Title: How bad did I fuck up?

Question:
Shameless throwaway post.

Im 18 living in MA, I went on craigslist and posted an ad for a meetup. I got many replies dick pics and such. One person said they would pay. I asked them how much they would be willing to pay to own me, and what they would want in return. They then asked for more pics. I finally said I didn't care too much about the money as I did about feeling like being owned, like property.

After this email exchange my email was disabled for suspicion of violating gmail policy. Am I at risk of any legal repercussions? I very lightly discussed "prositution" I suppose but it wasn't exactly like that. I just asked how much he would pay and I did clarify it was more of a fetish not really for the revenue.

I feel like I fucked up bad. I logged in on that account on my phone, on my home computer, it was linked to a reddit account I had and to a kik I had.

Would google go as far to investigate my reddit messages and kik messages from the profiles linked to that email? I may or may not have sexted on my kik and reddit messages but I don't think thats illegal if I'm 18.

How far can or will this go? Will the gmail account just be locked/deleted? My biggest fear that is making me nearly throwup is my home getting a call from authorities discussing the gay activities I did online. This would ruin my life because I had some pretty dirty conversations and also I'm in no way out to my family, I would be devastated forever.

Please someone offer me advice or insight on what is likely to happen from here on out, please this is the deepest shit I've ever been in.

Answer:
 I don't think this that big of deal. Likely, your email message was flagged; Gmail has certain terms and phrases it looks for automatically. I'd contact whatever info is provided when you got the lock out message and try explaining it to the service rep.

Also likely is that the guy was an asshole and reported it to google, and the lockout was automatic.

If you were actually dealing with law enforcement, they wouldn't have just shut you down. They're more inclined to string you along and try to get you to physically commit a crime. They do monitor Craigslist for prostitution though, so be careful.

In the future, as a CYA, if you're into prostitution role play, you need to include some disclaimer that this is strictly RP and you're not interested in soliciting.


Title: New job with very odd system of paying employees. Need advice. (CA)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: They are paying you under the table. You should look for a new job because the crooks will short you your pay very soon just like they are shorting the government.


Title: Does my mother get "first dibs" on adoption two children related to her?

Question:
Long story short - my cousin is a total delinquent. He's 28 years old and has been in a mess of trouble his whole life. He has two daughters, 5 and 7, who were removed from his care and placed in DSS.

I am 24 and have since moved out of the house, and because my mom has an empty nest, she wants to adopt the two girls and provide them with a stable family. She is related to them...and the girls call her Auntie.

She does the standard visitation on the weekends & calls them every night, but she told me that she is afraid she won't get custody of them because a young 30 year old & wealthy couple is interested in adopting the two girls.

They have been visiting the girls as well and have since bonded with them.

Do you think that my mom, who is related to them, stands a better chance at getting custody of the kids? Or would they consider giving the girls to the two young professionals who can't have kids of their own.

We live in MA.

Thank you

Answer:
 > Do you think that my mom, who is related to them, stands a better chance at getting custody of the kids?

If there's a dispute, the courts who decide who will be better **for the child**.  That's contingent on a lot of factors.  Genetics is one, but not the only.


Title: Valet Trash is charging me for a violation I did not commit. Is there any way to fight this?

Question:
 I recently was notified with a 50$ violation for supposedly leaving 2 bags on the floor next to my apartment's door. You are supposed to leave this bags in their corresponding bin.

Problem here is that these bags do not belong to me. I saw them standing next to the storage's room door next to my apartment. I really thought to myself, you'll see, tomorrow I'll have a fine at my door. And there you go.

The guy that picks up the trash, took the liberty of lifting the bags, and placing them right next to my door so that he could take a picture with my apartment number. You can imagine how pissed I was when I saw this.

Now it is not really about the money, but more about how things happened. I just would hate to let them get away with this, and give them the liberty to do this again whenever they please.

Answer: Did you ask them to prove it's your trash? (mail with your name on it for example)


Title: [USA - OR] I’ve been bothered by how often (and loud) a woman living behind us yells at her children, but when I walked by the front of their house for the first time this morning, I discovered they’re not her kids... it’s a DAYCARE.

Question:
I (28/f) have been living back home with my parents since I decided to go back to school and finish my psychology degree last March. Due to a seizure disorder (and just being a stereotypical Oregonian), I spend a bit of time in the backyard everyday smoking weed. Well usually when I go out, I can hear a neighbor woman behind us always screaming and cussing out who I thought were her kids, very loudly and very often. It’s bothered me, but I was raised in a “keep your nose clean” way, and so I regretfully never called or reported it to anyone.

Well this morning, I went out for a walk around our neighborhood and decided out of curiosity to walk down their street, since I’d never been down that way. I walked about halfway down the street when I saw in front of their house (which is a distinct shade of green so I knew it was theirs) a daycare sign. It was bad enough that I thought this woman had been verbally abusing her own kids all this time, but knowing people are actually paying her to watch their kids and hearing how she talks to them makes me sick to my stomach.

Answer:
 https://orearlylearningdev.brewhousepdx.com/parents-families/complaint-compliance-history/

How to Make a Complaint

Child Care in Provider’s Home

An individual wishing to register a complaint against a provider who is providing child care in their home may call the Office of Child Care’s Central Office at 1-800-556-6616. You will speak to a compliance specialist who will take your information and refer it to a local child care licensing specialist to follow up on.


Title: Brief Nudity (CA)

Question:
Hello, I was in my apartment this afternoon when I had an itch in my privates. I briefly  pulled out my junk, inspected it, and then put them under my pants. However, my window blinds were open.

My apartment is a dense plant area; people usually don't come towards my window, so that's why I felt safe not closing the windows.

I regret not closing the blinds, but I don't think anyone saw me. If anyone did see me in my room, is there a chance I can be charged. I also want to clarify that I wasn't jerking off nor did I make eye contact with anyone. I strictly did my business for maybe two minutes and I immediately put it back in.

Answer:
 um, no - and what the hell is on your junk where you felt compelled to scratch at them "for maybe two minutes?"Answer #2: The window masturbater in this Canadian case got off, eventually.
https://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/2201/index.do

The question was whether he was in a "public place."

It always bothered me that nobody mentioned that because it was dark out, he wouldn't be able to see out his own windows with the lights on. Answer #3: I feel like there’s more to this. If you want actual advice, tell us the actual facts. Who saw you?Answer #4: Next time, pull the blinds.

Could you be charged? Possibly. Is it likely? No. Extremely unlikely. Answer #5: Now first of all, I am in no way a pedophile.Answer #6: Probably not relevant in your jurisdiction, but a fun case from Sweden with some similarities:

A guy was reported by his neighbors for walking around naked in his home. The case went to court, and it ended up with the neighbors getting convicted for invasion of privacy. Basically, if they see what he does in his own home, they are looking too much.

I suppose there is some limit, if he had placed a table by the window, stood naked on it while humping the window, the case would probably have turned out differently.


Title: Financial agreement with girlfriend.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Any attorney will do. A simple written agreement could work as well.

>Long story short, gf wants to give me a loan to pay off a portion of my student loans.

She wants, or you asked? Why does she want to? Why do you think this is a good idea?

Not legal advice; I don't know all the circumstances. But I do know mixing relationships and finances can be a colossally bad idea. If you know better, know that your situation is different, great, good luck. But don't agree to anything you can't actually follow through on.


Title: Currently Homeless with Two Felony Charges

Question:
About a month ago, I was caught with over 20 grams of marijuana in dorm living in Florida. I had a few friends over smoking a blunt; we were having a great time just relaxing and playing video games. Soon after they left, I promptly heard three loud bangs on the door. *Bang bang bang* "HOUSING, OPEN UP!" My heart started pounding as I rushed to hide everything as quickly as possible. I thankfully planned ahead for a situation like this. I had concocted a wonderful escape plan which included dumping out all contraband from the window, as I lived on the third floor. This plan was quickly foiled as I peered out the window. The housing administration was completely surrounding the building. I got the idea to flush as much as possible down the toilet, when housing had busted in the apartment and yelled at us to get out of our rooms immediately. They pull me outside my room before I have a chance to flush everything and I see the Resident director standing there with 3 resident assistants. This man looked furious as he claimed that it smelled like marijuana outside my door. I deny deny deny and claimed he has no probable cause. In that instant, he scoffs at me and tells me it REEKS. And that he's going to go ahead with a search as soon as UPD shows up. Moments later, the university police show up and he just goes ahead and starts tearing apart the apartment. They ended up finding over 20 grams in my room and a bag of isopropyl alcohol I was using to clean my pieces. This bag was full of cleaning solution, weighed about 800 grams, and ended up scoring me a felony for marijuana production because it tested positive for THC. All in a single night I get roped for two felonies and a fucking misdemeanor for paraphernalia.

Fast forward to being released from jail 15 hours later. My buddy had posted bail, which was $1150 total. If it weren't for him I'd still be in jail. As soon as I was released, l go back to my apartment to promptly be told I'm being kicked out permanently and expelled from school. I was a full time student and they didn't even give me a chance to redeem myself because of the charges. So now I'm homeless and can't go home to my family for support because they won't allow me home. I have been sleeping on several friends' couches but do not have a permanent address because I lost my home. The most messed up part is I need to keep paying rent until August because of the contract I signed when I first moved in. I don't have to ability to afford another place to stay.

