Title: FL: Is it worth it to sue for defamation?

Question:
My wife lost her dad a couple months after he got remarried after his wife died. She and her brother split his ~$30,000 life insurance policy. They each gave her $2k each to help her with expenses since she didn't go back to work for a substantial amount of time.

Some 2 years later now, she has started a GoFundMe page asking for money so she can get a service animal. At the end of this post, she offhandedly points out that "Keep in mind I got nothing for my husbands death. His kids kept it all."

So I have a few questions:

1. With the right proof (aka a copy of the check my wife cut her) is this defamation of character?

2. Is it worth it? My aunt is an attorney so attorneys fees will be minimal. But court costs and whatever else is entailed when suing someone, my fear is my wife wins and gets nothing because she's asking for an animal on GoFundMe.

3. There's some family drama with this woman that has nothing to do with the law that I'll leave out unless it's important. But when her dad died, the new wife  took all his physical possessions, including things that belonged to my wife's mom. Are physical property legally up for grabs in a case like this?

Thanks for any info you can offer me.

Answer: Not defamation. Move on.Answer #2: It's not worth it. Defamation suits are rarely worth it. How are you damaged?


Title: My mother passed away and her current husband is trying to take her life insurance from my father.

Question:
This is taking place in Colorado.

My mother remarried back in 2016.

Tuesday of last week my mother passed away due to sudden liver problems. It came has a surprise to all and we are now picking up the pieces.

Friday we learned that she had a $15,000 life insurance policy through her work that was left to my father and not her new husband. We will never know if she did this on purpose because of the debt she left him with or simply forgot to change it after her divorce in 2012. Anyone can counter argue either point. I’m not trying to assume her wishes.

My father was going to do distribute those funds to my sister and I 50/50 to pay for the services (after we figure out if he will be charged taxes) and other things pertaining to the funeral.

Her current husband went down with the marriage license and divorce decree stating he wanted the funds given to him. The woman obliged and is now working on getting him the funds.

I believe that him taking the divorce decree is illegal as that information is only between my mom, dad, and lawyers involved. If he wanted a copy he had to ask the court for it and not just take my mother’s from her personal paperwork.

Am I wrong about him being able to have my mothers divorce decree from 2012? Can my father still claim the money because he is the original beneficiary? What do I need to do to stop this if I am able?

Thank you for taking the time to answer and give advice.

Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Colorado statutes say a divorce or annulment revokes beneficiary designations to the former spouse.  The life insurance policy is treated as if the former spouse died before the spouse whose life was insured.  COLO. REV. STAT. section 15-11-804

The current husband is going to get the money.*

*edit*  ...gets the money if he is the sole beneficiary of his wife's estate and there is no named secondary beneficiary of the policyAnswer #2: > Am I wrong about him being able to have my mothers divorce decree from 2012?

Yes. A divorce decree is a public record.

> Can my father still claim the money because he is the original beneficiary?

No (as others have said).

> What do I need to do to stop this if I am able?

You can't. Sorry.


Title: [Indiana] My license plate pretty much says "pull me over", what can I do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Dont do anything illegal and until you get your own car in your own name you'll have to deal with the inconvenience Answer #2: Have your driver's license and registration ready, be polite, keep you hands where the officer can see them, be patient.

And don't drink if you are driving, don't drive if you've been drinking.


Title: "To not have contact with person under the age of 16"

Question:
Locafion: Quebec, Canada

My ex-wife tried to ruin my life by claiming that I can molested our son. By the time this case reached a judge the case was thrown out because the police had violated my rights on top of lacking evidence. Obviously I was happy to have this weight off my back having been an innocent man trapped into a court system which favours the mother of children.

I have no criminal charges because of this outcome, but I was obligated to enter into a "Recognizance to keep the public order." My lawyer claimed I had no way of avoiding this and even as an innocent person accused of a horrible crime and having had my rights violated that I would need to enter into this for a period of 12 months.

My question refers to a specific condition listed in this document, which "prohibits from having any contact, including communicating through any means, a person under the age or 16."

This was not a problem at the moment because I was single and had no intentions of falling into love and a relationship again after experiencing this horrible 2-year nightmare. I am now in a loving relationship with a wonderful women and mother to her children who treats me with respect and much better than my ex-wife.

She wants me to meet her children which I very much want to do because it will be an important step in our relationship, especially if her and I plan to marry and for a blended family at some point in the future.

Do these conditions prevent me from being in the presence of her children? I have explained the situation to her and we have only been meeting after her children are on bed at her flat, or she has visited me at my flat. I do not want to loose this women and this is not something I could have imagined when I entered into this agreement.

Answer: I think that coming into contact with your new girlfriend's children would pretty explicitly violate the terms of the agreement as you described it. I sympathize with your situation, but this is something that you really want to contact an attorney about and work through it with them; why risk your freedom by being careless? It sounds like you've got a good thing going here; spend the time to work through it safely.


Title: Idaho - Shoplifting ~$450 from Wal-Mart

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Listen to your attorney.  Do not attempt to make any arguments yourself.  Let them do the talking.


Title: Do Judges/Justices who don't take part in a decision even listen to the arguments?

Question:
Sorry if this type of post isn't allowed. Not quite looking for advice, just some clarification on the Supreme Court.

I was just reading the Supreme Court opinion on Chavez-Meza v United States. Breyer delivered the opinion, and Roberts, Thomas, Ginsburg, and Alito joined. Kennedy dissented, which Sotomayor and Kagan joined. Gorsuch "took no part in the consideration or decision of the case."

When a judge takes no part in the consideration or decision of a case, does that mean that they are literally not in the room when the case is argued? Or do they listen to the arguments but refrain from asking their own questions?

Answer:
 Normally, they’re literally not in the room. Any conceivable effect their presence would have would be a bad one (since the whole point of recusal is “they should have no influence on the case”), so their time is literally better spent watching cat videos on Youtube than sitting on the bench.Answer #2: It's my understanding that Gorsuch recused himself from this case. There could be a quite a few different reasons but it's most likely that he did so due to the fact that he was a justice for the Court of Appeals of the 10th Circuit which is where this case was appealed through. He may have had some previous, tangential connection to this case or he may personally know people involved in it. More likely than not, there's a reason that he would rather not let the world know about and rather than allow that to affect the trial he removed himself entirely.

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure about where Gorsuch would physically be, but I think it would be highly inappropriate for him to be present and observing during oral arguments even if he was not participating. The appearance of a judge who has recused themselves could very easily influence a trial and as a result, I think he was probably absent. Even the facial gestures of a justice could influence a hearing, so I think it would be a very poor practice for Gorsuch to even orbit a hearing that he's uninvolved with.


Title: [NJ/NY] Psycho ex I have OOP against taking me to small claims court for $900

Question:
I've been consistently harassed by a mentally ill ex for seven months now since I broke up with him last December. Soon after I broke up with him he spiraled and threatened to sue me over gifts he bought me, for airfare he bought for the both of us on his credit card for a trip we were supposed to go on, etc. I told him to fuck off and he wasn't getting anything out of me for gifts.

A week or so later he contacts me again apologizing, saying he only threatened to take me to small claims court because he was angry I broke up with him and that I can use the credit he got for the airfare for a future flight. Also said he was no longer taking me to small claims and told me blatantly that everything he ever bought me is mine. I have evidence of him saying all of this.

I don't respond to that email but he continues harassing me. Threatens to never stop harassing me unless I get back with him, he publishes a picture of me in my underwear on the internet.. a bunch of crazy shit. Then, he again asks for his belongings back. This time it's a fit bit and his socks that he left in my room. I tell him it is not my responsbility to return the fit bit as it was a gift however I will return it as a courtesy to him if he pays for the shipping label.

