm just wondering if there's any legal recourse I have?

Answer:
 >  I could get sent to India, have an arranged marriage, disowned, homeless.

If you are a US citizen (or are at least here legally) and are an adult you have plenty of legal rights to prevent that from happening (emotional & financial personal issues are another matter). As long as you continue paying the rent, your roommate can't really legally complain/do anything to you.

As to your roommate, telling the truth is a great defense if it gets that far, but that is tomorrow's problem. Have you suggested she find someone to take your room? Even if you continue paying the rent until the lease expires it seems that would make everyone happy. r/relationships may help you there.

You need to live YOUR life. Best of luck.


Title: Company wants me to travel

Question:
I work for a financial firm in North Carolina.

My employment contract, nor the job description, never stated that travel was one of the employment duties. Now it is.

Based on this. I have two questions:

Is this ethical, aren't they lying by omission?

Second, is this legal?  Can they make me perform duties, such as travel, that weren't outlined in the employment contract?

Thank you! :)

Answer:
 In the general case, your boss decides your duties.  If they want you to travel, you either travel or quit.

If you have an actual employment contract - and most people who think they do don't - then your contract would control.  If it restricts your job duties to a specific set, and only that set, you could argue that your requested duties aren't covered.


Title: [OH] OSHA representative gave a presentation at my work and had something offensive/rude as their desktop background. What to do?

Question: My work had an OSHA rep in today for our yearly training, and when he finished the PowerPoint from 1983 he clicked out of it and his background on his laptop was something rude and offensive related to a particular democratic female representative. I am all for him having freedom of speech and all of that, he could put it on his car or on his house or spray paint it in his yard, that’s fine. But to have it on the background of a laptop he takes to professional meetings and presentations kind of seems unprofessional to me. I didn’t know if there was any way I could report him to OSHA or something or if anyone has any recommendations? I’ve already spoken to my HR who said they would look into it (since they’re the ones who hired the guy to come and do the presentation in the first place), but I just want to make sure this guy understands that there is a time and a place for that kind of stuff. Myself and another coworker took pictures of the screen (it was projected for the whole meeting to see).

Answer: Just move on.  Some things aren't worth rocking the boat over at your job.  The desktop wallpaper used by a one-time presenter is definitely one of them.Answer #2: You're allowed to not like elected officials. Let it go.


Title: Could this legally happen?

Question:
I’m a writer working on a spec script and I have a question that evolved from an event at the Kendrick Lamar concert recently. During the concert a white woman was brought up on stage to sing along and said the N word MULTIPLE times.(to be clear, it was in the lyrics) He did eventually stop and tell her to bleep that word out. The video is cringeworthy. But i wonder if in a similar storyline where the person onstage suffered a loss afterwards (say a student had their acceptance to university revoked) and felt that they were cherrypicked especially from the crowd as bait….could they sue them? (them being the artist or the company that promotes them, etc.) I imagine this happening in Chicago if that makes a difference.

In the story i’m imagining a couple scenarios:

A) That the concert is run by a PR company. We later realize after doing some digging that they have a history of baiting people to make them look bad and create viral videos that get people heated and make ad revenue. They create drama that otherwise wouldn’t exist. I wonder if it makes a difference if they can prove a pattern and that there was intent.

B) One of the kid’s parents is running for a political position and they were cherry picked to make them look bad / ruin reputations.

Or tie in A&B - The PR company was hired by politician’s opposition or has some kind of connection.

I guess I’m trying to wrap my head around whether this could be a case or not.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my mumble jumbled thought!!

Answer:
 Sure they could sue.  I don't think they'd win.

Look at the recent Sacha Baron Cohen clips... If you get up in public and do stupid stuff, then saying "well they TOLD me to do it!" is a poor defense.  You're responsible for the things that you say or do.


Title: I took (and returned) a bike from a house that i thought was abandoned.

Question:
Edit: This occurred in Mississippi, and I am not minor. My mother and I both have clean records

I was helping my mom with yard work and we started talking about how we think the neighbors stole my kayak a few years ago. Since they moved out about 5 months ago, and it looked completely unmaintained, I looked over the fence to see if my kayak was left in the yard. I said that all I saw was a bike. My mom asked me if I wanted it since the house was abandoned. So I walked into the yard and handed her the bike over the fence along with a cooking pot.

Well, apparently, some neighbors saw and called the owner of the house, and he showed up at my house about 20 minutes later. He asked if he could have his stuff back, and we said of course. We told him we thought that the bank had the house while we were returning the bike and pot, and apologized.

Half an hour later, the cops knocked on our door and took our information for the police report.

What are the potential consequences/results of this?

Answer:
 You can be charged with theft.

Edit based on Location: Petit Theft (<$500) in Mississippi is a misdemeanor, still a very serious offense. Typically community service, but up to 6 months in jail and up to a $1,000 fine. Grand larceny (>$500) is a felony, even more serious. Up to 10 years in jail and up to a $10,000 fine, typically won't get up to that but it's going to be a much more significant punishment. If you're charged, you'll want an attorney to help work a deal for a diversion program. Otherwise, it will be on your record forever until expunged years down the road. The value of the bike and pan will determine whether it's a misdemeanor or felony if you're charged.


Title: Water bottle marked to 24.99 from 34.99 also has 9.17 written but they claim it's the date not the price, can I convince them to let me pay the 9.17?

Answer:
 Stores don't have to honor pricing mistakes. Even if it was tagged $9.17, they could refuse to sell it to you.Answer #2: >can I convince them to let me pay the 9.17?

I don't know, can you?

Even if it were marked $9.17, are you going to sue them over $15.82?


Title: My son's best friend stole his credit card and has made several purchases, unsure what I can do from here.

Question: My 17 year old son has a credit card that he uses for gas, food, emergencys, etc. Although he rarely uses the card, keeping it mainly for emergency purpose. He hadn't used it for some time. I have it set up to auto pay each month and honestly I don't check it as much as I should but like I said my son rarely uses it. Well he went to use it and it was declined, I sat down with him  to show him how to look up his transactions and to also figure out what he had spent nearly $500. Well dating back to December there are several charges that I am 100% sure are not my son. Tons of iTunes charge, totaling nearly $200. My son only has an Ipad for school and all purchases are blocked on it since it's for school. Tons of random PayPal charges to random names that I can't find any information on Google about, and almost $200 sent to the PayPal of the name of my son's best friend. There was also a subscription charge to Netflix, which makes no sense because my son uses our Netflix account. My son also doesn't have his own PayPal and uses mine. My son is in total denial that his friend would do this but I am almost positive that he wrote down my son's credit card number and has been using it for online purchases. One reason I am almost sure is back around Christmas my son's friend came over and had us all try this Carolina Reaper jerky that "his dad bought for him" well there just so happens to be a charge on my son's account for the exact same brand that made the jerky. I tried contacting the friend explaining that I did not want to go to the police and I wanted to work out some kind of payment plan or working off the money, etc. He denied everything, he even sent me his PayPal transactions which were totally empty. I am not really sure what my next best course of action is and what grounds I have and what to do, that's why I am posting here. Any help would be appreciated.

Answer: Report the fraud to the credit card company and the police.


Title: Am I married? [IA]

Question:
I recently became aware that Iowa is a common-law state. The law is pretty vague. According to [this](http://www.iowalegalaid.org/resource/common-law-marriage-in-iowa) resource 3 things must be true:

1. Both spouses have an agreement that they are married,

2. Both spouses live together continuously as partners, and

3. Both spouses publicly act like a married couple.

My partner and I have lived together for many years, so we fulfill item 2. We don't correct people when they call us husband/wife and refer to each other's families as in-laws. We don't call each other husband/wife but generally don't use boyfriend/girlfriend either as that sounds very temporary. We either try to avoid it or say "partner" when pressed or when filling out emergency contact forms, etc. We don't own a home and don't have joint accounts but we are the beneficiaries on each other's life insurance, rent together, are on the same phone plan, etc. I am unsure of whether any of the above counts as fulfilling item 3. As for item 1, we have always seen marriage as a legal state as we don't have any religious convictions. The only reason we would ever get married if for the legal protections regarding kids and a house. So we agree that we are "married" in a relationship sense but always assumed we would have to get married to be able to take advantage of the legal benefits. I hope that makes sense.