Fast forward to my court date, which was today. I was offered a pre-trial diversion contract because this is my first offense. (Diversion is similar to probation but with less supervision.) I told the man I was meeting with I am homeless and he looks up at me and says "we can't have that. You need a permanent address to be able to take part in this program." The second those words left his lips, I began internally panicking. I asked if I could Airbnb for the time being. They told me no because that is considered temporary. I couldn't think of a single address to put down that would be a viable option. Then, it dawned on me to put down my parents address because I have no other permanent address.

Now I'm scared shitless because they may check up on me at that address. I had no other option but to put it down, because they told me if I didn't have a permanent address I would be facing a judge and facing at least 30 days in jail. They told me you also need a permanent address to be put on probation. This whole situation is royally fucked. I could be facing jail time if they check up on me and realize I'm not living at the location I told them I was at.

I wouldn't be going through this if I had the funds to afford another place for the time being. I lost everything and now I'm struggling even more because I'm homeless. How is this okay?

Please give me advice.

TL;DR: Currently homeless and may be facing jail time due to not having a permanent address.

EDIT: forgot to mention I was attending university on a full ride, which was immediately revoked.
I also have a minimum wage job and was able to consult an attorney with what little savings I had. Unfortunately, the attorney cannot do much to help me with the given situation.

Answer:
 >How is this okay?

Is the only question you asked.  This is a situation you put yourself in.  Nothing about this is "okay", but that is your fault and not the court's.

The only thing that may help you is to go home to mom and dad and beg to be allowed to stay there so you can complete your diversion program.Answer #2: They are almost certainly going to look for you there, and your parents are going to tell them that you do not live there.

Which means you lied. To the court.

You will likely be facing jail time, but hey 3 hots and a cot.

> How is this okay?

Because you committed a felony.  Destroying your stash is almost always a terrible idea.


Title: Collection Agency charging for medical service not received

Question:
About 9 months ago, in an intoxicated state of mind, I entered the emergency room of a hospital at night. I did not require any medical attention but something had happened earlier that made me panic and want to consult/ask a doctor. The receptionist and doctor let me inside the room knowing that I did not have any insurance. After the doctor cleared up my question he assured me that I would not be charged for the service. I even have documentation from my “release” of the emergency room stating that no medical service was performed on me.

About a month later I received bills from the hospital looking to charge me for what happened. At the moment I understood I only had one outstanding bill, which I would later find out were actually two (one for the emergency room, and another for the actual doctor). I came to an agreement with the hospital that because I did not actually fully use the emergency room I would pay a much smaller and reduced fee. However, months later I received a call from a collections agency for the actual doctor bill. They told me it has not affected my credit yet. I told them that I cannot and am not willing to pay for a service that I did not actually receive.

I do not want this to affect my credit. What are my options? Am I legally obligated to pay for the bill? Can I hire a lawyer and sue the hospital/doctor? Or until the collection agency notifies the credit bureau? I am quite unsure of what I should do but I am not willing to pay the exorbitant amount they are asking for a service I did not receive.

It is also important to note that I am 21 years old do not have a source of income yet (just recently graduated from college) and live in Florida.

Answer:
 What do you mean you didn't receive a service? You talked to the doctor right? Doctors are paid for their knowledge, training, and experience.

> made me panic and want to consult/ask a doctor.

If your life was  not at risk you should have scheduled an appointment with you regular doctor. You went to the **emergency** room. No reasonable person thinks going to the ER will be free.


Title: [CA] Employer is sketchy on paycheck

Question: So I started working at a restaurant two weeks ago. Tomorrow is payday and I've been told that I need to call the owner and plead with her to write me my paycheck. My coworker has told me to tell the owner that I have bills due soon and that I really need my paycheck. This seems to be rather unconventional for an employer to do. If I am not paid tomorrow what courses of action should or could I take?

Answer: UH yeah, you should not have to "plead" to get you pay. If they do not give you your paycheque, you email them with the number of hours you worked, and the dates you worked them. You then ask when you should expect to receive payment.


Title: What can a regular lawyer like myself do to help immigrant children at the border (not in a border state); no idea where to begin or if I'd need to be barred elsewhere?

Answer: Contact the groups working on this like Lawyers for Good Government, the ACLU, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and ask what you can do.


Title: Can my husband legally expect me to care for a dog that he's keeping after the divorce?

Question:
Hi,
My husband and I live in New Jersey.  We have two cats and a dog, and we are getting divorced. He and I are pretty friendly all things considered, no one cheated, it was a mutual decision to split. We have no kids and rent our apartment.
I still love the dog we adopted together, and though he will be keeping her post-divorce, I agreed to take her when he goes out of town (if I can/am in town myself) to save him money on boarding, and so I can see her.
He makes twice what I do, and is keeping almost all of our furniture, and I am the one moving. He agreed to "help pay for the move", but the exact finances have not been worked out. I'm beginning to get the impression he doesn't want to pay for much. I had no former plans to ask for alimony since, though he makes a lot more, I am working and I'm fine standing on my own two feet so long as he helps to pay for the move since he's keeping over 15k of furniture that we acquired together.
However, he's now asking that I "commit to a certain walk schedule". I am moving one town over and work unpredictable hours. Not to mention the fact, the whole point of divorce is a clean break. She's not a child, I don't feel I should owe him visitation and dog-related responsibilities when he's gleaning all the benefits of keeping her.

ETA:  He's making it sound like his financial support of my moving will be predicated on what he gets from me, dog-care wise.

What is the legality here?

Answer: Do not make the mistake of trying to be "fair" to someone who doesn't seem to be extending the same courtesy to you. You don't have to go after him with the intent of trying to screw him in your divorce, but it sounds like you are giving up way, way more than you need to, and to someone who is trying to manipulate you a bit. Have a serious talk with that lawyer.Answer #2: Why are you letting him keep all the furniture? Are you getting your fair share via other marital assets?


Title: [HOUSING] How can 55+ communities be 'legal'? How is this not a form of discrimination?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 55+ is discrimination, it's not illegal discrimination.

You are allowed to discriminate against people for being too young. You are not allowed to discriminate against people for being over 40. It's almost like old people write the laws.


Title: My fiancé's work is absolutely worthless when it comes to having change in the shop. Its now at the point where they are threatening to make them go down to their bank and take out their own money to fill the till with change. Is this legal at all?

Question:
I am in the UK, the shop is a major supply chain. Throwaway just to be sure.
Topic:
Labor Law (Unions)

Answer:
 Not legal at all, employer is responsible for keeping the till filled with change if that is a requirement of doing business. Your fiance should sternly state that he will not be using his own money to fill the till. Remember pursuing anything legal should be considered a last ditch effort for something as minor as this, and may have its own associated risks.Answer #2: This isn't normal.  The shop is about to go under and go out of business.

Source: Have worked a retail job that went out of business.Answer #3: 100% not your fiancés problem.  Never under any circumstances should you ever use your own money to save face at your place of employment. It’s not his job to make sure there is enough change in the drawer to run the business.  Answer #4: He needs to start looking for a job because he won’t have one much longer.  This is ansolutely not normal!  Paychecks may soon start bouncing.Answer #5: Also try r/LegalAdviceUKAnswer #6: Your fiance needs to start looking for work elsewhere.  This is one of the signs that the company is going under for one reason or another.


Title: Question on age of consent

Question:
Hello everyone!

I'm 23 years old and there's a girl I have interest is 17 years old. We live in Connecticut and I know the age of consent here is 16.

If we have sex do we break the law? Is the age difference a problem? Could you enlighten me with legal proof?

I can wait another year but I'd like to ask her out now then next year...

Thank you very much!

Answer: I'd advise against doing anything with her.  You're not merely looking at liability in terms of her ability to consent to sex -- there are a host of other laws you could be liable under.  Luring a minor.  Mann Act violation.  Corruption of a minor.  That sort of thing.  And even if she's totally into you, it doesn't matter -- her parents might not be, and they're the ones who will be calling the police.


Title: One of my best friends is locked in a lease in an apartment and can't get out. In the 6-7 months he's lived there, there have been roughly 40 shootings in and around the complex. Is there a legal way out of the lease? (Stone Mountain, GA)

Question:
Like I said in the title, it's not me, but one of my best friends (he doesn't use Reddit and I want to try to help him). The shootings aren't necessarily murders or anything too crazy, but he's told me there were gunshots roughly every other night the first month he lived there. Now the shootings happen once or twice a week, with the most recent happening last Saturday in broad daylight. That one involved an ambulance, so someone was likely hit in the process. My friend assumes these shootings are likely gang related as there aren't any shootouts with the police. To add to his housing woes, two of his shared-wall neighbors have been evicted, with one of the replacements moving in about 2 AM blasting music and hitting the walls until about 630. He's looked into breaking the lease and moving, and the total cost is gonna be about $5,000, with the actual lease-breaking costing about $1,400. Is there any legal way he can get out of the lease due to feeling unsafe, without having to pay the $1,400?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Unless the landlord is doing the shooting, no.


Title: [MA] Can a hospital send out a mailer telling past patients how they should vote?

Question:
I work at a center for the mentally ill.

On election day, there is a question regarding nurse staffing ratios at hospitals. Today three residents received mailers telling them how they should vote on the question. This is a big public hospital but the residents don't associate it as being a hospital for every condition, they see it only as the place with the psych unit.

These residents are very susceptible to outside influence. If they see an ad for a product, they will want it.  We have worked with them to educate them on the questions so they can make the choice themselves and they have mailed in their ballots already.  Of the three who received the mailer, two have changed their minds because of fear the hospital would know they voted against the way the hospital suggested. They fear they will be hospitalized for not voting the way the mailer suggested.