He then goes on a tangent claiming that he only let me borrow his fit bit and that he wants ti "give it to my new boyfriend who cares about me". Dude is clearly unhinged so once I get the shipping label he starts more shit trying to bait me to talk to him, sending shit to my friends trying to get them mad at each other etc. So I decide to go to my university police and file a police report. I told them that I shipped back the items he asked for and asked if the officer I spoke to could call him and tell him that, and to cease contact with me since I sent the items.

Once the officer called my ex apologized and said he would stop contacting me. A month later he starts again by making fake profiles on Grindr to talk to me. I'm not an idiot and knew it was him so I responded saying I'm going to the police and reporting him, again. He begs me not to go but I go anyway and file another report, they advise me to file for a restraining order.

He began calling and harassing me again using fake numbers to ask me if I'm going to the police so right then and there I went back, filed another police report and had them call him again directing him to stop to which he apologized to the officer and me for harassing me and then texted me saying "fuck you for going back to the police" immediately after the phone hung up. He then threatened to kill himself over me and that "the police can't stop me" which made me get the restraining order.

I now have a temprary restraining order against him however I opened my mail yesterday to find a summons he filed with small claims asking I give him back $900 for gifts, the items I sent back to him already, the airfare, a fucking toothbrush, clothes of his that I threw out after he only asked me for three things back which I gave back to him, etc.

I've filed a harassment claim as this is the definition of a frivolous lawsuit and I have proof of him threatening to take me to small claims if I don't talk to him before, in addition to him saying everything is mine, me sending his belongings back with confirmation by my police, and plainly saying he wouldn't take me to court and only threatened to because he's bitter. I'm not sure if I will win as you have a right to sue anyone however given the circumstances I've been told I have a chance. What do you guys think, about a potential harassment charge/restraining order violation and his chances in small claims?

Answer:
 It's unfortunately not frivolous. It states a claim and seeks a remedy that can be awarded by the courts, and the factual basis is at least open to discussion. You're going to have to go to court and actually present a defence, although "he's my ex and he's expecting me to give back gifts, things I already returned, and airfare for his travel during our relationship, none of which I ever agreed to repay" is a pretty solid defence. You can likely raise the issue that he may be retaliating against you for filing a restraining order, but even under a TRO your ex is allowed to sue you.

It'll be frivolous when he re-files the same suit after it's dismissed with prejudice, though.


Title: [Canada] I’m a student with a Canada-based startup looking to hire my close friend as my employee based out of India; do I need anything other than a standard employment contract to hire a foreign-based employee?

Question:
I’m a Canadian student running an academic planning consulting business for both domestic uni students as well as international students coming to Canada for university. My close friend (a Canadian PR and an Indian national) is going to be based out of Delhi, India and meeting with clients there who are coming to Canada for school. I’m drafting an employment contract for him, but I’m wondering if the contract needs to contain anything outside of the norm because this is an employee based in a foreign country? And follow up question, will he pay taxes in India or in Canada as an employee of my business?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 You don't need anything special. You should probably set it up so he is a contractor rather than an employee. He would pay his taxes in India.

Make sure none of what you are doing crosses the line into immigration consulting, which is strictly regulated in Canada.


Title: My neighbor(30M) (and previous drug dealer) has attempted to make a move on me(17F). I’m afraid he’s not only been stalking me, but attempting to get me high to have sex with me on multiple occasions and i need help.

Question:
For the past few months, I’ve been neighbors with a drug dealer, I’ve known this for some time, and I needed a new plug so i contacted him. He was asking me what i needed, and then asked if i was underage. I said yes, and i’d be turning 18 next may and he said he’s been wanting to fuck me ever since I moved in and it IMMEDIATELY scared me, i have extremely strict parents so i cant alert them to anything i’ve said. Any help here?
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer: Stay away from him?Answer #2: Stop using illegal drugs and avoid him


Title: (North Carolina) off duty cop from another city forced my girlfriend to take a drug test, then refused to leave when I declined. Screamed outside of the apartment and hit door repeatedly. The cop is my girlfriends dad.

Question:
This is kind of crazy. My (20f) sister died two weeks ago unexpectedly. My girlfriend (21) and I found her. My gf’s father is a cop from another city (about 3 hours away) and offered to come see her (“as her father, not a cop”) because he knows how traumatic it is to see a dead body and he wanted to comfort her.

The following morning (less than 24 hrs after my sisters death) he shows up with 2 at home drug tests he got from cvs (we don’t even have a cause of death at this time) to my girlfriends apartment. I was extremely offended and refused to take mine, as did my girlfriend. Then her dad refused to leave unless we took them. He started to yell at her (they were both outside of the apartment, I was inside locked in her bedroom) and forced her to take hers (which came back clean). I still refused to take mine, and he was refusing to leave unless I took it.

At this point he was outside and my girlfriend and I were inside. I started screaming from inside my girlfriends apartment telling her that he needs to leave because I just need time to grieve and he’s making my mental state much worse, and also that he was scaring me. Then he started screaming through the door for us to open it up, and he was hitting the door over and over (it sounded like he was goin to break it down). I was so scared that I locked myself in the bathroom and called my friend (we’ll call her B) to pick me up. My girlfriend then went outside because he wouldn’t stop screaming/hitting the door.

For about 5 minutes my girlfriends father is standing out there screaming at her and B runs up to hug my girlfriend. When my girlfriend tried to hug B, her father physically pulled B off of my girlfriend (who, again, is a legal adult). B got me out of the apartment but my girlfriends father wouldn’t let her leave. My girlfriend had to escape an hour later by running out of her apartment barefoot (into B’s car) and he chased after her.

What action can we pursue? I want to report this to his branch and have him fired. If he’s like this OUT of uniform, what does he act like while IN uniform? His name is also on my girlfriends lease, though, so we don’t know if that changes anything.

I’ll clarify anything I need to. This is a crazy situation so I’m sorry if the story is hard to follow.

Answer:
 You can report his actions to his department but he didn’t seem to exert his authority as a cop vs a father. It likely won’t go anywhere.

You could have done other things in the moment, but that’s passed.Answer #2: you should have called the police when he was there making a ruckus and identified him as a LEO from another jurisdiction who was there verbally abusing you during a sensitive time and physically assaulting his daughter.  Likely local PD would have come down and de-escalated the situation and gotten him to leave.

At this point, you could report that he harassed you and your girlfriend and B and have a criminal complaint issued, but that may do more harm than good at this point.

&#x200B;

On a more personal note, I'm so very sorry for you and your family.  May your sister's memory always bring you comfort and be a blessing to you.Answer #3: You can file a police report where you live. You can also file a complaint with his local police department. Calling the cops would have been the best thing at the time. Unless you have a disposable income, and lots of evidence it is unlikely anything will come of this. Next time he shows up call the cops.


Title: Speeding ticket, cop left visual comparison checkbox unchecked. Can I get out of it? [Maryland]

Question:
This is in I recently got a speeding ticket, going 65 in a 40. Baltimore County PD. There is a section that says

> "I solemnly affirm under the penalty of perjury that the content of the foregoing document is true and correct to the best of my knowledge, information and belief and I personally served this summons on the defendant named above.

> **[ ] Visual comparison was made between defendant and their id/license.**

That checkbox, right next to "Visual Comparison", was left blank. However, in that same section, the cop signed it (in the designated signature field) and put his ID number. It's probably not a technicality which can get me out of the ticket, but I thought I would ask.

Answer:
 Clerical errors do not get you out of tickets.