So, does this mean we don't have to actually get married to be married? Can we just start calling each other "husband/wife" when we get around to buying a house? When we have kids can we just tell their school that we are married? We each have our own health insurance through work but if one of us stops working to parent would we be able to get on a family plan together?

It would be nice to avoid the hassle of having to have a wedding due to family shenanigans and finances (eloping would cause too much of a fuss) but if we would lose out on protections by relying on "common-law" I'd like to know. Thanks a bunch!

Answer:
 > So, does this mean we don't have to actually get married to be married?

Not quite.  Common law marriages are sometimes called punitive marriages for a reason.  Common law basically means the legal system could treat you as married if necessary.  But until that's done in court, you aren't "officially" anything.  It allows other people to impose the obligations of marriage on you, but it doesn't really grant you any privileges

So anything that requires proof of marriage or a marriage certificate won't be an option for you.  Like the insurance example you gave.  If the insurer audits and requires proof of marriage, you wouldn't qualify.

> It would be nice to avoid the hassle of having to have a wedding due to family shenanigans and finances (eloping would cause too much of a fuss)

How is this any different from eloping?  I legitimately don't understand how this would keep your family happy when eloping wouldn't.Answer #2: You could always drive out to Colorado, get a license, and marry yourselves. No ceremony, or officiant needed...

https://www.denvergov.org/content/denvergov/en/denver-office-of-the-clerk-and-recorder/marriage-civil-union-licenses/ceremonies-and-officials.html


Title: Is pushing someone down during an argument legal?

Question: If I was in my home,business or car and I heard yelling outside and when I went out I found my wife having a heated argument with a stranger in the road. Am I legally allowed to push the stranger down to stop the argument? What recourse could the stranger have from me pushing him down? I'm in Florida.

Answer:
 That would almost certainly be assault.Answer #2: You generally can't lay your hands on someone without their permission. Pushing someone down could be considered assault. Answer #3: I'm quite sure you're trolling about that gas station shooting, so you should have your answer already.Answer #4: Is it legal to escalate a verbal disagreement into a physical disagreement?  Generally, no.

The person who was pushed down's recourse is to call the police and make a report about the potential assault that just occurred, then the police and/or DA would decide whether or not to pursue criminal charges against you.


Title: Can I put hogs on my property against the property line that is close to horrible neighbors? TX

Question:
Short and simple. We have absolutely HORRIBLE neighbors that live about a 1/2 mile from our main house. I could get into a whole tirade of why we hate them, ranging from complaints, screaming at us for stupid reasons, and recently pelting one of our cows with rocks and making her bleed. Anyway, we have about 100 acres. Yes, we have an agricultural license, and currently have chickens and cows that roam the property.

I was wondering if I could put hogs on my property against the property line, all fenced in, that is close to my neighbors house. There would probably be about 30 meters between the pig pen and their home. Would this be legal with being so close to their home? It would all be on our land, but is there any laws about smell from an agricultural farm? (Texas here)

Answer:
 I think those would constitute spite hogsAnswer #2: Hmmm.... I am not a lawyer, but I live in Texas. If you don't live in an actual town or city, then any zoning rules or laws governing the location of livestock pens would be at the county level, so I'd check with the county you live in.

I'd be more worried about the fate of the hogs if your neighbors are that mean, and the pens are that far away from your main house.


Title: (WA) new findings in the dead dog and rutted yard

Question:
[original post](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/4mz7p9/wa_left_a_small_mud_patch_right_where_my/)

My wife did not tell me about the vet visit until I got home from work as she did not want to upset me. The vet said that our pup's front legs had been crushed and most likely could not have dug back under a fence, let alone jump it. Also the ribs had punctured the lungs and it is very likely that the dog had died at the time or shortly after the trauma. The vet could not say for certain, but said the damage was synonymous with that of being ran over.

Now, when I got home from work yesterday the neighbor came out to meet me. I tried to stay calm as I did not want to let on that he was suspect. But coincidentally he did ask in a peculiar way how our pup was. At this point things get hazey as it happened very quickly and gave me a headache. He told me that he has been seeing my wife and that she planned to leave me for him but recently had gotten cold feet and that had made him very angry and the yard incident tipped the scale. He yelled her name and she came out of our house. He told her that I now know. She acted shocked and tried to deny it. But she was shocked in the way that would be like someone who was caught red handed. He then described our bedroom and bathroom down to the color of our towel bars. At this point I believe it is true. He told us he was leaving for his mountain house that I believe is an hour and a half away and also told my wife that they are over and she should get her things out of his house. I stood there shocked as she started to cry uncontrollably and he sped off in his truck. She then went inside, got her keys and said the death of our dog and the accusations were too much to handle and she left as well. I called her phone 12 times and no answer over the course of last night and this morning. I fear for her safety, our marriage, and my property. At this point I am even more confused than yesterday.  Do I call the police to file a missing persons report? And because of him asking if about our dog in a way that implied that he did it, or knew something was supposed to happen to our dog is that concidered evidence or intent?

Answer:
 Jesus, that's quite an escalation.

Go speak with a divorce attorney.  You're going to need one anyway.  He/she can tell you whether to report the dog killer to the cops.  I, myself, can't think of a reason not to report it but perhaps the divorce attorney would have one.

Either way, I doubt you're in a very clear mindset right now.  You need a divorce attorney to give you some level headed advice here.Answer #2: So he admitted killing the dog or not?  If he did, you need to call the cops.Answer #3: Jesus Christ OP, are you okay? Id be completely out of it if I were in your situation, do you have friends or family nearby who can support you a bit?

Its not your job to prove that he hit your dog, its the police's.  Go ahead and call the police non emergency line right now and explain the situation and see what they can do.  You have good suspicions and motivations, so the police should be able to take action and investigate.


Title: [CA] SO written up at work for discussing wages

Question:
Living in San Diego, California; My significant other apparently discussed her pay with others at work a few weeks ago, and management has come back and written her up for doing so. The slip says verbatim "Employee was reported to HR due to discussing her hourly rate to other employees".

To my understanding, this is completely illegal, specifically noting an [executive order](https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/04/08/executive-order-non-retaliation-disclosure-compensation-information) and and another law that was passed in I believe the 30s or 40s.

On her slip where she was written up it also notes "Adhere to the employee handbook", I'm assuming there's something in there telling them to not discuss their pay.

Isn't this totally illegal? Is this something she should fight back against? How would you even go about fighting this? As this write up was dished out by HR themselves.

Answer:
 Wow this is illegal federally and very illegal in California.  They are screwed.  Contact an employment attorney, they will probably take your case for a percentage.Answer #2: It's illegal under [CA Labor Code 232](http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=LAB&sectionNum=232)

To fight this, your SO would file a retaliation complaint with the DLSE [here](https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/dlseRetaliation.html)

The employer could be looking at up to a $10,000 violation for each occurrence of illegal retaliation.  These monies would be paid to your SO.Answer #3: Completely illegal as others have said.

I ran into a similar issue at my last job. We ASKED others to not discuss pay as it usually only ends up in a pissing match. But we knew full well we could and would not discriminate or punish them for it. They messed up big time.


Title: Can I legally record conversations with my kids with their knowledge?

Question:
I'm in MD, currently kids are visiting their dad in FL.

**Edit: To be clear I am not trying to bug their fathers home, I want to record phone conversations with my children because I am concerned about negligence and have no way to prove it.  Their father lives a 17 hour drive from me, and I can't just drive to check on them.  They are on court appointed visitation so I can't just pick them up.**

To make a long story short (and less identifying) there is an INSANE amount of inappropriate stuff going on at the fathers house where my 2 young children are staying, where they are currently on their court ordered visitation for the next few weeks.  I understand different houses have different rules, and I can't "make" their father do anything.  But in light of gathering some actual evidence of how out of control this is, am I legally allowed to record a conversation with my kid if they know they are recorded?  My guess is as minors the answer is I would need permission from their legal guardian, but since that's me I don't see it being an issue?  Or would their father have to consent?