We have received numerous mailers about the election and they have all been ignored except this one. The fact that it is a place they associate with having control over their lives has really upset two of them. They would have changed their vote if they did not mail in their ballots already because of this. One other resident had surgery through this hospital several months back and didn't get one.

I don't know if this is a legal issue but it seems wrong to do to people who's biggest fear is being locked up at that hospital. I have raised issues with this hospital before regarding and ongoing issue and they are not taken that seriously. Is there somewhere else I can raise this concern?

Answer:
 IANAL. Since this is a public hospital, this might apply: "Public employees are encouraged to contact the State Ethics Commission at 617-371-9500 for advice on specific situations." ( [https://www.mass.gov/advisory/state-ethics-commission-advisory-11-1-public-employee-political-activity](https://www.mass.gov/advisory/state-ethics-commission-advisory-11-1-public-employee-political-activity) )

According to part 2 of that page,  Section 23(b)(2)(ii) might make what happened illegal. If hospital time, money, supplies, letterhead, etc. was used to make the fliers (which, since they're from the hospital, is almost guaranteed), that's covered by the section.Answer #2: The mental health department of a hospital is using confidential patient information -- home addresses -- to mail political material to mental health patients to influence them in voting. Am I missing something here? It seems like a huge violation of HIPAA to say the least. Answer #3: Can a hospital participate in the political system? Generally, yes. Although there may be a problem if it is a non profit.

Did the hospital get the names of mailer recipients from its medical records? That could be a HIPAA problem.


Title: Worked for company and they are suddenly being hostile, they just swiped my last paycheck back after it was deposited.

Question:
(AZ) I worked as a sub, even though they supplied equipment and supplies and a schedule. Something went wrong, somewhat undefined and their accusations simply don't make sense.

I turned in equipment at their request and then they presented me with an invoice from a supplier, claiming that I had purchased other equipment, but it's the same invoice the owner signed when he purchased the equipment and supplies for my use.

It's either profound stupidity about the invoice being the same or an attempt to double-dip. Looks like I won't be getting the last check I was promised.

Answer: File a complaint with the AZ Department of Labor for your unpaid time/work.


Title: (NY)Tenant refuses to pay rent and wants to use deposit as a payment (Not sure if they are trying to live rent free)

Question: I signed a one year lease agreement with the tenant. Now after a few months, they (family of 3) want to "move out". Not sure if they are trying to live rent free. They are refusing to pay current month's rent and are asking to use the deposit as the last payment. I said no and require that they pay for the month since they breached the contract. Now that I said that, they are not responding to my emails/text/phone calls. Is it legal to enter the property without consent and demand my rent? I know NYC has strict policies about evicting tenants. What are my options?

Answer: Issue a pay or quit and move to evict ASAP.


Title: Friend got caught shoplifting. Got arrested with him.

Question:
Hi,

## What happened at the store

This happened in Georgia, USA. We went for Thanksgiving sale at Walmart. It was 4 of us. I personally shopped for stuff around 450 USD, got done with my shopping, billed it and went and sat in a food court inside Walmart itself. My friend B (the one who stole) came to me with a 15 dollar jacket and asked me which one to choose. while passed by, and while I was still inside the food area, he (B) told me that “he went out and gave the jacket to friend C” who later kept it in the car.

Then I decided to go back to the shopping compound with friend B buy something else. Ultimately I decided to buy what I wanted and checked it out. Unfortunately I had lost my bill in the food area, where I threw it with my food, so I didn’t have the bill. I asked the cashier to give me a printout of my previous bill, she said that she couldn’t do that, so she’ll help me walk out. When I was walking out the security stopped me and checked me, when they asked me for a bill The cashier stepped in said that I did pay everything. They checked my bags while I was exiting Walmart and let me go.

## What happens outside the store (The Arrest)

Now I go inside the car with friend D and I was kind of paranoid with what might happen with B who is still to checkout, so I tell friend C to go check on him.

While C reached the entrance, he sees friend B handcuffed. Me and D start freaking out. We later get a call from C telling us to throw the jacket. So friend D drives around the lot and I (sitting on passengers seat) throw the jacket. While B is handcuffed he gets frisked and is caught with a PS4 CD in his pocket. They have  video recording of him inboxing the CD and putting it in his pocket.  He had shopped for roughly 200 dollars and was caught stealing for 40 dollars.

Now is when things get fucked.

As per B’s knowledge the jacket was in the car. When the cops asked him where the jacket is he said it’s in the car. They came towards the car and we stepped out of the car. They started checking the car and couldn’t find the jacket. All this while our friend B is crying and handcuffed. He asks us where the jacket is. We stay quiet for a while, until when silence wasn’t acceptable anymore. I finally point them towards the jacket. And walk with a cop towards the jacket.

Once I get the jacket back with the cop.  They start talking and after 5 minutes two cops went back in to Walmart and came back, and immediately arrested me. I was in a shock and I didn’t ask anything. He didn’t read me any Miranda rights. And puts me inside his car. When I finally ask him while sitting in the car “what did I do?”, he said “you know it,  for shoplifting”.

All the way in the car I’m sitting next to B. We finally get placed in the cell. We are placed in a cell and asked to arrange a bond. No fucking idea what a bond is. After a lot of time, they tell us that we just need to spend time from 1am-9am in the cell, and that way we won’t have to pay anything.
We agree to that. And spend the next 8 hours. The arresting officer gave me a court date, but also said we need to call them again to confirm the court date. Our court is also in state of Georgia.

## What happened next day at Walmart

Today we went back to Walmart (not B), where I met with one of the police officers. I asked him what was I arrested for. He said shoplifting. I asked him on what basis. He said I was caught on camera. I said that’s BS because I didn’t do it. And I wasn’t aware of the fact that my friend stole the jacket. He mocked and said, “do you know how many people say I don’t know”.  He said he feels sorry for me. And I should choose my friends wisely. I said that “I just threw the jacket somewhere” and that ended up in being arrested. He immediately started saying  “so you did throw the jacket, right? You helped him”. The guy was helpful, answered some of my questions.

I have no idea with what to do. I don’t want to plead guilty because I don’t want a be known as an ex-criminal for a thing that I had no role in.

## A little bit about both of us

My friend B and I are international students. Both go to different top tier universities in different states. I am in my last semester of college and have a pending job offer from a major financial firm. My firmed is in his first year and has a year left. Friend B is in Georgia. While I stay in Maryland where I was visiting him. We both are first offenders. Our accusation form says that we were charged for *Theft by shoplifting*.

## Questions

Really need advise on two-three things
1. I want to get a lawyer. Where do we get good lawyers from? Should I even bother with state prosecutors? Since the ones on top of google are generally the ones with good SEO and not necessarily great lawyers.
2. Should I get my own lawyer or same lawyer for my friend and I. (we have the same case ID on our discharge sheet)
3. I was supposed to join one of the biggest financial firms in the country/world. Already have an offer, contingent on pending background check. I filled the background check before any of this happened, and said no to the fact that I’m not a criminal or have never been accused. My joining date is later than my court date
           1. until my court date, if they run a background check on me, will I come on the system as a criminal/convict? Or will it be only after I plead guilty at my court date.
           2. should I tell the company that I was wrongly charged for something before the court date? Or not?
           3. for a misdemeanour can they reject my offer proposal? Can I possibly end up unemployed?

4) Will it affect my college? Visa status?
5) Since I was here for just the holidays, does the court location/date get affected?
6) would anyway advise that I try to postpone/prepone the court date, since Currently I am not in US mainland as per the given court date.

** TLDR : I (Maryland resident) was visiting My friend in Georgia. Went for shopping. My friend stole some stuff. He got handcuffed and later they handcuffed me too. Was kept in jail overnight. Have a pending offer from a financial firm contingent on background check. How does that get affected? How do I prove not-guilty**

Answer: Yes, this could absolutely affect your visa status and you need a lawyer immediately. It will also likely show up on the background check the company you have an offer from will run, even if you are found not guilty. Answer #2: You knowingly tried to hide evidence of the crime by ditching the jacket. That makes you an accomplice.


Title: [CA] Moving in to an apartment without being on the lease

Question:
So I'm planning on moving in to an apartment a friend already lives in. Friend lives with 2 other roommates in a 3-bedroom apartment. The 3 of them are on the lease, and I haven't seen the lease but Friend said that when I move in I won't be added to the lease because the landlord would increase the rent. Also, by living there I would be violating the lease's "15 day max stay" guest rule. Friend says the landlord is chill/wouldn't care if I lived there, and probably wouldn't notice as he doesn't pay much attention to his tenants. This just makes me feel uneasy because the landlord wouldn't know I live there and I'm not sure the situation is legal. I have a few questions:

1. Is it legal for the landlord to increase the rent if an additional person is signed onto the lease?

2. If the original lease prohibits additional roommates or subletting, would any agreement I make with the current tenants be void?

3. If the landlord finds out I am living there without his consent, can he evict me? If he does, will he have to give me notice? Is he allowed to withhold consent to an additional roommate or subletter?

This will be my first time moving out on my own from my parents' house. I just want to make sure I don't wind up on the streets or being unable to afford the increase in rent because I wasn't allowed to live in the apartment in the first place. Any advice would be really helpful.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Your friend is an idiot.

As a general rule, never listen to the twit who tells you the landlord would be "chill" with this arrangement without verifying it first.

If the lease does not allow subletting, you all could be evicted if the landlord decides you have breached the lease by allowing you to live there.