Were you speeding? (I ask this because if you show up to court to argue that the cop didn't tick the box he's simply going to say "yeah, that's the guy I saw speeding" and that's it.


Title: Fake ID Charge in St. Louis, MO

Question:
I'm a 19 year old college student in St. Louis, Missouri.  About a month ago I got my fake ID confiscated by the police during a Cardinals game at Busch Stadium.  Tomorrow is the date of my court hearing.  I was only cited for possession of the fake ID, which had my picture and name on, just a different birthdate and address.  I do not have a lawyer, can anyone offer any advice?

edit: I also have a clean record.

Thanks

Answer: At your court date tomorrow, ask for a continuance so you can retain counsel. Then get a lawyer and follow their advice. Ask your parents for financial help if needed, you don't want to face criminal charges without representation.


Title: Car Dealership made a 6000$ Mistake

Question: Went to trade in a car I was 6000$ under on to buy a Honda Odyssey (just had a daughter.) Anyway they got us approved, or so they said and we took off with the new van. Had to come back a week later and turns out the financing fell through. They then said don’t worry they’re getting it worked out and let me go again. All they needed was a 2,000$ down payment and a raise on my APR. I refused and eventually got down to a 500$ down payment and no raise in APR, then they let me go off again. They then ignored my calls and even visits to their offices repeatedly saying the manager was out of the office (this is actually a large well known dealership.) I finally caught them by contacting the bank they originally financed my through and the bank was very cooperative and let me know they had definitely denied me the line of credit with no exceptions for down payments, increase in APR or anything. I then went to the dealership and refused to leave and finally got to speak to the manager. Turns out we had been denied, but they had already sold off my trade in to auction and a lemon lot purchased it, then a customer purchased the car from the lemon lot. So my car was completely gone and the deal had been broken on our new vehicle. So he tried to offer a better deal with a different bank but at this point I was done dealing with them and said no and gave them the keys and left. Now they are trying to say I’m going to have to reinstate my loan on my old car even though it’s already sold off. However I contacted the bank and they said there’s no way they could do that unless I give them permission. So I told the dealer I wouldn’t give them permission as I didn’t want my trade in back after it had been sold off because I have no idea what the new guy did to it! Now they’re trying to say their lawyers will be contacting me. Is there anything they can really do or are they just trying to strong arm me because they basically paid off my car before they could finance me? Thanks in advance

Answer:
 You took spot-delivery of the car. This means they believed you would qualify for the financing and let you take the vehicle instead of waiting the 3-5 days for it to be finalized. The offset of that is that if you do not qualify for financing, the deal is undone and you may have to pay the dealership for use of the car.

The financing fell through. They asked you to pay more and agree to a higher APR to try and get it through another one of their lenders. Again, you did not qualify.

You have now said you want to walk away from the deal, and since they cannot get you financed they agree. But you do not want your trade-in back and do not want your old loan on it either. So you owe the dealership the amount they paid on your loan, less your down payment, less the value they sold your car for. And if you do not pay it, they will take you to court.Answer #2: What a mess. They can definitely sue you, and they have a pretty good argument that you owe them $6000, even though it was their incompetence that led to this scenario.

I don't think you'd come out ahead in court (though I'd be happy to be proven wrong). Considering their mistake, I would see if they'd be willing to roll some of that cost into the financing of a different car. Not a new car this time (hopefully you've learned your lesson there), but a much cheaper used car. Maybe they'd be willing to eat 1-2K and sell you a used car off the lot.


Title: Illegal eviction by co-tenant

Question:
In a thread on the relationships subreddit, someone suggested an illegal eviction of a (probably) cheating girlfriend - change the locks, put her stuff in storage while she's out of town.  I commented that changing the locks was generally illegal as she's lived there long enough to establish tenancy.  Someone responded and suggested that it was probably ok to do because the tenant probably won't know her rights or won't be able to afford to fight it, and that the laws were generally written to protect you from you landlord, not a co-tenant, so that the OP wouldn't be liable for as much.

This seems unlikely - allowing your roommates to evict you by changing the locks just because they aren't the landlord seems like an obvious loophole that the laws would cover.  Google gave me lots of results about landlords evicting illegally, but didn't go into much detail about what a co-tenant would be liable for.

Can anyone shed some light on the subject for me?

Answer:
 > I commented that changing the locks was generally illegal as she's lived there long enough to establish tenancy.

You are correct.

> Someone responded and suggested that it was probably ok to do because the tenant probably won't know her rights or won't be able to afford to fight it,

No. That is laughingly incorrect. In fact, though while it may be a PITA for the victim to pursue, depending on the jurisdiction, they can be awarded *TRIPLE* damages from people who pull this crap.

The victim here should contact the landlord who should correct the situation, otherwise the landlord can be liable as well.


Title: My (24) friend (25) needs medical care, but lives in an abusive home

Question: Okay, so I'm 24. My friend is 25. We are from Xenia, Ohio, USA. They live in an abusive home. They have no way of escaping right now. They are unable to work right now either. My friend has an ongoing medical issue that needs attention, but their parents won't take them to see a doctor for it. This issue is also heavily affecting their mental health and it's getting worse everyday (this issue has been going on for 2 years now). My first question is, does this friend have a right to go to a doctor/urgent care/ER (while on their father's insurance) without their parents consent, thus charging up money on their parents account? Can the parents seek any action against my friend? Also, if we instead chose to go secretly to the doctor and not use his insurance and the bill still went to their address, can the parents take legal action against my friend? Also can the parents take any legal action against me for driving them to the doctor/hospital and helping them? Sorry if this is a weird/complicated case. We're both at a loss on what to do. Also, I'm also unemployed for personal reasons, so I cannot financially help with this situation, other than driving them to where they need to go.

Answer:
 He can go to the doctor at any time without parents permission....he is an adult for God's  sake. He can use the insurance he is on and it will be charged to HIS name no matter whose insurance is primary.  Even if the bill went to his address and the parents found out they have no damages. Unless he is a vulnerable adult( disabled or mentally handicapped) that is in which case you need to call adult protective services.

The only way you havr any liability is if he is a mentally handicapped person that can't take care of himself. Even then if you take him to the hospital, I cant see you being arrested for kidnapping.Answer #2: He can see a doctor whenever he wishes and does not need his parents permission. They can not do anything to you for helping.

It isn't clear if he is on his parents insurance, but any bill will be his to pay, not his parents. Whatever insurance doesn't cover will still be his responsibility.

Emergency rooms are for actual medical  emergencies, so his best bet is to look at his insurance card and contact member services. They can help him find a primary care practitioner to help him coordinate any specialty services.

He is 25 years old. There is no reason for someone of sound mind and body to not be able to 'escape' their parent's home at that age. If he is physically abused, he should call the police if he is threatened or assaulted. He can stay in a shelter, or at least get in touch with a social worker to help him identify resources on finding a job and housing on his own.


Title: What is the legal considerations surrounding freelance sperm donation?

Question: I have been propositioned by an acquaintance to purchase my sperm to inseminate her.  I'm not necessarily against it; I could use the money.  My concern is that I want absolutely no duty to her or any child created from the transaction.  Going through a cryobank or donation center I know these protections are offered to donors, but doing the process independently no doubt is a trickier situation legally.  Is there any form of binding legal contract that we could sign that would absolve me of duty and responsibility to children born of this transaction or is it the best policy to simply not do this?

Answer:
 Doing so outside of a medical facility is not legally tricky at all, you would be 100% the legal father and responsible for child support to the same extent as any other non custodial parent Answer #2: If you do it independently, you're gonna be a father.

There is no way to DIY this.


Title: Overly Strict Pet Sitting Contract?