Custody order is in MD, I have legal tie breaking authority and primary custody.  Basically I have the final say over the kids well being education, health, etc wise.

Answer: Are you talking about sitting them down while with you and recording your conversation? If so, yes, you are permitted to record your own children. You don't need their father's consent


Title: [USA][TEXAS] legal right of a resident of a home to retrieve property

Question:
My mom and step dad have been married 23 years. They have lived in this home together for 15 years.
My mom has left, my step sister left with her along with her kids.
My step father is not allowing my step sister and mother to retrieve property from the home they lived in. They left due to his abuse and he changed the locks. They both have this address on their drivers license and get mail there. My mother has a home loan in her name for this house but the house is in my step dad's name. My mother is also the care taker of my older sister who is disabled and her diapers and other necessities are in the home.
My step sister went to the house yesterday to pick up items belonging to her and her children and to pick up medication, the liquid food can things, and diapers for my older sister. While she was putting things in the car, he locked her out and she called the police. They said she's not the home owner, nothing they can do.
I was under the impression that as long as you get mail somewhere it is your residence and you are allowed access to your property.
They left roughly a week ago.
We were planning to get a moving truck to pick up all my mother's belongings this weekend and have a police escort to avoid any issues, but now I'm afraid that even with police there, we won't be able to get things.
Is he legally obligated to give her access to the property?  What avenues do we have to get access?

Answer: This is her residence, those cops are shit. She lived there for 15 years, he must give her access to the property. Escalate it up the chain because she's illegally being denied entry to her residence.


Title: Roommate is claiming partial ownership of my dog, wants to keep her when I move out.

Question:
I adopted a dog bone months ago, posted an ad on Craigslist looking for a dog, someone responded and I adopted their dog. My friend/roommate lent me money to purchase the dog and I paid her back. Also at the time we did not live together, but then became roommates. She is claiming that because she takes care of the dog and has assumed responsibility of the dog she has some ownership right to the dog. Unfortunately, it was an individual to individual transaction, so there are no adoption papers created.

I live in Arizona, please help me understand what I can do to show ownership of my dog, and ensure she has no legal claim to try and take my dog.

Please let me know if you need additional details, I will provide them. I want to cover all my bases, really scared she is going to take my dog from me.

Answer:
 Dogs are just property. Take it and let her try to sue you for part of the value. Answer #2: If you haven't yet, get your dog microchipped with your information. Answer #3: In addition to vet records and microchips - many counties require you to register/license your dog. At a minimum I can see this is required in Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Yuma, Coconino. Answer #4: Also, as practical advice, is there anywhere you can temporarily rehome the dog until you move? You are planning on moving soon right? Like a relative or friend who won't steal your pet? That way your dog is out of her reach. Answer #5: Try to find the Craigslist ad and response too. Answer #6: take it and go.
its property.
Get documentations like chips and vaccinationsAnswer #7: Who pays for vet visits, food, etc.  Walking the dog, or letting it in/out of the house doesn't give anyone ownership.Answer #8: Dogs are property, you can just take it with you.

You need to register the dog with the city/county. This will help you prove ownership and you can potentially be fined for having an unregistered dog.

Get the dog microchipped.

If you're nervous that the roommate will grab the dog and go, find a safe place to keep the dog until you move.


Title: (OH) Neighbors have 10 dogs and bark all night and day, what can I do?

Question:
Just moved into new house its nice but one neighbor who our backyards meet has about 10 dogs some in tiny cages and others tied up but they bark and whine and basically a nuisance all day and night. I thought about talking with the neighbors about it but the looks of the upkeep of their yard and children I doubt they care. I run a business from home and cannot be professional with dogs barking in background all day and then while I am trying to sleep at night. Any ideas or suggestions?

Update: My chain link fence backs to their property so I walked around and seen that one dog has multiple lacerations in a unkept (overgrown gass weeds and dirty bucket of water) and soon as it seen me gave me the "Help Me!" look along with the other dogs in small wooden cages I believe their barking stems from lack of care. I was outside muchof the day and seen only a small child bring water to the dogs and come out briefly to tell them to be quiet. Accross the street there is a similar set up. With 2 unchained dogs who ran out into the street as I went for a walk. I appreciate the feedback and care for the dogs well being above it just being a noise nuisance.

Answer: Have you tried contacting animal control? 10+ dogs that make constant noise, in a yard with minimal upkeep, would probably be something they're willing to look into.Answer #2: Animal control, even if there isn't a dog limit where you are there could well be a chained up outside time limit.


Title: My wife was suspended from work and is now being expected to make up lost productivity during that time -- legal?

Question:
Details vague for identity purposes. Location is Ohio.

My wife works for a company wherein she is expected to be able to produce a certain number of billable hours for the clients she sees.

She was recently suspended without pay from her job. After the suspension was over she was told by her direct superior that she is responsible for the lost productivity that resulted from her being suspended. Is this legal? It puts her in a position where she'll not be able to make up the hours, which in turn will put her on probation at the office, etc. Catch-22. I already know it's perfectly legal to suspend an employee without pay; my question is whether or not an employer can mandate the employee make up the lost time during a no-pay suspension, and thus ensure they remain on probation.

Thanks.

Answer:
 She should talk to her union rep.

If she's not in a union, she should have an attorney review the parts of her employment contract that control termination and expected productivity.

If she doesn't have that, either, her employer is free to set unreasonable expectations and to discipline or fire her for not meeting them. Ohio is an at-will jurisdiction; she could be fired on the spot for any reason at all, even bad ones, so long as it's not on the basis of a protected class, in reprisal for a protected job action such as filing a wage claim, or any of the few other prohibited causes for termination.Answer #2: There's no law that says she can't be assigned 15 hours of worked and be told to complete it in 8 hours.


Title: Running a small server with 70+ people, just found out one the handles may/or may not be a underage girl luring men.

Question:
Hi there.

I run a small discord server that's full of 70+ people or more. It just recently came to my attention that one of the members may possibly be a underage girl who is preying on the men in the server.
Will I be liable if any incidents occur ?
The board is a bit of democracy, so people have the right to vote out members but this is a specialty case.
I still don't have all the details but I need to know how to proceed.
Once all the facts are gathered and if it is found that she is underage, should I ban her?
Or should she be allowed to stay? There are people who are arguing for her.
I live in the state of Colorado, if that helps.

I want to protect myself, in case if shit hits the fan. Nor do I want to be liable for her actions. I need to protect myself.

Answer: Just ban her and be done with the whole ordeal


Title: North Carolina Police Directed to Issue Citations for Speeding Infractions of 1 MPH Over the Speedlimit

Question:
Our once great state of North Carolina started a new initiative today called, "Obey the sign or pay the fine". This initiative was started to smash the myth that going 9 mph or less over the speed limit will keep you safe from getting a ticket.

Police all over the state have been directed to pull over anyone going 1 mph or more over the speed limit. I've received word that a few people have been pulled over today while going just 2 mph over the speed limit.

Just yesterday if someone went to traffic court with a citation stating they were going 9 mph over the speed limit, their ticket was usually thrown out. With a speedometer, the margin of fluctuation is roughly 2-3 mph. This also does not take into account the accuracy of radar. Even if a person uses cruise control, a car will not regulate itself to a singular speed limit at all times.

Can anyone here grant insight into our rights as citizens on how to fight back against this if we are issued a citation?

Answer:
 > I've received word that a few people have been pulled over today while going just 2 mph over the speed limit.

Did they get a ticket?

> Can anyone here grant insight into our rights as citizens on how to fight back against this if we are issued a citation?

You "fight back" by pleading not guilty to the charge and making them prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt in the face of whatever evidence there is to the contrary.