Title: Am I a mandatory reporter? Wi

Question:
Long story short a “friend” of mine indicated her adopted son sexually assaulted their adopted daughter while she was asleep. Son is 15 daughter 13. I am their dance teacher. The mom told me they were taking care of it as a family, and the dad is in law enforcement. However, I have suspicion it’s happened more than once. Son isn’t really being punished (bought a new xbox and iPhone days after I found out, and I found out a day after) and daughter is forced to see him every day, and be alone with him.   It’s being said that this is all because he has a newly diagnosed mental illness. He has been caught at school posting videos on social media of him masturbating among other things. Who do I even report this to? I’m deeply disturbed.
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer: You would reported this to child protective services and you should. Anyone can report


Title: Problems with a tourist visa for the US as a french citizen

Question:
Hi,

Really not convinced this is the right place to ask this question but I'll try my luck anyway.

I'm a french citizen, last time I went to the US as a tourist, my ETSA was denied because of something stupid that happened to me the previous time that I was in the US.

So I had to go to the american embassy in Paris to make a "proper" tourist visa. I got it and it's valid for something like 10 years or so. I went to the US and there was no problem with it.

In 2017, my passport will expire and I'll have to make a new one.

How do I go about that visa ? It should be valid for something like 8 years still but I won't appear on my next passport.
Will I have to go back to the US embassy and go through the whole process again next time I want to go back to the US ?

Thank you
edit to please the bot, if that wasn't clear enough : I'm in France

Answer: You bring both passports with you on travel. The old one will be voided somehow, however, the visa remains valid.


Title: How do police officers determine if someone is committing a crime vs standing their ground?

Question: The teen in Ohio was shot because she tried to stab someone. But doesn’t Ohio’s stand your ground law allow for someone to use deadly force to defend themselves?

Answer:
 From the limited video I've seen of the incident the teen was actively assaulting another person with a deadly weapon and ignored officers commands to stop.

Stand your ground doesn't apply if you're the aggressor. It also doesn't apply on the scene of the incident, it's a defense that must be raised in court once charged.

Edit: Spelling/Grammar


Title: Oklahoma Photographer here. Dealing with unruly client 2 years later.

Question:
So this is probably going to seem ridiculous, but it is absolutely legitimate. I'm a photographer in the state of Oklahoma & back in 2012, I was approached to photograph a small-town wedding. (It was an acquaintance of my sister's that she went to high school with) I accepted their request for engagement photos, bridal portraits & the actual day of wedding. I drafted up a contract, emailed it to them & then had them type in their names as signatures instead of having a hand-written signature. (big mistake) Back in 2012, I was just getting started in my business, so my prices were super inexpensive & affordable. I only charged the couple $500. We shot the engagement photos, bridal portraits & they loved them & of course posted them all over social media. The day of the wedding came & the couple was a little bummed they couldn't shoot-off fireworks (because of a burn-ban) and generally the rainy weather put a damper on a lot of their plans for the day. I went about my business & got the normal photos that a couple wants for their big day & delivered them to the couple. They told me they loved them & gave me the final payment, so I considered the transaction to be over with. Fast forward a few weeks later, I start getting messages on my personal FB from the couple stating that they don't like the photos & want me to photoshop sunshine, butterflies, fireworks & a whole slew of ridiculous things into their photos. I kindly told them that I don't specialize in photo manipulation on a scale that they're looking for & then referred them to some graphic designer friends of mine. After I tried working with them on some reasonable edits, they refused my attempts to make them happy & threatened legal action unless I refunded them for the full cost of the photography package. I mentioned that we had a contract & they said that "well, since we never actually physically signed it, it isn't a contract." I thought that was a little unfair- considering I went above & beyond to try and help them out (and I traveled 2 hours to their wedding location).

A little while after this, they served me with a suit in small claims court. The kicker is my Dad had just died & I was dealing with a lot of preparations for the funeral. The couple had the nerve to set the court date for the day I was going to be out of town attending to my family & grieving the loss of my father. I kindly asked for them to reschedule the trial, so that it would be fair for the both of us. They refused & gave me an ultimatum (verbatim: "Unless you meet us at 7am tomorrow, cash in hand, full payment, we will not reschedule")
Needless to say, I thought that was ridiculous and my father's death was more important, so I did not attend the trial. I also did not have the money to hire a lawyer to represent me. The court defaulted judgement in their favor & after that I went into a deep depression for a year- just being overwhelmed by the stresses of this suit & the loss of my father.

Now it's 2015 & I received an email (with poor grammar & punctuation) from the client asking how I'm doing & wondering when I'm going to send them payment, along with the remark "we're not just something you can sweep under the rug." I was infuriated when I read this email & decided to wait 24 hours before I respond, just so I could cool down. I wrote a professional email stating that I was appalled that they used the death of my father & my inability to attend the trial for their advantage. I also asked for their address if they want payment. I added at the end of the email that after they send me their address, that I don't want to be contacted again through any means, and that I want them to take down the photos from their social media platforms- since they're using them without my permission. I don't know if they've taken them down yet or not.

Since I have a legal obligation to pay them (even though I hate these people with every fiber of my being) my plan was to send them $5.00 money orders every month until eventually they get their money back. Is this feasible? Do they have any leverage over me by doing this? I work at a very large, well-known corporation, so wage garnishment would be a nightmare for them (and expensive) I'm just curious what my options are without having to hire a lawyer. Any sound advice is appreciated. Thanks!

EDIT UPDATE: Thank you all for your comments/advice! I'm going to pay up & move on & consider this an educational experience. @dogwatchiscurtailed hit the nail on the head.

Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 I doubt you would have lost if you had actually gone to court, but just not showing up? Yeah, you're out of luck here. The person suing you is not the person you need to ask to reschedule the court date. You ought to have contacted the court yourself. You legally obligated to pay them, and you should do it in some easily tracked way (personal check is good, if you do a money order make sure you save the stub).Answer #2: Not sure how legal it would be, but unless you transferred the copyright to them (in the contract that they claim is invalid) and since once you pay them on the judgement, they have not paid for the pictures, you could file DMCA complaints directly to the social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc) and the social media sites will take down the pictures, then use google picture search to find every time they post them, send another DMCA request.

While it's a pain, as a photographer myself, I would argue they don't have rights to the pictures, and while you can't physically take the prints back, you can continue to make sure they don't have full enjoyment of something they did not pay for.


Title: Help me sue the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson for human rights violations - Australia

Question:
Dear Reddit.com/r/legaladvice

The drug company Janssen, (A subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) have failed to provide information to the doctors about the possibility of patients experiencing discontinuation symptoms as a result of discontinuing the Antipsychotic Risperidone. In failing to provide information to the doctors, they have failed their duty of care for the patients.

Johnson & Johnson is one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies around, and even the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund owns some of their stocks.

Johnson & Johnsons have a history of deceptive marketing, hiding drug effects and kickback payments to physicians and pharmacists.

[https://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e2772](https://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e2772)

[https://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f6696](https://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f6696)

[https://www.bmj.com/content/354/bmj.i3846](https://www.bmj.com/content/354/bmj.i3846)

They deliberately decided not to obtain data on possible withdrawal symptoms, despite strong research available at the time of the FDA drug approval in 1993 pointing to withdrawal reactions resulting from antipsychotics, and several suicides reported immediately after the drug was discontinued in patients.

My story:

I was hospitalised in a public hospital in Australia for prescribed drug induced psychotic symptoms.

They prescribed me 2mg of Risperidone at night from August 2017 to September 2017 where I was advised to continue Risperidone 1mg for 4 days post discharge. And then cease all medication “as per my decision”. I was assessed to have full capacity in my decision.

Contact was made by me to the hospital a few days after discharge, indicating that I was experiencing symptoms that I attributed to withdrawing from risperidone. (I told them that I felt like stabbing myself in the eyes with a knife). One week later during a follow-up phone call, they asked me if I was still having suicidal thought. I replied “No”, and they recorded in their files that I was feeling better. (I was not better) Contact was made by me to the hospital again 10 days later regarding confusion, low energy and poor memory. – Proving that I was not better

My concerns were actually not seen in the context of Withdrawal. Therefore, I failed to receive any care from the hospital. According to a submission to the Australia Ombudsman from the hospital – They have no literature that identifies any specific or significant discontinuation syndrome associated with Risperidone.

This is where the blame is shifted from the hospital to the drug company.

**During Risperidone withdrawal I experienced the following symptoms (lasting approximately 2 months)**

extreme confusion

extreme memory loss

extreme loss of Concentration

Unable to drive

Barely capable of playing a simple mobile game

I saw the world through goggles of pain

Very low energy

temporary paralysis

Temporary blurry vision

Dystonic reaction

Akathisia

Insomnia

Anxiety

Appetite changes

Depersonalisation

Derealisation

Fatigue

Mood swings

Brain Shaking

dark thoughts

intrusive thoughts

Anhedonia

extreme emotional pain

vomiting

My pain was witnessed by private doctors, family, friends and a psychologist. + I received a PTSD diagnosis from a psychiatrist.

Furthermore, I had a hospital admission to a private hospital in January. I was admitted for diagnostic clarification, and there was no evidence of any active psychotic illness during stay.

FDA DRUG APPROVAL of Risperidone 1993

“Withdrawal phenomena were not formally assessed after patients discontinued

risperidone. Several patients committed suicide within one month of

discontinuing risperidone; however, it does not seem reasonable to attribute this

to withdrawal, given the absence of other indications of a risperidone withdrawal

syndrome and the fact that schizophrenia is known to be a risk factor for

suicide.” P.63

breggin.com/td-resources/Risperdal-new-drug-application.pdf

“Risperidone Consta complete Drug Approval Package (all reviews)" (2003). *FDA:*

“There were 14 patients who died during or within 30 days following

discontinuation of treatment in the ongoing extension studies” p.22

“Of the 14 cases there were 3 cases of suicide.“  p.23

“No examination of withdrawal effects of risperidone depot

microspheres administration was performed.” P. 84

*Drug Approval Documents*. 16.