Question:
Hi. I've been hired for a part-time pet-sitting service in my area in NJ. They consider themselves "elite" and put a lot into their service. However, the contract is frighteningly severe in places. There are two points that concern me:

\- The non-compete says that you can't pet-sit anywhere, in any way, for 12 months after termination (by either party), and another 12 months after that if you're within a 50-mile radius of their current or future service areas.

\- Any violation of the contract results in paying the company 1 year's salary, determined by the average of the 6 highest months on record for the employee multiplied by 12.

&#x200B;

I've had less imposing non-competes working for major companies in serious industries. This is for part-time work—they require you to have a primary income because the money is meant to be supplementary. I don't plan on staying in this area of NJ forever, and I'd like the option of pet-sitting (low-key, not "elite") in the future to supplement my income wherever I am. How on earth can you hold people accountable within a 50-mile radius of \*future\* service areas? Should I be concerned about this contract?

Answer:
 >The non-compete says that you can't pet-sit anywhere, in any way, for 12 months after termination (by either party), and another 12 months after that if you're within a 50-mile radius of their current or future service areas.

Completely ridiculous for a pet sitting service. I've worked in tech jobs where I was privy to trade secrets and had NCA's with less limitations...

Don't sign that shit..

&#x200B;Answer #2: >Should I be concerned about this contract?

Yes, if you intend on quitting and pet sitting in the future.  It may seem like an arbitrary and mean spirited clause, but it is there to prevent employees from making side deals with their client base and undercutting the business.

The paying back money part likely couldn't be enforced.Answer #3: A question for those who are more knowledgeable; would a NCA that broad be enforceable? Especially considering OP won't receive any special training or information as a part time pet sitter?Answer #4: If they're trying to screw you hard from the beginning they probably have much tricks up their sleeves that you don't want to deal with.    You'll probably be happier skipping this nonsense and working elsewhere.Answer #5: I really doubt that such a NCA is enforceable.  A company cannot create indentured servants just because they don't want to pay proper wages.

But, as they say,I'm not a lawyer.

However, the guys who wrote this are, and I'm sure that there are other lawyers as well who can address this.

[https://www.jerseyemploymentlawyers.com/non-compete-agreement.html](https://www.jerseyemploymentlawyers.com/non-compete-agreement.html)

&#x200B;


Title: Friend wrongfully detained by Walmart security (Colorado)

Question:
Colorado.

Posting here because this is an already-resolved issue, just curious how it could have played out.

Situation:  Friend sent some photos his wife took to a large chain store to be printed poster size.  When he went to pick the posters up, the person working the print counter called the police and reported him for copyright infringement, and two security employees came to the counter and refused to let him leave while they waited for the police.  Apparently wife's signature w/ maiden name was on the photos, which led employees to think friend was printing photos taken by a commercial artist without permission.

Police never showed up, and my friend was able to convince employees after about twenty minutes that his wife took the photos, and went on his way.

The only law I can find on point allowing store employees to stop someone (http://codes.findlaw.com/co/title-18-criminal-code/co-rev-st-sect-18-4-407.html) appears to only cover suspected theft.  So my suspicion is that the store was in the wrong to detain him for suspected copyright infringement (although the store could have refused to print the photos and asked him to leave).  As an attorney with IP experience, the whole concept of a store calling local police over a copyright issue is hilarious to me.

Questions:

-Was this a bad stop by the store?

-My instinct, had I been in this guy's situation, would be to call 911, tell them I'm being wrongly detained, and request an officer come over.  Would that be a good course of action?

Answer:
 I'd contact corporate. It doesn't seem to me like they have any legal recourse against Wal-Mart as I doubt there were any damages, but you'd be surprised how far a strongly worded letter detailing how they were held against your will and promise that your friend and "x" photographer will no longer be doing businesses with your photo department due to their incompetence will go.Answer #2: > As an attorney with IP experience, the whole concept of a store calling local police over a copyright issue is hilarious to me

As a former policeman with being outside experience, I'm just as entertained as you are, except I'd have gone to the call, parked on the curb with my lights on, dashed into the building baton in-hand and declared "I'm here to fix a COPYRIGHT EMERGENCY!"

This could be why I'm out now.

>-Was this a bad stop by the store?

Eeehhhh.... yeah I'm gonna go with yes. Commercial copyright infringement is an offence, but they had no reason to detain him. The store knows who he is, they've got him on tape and his name's on the work order. There's nothing to be gained by detaining him.

>-My instinct, had I been in this guy's situation, would be to call 911, tell them I'm being wrongly detained, and request an officer come over. Would that be a good course of action?

IDK about the 911 part because how that number works is jurisdiction-specific, but yes if you think someone is illegally detaining you, you should definitely call the police. There's no telling how honestly-held this person's beliefs were, or what they really wanted, or what they planned on doing to get it.


Title: Texas - Denied from a job during background because of an arrest (no conviction) on my record

Question:
I’m located in Texas, the DFW area to be exact.

I was in background for a job with a Municipal government in Texas. In 2017, I was arrested for a felony, that was ultimately dropped by the District Attorney’s office, and is in the process of being expunged.

Today, I received an email that says I’m no longer being considered and they are leaving the position open.

I never received anything regarding FCRA before the adverse action was taken, however they did the background check in house, and my fingerprints were done through IndentoGo/FBI.

Do I have any legal recourse because of discrimination due to the arrest/no conviction?  I know that Texas used and received an injunction regarding the EEOC guidance but don’t know if that was for State jobs only or what.

Any help is much appreciated.

Answer: You have no recourse, it’s legal to decline to hire somebody because of an arrest record.


Title: [VA] Dealership failed to tighten lug nuts and wheel fell off while driving, severely damaging my new car

Question:
Cross-posting from /r/askcarsales. Throwaway because I don't want to throw the dealership under the bus until I see how they offer to take care of the situation first. I'm located in Arlington, Virginia.

I had an oil change / tire rotation as part of the standard scheduled maintenance plan for my new car. They failed to tighten the lug nuts and when I pulled out of the lot the rear wheel fell off and ripped the bumper off with it. The suspension / brake components were dragged directly against the pavement until I was able to come to a stop. Thankfully nobody was hurt and the rogue wheel didn't go into oncoming traffic.

I was given a rental and told the manager of the dealership will call me this week. I feel this obviously decreases the value of my car unless they replace all of the parts that were damaged. I filed an insurance claim because I'm worried the dealership will attempt to bury this / take advantage of me. What should I expect for this type of situation?

**tl;dr**
Dealership service department was negligent and my new car is ruined as a result. What to expect?

Answer:
 Let your insurance take care of it.  That’s about it.

Did they at least get you a nice rental?


Title: Just had a garbage truck dump trash onto our vehicle, causing severe body damage (Oregon)

Question:
My SO and I just woke up to find the back half of our SUV dented, with the tail lights completely smashed. In our apartment complex our parking spot is located right next to a dumpster. Yesterday a neighbor of ours was cleaning out their apartment to get ready to move, tossing away heavy objects like speakers, a tv, etc. When we inspected the damage we found that one of the large speakers in the dumpster was lying near the car with pieces broken off mixed in with broken pieces of our vehicle. It seems that when the garbage truck tried to dump the dumpster, the speaker and who knows what else fell out, on top of our vehicle. They drove off without leaving any notice, and left the speaker lying by the car. We have contacted our property manager, who gave us the number of the garage removal company, but we couldn’t get a hold of anyone there. We just contacted the police and are waiting for them to come and inspect the vehicle. At this point in time, should we contact a lawyer so that we can file for damages? The body damage is extensive, and could be upwards of $1000 for repairs.