Edit:

You can also work politically to get new legislators and elected officials that carry out different policies and pass different laws.


Title: [VA] police came onto the 300 acre farm I live on

Question: Ok so I've been renting a small house in a rural area that's extremely private. Been there for 6 years. Apparently there was a man that had been roaming around the area and had broke into a house nearby (over the mountain). Apparently he had been wandering for months but the police had the whole area on lockdown since he had just been seen. I came back home from the store and had an unmarked at my closed gate at the front of the property. The gate is normally kept closed, but not locked. I nodded at him, opened my gate and headed down my long driveway to find 5 or 6 sheriff's office cars and suvs. I pulled into my normal spot and got out and started chatting with them, they told me they were looking for this guy and said they had looked in my window (which I keep open in the summer for my cats) and saw paraphernalia that I had forgotten to put away. So, I ended up getting a possession charge because they looked in my window. They came down to the house with me to 'make sure there was nobody in the house' and seize my weed. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to take this because I've heard if they see it they can legally charge me but are they allowed to walk down the hill to my house and stick their head in an open window?  Thanks

Answer: Unless you can prove that they mobilized and staged an entire fake manhunt just to have an excuse to peep through your window so they could grab your minor stash, no, you don't really have a legal defense here. Answer #2: If they're legally on your property to conduct a manhunt, and they legally look in your windows to see if the fugitive could be there, any evidence of criminal activity on your part is admissible under the plain view doctrine.


Title: Can I refuse the receipt checker (they search your bags) @ Walmart on grounds of the fourth amendment?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: The fourth amendment applies to governments and those acting directly on the government's behalf, not stores.Answer #2: You can refuse but not due to the 4th amendment. You can refuse because absent suspicion or probable cause (state dependent), you cannot be held against your will. Now if a LP agent has probable cause they can detain you, by force if necessary, in California under 490.5 PC.  They may use any reasonable level of force excluding deadly force.Answer #3: To go along, you can't refuse Sam's Club or Costco or the like as part of the membership agreement lets them do this. If you refuse they can keep your stuff and just refund you money, and refuse to let you in again.


Title: Does someone under 18 sending a picture of themselves in panties to someone else count as distribution of child pornography?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 This guy is in a boatload of trouble potentially. This girl can, and probably should call the police. This guy is committing some species of the crime extortion. That's potentially a felony in every state not even factoring in the sexual component.

She might get in trouble, but the likelihood is very low. Given the threats involved the likelihood that she is charged is essentially but not exactly zero - assuming there are no additional facts that are pertinent. She should absolutely go to the police.


Title: Is it a bad idea to sign an apartment lease if I am unsure about my current situation? [IL]

Question:
I am thinking about getting an apartment at university for the upcoming academic year, but I am unsure whether I want to transfer or not. I want to take a few more weeks to think about whether I want to transfer, but my roommate wants to sign the apartment lease as soon as possible.

Is it a bad idea for me to sign the lease or should I just sign it and try to sublease it afterwards if I end up transferring?

Answer:
 You would be responsible to pay your portion of rent. And subleasing isn't a guarantee. If the sub lease doesn't pay then you still pay

It is a bad idea


Title: Doctor gave newborn a broken arm

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Can you sue for what? A doctor pulling the child out? Vaginal pressure that broke the arm? A weird torque?

Unless you know what happened and know that it was against medical practice and negligent, then no.

Medicine is not perfect.


Title: WV, person on kik found my Facebook and pretty much said he'll find me and kill me. can I really do anything?

Question:
Not sure what else to add here. He supposedly lives in WV as well, but not close to me. He asked how many body bags he needed to bring, and that he was going to "show my wife what a real man is"

This all stemmed from when I said in a group chat that Tyler Perry is cancer, and got banned. Fine with me. Then started to get messaged by several others attacking me and me talking them to fuck off and blocking them. What actions can I actually take. Should I even be worried? This person hasn't tried contacting my wife or I on Facebook.

Answer: What did the police say when you called them and reported the threat?


Title: Are there any laws saying that courts HAVE to prosecute someone they have good reason to believe they broke the law? Can they just decide not to?

Question: I see a lot of discussions saying that famous people were never prosecuted for a crime where there is a lot of evidence they committed, sometimes even people who have committed crimes and filmed a now publicly available video aren't charged... and that's obviously a bad thing... but is there actually a law saying that courts must prosecute every suspected criminal they come across? In other words, do they have the authority to just decide that they won't prosecute someone?

Answer: Prosecutorial discretion means that prosecutors don't have to bring any case. I could shoot someone in broad daylight downtown and swagger off and nothing forces the DA to press charges. He could even offer me immunity if he so desired. What to charge, when to charge it, how to charge, what to offer and if to charge at all is entirely up to the DA. The courts have no say over any of that besides if they want to accept a plea or not and whether charges are legally being pursued.


Title: (Texas) Neighboring property owner refusing to help with costs to repair shared fence

Question:
Hi.

I live next door to a rental property. The owner lives out of town and I have never met him. The property is managed by a local real estate company. Our backyards share a fence that technically "belongs" to the neighboring property. However, I obviously get equal use out of it, and had it not been up when I purchased the house, I would have put it up myself as I have dogs.

Anyway, about 6 weeks ago, the fence collapsed, falling into my yard. This occurred overnight, and I saw it in the morning, but had to go to work before doing anything about it. When I got home that evening, my neighbor, the renter, met me in the yard and told me he had called the management company. As we were talking, some guys pulled up and said they had been sent out to repair the fence. After looking it over, they said that the support posts were rotten, and that they had not been set in concrete, so that the fence would have to come down and a new one erected. As a stopgap, they pushed the damaged fence upright, and braced it with several 2X4s in my yard. They said they would get a quote to the management company, then be back to make the permanent repairs. I told both the fence guys and my neighbor that I would be happy to split the cost of the repairs, which I am.

Fast forward to now, and no repairs have been performed. My neighbor says he has contacted the management company numerous times, and they just politely blow him off. I contacted them myself last week. The receptionist asked who I needed to speak to, and I said that I did not know, and explained why I was calling, again stating that I would be happy to split the repair cost. She told me that there was no one around that could help me, and took my number. A week later and I have not heard anything back.

Meanwhile, I have had to place additional 2x4s in my yard to support the fence as over time it starts to sag and try to collapse again, and aside from the hassle, it looks really crappy. I can afford to have the fence replaced myself, but aside from that seeming unfair, I do not know if there would be any possible ramifications for having a fence that technically does not belong to me removed and replaced.

I plan on going to the management company in person this week and asking to speak to someone, but I was hoping to find out my rights and responsibilities before that meeting.

Thanks for any help!

Answer: If your HOA has rules regarding the state of fences, that can be a good place to start compelling them to do something about it. Also, the renters have rights to have the fence maintained, as it was a part of their leased property. You, hiwever, enjoy no rights on this unless the HOA has a standard they are not meeting. It's their property, not yours.Answer #2: IANAL. First, do a reverse address search on your neighbors property to obtain the owners name. Then enter that information into the White pages for his address. Send a certified letter stating that all efforts to resolve the situation through the property management company have failed. List the times and dates contact was attempted. DO NOT offer to pay for half yet, and give him/her a chance to assess the situation and cover any damages to grass, soil etc from the 2x4's. Be super nice but firm. My sister pays a property management company a hefty fee for her rental, so the owner needs to know that attempts have been made.  Do you have an HOA? Answer #3: is the fence on your property or the neighboring property?


Title: Police are saying I'm a person of interest in something I didn't do and I have no idea how to handle it [Texas]

Question:
I live in Austin, Texas. So I got a knock on my door this morning, I just woke up and I went and opened it and an officer and a detective are standing there. They said some girl had picked me out of a photo lineup for doing something (I misheard her and thought she said It was a breaking and entering case) because a year or two ago I would go around and chat up girls politely and ask them for their number. They're saying I asked this girl aggressively for her number 3-4 times and then followed her around or something. They wouldn''t tell me exactly what the crime was.