[http://digitalcommons.ohsu.edu/fdadrug/16](http://digitalcommons.ohsu.edu/fdadrug/16)

“No evidence was obtained for withdrawal-related phenomena contributing to the high relapse rates after treatment discontinuation.”

\- Retrieved from a Scientific Study funded by Janssen:

[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29924507](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29924507)

Risperidone completed  suicides – 1049 recorded since October 2012

[https://rxisk.org/top\_100\_reactions/Risperidone/](https://rxisk.org/top_100_reactions/Risperidone/)

Scientific literature detailing the risk of withdrawal from antipsychotics has been around since the 1960s:

[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010440X66800305?via%3Dihub](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010440X66800305?via%3Dihub)

[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0010440X7690002X?via%3Dihub](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0010440X7690002X?via%3Dihub)

[https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/ajp.135.11.1321?journalCode=ajp&](https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/ajp.135.11.1321?journalCode=ajp&)

[http://psycnet.apa.org/record/1989-09504-001](http://psycnet.apa.org/record/1989-09504-001)

[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0163834388900680](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0163834388900680)

[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1968671](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1968671)

[https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/496992](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/496992)

[http://www.ijbcp.com/index.php/ijbcp/article/view/986/](http://www.ijbcp.com/index.php/ijbcp/article/view/986/)

[https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309485009\_Experiencing\_Antipsychotic\_Medication\_From\_First\_Prescriptions\_to\_Attempted\_Discontinuation](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309485009_Experiencing_Antipsychotic_Medication_From_First_Prescriptions_to_Attempted_Discontinuation)

Any insight, advice or information that could assist me in my pursuit would be very much appreciated.

Kind regards

Answer:
 I didn't read all of that. But two things:

1. /r/AusLegal

2. This is far beyond the scope of reddit. You need to retain a solicitor willing to take your case. If you don't have significant monetary damages, no solicitor will take this case.


Title: I am a 24 year old male with a pretty amazing step-father, how would i go about getting adopted by him?

Question: My biological father left when my younger brother was 1 and i was 2. My step dad came in and raised us. He's essentially all we have ever known. I live in Virginia (U.S.A of course) and was wondering how i would go about starting the process of getting adopted. In Virginia, i read that adult adoption was legal, but only under extreme circumstances, one of which: being RAISED by this man falls under.

Answer: I recommend a consultation with a family lawyer. I don't think they're will be any hiccups with what you want to do, but its likely alot of paperwork and legalese.


Title: Selling house and non paying adult child

Question: I live in Delaware and am planning on selling my home and my wife's son is living with us. He will not be living with us when me move. He does not pay rent and there are no lease/rental agreements. He has contributed nothing to the home. Wife and I told him he could stay till last January. When January came we told him he could stay if he paid rent but refused to. What is the best course of action for making sure he does not delay or interfere with the selling/moving process? Thank you!

Answer:
 You need to give him 60 days notice terminating his tenancy. If he is not gone at the end of those 60 days, you can go to court to evict him.Answer #2: You need to give him written termination notice and move to eviction if that doesn't work. You *technically* can sell the house with a tenant, but that would be like selling it with major damage, the only people who would buy it are those who are ready to go in and clean things up themselves and the price will adjust accordingly.

Also, just in case he tries some BS, he has no right to move with you even while his termination of tenancy is pending. The tenancy is for that property, not a right to live with you. In fact, you should literally never let him in the door of the new house if you have problems lest he try to move all his stuff in and claim that he lives there.


Title: [MN]Teacher was filming in school bath room

Question: Not what is sounds like but a (male)teacher was filming students in the bath room(mens) at my high school during a rave that was going on during passing time no one was actually using the toilet at the time there were female students in there as well but again not using toilet just raving this had happened in past and caused damage but as far as i know no damage was caused this time so my question is this: was it legal for the teacher to film in the bathroom

Answer:
 That was a really long sentence.

Recording in bathrooms is against the law.

A rave in the bathroom at school? Was Armin or The Chainsmokers spinning?


Title: [PA] Car damaged by massive, unavoidable potholes in work parking lot. Is it reasonable to expect the company to help cover the cost of repairs?

Question:
Long story short, the parking lot where I work has two very large, very deep, unavoidable potholes. They’ve been a known issue from before I was employed earlier this year, and the company flat-out refuses to have the parking lot redone, or even just having the holes filled in. The potholes are brought up at every single monthly safety conference, but our pleas to have them fixed are shoved to the side. If there was anywhere else to park, I’d avoid the lot altogether; but parking anywhere else would mean having to walk over a mile.

I drive a rather low-set, compact car. I do what I can to avoid the deepest part of the holes, but depending on how full our lot is, it’s practically impossible. It’ll be even worse with the coming school year, as parents take up half the lot in the morning as a school bus stops at our lot.

My car has… well, taken a bit of a beating over the last month. \[I have dents, cracks, and chipped paint\]([https://imgur.com/a/WLjSSxx](https://imgur.com/a/WLjSSxx)) in four different places on the bottom edge of my car. The dings and chipped paint I’m not too heartbroken over (I actually am), but the cracks definitely need to be at least patched ASAP to avoid rusting out. Each time my car was damaged, I brought it up with my boss, but was shrugged off. I’m kind of at a loss now.

I’m bringing it in for an estimate and to find out what the body shop recommends having done, but is it at all reasonable to expect the company to cover at least a portion of the repairs? Or am I basically SOL because I can’t prove for a fact that the damages occurred as a result of the holes?

Answer: It's very likely you're going to carry the majority, if not all, of the responsibility here, because you were aware that the potholes were present and chose to keep parking there. Hidden or unexpected hazards are one thing; big, stationary, obvious holes are quite another.


Title: Custody laws TN

Question:
Hey there, I'm posting for a family member who has asked me for help getting information in regards to getting custody of her "son". She's holding off going to an attorney until she has all the information she needs, I'll explain more below.

My aunt has been with her exishFiancee for over 10 years, and has been raising one of his sons that while time. Through the years the Ex has beat her severely multiple times, this is why she's waiting to go to the attorney.  She wants to get out, but she can't bring herself to leave her "son" behind.  However, he is not hers biologically, and her and the ex have never gotten married.  A couple months ago the ex moved out of the house.  I know he still has mail come there, but Idk who pays rent or utilities.  The child's mom is in jail for attempted murder, and from what I have been told by my aunt, her ex has tried murdering the child's mom a couple times, he used to pimp her out, drugged her up, but he has only served a couple months each time.  I think the child is around 13/14. The ex's parents are semi in the picture.  They see the child and have custody of the ex's other son.

So, my question is, will she be able to get custody? Is it feasible by the laws in place?

My current advice to her was to call family protective services and get a statement on file that she's been taking care of him, but she's scared of the dad coming and hurting her again.  Also, to get an attorney.

she's located in TN, USA.

Thank you for any info you can give.

Answer:
 An attorney should be the first step. They can figure out what if any options she has.

Did the father leave the son with her when he left?


Title: What do I do if management doesn't take action when another associate swore at me/made underlying threats towards me more than once- then became angry when I reported the matter to company ethics?

Question:
*edit: Philadelphia, PA.  (my apologies - i was under the impression this was automatically added when I set location-as it shows my geographical location from my end after setting this)

Hello all, I am new to Reddit and I have never made a post before so please bare with my long-winded explanations and probable bad grammar.

I worked at Walmart for about three months before another associate began leaving work undone that should have been at least started while he was on his shift before I arrived.  On the first occasion he loudly cursed and complained, asking what myself and another associate were doing all morning before he arrived. Needless to say I was doing my job which were other tasks needing to be done that were set by my manager.  The second occasion was when I asked a manager to confront him about leaving pallets untouched because he knew I would have to do it when I came in.  He waited until the manager left and then confronted me by telling me I don't know the effing job, and making underlying statements or threats in my opinion in which he stated "you don't know who I am, you don't know who I am",  as if to say I should worry about what would happen if I hadn't complied or if I complained to management again. Of course when the manager came into the room each time, opening the large freezer door, he would completely change his disposition and tone until she left.  She then simply came into the room, took him away and spoke to him briefly before sending him right back where I was working without explaining to me what was going to be done about it or even asking me if I felt comfortable working alongside this person. In this case nothing happened, and I was forced to work with this very disruptive employee.  When I asked her, she just repeated to please have the pallets done so there would be products on the shelf when customers arrived and walked away. I separated myself from the room and called the Walmart ethics number, and reported the issue.  Days later, I was asked to come into the office with management, one of which was the main store manager who was aware of both situations and did nothing.  She asked me angrily why I called corporate instead of going to my manager Christopher, whom I didn't even realize I should have gone to since she had overheard both matters and one manager had already been aware as well as my department manager.  I explained the situation to this other manager, Christopher, who then told me he would not fire him even if it happened on multiple occasions.  He would simply coach him more.  That is the conversation that transpired after I was called into the office in response to my call to ethics.  He decided to end the conversation by telling me to come in the next morning and have a conversation together, like "men".  I found this very offensive and took another job offer.  I did not explain that I was quitting, because I thought there was no point if they were going to treat me in this way.  I am now working for much less money, and regret my decision, but I did not think there was anything else I could do if I had already called what I thought was the corporate line for company complaints.  I am still owed 2.69 hours that I already went into the personnel office and requested to be fixed, which they said was. On my last stub I noticed that they still hadn't added the hours that I worked.  Many people that I explain this situation to have suggested that I take legal action but I don't know where to begin or if I even have the correct reason to legitimately do so.