TL;DR  Garbage truck dumped heavy objects onto our car and drove away without notice

Answer: Call your insurance company and make a claim. This is why you pay for it.


Title: I broke my foot at work (USA)

Question:
So, I don't know an exact day or time I did this, but I fractured my foot in three places at work. I'm not very physical, I'm actually as sedentary as someone can be at home, so most of my physical acts are done at work.

Reasons I don't know an exact day or time though, are because I have plantar fasciitis in that same foot. For the longest time (this pain has gone on for a month), I dismissed the pain as from my plantar fasciitis but I found out I'd fractured bones in that foot. Also, I think the medicines I take to alleviate the swelling and pain from my plantar fasciitis also helped mask the pain from my foot.

I signed paperwork for them to be able to look at my medical history at work, and describing the events, do I have a legal case to stand on for a lawsuit? Money is really becoming an issue, and I'm in desperate straits.

Answer: Work injuries are typically covered under workers compensation instead of you suing your employer. If it's considered a legitimate work injury, your medical care will be paid for, and you'll receive money for lost wages, etc. But you won't get a big payday. (Lawsuits against your employer for covered injuries are actually prohibited under the workers compensation system)Answer #2: IANAL but if you don’t know the day or time you broke your foot how are you sure it happened at work?


Title: Ex-Boss denied my vacation time and let me go early after I gave notice.

Question:
Important note: I'm already employed elsewhere so I'm not entirely worried about this, but am curious whether I have any legal standing just in case.

Location: Maryland

I gave my two weeks at a web company to pursue a job with a better firm that actually had benefits and wasn't a 3 hour/day commute.  Boss decided 4 days later to go ahead and let me go early, which is fine, I expected that especially in the IT field.

His "letgo" was done verbally in his office. He wished me well and said to go ahead and take the last week of my 2 weeks notice off.

I had 30 hours of vacation time left.  He decided not to pay it.

Employee manual states:
"Employees who voluntarily resign from X are required to provide at least two weeks advance notice of their resignation. This notice should be in writing and should briefly state the reason for leaving and the anticipated last day of work.

If a terminating employee is eligible for any incentive compensation, bonus, and/or awards, they must be actively employed on the date the compensation, bonus or awards are presented or paid, in order to receive the compensation, bonus or award.  Additionally, all unused vacation, personal or sick leave will be forfeited at the time of departure or termination letter receipt."

I was never given a letter, I was only let go verbally a few days after giving my 2 weeks notice.  I suspect that legally there's not much I can do about it, I'm just out half a paycheck.  But like I said, I'm curious.

Answer:
 This appears to be legal. Maryland allows forfeiting of accrued vacation at termination if that is what the employer's policy says.

http://www.dllr.state.md.us/labor/wagepay/wpunusedvacpay.shtml

You could file for unemployment for the two weeks before you start your new job. Since you are asked to give two weeks, and you did, and were dismissed right away, I believe you will be deemed eligible. (for the two weeks only). Maryland has no unemployment waiting week.


Title: [California] I think I was not hired because of my sex, is there anything I can do?

Question:
I know that I likely don't have a legal leg to stand on, and that it's probably not worth my time to pursue this, but I wanted to see what /r/legaladvice has to say.

A few months ago I applied for an office manager position in the Califronia Bay area, where I live, with a tech company. The people I've talked to in the tech industry told me that I would have a hard time getting a job in the position because I am not an attractive female (I'm male). (As an aside, if you look on Linkedin you get a pretty clear message that most office managers are not hired for their skill-sets but rather looks.)

Nevertheless, I had a phone interview with a company that went really well. The reason I got that interview was because someone at the company made a personal recommendation for me. The person I would be working for, and interviewed with, said that they wanted to move forward with me. They said they were going to bring me in to meet for coffee the next week and show me around the office. I sent a thank you message the next day and one followup via email and phone per week after that with no response. About a month later they told me via email they couldn't move forward with me because I did not have enough experience for the role.

About a month later my reference told me they hired someone. I checked Linkedin, found the candidate, and while it's hard to see the picture when you're in the frame; I get the impression that the person has far less experience and qualifications than me and was hired because of her sex and looks.

My question here would be is this legal and if it's not what would I need to prove in a court of law that this is the case?

Answer:
 First, you might want to get over the assumption that an attractive woman cannot be both competent and qualified.  It makes you come across as an asshole.

Second, you have to prove, with evidence, that you weren't hired strictly because of your gender.  That's incredibly difficult.  There could have been a million other reasons you weren't hired.


Title: Ticket for Blocking the Sidewalk

Question:
Hi all,

I have not received a ticket yet but it has been threatened to my roommates. We live in a five bedroom house in Florida. Our driveway is small and so we have 1 car in the garage and 4 in the driveway. This takes up the entire driveway up to the edge of the road. We have been threatened by the police (from my understanding since there’s no HOA) that if we continue to park like this the cars near the end of the driveway will be ticketed for blocking the sidewalk. The only other place we can park is on our lawn and off our property which we can also be ticketed for. I just want to see what you all would do in the situation given that the lease expires in 3 months so we cannot move before that.

I feel like this isn’t illegal since were parking in our driveway still and we aren’t on the sidewalk but then again I’m probably wrong.

Any help will go a long way. Thanks!

Answer:
 Chances are the property has an easement over that area where the sidewalk is to provide access to the street (aka it's not actually your landlord's property), and if so, parking in the easement and blocking a public right of way could be an issue. Why doesn't the last car in every day just park on the street? Answer #2: If you're parking such that the cars are blocking one side of the sidewalk to the other across your driveway, then that's likely illegal.  You generally can't block the sidewalk like that, even if the sidewalk cuts across your driveway.  Check your local codes and laws.

Your recourse would be to find somewhere legal to park your excess cars that don't fit on the property within the bounds of the law.


Title: (MD) labor that was fired for not working in a thunderstorm yesterday. Was I fired unjustly?

Question: So I was in the Potomac part of Maryland yesterday and there was a huge thunderstorm around 1:50-3:00pm and my foreman told me to get back to work and I refused. I went to the owner after work and told him I can not work with X because he's practices are unsafe and I don't trust him. He wanted me to work outside in a thunderstorm. So today I stood by my decision not to work with him and was fired. My friend told me that it is illegal and against OSHA laws to work under those conditions. My question is was my firing unjust? So I have any legal action?

Answer:
 > So today I stood by my decision not to work with him and was fired.

Did you get fired because you refused to work in the thunderstorm, or were you fired because you refused to report to the foreman?


Title: Got sent home from work today for not cleaning human shit

Question:
Alright so I work at a wholesale store at the member services desk. Today I had heard that someone had shit and diarrhea'd all inside a bathroom floor in a stall. Maintenance wasn't here today. My supervisor asked me if I would clean it up, in which I told her I'm uncomfortable doing that, as well as I don't want to get shit on my clothes, we dress business casual and my washing machine has been broken for four weeks and my complex has been taking too long to fix so I don't want to afford ruining my clothes.

She goes and tells a manager, call her Alisha, that I refused to clean up the shit. The manager Alisha brought me into the office and said since I'm being insubordinate I'm to go home. I didn't argue with her, so I got my keys and left. I called my other manager, call her Tonya, who was off work, and she said what Alisha did is illegal and said In the policy only maintenance and managers are required to clean up human waste. Another side note is that you aren't allowed to send people home, unless under extreme circumstances. Tonya said they legally have to pay me for a minimum of four hours, and that she'd give me more hours this week to make up for it. Why should I work extra for being sent home under Alisha breaking policy?

I'm going to speak with the store manager and the other managers tomorrow about the incident. She told me they're highly upset with her actions and that Alisha is digging herself in a hole in their group chat.