They let me call my brother and told him the situation also mentioning the breaking and entering part which I thought I heard and he told me to tell them they can contact my lawyer and then I gave the detective the phone to talk to my brother and he mentioned the breaking and entering and now the detective is saying I'm more than just a person of interest and I "have something to hide" because i mentioned breaking and entering and she apparently never said anything of the sort. My mind and heart were racing even though I had nothing to be afraid of so I either misheard her or she did say that it was breaking and entering. I watch a lot of detective shows so maybe my mind just went to that because it was the only logical thing that could have occurred.

After I mentioned it she got way more aggressive and accusatory and she was adamant about taking a cheek swab and she kept asking me why I didn't want to do it. I said my brother said not to and I don't trust police because of the stuff in the news. I told her I understand she's just doing her job and she's probably a good detective but that still doesn't take away the anxiety I was feeling. I got her card and told them to leave and now I'm just wondering who the hell could have picked me out like that. I'm really noticable (i'm nearly 7 ft tall) but I would never harm anybody or try to make a girl feel uncomfortable so I'm generally upset that someone would do this to me. Please tell me if I did the right thing. and any advice you have would be awesome

Answer: Get a lawyer.  Have them speak to the police.  Discussing this with them may be in your best interests, but let the lawyer make that call.


Title: If you were arrested and represent yourself in court, can you meet with the arresting officer and District Attorney (as a lawyer does) to negotiate a plea bargain?

Question:
I was arrested on a minor pot charge a few years ago. I hired a lawyer and she met with the arresting officer and district attorney, and arranged a plea bargain (possession of paraphernalia)
I am in Virginia. I asked my lawyer if I had represented myself, could I have just met with them and asked them to give me a plea?
And she said I could not.

1. Is that true?
2. If a person is allowed to represent themselves in court, why are they not allowed the same liberties as an actual lawyer?

Thanks!

Answer: It will depend on the DA.  I (and many other prosecutors I know) have  a strict policy to never speak with unrepresented people.  I do this to protect myself from a person claiming I said or offered something I didn't offer or say.


Title: Landlord wants us to pay for a house cleaning they are supplying before we are able to move out at the end of April. Is this legal? CA.

Question:
(Stockton, CA)
My uncle pays for rent for a house where my grandma stays (she has Alzheimer's and needs a caretaker, me), but we are choosing to move out to a cheaper (and smaller) house by the end of April due to financial constraints. We have already paid for the final rent for April.

However, without enough of a warning, the landlord wants us to pay for a house cleaning that they are bringing over to work before they bring someone over to inspect the house to determine the necessary repairs on the interior. The details of the people and date of the cleaning is yet to discussed and finalized. Is the landlord allowed to do this? Force us to pay for the cleaning? If so, what can we do about it? Don't we have autonomy and privacy over the house, and the contents within, until we move out completely? Aren't they supposed to wait until we no longer occupy the house? My uncle tells that the landlord might employ some cheap and shady labor for the cleaning, so we're rather concerned with that as well.

Answer:
 No, that's not how it works. The landlord has a deposit, he can use that for repairs and cleaning that are above and beyond normal wear/tear, After you move out.

Your job now is keep a record of every interaction with the landlord/ representative of the landlord you deal with. Prior to moving out take pics of videos of the house/apartment. Demand a walk through with the landlord when you finally move out and record the walk through.

When he says he's going to keep your deposit, demand an itemized list. When you demand it, print it and mail it to him registered mail.

Just keep as much communication between you and him in some form of recordable format.. email, texting, mail. If you he calls you and speaks to you, keep a notebook just for this, and write everything down, date, time and details.

Odds are, it's going to be your uncle dealing with him, but you can help him out by documenting everything.


Title: [PA] my boss requires us to make daily deposits now.

Question:
Starting yesterday my store now needs to go to the bank and do daily deposits. The bank is only 3 miles round trip and there are 2 of us here so we can alternate.

My car is a lease and im already stretching it thin with commuting to work but I'm not sure it's safe to bring it up.  I'd also like to let me feelings be known about the new scheduling he's doing.  Every other week will be a 6 day work week.

At last week's meeting, he basically outright said, if you aren't a team player you will be fired, there are plenty of people looking for jobs.  PA is an at will state so I don't think he needs a reason to fire me if I want to openly disagree with both of these new rules.

Thoughts? Ideas?

Edit: I have been working here for 2 years, and I'm happy with my current pay because I'm a full time student.  If I could find a job making what I'm making now with no college education or experience I'd jump on it.  I just disagree with these new procedures and would like to bring it up but I know he will just tell me to quit.

Answer:
 > Thoughts? Ideas?

Find a new job if you don't like the rules.


Title: Texas: applied to state agency who contacted my current employer, costing me my job. Do I have any legal options?

Question:
What it says in the title. I completed an initial interview for a role with a state agency, but didn't hear any follow up in the time frame they gave me. I assumed they'd moved on to other applicants, but it turns out that without notifying me that I had been selected to move forward in the consideration process or making me an offer of employment, the agency in question started contacting all the companies listed on my resume to ask for references-- including my current employer, who promptly fired me.

The first page in the State application states this:

>*You are advised that your responses submitted in this application constitute a legal undertaking and any false or incorrect information will render your application void. Applicants who are offered employment will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment drug test and an employment and education background check.*

Which to me implies that they should have made me an offer *before* they started checking references. And as far as that goes, I did NOT check the box indicating that my current employer was OK to contact due to fear of exactly what happened.

So what, if any, are my options here? I can't believe a state agency of all places would do something this foolhardy, especially when it seems to go against the guidelines they lay out in their own application.

**Edit:** as I mentioned in the comments, I saw[ this case](http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp/944/191/1485540/) where the same situation happened to someone who applied to the post office, and the person was able to win a judgment against them-- but I don't know if the logic in that ruling would apply at the state level.

Answer:
 What do you mean "without notifying you." You gave them a list of your references. What did you think they were going to do with it? No, that's not what the copied selection is implying. It's telling you not to lie to them and that if you do they'll cease to consider your application. It doesn't suggest at what point in the process they'll contact your former employer, it doesn't stipulate that you'll get a job offer before they do so, and at any rate, they're informing you of a company hiring practice, not a law.

 Edit: clarityAnswer #2: They told only the truth. And that is a solid defense to anything you want to sue them for.


Title: Is it necessary to list an expunged DWI on my record for a security clearance with the government?

Question: I got a DWI 13 years ago when I was 17. Under state law it was expunged before I turned 21. I was able to get into the military with a secret clearance but they had heck of a time tracking it down. I’m just wondering if it’d be easier to not include it.

Answer:
 Yes.

For that, list everything.  EVERYTHING.

That's not going to hurt you but I would 100% disclose it.


Title: California. I did not mail this box full of marijuana. Don't know anything about it except that I now have it.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Throw it out. Your business address is probably being used by a dark net market vendor as a return address. Usually these items don't get return to sender. They get delivered or seized. This is more common that most people realize. The vendor isn't going to use his own address to mail hundreds of packages out. He probably uses multiple business addresses. You can also contact the postal inspector (Federal law enforcement) to notify them. They will be more familiar with this situation than your local PD Answer #2: 10 bucks that brick is either hash or hash oil. OP definitely get on the phone with a lawyer like asap. Answer #3: Are you SURE it is not actually train-model moss or something?


Title: My mother who has passed was a fairly established children’s book author. I was contacted by a publishing house who wants to reprint one of her books. The illustrator has also passed. Who has the rights to this? I am happy to have it reprinted btw.

Answer:
 You need to get permission from the illustrator's family.

If you are not able to, you"re going to have to get new illustrations done.

This is provided the illustrator was not doing the work for hire, in which case there should be an agreement/contract in a safe somewhere (i. e. your mother owned the rights to the illustrations if she hired someone to do them).

Additionally, next of kin inherits the copyright, which continues to age as if the original creator is still alive.