Any legal advice or opinion would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Joshua.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: Find another job.


Title: Can I legally move out after graduating at 17 when I turn 18 in less than 3 month later?

Question: I am 17 years old, I graduate May 27th, and turn 18 in early August. Honestly it's not that I have a HORRIBLE living situation, I will admit there are times that I'm afraid of my mother we argue a lot but other than that we get a long well. I just would like to be on my own and be able to think for myself for once and be able to learn my own responsibility on taking care of my self and bills and i will never be able to do that staying with my mother. I am working on getting a job, and have friends that will let me stay with them until the person I plan on renting a place with gets back from basic so we can rent a house/ apartment. I was just curious if my mother can keep me from moving out after graduating when I and less than 3 months from turning 18. If nothing else I can stay 3 or 4 more months but I still would like to know.

Answer:
 I would work on getting a job first and saving up money.

I would also begin collecting important documents like your social security card, your birth certificate, etc.

Try to set up a fund that has at least 3 months rent plus any other costs you have. This includes cellphone, Internet, cable TV, food, etc. Start using a spread sheet and tracking how much food costs, transportation, etc. Internet is expensive and there's a good chance you will have limited choice of providers so assume it'll be expensive. At least 75 bucks a month. Figure overall expenses to be around 450 for rent, 200 for utilities, 70 for cellphone, and 20-100 for transportation. Food may vary depending on how well you budget. It is better to budget over than under.

Don't stay with friends unless you can afford to contribute. Seriously. A lot of friends messed up their friendships because someone couldn't afford an apartment or food costs. I can think of at least 8 people that were not on speaking terms for a long time due to fighting over rent. If you cannot afford to move out, don't. Also, he probably can afford it but he may have to move if he is in the military.

And get a job before you move out. If you don't have a job now, getting a job that will pay you enough to move out is hard. A lot of my friends struggled getting decent jobs.


Title: Romance writer trademarks use of “Cocky” in a book title, sends out C&Ds and shitstorm ensues.

Answer:
 I've been following this casually on twitter. It's a real shitstorm.
Answer #2: [More info here.](https://the-digital-reader.com/2018/05/05/cockygate-faleena-hopkins-has-registered-a-trademark-on-cocky-and-is-using-it-to-threaten-other-romance-authors/)

[Or here.](https://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/110694831.html)

Hashtag Cockygate is the relevant hashtag to watch the shit unfold.Answer #3: This is the biggest drama to hit the romance world since 2008 when [Cassie Edwards got caught plagiarizing a journal article about black-footed ferrets.](http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2008/01/author_of_idefenders_i_magazine_article_responds_in_inewsweek_i/)Answer #4: Is this actually enforceable? It sounds insane. Answer #5: It doesn't stop anyone else from using Cocky as an adjective in a title or anywhere else. Specifically, you can't use it in a name for an e-book series of downloadable books (see official TM description  below). I doubt she actually has a lawyer backing up her claims to exclusive use in any title. Also, she's a moron.

"IC 009. US 021 023 026 036 038. G & S: A series of downloadable e-books in the field of romance. FIRST USE: 20160616. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20160616"


Title: [California] Am I committing a crime if I have a service that caters to undocumented immigrants?

Question: If there was an Uber-type service where instead of a driver, you get  undocumented day laborers, would that be inherently illegal?

Answer:
 [It is unlawful for a person or other entity to hire, or to recruit or refer for a fee, for employment in the United States an alien knowing the alien is an unauthorized alien.](https://www.uscis.gov/ilink/docView/SLB/HTML/SLB/0-0-0-1/0-0-0-29/0-0-0-8501.html)Answer #2: You mean intentionally starting a business that's designed to evade paying taxes for employees? Answer #3: The difference between you and Uber is that it can pay for lawyers to defend itself when the state claims its drivers are employees. Answer #4: Now that the legal side is covered thoroughly...

What would stop certain government agencies from simply "hiring" all your workers for arrest/deportation?


Title: I paid too much for shitty furniture from a fraudulent craigslist ad. Can I take this to small claims court?

Question:
I have a screenshot of the ad with blatant lies about where he bought it and what material it is. I'm awkward so I didn't take enough time to inspect it before buying, but when I went home and set it up I started getting suspicious and then found it on Ikea's website for half of what I paid. Feel free to call me an idiot, but I'm mad ad this fraudulent asshole and would like to give him the option of Vendmo-ing me the difference between what I paid and the Ikea price, and let him know that otherwise I will take legal action. What action can I plausibly take? I realize it's probably not worth my time, but I'm angry, so I'd be willing to pay minor court fees and take some time to do this if needed. Thanks!
Topic:
Douche

Answer: So he said he bought it at Ethan Allen and he really bought it from IKEA? There would have to be some very specific deliberately deceptive, easily provable fraud here to have any kind of argument. Since the default is as is on used furniture I think the duty was on you to research and inspect the furnature. I think the road to climb would be just too much to go after him.


Title: I am 22, my oldest credit line 15.5 years old.

Question:
Was told to come and post here!

Title says it all. My parents have stolen money (from a joint bank account before 18 years old), and signed a lease for a car in my name at the age of 21 (that I never signed or was aware of until given to me after finalized). My name was on a credit card for a unknown amount of time without my knowledge until I removed it about a year ago. I've received mixed messages and advice from those around me about how to proceed.  My credit was below 500 about 6 months ago and I have been steadily raising it through the months on my own terms and froze my credit.

I have 4 items in collections due to health bills I've never seen because I am on my parents insurance, and they never paid. My boyfriend and I are moving up in our lives and hopefully will become a family soon, and I want to know what I can do about these credit lines I've never see, collection bills I never was aware of, and raising my credit score without being penalized.

Answer:
 > I have 4 items in collections due to health bills I've never seen because I am on my parents insurance, and they never paid.

Health bills for your treatment or that you cosigned, or health bills for your parents that you were never involved in? The distinction is important.

Much of this looks like parental identity theft, which is mundane enough that [r/personalfinance has a guide for that](https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/identity_theft). However, that only applies to fraudulent bills and accounts. If those health-care-related bills are legitimately yours, then "I never saw them" is no defence: you are supposed to follow up, and you will be responsible for them. The good news is that you can also get copies of the invoices and contracts, generally, by contacting the care providers.


Title: Is it legal for a tattoo shop owner to forewarn other tattoo shop owners about customers who duck out on payment? Kentucky.

Question:
We've got a customer trying to press charges on our shop for refusing to refund her deposit. It's posted all over the shop and in the paperwork. She bullied us into refunding her anyway claiming she could bring our business down. So we warned a fellow and friend artist about her refusal to follow shop rules and now she's claiming she can sue is for sharing personal info.

The only info we gave was her name.
Topic:
Business Law

Answer: Yeah she's full of it. Now pull a power move and post her and her boyfriends threats and bullying so they'll really get blacklisted.Answer #2: Am a lawyer but not your lawyer, yes this is totally okay and is very common in certain industries.  Landlords typically rely upon such an arrangement.  As long as its truthful (or a reasonable person in your position would think it was truthful even if wrong) its kosher.  If you think about it, this is how credit scores work.  Practical advice would be to be discrete about the info though since she might be some crazy tart with other crazy tart friends.Answer #3: ignore her.  you're aren't going to be charged with a crime and you can tell anyone you want what happened.  if she does sue you make sure you respond to the lawsuit


Title: Called to get a simple Car Insurance Quote and now am getting Bills and Cancellation notices in the mail.

Question:
I called the independent agency up and they admit it is their error and want me to print, sign and fax back a "Cancellation request / Policy Release form.....I think it's bullshit that I should have to sign anything when I never met them, gave them my billing info or signature etc.
What should I do?

Answer:
 This is not legal advice, this is just what you could do if you never gave them any information and didn't sign anything.

Tell them you gave no such information, never will, will not sign anything, and if they continue to harass you or damage your credit in any way with their mistake, you will tell the BBB, consumer protection agencies, and possibly report them to the government for fraud.

Whether they're legit or not, they will flee from you and you should never hear from them again.


Title: My child’s high school friends keep cutting down the trees in my yard

Question:
I am really lost at this point. I do not want to hurt my relationship with my son or his friends by calling police but what else can I do?  They run into our yard at night and use an axe. They whack at baby trees and then leave them fallen. I have talked to my son but he’s at the stage where he just laughs and tells me to “screw off.” I have called his friends parents but they say that their children would never cut down some one else’s trees.  I feel helpless, I have installed a camera to try and get hard evidence. I have a gate around the yard but they jump over it.

Please help, anything is appreciated

Answer: Get a camera, record them, and either show the parents, or take them to small claims court for the value of the trees. Also, not trying to give too much personal advice, but, you're a parent here, not your kids friend, sounds like he would be better off without these delinquents. The last thing you want is your son to join them doing this at someone else's place and have him come home in the back of a squad car, or worse.


Title: I'm a stripper. Last night I was assaulted by a customer and then fired by my boss immediately for it. What are my rights?