Is it worth seeking legal action?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 > call her Tonya, who was off work, and she said what Alisha did is illegal

Tonya was incorrect.

> and said In the policy only maintenance and managers are required to clean up human waste.

That may be company policy, but there is no such law.

> Tonya said they legally have to pay me for a minimum of four hours

This may be true, depending on your location, which you did not include.

> Is it worth seeking legal action?

Why? No laws were broken. TBH, you were lucky you weren't fired for refusing to do something your employer asked you to do.


Title: (Ontario, Canada) Dad has been laid off without notice for a place he worked since 1999.

Question:
Hello, my dad has been recently laid off from his job without any notice. From my research, if a company in Ontario wants to lay off someone without reason (they said the company is not doing well so they have to downsize) they have to give an extended notice or pay in lieu; the company didn't do either. My dad is 65 now and the position was non-unionized.

Background about the company: They have been doing some shady stuff in the past. They closed down the company 6 to 7 years back and opened in a different name. They gave employees a choice to either come back to work for the new company or get a severance package, my dad chose to go back to work. Since then they cut around 200 staff to date and now only have 10 or so. All my dad's colleagues who have been laid off didn't receive anything either.

Is there a case for my dad to receive some sort of package? Is it worth discussing with a lawyer? How much would the lawyer fees cost approximately?

Thanks for your time! :)

Answer:
 Is it a layoff, with either an expected resumption date or the expectation that he will be re-employed when his employer calls him back to work, or is it a termination, where there is no expectation on either side that he will be re-employed? Ontario handles them slightly differently.

Because of the complexity of Ontario employment law and the questionable "take severance or reset the clock" maneuver his employer pulled, I would strongly advise speaking to an attorney. The handful of billable hours needed to review the situation and to give him initial advice may well pay for itself.Answer #2: Given his age and tenure, he should go to an employment lawyer. The consultation would be free. He will need to bring his employment contract (if one exists) and any documentation they gave him regarding the layoff.

Under common law, your father may be entitled to significantly more notice or pay in lieu of notice outlined in the Employment Standards Act (which is the standard used if he were to call the Ministry of Labour).


Title: Rented a cabin this weekend in Nevada Lake Tahoe. Stairs to hot tub had a huge hole, causing my friend to slip and snap her leg. What should we do?

Question:
Should we contact a personal injury attorney? We have pictures of hole. What is next? We live in California, should our attorney be from Nevada?

[These stairs lead to the hot tub. They were wet and this huge hole is where her leg slip into then snapped!](http://m.imgur.com/hvL81QT,fZD5IZX,1eJ81Yb,yewHiIh,sFPKyWF,wvFLoPl)

Answer:
 A good starting place is likely to be your rental agreement.  It may have choice-of-law provisions, or other information about liability.  Don't panic if it claims they're not liable -- that's not the final word on the subject, necessarily.

The owners and/or rental agency probably have liability insurance.  You may be able to make a claim with them.

I'd start with a PI attorney who is convenient to you.  It would help to find one familiar with NV law and/or who can practice in both states, but at least in the early stages may not be a critical difference.Answer #2: Lawyer here.  Absolutely contact a lawyer.  If that is not a dangerous condition, I don't know what is.  Answer #3: In my practice, I turn down at least 9 out of 10 premises liability cases (trip/fall, slip/fall) that I get called about. Based upon your description and those photos, this would be the exception that I'd take. Unfortunately I don't practice in NV. Answer #4: The comparison of the close up pic and the farther away pic show how this hole was  **not** so open and obvious that she should have been able to avoid it.

Edited to make it clear I think it is NOT open and obvious.  It WAS not noticeable.


Title: Vermont - My mother is hispanic with two last names, do I drop, hyphenate or leave as is?

Question:
My mother is illiterate and I am slowly going around and correcting several documents, including the birth certificates of all her children. Her name follows this format:

[Name][First last name][Second last name]

In the original document, her first last name was submitted as her middle name (all sorts of chaos ensued), and in another one, her two last names were hyphenated.

I'd like her name to be consistent all throughout her paperwork, what is my best option?

Thank you for your time. :)

Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: You need to make that choice, or she does. Whatever is used the most would probably be the easiest to do because its less to change.


Title: HOA and violation of privacy?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Two things: 1. you can't have a violation of privacy for something you do out in public, especially your front yard.  In a fenced in back yard where someone has to climb up and take a photo?  Sure, but not out in the open.  2. did you consult your HOA guidebook for their rules, regulations, and ordinances?  It's possible having a vehicle on any grass or yard, even for a minute, is a violation.  Start there.


Title: Ticketed because my license plate frame covers the state bird

Question:
I was pulled over by Missouri highway state patrol and given a warning for speeding, but ticketed because my "rear plate frame covers the state bird".
Ticket - https://imgur.com/a/JNpQh
Plate Frame - https://imgur.com/a/ChSb9

This is the only mention of plate frames I could find for Missouri -

LICENSE (REGISTRATION) PLATES — Missouri law requires that license plates be securely fastened to a vehicle, and that all parts of the plates are visible and clean for view or inspection by any law enforcement entity. If you have frames around your license plates, the Missouri State Highway Patrol reminds you that the frames must not cover any part of the plates.

Should I pay this ticket or go to court? Local major car dealerships in my area have plate frames on alot of cars that cover this bird either partially like mine or completely.

Answer:
 WTF?  It says right there that the frame must not cover any part of the plates.  Your frame covers a part of the plate.  I would consider myself lucky and pay the dang fine.  He could have given you a speeding ticket, doing 85 in a 65.

Count your chickens, man.Answer #2: Serious question:

How do the fine/points for covering the bird compare to the fine/points for speeding 20 over?  Because it looks to me like the guy may have cut you a break.


Title: Went to the emergency room for a workplace injury, the workmans comp insurance company wants me to sign a waiver allowing them to see ALL of my medical records and give them the ability to share that information with my employer

Question:
I was injured while at work, I was alone and had to leave to go to the hospital. My manager filled out the workman's comp claim for me and sent it in. I received a waiver in the mail from the workman's comp insurance saying that the only way they will pay my claim is if I sign a waiver giving them access to all of my medical records, not just the ones pertaining to the injury, and allow them to share those records with a whole list of entities including my employer.

I do not want my medical records to become available to my employer. I'm not comfortable with this and feel like it would be a violation of my privacy. Yet I also don't want to have to pay the medical bills for an injury sustained while on the job.
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 location please.

This is standard practice, you don't need to comply if you don't want. Just to clarify, your insurance company can't give your employer your medical records. Only work status/restrictions and diagnosis. It would in violation of HIPAA if they gave them your medical records.


Title: Foster Puppy help

Question:
Hello everyone. I am located in USA/Wisconsin.

My mom fostered a puppy. The agreement form was hand written on a piece of notebook paper, not notarized, and not even signed by the breeder.

Story: Breeder was in some sort of trouble and was trying to foster her dogs. When we got our dog, who we named Gracie (she did not have a name) she was terrified to be touched, she smelled horrendous, and had clumps of feces/debris in her fur.

We have since paid for all of her shots and vet bills. We've had her for about 2 months, and she is finally starting to act like a puppy. I came to visit (I am in college) right after we got her, and she wouldn't come near me, she was terrified. I would try pet her and she would just slink away with her tail between her legs. Now, she loves belly rubs and ear scratches.

In the contract, it says, "puppy is place as temporary foster. [Mom's name] may have option to purchase at price determined by [breeder's name/first name only] at a future time. Pup may not be sold, or transferred in ownership by any one. [Mom] expects no financial reimbursment. Signed by my mom."