Take note, in the USA there are two completely separate and often competing copyright systems in play.

The above is all related to the international system, which only started being applied in the US relatively recently. (I work in publishing, but not in the USA.)


Title: Pregnant friend's (30s F) husband is becoming increasingly abusive, and she is afraid. Need help convincing her it is abuse though he as not hit her, and advice on temporary separation for her safety while they do counseling or prepare for divorce. [CA]

Question:
**TL;DR:  Pregnant friend's husband is insanely jealous of her close relative, and is getting abusive and violent toward her about it.  She wants to separate for her and child's safety while he gets psych help.  Need advice on legal separation how-to.  [CA, US]**

I'm friends with a married woman (30) who has been talking to me about her recent problems with her husband of five years.  I'll call her Anne and her husband Bob.  Bob wants Anne to cut contact with a life-long close friend / confidante of 20+ years who is also a relative (a cousin who is like a brother to her).  I'll call him Cousin.

Bob disliked Cousin from the instant they met, and shortly afterward told Anne that Cousin had romantic feelings for her.  This attitude extends from Bob's belief that men and women cannot be close friends without there being a sexual attraction, and even believes that a fully related brothers and sisters should not be emotionally and physically close for this reason.

Anne told Bob there never has been and never would be any attraction, but they were best friends and a package deal.  Bob agreed under the conditions that they never spend any alone time together, and he never visits their home.  Anne reluctantly agreed.

Recently, Anne became pregnant.  When she mentioned how much of a help Cousin was going to be with babysitting and such, Bob lost it.  He said, "That <so-and-so> is NOT going to steal my kids away like he's trying to do with you," and it only got worse from there.  He yelled, made baseless accusations, broke things, and terrified Anne so much she locked herself in the garage to get away from him.  She says he is prone to violent outbursts, but they have never been directed at her before.

Since that time two weeks ago, she says he has not since raised his voice to her, but keeps calling her vulgar, derogatory names.  She says their sex has become increasingly rougher and objectifying that it makes her feel emotionally uncomfortable and degraded, and is bordering on being physically painful as well.

This behavior is an abrupt departure form his usual behavior, which she describes as kind and loving.  This new behavior is worrying and frightening her.  She says that she deserves it for making him angry and feels like a bad wife.  She is wondering if it is "her place" or if she "has a right" to ask him to stop -  and has expressed that even if she thought she did, she is hesitating for fear of upsetting him further and making the situation worse.  She thinks that he will eventually punish her enough and his anger will run its course and just stop.

She does not believe that Bob is abusive, or that she is a victim of abuse because he has never hit her; and because the sex is consensual.  His behavior toward her is worsening, and I fear the violence is only a matter of time.

She does not want to divorce Bob, but has admitted this may be the only way to get him to stop treating her poorly.  She came to me for advice because she is torn between loyalty to Bob and concern for her and her child's personal safety.

I plan to suggest that she move out temporarily, and consult an attorney to arrange a legal separation.  I also want to suggest that she demand joint and individual marriage counseling, with a certain amount of substantial progress being made over four months or so before she even consider moving back in.  I'd suggest individual counseling for him as well, with a focus on anger management, and dealing with his major jealousy and/or psych issues, with similar progress and timeline conditions.

My questions are:

1. Does anyone know of websites that may help my friend realize she is in an abusive relationship when she isn't convinced she is?

2. Does she need to consult a ~~divorce~~ family law attorney before moving out?  Can she state she intends to start a legal separation and just move out anyway?  There is a fear that his reaction might be violent if she confronts him in their home with any of this.

Any help is appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

EDIT: To add "legal separation" as opposed to just "separation"

Answer:
 Post this over at /r/relationships.  There is no legal action you can take on your friend's behalf as far as the abuse goes.

I'd recommend marriage counseling instead of using a divorce attorney as psychological warfare against her husband.


Title: What can the police do after finding a mentally ill missing person...if that person refuses psychiatric treatment and is not suicidal? (Colorado)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Unless someone else has guardianship over her or she's on parole/probation and she hasn't committed any crime, she's allowed to go missing whenever she wants. Unless she appears to be a danger to herself or others, cops won't even bring her home if she says she doesn't want to come.


Title: CA. In Pro Per. How to handle own testimony in trial.

Question:
I am not represented and the other party is.

As far as procedure goes, what differences will there be?

How will the court handle my cross examination by counsel? Will I testify first, then they will ask me questions based on my testimony? Will they question me based on my submitted Declarations? Should I submit my declarations during my testimony?

Thank you in advance.

Answer:
 Read your states rules of civil procedure,  and there may be a court specific "rules of practice" document as well.

You really,  really need an attorney.


Title: [GA] We adopted a puppy and now a couple of days later it has a life-threatening virus, what can we do?

Question: My family and I recently adopted a puppy from a shelter and when we received her she was very lethargic, non-reactive and covered in poop. The guy who helped us adopt her said they had "washed" her but she was just wet and still dirty. We were not given any information about her being sick. My parents had to sign a lengthy contract that said that after 72 hours, they could not pay for the vet fees (or something like that I cannot remember).  Four days later we take her to the vet (because she was lethargic, had diarrhea, and wasn't eating) discover she has worms AND Parvo, which are both received from eating/being in contact with dog poop. This definitely could not have happened while she was in our care, because we took her to the bathroom in a separate place (Front yard vs. Backyard) than our other dog (who is in good health). She's in an animal hospital now receiving treatment. I know there's probably not much we can do because of the contract, but I am extremely worried about our puppy and I believe the treatment is going to be very expensive. Is there anything we can do? I also am very worried about the condition of the other dogs at the shelter. I've checked their other pictures and the dogs do not look well (not obviously sick, but dirty). We did not visit the shelter directly, they met us at a dog store in another town that works with them. Please help me

Answer:
 IANAL - I volunteer with a rescue group, I would be really surprised and concerned with the quality of the organization you adopted through if they did not suggest that 72 hour window was for the adopters to take the animal to a vet of their choice and get a health check. With us, if the vet finds issue we reimburse them the fees and vet costs - not sure if that’s the case for the organization you went through. Unfortunately your situation happens a lot, especially with rescue puppies, which is why we give 72hrs since the immune systems are extremely vulnerable. Not sure the options for legal recourse, but in the future utilize those 72 hours to get an objective evaluation done. Best of luck.

Edit: Not sure why I’m getting downvotes, I’ve been doing this for 5 years, and it’s considered best practice among shelters, rescues and breeders alike. I’m suggesting s/he and her/his family protect themselves in the future if this puppy doesn’t make it and they decide to adopt from another org.


Title: [MA] Corporate restaurant requiring servers to opt out of a break

Question: My girlfriend works as a server at a corporate chain restaurant. At the begining of her shift she has to clock in and check a box saying she opts out of taking a break and as a result often works 8 hour shifts without eating. She was told she needs to do this or else there will be further paperwork or explanation in order to work her shift. My understanding is that it is legal to opt out of a break in MA but how legal is this really?    She used to work for the same corporation in Vermont and this was not a thing.

Answer:
 [MGL c. 149 s.100](https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXI/Chapter149/Section100) requires a 30 minute (unpaid) lunch period that is not opt-out.

The 15-minute breaks are not required.

Answer #2: It is illegal to force her to waive her lunch break as a condition of employment. I won a nice little check when the gas station chain I worked for who required the overnighters to blanket waive their lunches lost a class action lawsuit.


Title: Please help! My boyfriend got charged with a PC 273.5 corporal injury.. What can I do to help??

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You can't do anything to help, it's in the hands of the police and the prosecuting attorney now.

You are being abused. You need to find a way out of the relationship.Answer #2: Normal couple arguments don't "get a little violent".

>Apparently when he was trying to get me to stay there were a couple bruises.

That's not really ok. Not at all, actually.

To clear up a couple things:

-The DA's office presses charges, you don't get to do so. Telling them "you don't want charges pressed" won't do anything, lots of abusive relationship stories are *exactly* like yours - the abused victim doesn't necessarily want charges pressed, for a variety of reasons.