Question:
Last night a customer got handsy during a lap dance.
He held me and began sucking my neck. I tried to pull away but he held me close so that I could not even  move my head. I tried to move away SEVERAL times and he held me against my will. I then tried to remain calm and finished my dance.
Afterwards, I left the room, shaken up and crying.  My neck was bruised. My manager saw me, asked what happened. I told her and she called over the supervisor. My supervisor checked the footage of what happened. She came back and said "I saw the whole thing. You did not call for security. You smiled and continued your dance.  You were not held against your will. You're fired because you are adding too much drama."
I explained to her that due to the fact that he held me so tight as he sucked my neck, that when I tried to move my head was held in place so that I couldn't move my head. So on camera it may not look like I was being held against my will or that I was struggling.  I explained that I didn't feel safe calling for security and that I "smiled," just to get through the dance.
I was still fired on the spot.
My neck is covered in bruises.

Was I wrongfully terminated?
What are my rights?

Answer: What you described is assault, you can call the police and report it. Make sure to tell them that there are cameras that captured the event.Answer #2: You can sue the patron for any medical bills but the termination was legal.Answer #3: If you're an independent contractor, and properly classified as such, it's unlikely you have any recourse here. If you are an employee, or you are misclassified as an IC, you may have something here. It may not hurt to contact [BOLI](https://www.oregon.gov/boli/CRD/Pages/C_Crcompl.aspx) and see what they have to say.Answer #4: Based solely on what you posted, there may be a criminal element here as well. Contact the police and file a complaint. Depending on the details this could possibly be assault, disorderly conduct, or something in between.


Title: (Minnesota)I believe my uncle is stealing money from my grandpa and other clients and laundrying it through online business'

Question: My uncle that has never held a real job other then seasonal tax prep work is affording things he shouldnt be able too. He takes 2 Carnival Cruise rides per year, flights to AZ for Dove chocolate expos, vacations to MS and recently a brand new car. He keeps starting small business' that have no chance to succeed like a online tea store that sells the same tea you could buy at any Target. they fail and he declares bankrupcy then starts another one, he isnt dumb so he has to be benefiting somehow from them. the only client from all of his side business' and tax work that we know of is my grandpa, who has recently distanced himself from us and hides what is going in his life, like recently the city showed up and deemed his house a hazard but he did not contact anyone even though we could have done the work needed for free and it is our area of expertise. so i think my uncle is manipulating my grandpa and stealing money from him and when we try to talk to my grandpa about it he wont listen and says we should mind our own business. we have spoken to lawyers and private detectives but no one seems interested in taking the case.

Answer: Maybe you could look into social services to see if they can do a wellness check for elder abuse or something like that?Answer #2: In my experience, obfuscation generally means malfeasance. Yes, your uncle's lifestyle, lack of an obvious source of income, and multiple business's without a clear business model is something I would likely be required to report under AML statutes if they were a customer at the bank where I work. I don't have any advice other than to agree that something seems off here.


Title: [OH] What is the legality of lying to the news during an active shooter situation?

Question:
Asking out of curiosity. Don't bother looking the indidicual up because the interview has been taken down and it's just not cool to do so.

During the "active shooter situation" at OSU this morning, I was surprised to see a certain gentleman I know on the news being interviewed. This guy has a history of lying. A lot. He made up a story to get on camera, claiming he had a girlfriend in the dorm that was locked down. He definitely doesn't. This, while shady, is not what has riled me up.

What ticks me off is how he then described how this individual he knew was tear gassed and had to go to the hospital. This never happened, but he told it as truth when people still thought there were multiple shooters. He definitely contributed to escalating panic.

What's the legality on these sorts of things? I'm not planning on doing anything about it, but certainly this sort of thing can't be legal, right?

Answer: It isn't illegal to lie to the media and if his statements didn't cause harm I can't imagine he faces any legal penalties for making them. The university, on the other hand, may discipline him. Also, we know how to Wayback.


Title: Car accident, can the passenger sue?

Question:
My brother (19m) and his girlfriend (19f) got into a car accident 2 days ago. He was going southbound down a street, and was waiting in the middle lane to turn left into a parking lot. As he turned, an SUV going northbound hit him, and most of the damage was on the passenger side door.

The girlfriends step father got a lawyer, whom called my brother to tell him that she was taken to the hospital the next day to run tests, etc. My parents offered to take her right after the accident as well as these last 2 days, and she insisted she was fine with the exception of soreness (expected). She didnt agree to go to the doctor until the next day, because she told my brother that her insurance wouldnt cover baby x-rays. The lawyer told my brother it wasnt anything personal against him, and that the step dad was trying to take action against the insurance and get them to pay up.

I guess my question is, does it sound like they are trying to take advantage of my brother and get him to take full responsibility for her medical expenses (this was the first thing I thought of when she told us her insurance wouldnt cover x-rays)? Should we also get a lawyer?

(First post, sorry if I am lacking information or have bad formatting.)

Answer:
 They're not taking advantage. If your brother was at fault (and it sounds like he almost certainly was), he's liable for any damages his girlfriend has. His insurance will defend him and pay out to his policy limits.Answer #2: Yes, the injured woman can sue your brother, the driver of the other car, and anyone else she feels is responsible for her injuries.  Based on the facts you describe it appears your bother bears most if not all of the responsibility for the accident.

Your bother should report the accident to his insurance carrier, they should be able to resolve any claims against him.


Title: Stolen License Plate Renewal Sticker resulted in a ticket

Question: Someone stole the renewal sticker off my husband’s license plate. He had no idea it was missing until a cop pulled him over for it. My husband even showed the cop the receipt for the tag, but received a $135 fine anyways. Should we try to refute the ticket? (We live in Oklahoma)

Answer:
 Technically you are at fault. You failed to maintain the vehicle in a satisfactory roadworthy condition (specifically tags are current).

That said, take your day in court. Explain the situation to the judge. He or she may decide that your charges are dismissed with court costs (maybe without court costs), especially since you have to get a new sticker and would show that at court.

It sucks that someone had to be an asshat to you guys. Victims should not punished by the justice system. Sadly we have a legal system. Legal != Just


Title: [NC] Bought a house in June, found documentation proving the sellers knew about defects with the home caused by termites but claimed to have no knowledge on the property disclosure form.

Question:
I entered contract on 4/4/15 on this property and closed 6/19/15.  The otherday I discovered extensive termite damage to a portion of the home.  By a stroke of luck I found a document the sellers had left that was from a pest control company stating they had found active termites on the property as of 4/2/15.  The sellers filled out a property disclosure form (required in NC) and checked the box for "no" in reguards to having knowledge of active termites or unrepaired damage caused by termites.

NC is a Buyer Beware state so it is up to me to have all inspections done and such.  I did have a pest inspection but it showed no visible signs of active termites. This report also explicitly stated that it is unable to check behind walls and under foundations due to it being not visible.  The damage and active termites that were reported was behind the siding so the inspector would have never found it.  The seller also admitted to treating it himself which removed the visible signs of termites.

Throughout the entire buying process, the sellers never disclosed this information to me, the sellers agent, or the buyers agent.  Had it been disclosed, I would have definitely had the inspector performed a deeper inspection and the price would have definitely been renegotiated.  But, instead they decided to lie and I have documents proving they knew about it prior to accepting the contract.

They never had treatment done by a licensed professional (which I am told would be a requirement in a disclosure situation) and the damage was left unrepaired.  As such, I feel as thought they should be liable for covering the damage that was caused and not disclosed.  They blatantly lied and I have proof showing they lied, everyone we have talked to about the issue refused to comment on it and I just want to know if there is a case to be had where I am entitled to damages.  I have been advised to get a lawyer and I fully intend on it but I have been looking for an opinion on whether this case falls in my favor or not before I go out and start to spend a fortune on lawyer fees.

The closing attorney and other real estate lawyers that have been brought in on the matter are looking at this issue from the damage aspect and are resorting to the buyer beware clause.  However, the issue at hand is the fact that we have evidence proving the sellers failed to disclose important information and they lied about it on a legal document.  The disclosure of those facts would have vastly changed the outcome of the sale.

Answer:
 IANAL, but I am a Realtor. In my state, if you have proof that the seller was aware of a problem and didn't disclose it, they'd be liable for the repair. Buyer Beware only applies to what a prudent buyer would find in a routine inspection. So, giant hole in the roof that you can see sunlight through? Buyer beware. Termites in walls that you can't see that seller knew about? Totally different situation.

However, like I said, your state may be different.


Title: Does an eviction show up on your rental history/credit report if you’re not at fault and the landlord just wants to rent to their friend instead?

Question: This seems like a pretty simple straightforward thing, but I can’t find any sort of confirmation anywhere and just want to be sure.

Answer:
 If there’s been formal eviction proceedings, it will almost certainly show up on a credit history/report. Answer #2: > …if you’re not at fault and the landlord just wants to rent to their friend instead?

That wouldn't typically happen through an eviction. It would happen through your landlord declining to renew your lease at the end of the term -- which isn't an eviction.

If your landlord did evict you without a proper cause (e.g, a breach of the lease, damage to the property, nonpayment, _etc_), that would be an illegal eviction in most jurisdictions, and you could fight it in court if you wanted. An illegal eviction would be unlikely to be officially recorded.


Title: Roommate trying to get out of final two months of lease

Question:
I live with 3 others, in a college town in Colorado. One of my roommates is a college athlete who is deciding to transfer schools. Since he is doing so, he will no longer be on scholarship and cannot afford rent anymore (May would be his last month).

He talked to our landlord, and the landlord is okay with it. But the total monthly rent must stay the same ($1500). So we either have to find a new roommate for the last two months, or we are stuck paying $500 each instead of $375 for the final two months.