So, my question is: Someone told me that having vet bills in your name can be enough to prove an animal is yours. I was wondering how that could be affected by this contract, or if this contract would even hold up in court.

Secondly, I am wondering about slander. I am also thinking of launching a gofundme so that we can outright purchase Gracie. I want to include the details of her story. The vet we took her too saw two other dogs from the breeder and said that the two other dogs were also nameless, extremely shy, and had been living kenneled in their own filth. Would I be okay to name the details of the story without naming the breeder? I just don't want to get in trouble.

Thanks for taking the time to read and respond!

Edit: We just contacted the breeder about buying her. We were able to talk to someone who bought her brother, and he was only 750 so we are hoping the breeder will be reasonable! Thanks again for all the comments, they were very useful!
Topic:
Contracts

Answer:
 > she was terrified to be touched, she smelled horrendous, and had clumps of feces/debris in her fur.

This sounds like the woman was probably being investigated for some animal abuse allegations and was trying to get animals off of her property. I'd suggest you review [this site](http://www.nowisconsinpuppymills.com/redflags.html) to see if this breeder is really a puppy mill (or possibly animal hoarder, but they usually don't foster out their dogs.)


Title: Ex-Girlfriend will not leave me alone literally years later

Question: I dated a woman for a number of years. Unfortunately, infidilety on her part caused the relationship to fold and it was not a pleasant experience for me. I was diagnosed with severe clinical depression after the event. I had to withdraw from grad school...twice trying to deal with my mental illnesses. My ex (the trigger of my depression) personally knows of these problems I have faced, but still continues to contact me. I have exhausted all options of getting her to stop. I've reached out to her mother, sister, and current boyfriend to try to get her to stop but nothing is working. I don't hate her, and the conversations are not serious or frequent (every three months like clockwork), but it triggers my illness and I just want it to stop. What are my options, if any?

Answer:
 Ignore her entirely.  Block her on all platforms that she tried to contact you, and get off social media if that is a vector of communication.

If you want one final communication with her, you could send her a cease and desist, and follow up with a police report to see if it is against the law in your locality if she persists.


Title: [New York] Won eviction case with hoarding mother, now she is threatening to contest ownership of property

Question:
Long story short, I had to evict my mother for hoarding 9 dogs. I just won my case, she has 30 days to evict. My lawyer said she wants to contest ownership of the property. The property was deeded over to me by my grandmother in front of her lawyer almost 5 years ago.

My lawyer said it would be difficult for my mom to win such a case, especially since she has no money and would have to go to the supreme court.

Just curious if anyone here has any advice or input?

Answer:
 You have the deed, you are the landlord, you filed for eviction proceedings and the courts upheld your filing. This is between your mother and the Powers That Be, at this point: If she does not comply with the court's ruling that this was a legal eviction order and that she has 30 days in which to comply, she's going to be in trouble with The System, not you.

She is due the 30 days, but beyond that you are due your property. Take the time now to review the process and procedures for ensuring the removal of an evicted tenant in your jurisdiction if you like, it'll give you some understanding as to where things could go if they don't go smoothly.

In all other respects, though -- familial relationship doesn't change anything about the law. And unless there's some Scooby Doo level "Gotcha" in here, her contesting your ownership isn't going to bear fruit. For one thing, the courts have already acknowledged you as having the legal right to evict someone from that property, so that speaks to your standing right there.


Title: My ex and I broke up, she kicked me out, we agreed I'd get the remainder of my belongings out on the 1st of December and just this morning told me that she doesn't want me at her house and she's going to dispose of my stuff (Ohio)

Question:
As the title says. More information: this all started last night when she found out that after we broke up I hooked up with someone else. The relationship was emotionally over long before it was actually over. I never cheated on her. Now she's jealous and being petty. Am I legally obligated to get my belongings back since that's what we agreed upon, or no, because I've been out of her house for a few weeks now? Sorry about formatting and anything nonsensical, I'm on mobile and I'm just upset. Thanks in advance!
Topic:
Douche

Answer:
 You could stop by the local police dept.  They might be willing to accompany to your place to help you get your stuff.  You can mention that you have been illegally evicted.

Are you on the lease?  If so you would still be liable for rent even though you don't live there.Answer #2: What do you mean you've been kicked out? Do you still have a key?


Title: Do I have to live with my dad and attend a terrible school just becuase the court order says I do?

Question:
I live in Washington state and I'm turning 16 in 13 days. I have lived with my dad for about 6 months after a falling out with my mother. While at my dad's house, I had to go to a terrible school (50% was still passing and it wasn't college accredited). Things are now better with my mom so last weekend, I decided that I wanted to love with her and attend the school that has all my friends, has a good grading system, is safer, and college accredited. At first my dad reluctantly agreed but advised against it. On may 10th he got a court order saying that I have to come back to his house and attend the terrible school. My moms says there is a thing called agreed orders where me and him can choose to go against the parenting plan and again, at first he seemed open to but says he was advised not to do it and instead just follow the parenting plan. He now is saying thaf he can't because he is "being ordered by the court" and says that he is "truly sorry" and that we would talk about better schooling for next year. Is there anything I can do to continue living with my mom and going to the achool in a safer neighborhood, witg better education, and my friends?

TL;DR Lived with dad for 6 months and attended a terrible school, choose to live with mom and attend school. Dad says we can't go against parenting plan even though mom says he can get agreed orders
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: If the court order says you have to live with your dad and attend that school, then yeah, you do. Your mother can seek out an attorney and file to change the court order.Answer #2: If the court order is on dad's side, you have no choice. It might be possible to go to a school outside of the one in which you are zoned.  Do your parents live in the same city? It might be possible to go to the school you want but you have to talk to them about it.  But to be honest it sounds like dad wants you where you are which is his prerogative.


Title: School is threatening legal action against it's own students. Need Advice!

Question: [deleted]

Answer: I don't think you have a legal issue, I think you have a school policy issue. Take a look at your student manual to find out about the policies and how to appeal from them. You might also want to try changing the policy - talk to your school administration to find out how students can get on those committees and participate in rule changes.


Title: Friend took PTO days off that she had earned. Supervisor changes the policy after the fact and now says that my friend owes them money. Is there anything she can do to fight this?

Question: Earned as in they had been accrued from working full time. Supervisor changed the pto policy and how days are accrued. Her employee handbook, the one she agreed to over a year ago, supports how she used and earned them. After she had already used them her boss is now trying to implement a change of pto policy that would cause her to have to pay for days she took off in the last 2 months unless she stays for a few more months to level back out with the new policy. Located in Michigan

Answer:
 She can say she earned those hours and that polices should not apply retroactively. If they deduct money from her pay, she can file a wage claim with the appropriate gov't body if applicable. Answer #2: In keeping with the vagueness of the thread...

maybe. Answer #3: You've given absolutely no details, so we can't help.


Title: My friend (18 yrs old) shoplifted a lot and is being charged with organized crime.

Question: Her and her cousin were given warrants of organized crime saying they were selling the make-up they stole. It was apparently just under $500 of make-up. The cousin has completely thrown my friend under the bus. She's scared and hasn't turned herself into the police yet and isn't sure what she can do. Advice please? In Kentucky btw.

Answer:
 She needs a criminal defense lawyer if the police want to speak with her.

She also needs to stop stealing.Answer #2: They need criminal defense attorneys. Now. This is serious and beyond the help of people on the internet.


Title: [CO] Bought a "Certified Pre-Owned" car from one dealership, other dealership says they can't repair damage because it never shouldn't gotten the Certified Pre-Owned title

Question:
Basically there is a lot of damage to the front of the car that only a trained body expert would notice. It seems like it was actively concealed and passed off as "Certified Pre-Owned" by the Ford dealership that we bought it from.