-A Doctor is under no oath to retain confidentiality in the case of abuse being committed.

Honestly, there's not much you can or should do. Your (hopefully now ex) boyfriend's drinking and abuse problems are his own.


Title: Work saying when/where I can check my blood sugar?

Question:
Located in New York state.

I am a Diabetic. I work in an office by myself most of the time. Our work area consists of 2 main rooms, a front desk and a back area closed off from that with like chairs, lockers, supplies, etc...

Usually when I first get to work after I do what I need to set up that day I check my blood sugar, and I may check once or twice more through the day if I feel off or before I eat.

Two weeks ago a co-worker stayed late waiting for a ride and saw me test my blood sugar. This freaked them out apparently and at the time they showed some concern about it being safe and hygenic and wanted me to test in the bathroom. I laughed it off at the time as silly. I showed them it was the tiniest dot of blood imaginable and said it wouldn't be any different if I had cut my finger or threw a bandaid away. I don't ever throw needles away but i threw away the used test strip and alchol wipe.

Two days later my boss asked me about it and said I shouldnt do it at work... I explained I needed to. They relunctantly said I have to do it in the bathroom. And that I can't do it if anyone can see.

I do not want to take my medical supplies into a dirty bathroom.

Isn't this protected? What legal rights do I have here?

Answer:
 Yes, reasonable accommodations for a medical condition are protected. Yes, your employer is being silly.

Yes, you could have an extensive legal battle about what constitutes as reasonable for this.

Before you go nuclear have a conversation about this. You need to test regularly because of your disability. You need a reasonable accommodation to do so. The presence of other people around you does not change that need. Nor should you be subject to unsanitary decisions.


Title: (FL) What can I do if my estranged father tries to claim me on his tax return as a dependent?

Question:
My dad is a special type of crazy/abusive. We are no longer in contact, by his request after he decided I was harassing him via an app I don't use and would need his username on to track him down (long story).

The only financial connection we have is me being on his health insurance policy. I'm applying for a full time position that will allow me to get my own insurance, but until then, I'm on his insurance.

I intend to file myself this year- I work part time (about 30hrs a week) and would really like my tax return. However, he's likely to still file with me as a dependent. Can this screw me over financially? I don't want the IRS on my butt. Is there a way to alert them to this potential situation?
Topic:
Tax Law

Answer:
 Fair warning - you might want to file by paper, not online.  Sometimes the online systems will kick it back automatically if someone else has filed with your social.  You don't want to end up late on your taxes.Answer #2: File first. The IRS rejects the second instance of the SSN being filed. This is the easiest way to "protect" yourself.

There is an appeals process, but he'd have to start it, instead of you.


Title: Received three phone calls from a random number along with a text message including very personal information saying that I have a warrant for my arrest. What is this?

Question:
[SC] Hi, so around 11pm tonight i received two phone calls, which I didn’t answer. After texting the number to see who it is, they proceeded to call again, and then sent me this text. What concerns me is the fact that that is the correct police department in my area, and the person who I have “connection” with is my best friend who was pulled over and charged for possession of marijuana earlier this month. I have a prescription for adderall that i take for college, and i’ve given a few to her every so often for school as well, but I haven’t done so in nearly 3 or 4 months. Besides that, I have no knowledge of having any relation to selling narcotics, or even having them for that matter, and neither does she. Also, she never actually went to jail, but had to appear in court to pay a fine. I was literally with her earlier today too.

My question is, what is happening? The more I read the text, the more it sounds fake, but how would they know all of this personal information about me? I’ve looked up warrant databases and have found nothing regarding myself, as well as looked up the “agent” to see if there is actually an Agent Williams in my area, but i couldn’t find anything. Having been in my dorm room at the time, reading the text spooked me so much that i took off and drove all the way home. Hopefully you guys can help me out

https://imgur.com/gallery/AGfgc

Answer: Agent, huh? Is your local police department staffed with fbi? Answer #2: Not a cop. Contact the police and report it to them. Sounds like a scam or some random person


Title: Should I just allow a restraining order to be approved from someone I want to stay away from?

Question:
A little confusing, so let me try to clarify. Throwaway because I'm scared they'll find me.

There is someone who is borderline obsessed with me. They live in another state so it's not so bad, but they really want to paint me as a horrible person. Claiming I assaulted them, I'm threatening their life, and now they're trying to turn my friends against me. They've used other people to send me weird cryptic messages about me getting comeuppance or whatever. I know them really well. They are someone I used to be intimate with before I left because the relationship was abusive. So I know theres a pretty decent chance that they're going to try to file a restraining order against me.

The thing is... I'm kind of okay with that? I want them out of my life anyways, and the fact that they keep harassing me and my friends is making me lose sleep. They live in another state, so if I'm served summons I'll likely have to travel to their state if I want to appeal, which is something I'd really rather not do as I'm financially struggling and cant really afford a trip like that. Whether the restraining order would actually go through or not with whatever "evidence" they have is irrelevant. I just want to know the ramifications of having someone else have a restraining order against me. As far as I can tell, a restraining order would keep them away from me just as much as it would keep me away from them. I'm not too worried about the social stigma either because my family is on my side and we have no mutual friends of any kind. Would it be on a criminal record? Could this affect future jobs I have?

If I want them to stay away from me anyways, is there a negative to just letting them have a restraining order against me?

Answer:
 A restraining order on your record can impact your future job prospects.

Also, if this person is going after you so maliciously, I wouldn’t be surprised if they put themselves in your space and then called the police.

Don’t  allow this to go through. It gives them leverage to keep effecting your life.


Title: My 5 year old daughter was raped, I need justice for her.

Question:
I'm broken. I don't know what to do anymore.

Long story short, my stepson raped his 2 sisters (my stepdaughters) at their moms house, she knew the first time it happened because she walked it on it. My stepson told the DHS worker she walked in on it a couple times. Did nothing. She let him move to our house. Didn't warn us. He raped my 5 year old.

My husband's ex is a textbook Narcissist. I've got the receipts to prove it.

DHS keeps falling for her lies and she forces the girls to lie for her, so they won't find her guilty.

How do I hold her accountable when she lies better than we can tell the truth?

I'm sick to my stomach. I want to fucking RIP people apart. I've been in contact with the state ombudsman for months because my husband's ex and her new husband are drug users, they both have founded child abuse already. She punched her stepson in the face this last November.

Please help me.

Answer:
 Skip CPS and deal with the police. This is a criminal issueAnswer #2: You have enough advice about the stepson. You want to hear about the mother, I'm sure.

(Obligatory not a lawyer)
The mom is an accessory. Get proof.

Sworn statements by the girls, testimony from the son will be needed.
Not reporting a heinous crime you witness is itself a felony, I believe, if not a misdemeanor.

If she was encouraging it, she herself is an offender, but that may be a considerable stretch.


Title: Is taking a screenshot from someone's Skype video feed illegal in any way?

Question:
Very odd debate we're having with an acquaintance right now.

We have a screenshot (nothing really inappropriate or explicit) of a "friend" from a Skype video call from a few years ago.  He's starting to claim that the screenshot was taken illegally.

Our stance is that it's not illegal in any way because he consented to be viewed and "photographed" (screenshotted) by willingly turning on his camera and joining the Skype call.

Another point this person said was if we posted it to Reddit it would be illegal because if we got Reddit Gold for it it would count as profiting off it.

He's also saying that our friend who owns the Discord server the screenshot was posted in is liable since he's hosting it (although he's not the one who took the screenshot).

Is there any merit in anything he's saying or is this guy just a dumbass?

If it matters, the person in the screenshot lives in New York and the rest of us are in various parts of the US.

Answer:
 > Is taking a screenshot from someone's Skype video feed illegal in any way?

No.


Title: Cutting father out of life because he threatened to get me fired need advice.

Question:
So for the last month and a half I have been staying with my dad at our jobs man camp and I finally bought a travel trailer to get out on my own with my own space. My co signer did not want family to know about the deal and that's easy enough.