My question is, is this legal? He signed a lease at the beginning of the rental year (Aug. 1). Isn't he obligated to continue with that?

How should my other two roommates and I proceed?

Thanks for the help.

Answer:
 tell him to find a replacement for himself or pay or you'll sue him in small claims.

LL doesn't have anything to do with it. and he won't care so long as he gets his money.


Title: Landlord / Parent of Roomate wants to evict me for tobacco use.

Question:
SO, this is a kinda complicated situation.

I live in a Montana condo that I rent from a landlord, who also has his two daughters (my friends) living in the property. I signed a lease, his daughters are not on the lease and live there on his generosity.

I have been known to occasionally smoke on the back porch, and he is VERY anti tobacco. I want to say the lease said "no smoking" but the details of whether it said inside the house, on the property or any specifics escape me, and I'm unable to check because he never gave me a copy of the lease. Additionally, being that his daughter lives there, himself and his wife show up at the house without warning at random times throughout the week, literally without even a knock.

A few months ago, he got word I had smoked cigarettes on the property and had a sit down talk with me about my tobacco use. Expressed that he did not approve, and that he expected me to stop and comply with the lease. I mentioned I never got a copy, we agreed I would stop my tobacco use and he would get me a copy of the lease and be better about giving notice before showing up to the condo. that was that.

Well,  being an addict to the cancer sticks I didnt stop, and last week he walked in with his daughter, and my tobacco pipe was sitting on the kitchen table, he apparently smelled it, and his daughter/ my roomie  now tells me he is going to have a talk with me over the weekend.

Im worried he may take punitive action/ threaten to kick me out over this, and I want to know what strength i might have against him being that I never received a copy of the lease, and he shows up without notice (the lease did mention that he must provide me notice) several times a week.

kinda a messy situation, definitely not a typical landlord-tenant relationship, any advice is appreciated.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 If you are violating the lease then you could be evicted. I don't know if you are since you didn't bother getting a copy of the contract you signed.

As for them.coming over you are right that as landlords they need to give notice, however your roommate is free to have her parents over to the house as often as she likes and she doesn't need to notify you of guests.


Title: [Tempe, AZ] Boss [46M] demanded that I [22M] buy underwear for him, is there any legal way to prevent him doing this?

Question:
This is a throwaway for privacy.

Sorry if this is a bit left-field, but hey,. My boss has been demanding for the past 3 weeks that I buy him underwear and champagne, on the company credit card, and threatened me with termination if I don't get it done by next week. He also has demanded we go to London together and spend the night in a hotel.

The boss owns the company, no boss's boss, it's a local marketing firm.

The boss is married and has a teenage son.

I'll be honest, I don't know what legal recourse I have at this stage, am I in a fire-at-will state (know nothing about which states are this, only been in AZ all my life, well, for residence purposes that is) so I know little about employment law in this issue/context.
Seeking some advice on the issue;cheers, guys.
Topic:
Labor Law (Unions)

Answer: Find an attorney who is familiar with sexual harassment in the workplace, and get a free consultation with them.Answer #2: How many employees does the company have?Answer #3: What is your role for this company? Are you a personal assistant? Requiring you to go with him on a business trip is not necessarily sexual harassment, it very well could be, but having an assistant on a business trip isn't uncommon.


Title: Landlord asks for rent, then begins renovations. [USA - TN]

Question:
Short of it, my landlord has begun renovation on a house I'm currently living in to continue to collect rent during the renovation.

This is my last month living in a house with a strictly verbal agreement that the landlord was interested in doing renovations, and that he understood I wanted to be out of the house before they began. The shower has been in need of repairs since I had moved in (2017), and there has been visible mold on it. The other day, I arrived to my home (after receiving a text that day or the day prior that the landlord had asked about our rent that had been paid, and he deposited the check) to find the bathroom gutted and my belongings in the bathroom thrown about, my clothes in the closet adjacent to the shower thrown about, and everything within a path to the bathroom thrown about. There is also no running water throughout the house.
After discussing with him, I get bullshit - "I thought you had moved out already," "We can work something out about the rent," and "I didn't see any mold - no one in town tests for that." I'm a biologist, so I know what mold is, and he continues to play stupid on everything despite having deposited the check to ensure he's collecting rent during a renovation period.
What should be my first steps? I've considered contacting the health dept., but should I get a police report (I'm in Memphis, and the police here are very inactive/resistant to responding to anything like this.) I don't want to fight a legal battle in court, as it would likely end up being more expensive in the end, and I have a job to manage. I've been out of town, but my plan is to just move everything out first thing. I have also attempted to cancel the rent check he deposited through the bank, as the deposit is actually less, so if I can manage to get it and he takes the, then whatever, I got a bit more back than I would have if he even intended on giving the deposit back. I've taken photos and video of the water not working.

Sorry for the ramble, just in a bit of rage for something so shitty to come up during a chaotic week of travel and work. If anyone has advice on how to best manage this, I'd be grateful.

Answer: No running water would certainly make the unit uninhabitable. If the unit is uninhabitable, he has to put you up in similar accommodations, or let you out of your lease with a refund of rent paid for time you won't be there.  Seems like you're in a good position here.


Title: Dea waited for me to buy drugs to take my guns and gun rights away

Question: U don't understand how if I use a little drugs and have firearms in my house or safe how my second amendment and 30 to 40 guns can be taken I feel like they made an excuse to come search my house didn't look for what they said they were looking for and went rite after my guns. It's the best and only memory's I have of my dad and the outdoor lifestyle we lived.

Answer:
 Ok...

Use punctuation.

 The sentimental attachment to the weapons is meaningless when you're breaking federal law. Despite what the states have signed into law, marijuana still remains federally illegal. A responsible firearm owner will know this. You took a risk and it caught up to you. Sucks.

DEA isn't busting people for "a little drugs." They don't give a shit about somebody smoking a joint once in a while. What aren't you telling us? What are you leaving out?


Title: [Florida, USA] Workplace bag checks entering/exiting.

Question:
The phrasing is typically, "I need to see your bag," or "let me see your bag."

If this is all good then I'm fine, it just feel gross. Is this legal?

I got a copy of the standard operating procedures page:

Policy:

For safety and security Bag checks are required daily and/or randomly to ensure that hotel property is not leaving the building without proper authorization.

Procedures:

The security team is responsible for conducting bag checks for team members entering and exiting the building. Team members must enter/exit the hotel by the authorized and approved location provided by the hotel.

For team members exiting the building, Security will be instructed to search for any hotel items trying to be removed without a package pass (see package pass SOP). Only unopened Food and Beverage products may be taken out of the property, no alcoholic beverages.

Ensure that all Security Officers are utilizing gloves and have a wand and/or stick to assist in the bag check. Security Officers should never reach their hand(s) into a team member's bag. Ask the team member to open their bag and any compartments, if necessary. If needed, the team member may have to empty the contents of the bag onto the table top.

In the event that a team member refuses to show bag contents, the security Officer will contact the manager on duty and the Director of Security to assist accordingly. If team member refuses to follow bag check policy & procedures, the result will lead to disciplinary action up to and not limiting termination.
In the situation that any hotel item is found in the team member's belongings and there is no package pass, the Security Officer is to immediately contact the team member's Department Head, Manager, Director of Security abd People Development leader. The team member is to be asked to wait and speak with the responding manager. If the team member refuses to wait and leaves prooerty, the result could lead to disciplinary action up to termination.

Answer: Yup. You have no right to be protected from search on your employees property as a security measure when entering/exiting. You likely can be fired for not complying.


Title: /r/LegalAdvice End of the Year Survey

Answer:
 You didn't have law enforcement as a profession category. I was forced to pick "government," as "legal" didn't seem appropriate. :(Answer #2: > "Country of Residence"

But where do I live?Answer #3: The list of memes is missing a "Oh, of course it was Florida" entry.


Title: Friend's husband filed for divorce because she wanted an unassisted pregnancy/birth. She had an unassisted pregnancy but he peeped on her from outside the house and called the cops pretending to be a neighbor and she was forced to go to the hospital. Idaho.

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 Your friend is a nut and if she wants any chance of regaining some sort of custody, she is going to need to cooperate with CPS, accept her responsibility in this mess, and make some big changes in her life and her thinking.

They aren't trying to "punish her for the unassisted birth."  Her first step (and yours) is to stop believing such unadulterated bullshit.


Title: [Michigan] Can I trust a cop who says he'll take care of my misdemeanor paraphernalia charge in exchange for ratting on my dealer?

Question: I recently got caught by the police smoking marijuana with a friend. The officer seemed relatively friendly and only gave me a city ordinance misdemeanor for drug paraphernalia. He then took me aside and told me that if I told him who was sold me the marijuana he'd take care of the misdemeanor for me, and then gave me his number to call him on tuesday. I'm willing to give up my dealer, I don't particularly like the guy and he's doing it so brazenly he'll be caught eventually anyways. What I'm wondering is if I should get a lawyer involved to handle this or if this is something that I can work out on my own. Is this situation trustworthy or am I likely to be screwed over is basically what I'm asking.

Answer: This type of situation is pretty common.  In all likelihood, the police officer will do exactly as he/she says.  However, it is always best to have an attorney help you make the agreement.  Before you contact the police officer again, you need to hire an attorney.Answer #2: I used to live in Michigan and got the same deal, I didn't rat out my dealer and after a year of probation I got off with a clean record. If it's your first offense than just take the probation and fines and don't be a narc. It'll probably get back to the guy that it was you anyway. It's not worth it.