Come today I was supposed to move my trailer put to the RV park and a week in advance asked my dad if I could borrow his pickup as my SUV won't pull it very well. He said sure and to make sure today in case anything changed well today he says that he is going with me and that he is going to know all about the deal I made to get the trailer and such. I disagree and he says he has other plans and we can go get my trailer later. Tells me to start packing my "shit" so when we get the trailer it's just moving it over.

I them tell him I will get someone else because I want to move it today only have so many days off.

He gets pissed saying how everything has to revolve around me and that none of his shit matters to me. So I go pack my shit and pack my SUV full of it all. He gets there and threatens to fuck my life up and get my living bonus taken away at work. Then some fighting later he starts to get mad and saying he will get me fired and then I am not gonna be able to pay for my trailer.

After I moved out my mother and some other family contacted police to help protect me and my cosigner.

Along with the police contact I messaged the hiring manager at work to give her a heads up that the only contact I am going to have with him is for work and to no longer provide him any information regarding me.

Now I need advice on how to move forward I want to put a no contact order in place but I know that would force one of us to find another job.

Some additional information I am fresh out of high school not dependant on anyone but my cosigner for co-signing.

He is in his 50's

We bother work at the same place in different departments. Our job site is in Texas but he should be being shipped to the new site in Oklahoma at the start of the year.

Answer:
 >  I want to put a no contact order in place

Why? It doesn't sound like he is a threat to you further.

You should have left work out of it completely. They can fire you for bringing drama to work.


Title: [NC] Parent forcing 17 year old to sign over rights to his own child?

Question:
Hi, this is mainly a hypothetical question but I'm curious. Say we are located in North Carolina. And say my friend is 17 years old, but turning 18 in a month or so. This friend got a girl pregnant and she has the baby. Can my friend's mother FORCE him to sign away his rights to his baby? Or sign away his rights FOR him since he is only 17? Or is this decision completely up to him legally?
Thanks!

Answer: You cannot abandon parental rights in the US by merely signing a contract (or by having the parents legally responsible for the minor parent do so). Answer #2: You have to go through so much shit to give up parental rights, your friend would be 18 before the process was over, i'm sure.


Title: Small marijuana growing room busted - Indiana

Question:
A few days ago a guy I know was busted with what I assume to be a small sized marijuana growing operation in his house, and here's where things get weird to me - they didn't take him to jail. Keep in mind, he's in Indiana, which has no type of medical marijuana available, and as far as I can tell, some of the strictest laws around this stuff.

The story goes that he somehow didn't close his front door properly, and his dog got out..His neighbor called the police after seeing the guys front door open, and his dog running lose, and no car in the driveway. When they arrived, I guess the cops went in and poked around and made the discovery.

They then called my buddy's cell phone (he was playing golf at the time and drinking) and the officer told him: "We are at your house and need to talk to you. If you can make it home in the next 30 minutes I promise you'll have a great weekend".

He got a ride home to find a few local cop cars and one state trooper car. The officers said they had already been in the house, knew what was going on, and that he should sign some paper allowing them to search and it would be easier on him.

He had been drinking, so isn't really sure what he signed. But it sounds like he signed something permitting the search. He also had a fake security camera mounted at the front door that the police seemed very curious about..They kept asking him if it was real and if it was hooked up. This makes him think that perhaps they did something improperly and was hoping it hadn't been caught on tape, but he's not sure.

He's going to be reaching out to a good atty. today who handles this type of thing, but I wanted to see if any of you guys have any idea of the following:

*Why didn't they take him to jail?

*Is it bad that the local cops on the scene seemed to hand everything over to the state cop to process?

*They said he'd receive something in the mail in a couple of weeks (a summons maybe)?

*If he had been drinking and inadvertently signed something that waived his rights, does he have any recourse?

Any feedback would be great.

Answer: Friend's lawyer should double check that neighbor calling about the dog story. Another possibility is that the police performed an illegal search and made up the phone call.


Title: Wife Left State with Daughter with no plan to return

Question:
In Colorado, Mother is on her way to Indiana with baby

We split about a month and a half ago due to her infidelity. She moved out, left our child with me and agreed to visits twice a week and weekends. She then tried to reconcile and work on things and then I told her I can't, do not trust her and want to go through courts to get my rights established and protect with my daughter and myself. I have full intention on still doing 50/50 but just want the legal binding to protect me as a father. Well she took that as me trying to get full custody and control when she can or can't see her daughter. I told her parents that I was filing and still plan on being 50/50 but that I can't have her jumping states because I need my support system now from her affair, and that our Daughter is well taken care of here with me and my family plus her mother.

When I let my ex take my daughter for the agreed visit last night, with the promise to return her the following evening(tonight) but they instead left state and no intent to return.  She told me to "come there to see her, I'm not stopping you from seeing your child"

What can I do?

I am on the birth certificate. Did not do blood tests etc. I did sign the affidavit for father at birth.

were never legally married, engaged.

Child was born in Indiana, have lived in Colorado for the last 6 months. Ex got a job here and that's why we moved.

I've been in touch with lawyers but nothing scheduled until Monday. I called the cops and they told me without court papers, nothing they can do to the mother.

Answer: If you have all been in Colorado for six months then you be seen as resident there. Just talk to the lawyer on Monday and file for custody immediately. Courts tend to not like when parents take a child and leave the state, and they have the authority to order that the child be returned to Colorado.


Title: Abusive ex getting out prison.

Question:
I have no where else to turn and have never posted on here so might as well. Just have some questions concerning my daughters biological father.

TX

I have been going through a nasty custody battle with my ex in laws for the last 3 years. The last court didn't end in my favor and I don't feel like my child is safe over there. My ex in laws were abusive to all of their kids, mentally and physically (in and out of prison, CPS problems, meth addiction, plenty of problems with the law, etc.) . I put up with a lot from them and their son as well. Their son ( my ex ) who is my daughters biological father (their son) has been in prison for the last four years of my daughters life (meth, burglary, GTA.) but will probably be getting out of prison in June (wrote me a letter after not talking for 4 years to let me know) . Since my daughter is currently living with his parents I'm terrified of him living in the same house as my baby fresh out of prison (he had a major meth problem and was abusive) . He waived his rights at the beginning of the custody battle, but at the last court hearing they didn't say anything about him, just that he waived his rights. So honestly I'm unsure if he's able to live with them as soon as he's out. I'm also scared he's going to come after me once he's out for moving on with my life. I'm currently engaged and expecting a baby with my amazing man, and I'm terrified of him finding me and trying to harm me. My daughter calls my fiancé "Dad" so I'm scared shes going to slip up and call my fiance  "Dad" around my ex (bio dad)  and he snaps on her. She is only six so she really doesnt understand. It took me this long to feel safe, to be okay, and now I cant sleep because I have night terrors of what he will do to me and my family if he comes after me. My amazing parents have done nothing but support me and pay for all the attorney fees (10k) and I really don't want to ask them for anymore. My amazing fiance drives the 8 hours (round trip) to pick up my daughter every weekend and drop her off. Also since I just got put on child support but no longer working because I was put on bed rest because of this pregnancy he pays it. The two attorneys we have had have been awful and no help. I'm honestly so sick of all of this. I just want to feel safe.  My major concern is him being able to live with my daughter right out of prison.

I'm sorry for the long post.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 > My major concern is him being able to live with my daughter right out of prison.

&#x200B;

You could apply for a restraining order on her behalf.


Title: Can a landlord prefer to rent to families over roommates? (Los Angeles County, CA)

Question:
Is it illegal discrimination to prefer to rent a single family home that the landlord does not live in to families (couples, with or without children), and not to roommates (unrelated friends who are not a family unit)?

The reason for this preference is that the rental property is located inside a small gated community. Roommates tend to have more cars and more social visits, and parking is limited inside the community, frequently leading to friction among the neighbors.

Answer: Declining to rent because of parking issues and noise concerns is legitimate.