We spent $35,000 overall on this vehicle and it now seems like we were completely lied to. We have the receipts/invoices from the service shop detailing all the damage.

Should my next step be to contact a lawyer or just see if I can get everything fixed from the dealership that lied to me?
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 $35,000 for a *used* car?

What kind of Ford could possibly go for that much used?


Title: Manipulated and tricked into commiting fraud

Question: I don't know what to do. I left Canada at 10 or 11 years old and moved back a year and a half ago at 17 years old, almost 18. My sister made me commit fraud and take loans out for her and now I'm fraud I'm in debt. Debt collectors have been contacting me because she wont pay them back and when I told my teacher what my sister had been doing, I was notified that it is illegal and is indeed fraud. I am so terrified and don't know what to do. She's my older sister by 7 years and I never thought for once that she would put me in this situation. Whenever I asked her if this was okay she would say it was and I believed her. I had no idea what fraud even is and was unaware of the severity of it please help me.

Answer:
 > My sister made me commit fraud and take loans out for her and now I'm fraud I'm in debt.

Waaay more details are needed.  What happened exactly?  Did she convince you to sign documents, or did she forge your signature?Answer #2: Just adding another voice to say we need to know exactly what happened here. If you took out loans claiming they were for X, especially education but you in fact gave the money to her, that would be fraudulent.

If you took out credit cards in your name and made her a user of the account, it's neither illegal nor fraud. In either case you are on the hook for the money even though she lied to you about it being okay. You still agreed to take the loans out.

You can sue her for the money, but winning and collecting are not the same.

We need the story of what exactly happened in order to point you in the right direction as well as let you know if it is actually fraudulent or just a jerk move by sister.


Title: Update--(IA) Husband recorded a phone call where his ex states she hasn't eaten for 2 days waiting for food stamps--won't give him custody--do we call someone?

Question:
[Original Post](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/4934ht/ia_husband_recorded_a_phone_call_where_his_ex/)

Thank you for all of your great advice. We never heard back from our former lawyer. Either because she still hasn't gotten around to it, or simply doesn't care.

We were referred to another lawyer by a friend and I talked to him for the first time today. I explained our history and information, the missed visits, and he thinks we have a good case to go back to court for a modification and request that the primary care parent be switched over to the father (my husband.) It's relevant that up until August of last year, they shared 50% custody until the mother moved the long distance away that month.

Obviously this will be a long process. We have an appointment to go over things on Friday, but as you know this will take months or longer if his mother decides to fight us on this. We are requesting home studies to be done. We are hoping that will seal the deal, as we are more capable of providing a stable environment for the child.

Our lawyer is jumping on this because his mother has not been following the court order for approximately three months and the child's behavior is regressing. He says it's a sign she is not capable of being the primary parent.

Hopefully I'll have a positive update for you, someday.

Wish us luck!

**tl;dr:** Going back to court. Attempting to get primary care switched to father.

Answer:
 Thanks for the update. Hope all goes well.Answer #2: No anger needed. You did what you needed to do.

Totally in the right to try to get primary custody. Hopefully everything works out. Answer #3: Thanks for the update. I'm hoping it goes well everyone, but mostly the boy.

I know these things are complicated. Good luck.


Title: My friend rented a flat and on the first day the owner went through his stuff.

Question:
So posting on behalf of my coworker who is taking the situation too lightly imo. He rented a new flat and just moved in and had already paid the deposit and signed the contract at this point.

So he went to the shops and when he got back he found the landlord rummaging through his suitcase. He asked what she was doing and she said that since he was from Amsterdam she wanted to make sure there wasn't anything illegal in there. So he went back to his old flat, the thing is the old one is really far away from his job 2h30 each way, and he paid the deposit (800€) for one night basically.

Is there any legal action to take here?

Answer: You should post this at /r/legaladviceEU.


Title: Customer (Chicago) defrauded me (NYC) for $5100. Got a judgement against him. Paypal is refusing to help.

Question:
Hi guys. I'll make this short and sweet. My ex-client issued two fraudulent chargebacks against me for a total of $5100. Paypal opened a dispute but ruled in his favor, because he used his AmEx card and AmEx in turn ruled in his favor. Despite my ample evidence and Paypal enthusiastically being on my side, I lost the dispute as it ultimately rested upon the decision of AmEx, or so I was told.

Paypal told me to sue my client. So that's what I did--I took two trips back and forth from NYC to Chicago to sue this jerk. I won. They told me that once I receive a judgement I could fax it to them and they would reverse the negative charges on my account. So that's what I did. I got my judgement last month and waited the 30 days as per the court to see if the defendant would pay. Surprise--he hasn't.

Paypal is now refusing to honor my judgement and will not reverse the negative charges on my account. I have spoken with them about this no less than 20 times and am not getting anywhere. They are saying I need to pay the entirety of the negative balance and chase this guy for payment.

I cannot chase payment from this guy as I a) don't know where he works, and b) he's left the country using the EU passport *I* helped him obtain (that's the service he paid me for).

I'm at my wit's end. No lawyer will take my case (not enough money), the courts can't tell me what to do even if I wanted to chase this guy (don't know where he lives, ergo they can't force him into court to discover his assets), and I have an inkling I can sue Paypal to force them to abide by the judgement but I don't know how.

Can anyone point me in the right direction so I can take it from there? At this point, I don't even care about getting my $5100 for my services--I just want my account balance on Paypal to be $0 so *I* don't have to pay them $5100. My account is going to go into collections otherwise.

Answer:
 Paypal doesn't owe you any money, and the order is not for paypal to take any action.

The order is against the other guy, and you have to enforce that order against him.

So the recourse is you pay Paypal the $5100 then collect from the other guy so that you're even.Answer #2: Like u/Cypher_Blue said, your judgment is not against PayPal and you cannot sue PayPal for anything nor force them to credit your account.  PayPal is 100% correct in that you need to pay the entirety of the negative balance to them and chase this guy for payment of your judgment against him.

HOWEVER, you can learn how to collect your judgment.  You can garnish the guy's PayPal account AND his American Express account, AND you can find out from both of them what bank account they settle or transfer his money to and you can garnish that bank account.


Title: IRS Loophole?

Question:
I think I may have found a loophole to a problem my dad and I are facing.

Bit of backstory:
I'm 28, but at age 18 my dad had offered to sell me a parcel of land he owns for something in the neighborhood of $6,000. I was excited at the time, but didn't have the money. Life changed and I eventually forgot about it. Now, I have the money, need a living situation, and I value owning my own home Vs. Renting, and having that little nest egg squandered in < the first year.
Unfortunately, my dad now owes the IRS a considerable amount of money, and he's worried he may not be able to sell the property to me without facing financial repercussions.
I've been doing some research, and I'm in no ways a lawyer or real estate attorney or IRS agent, so I have no idea, but I'd like to know...

Is this a legitimate loophole?:
Adverse possession. I live in the state of Florida, and in Florida, adverse possession can take place after 7 years and either ("color of title") or (payment of property taxes for 7 years). So if I paid my father's property taxes for 7 years while I lived on the property, could I legally take possession of the property, without the IRS having a say in it? I dont know how I could "donate" the $6000 payment to him, however. And I also dont know how to go about clearing the lot/building on it, unless I were to do so under his permission, which again, wouldn't be an issue. So, if you have additional information about these things, I guess that'd be helpful, as well...
Thanks!
*grasps at straws*

Answer: If your dad knows you are there and consents to you living there it’s not adverse possession.


Title: My last employer is demanding my uniform be returned 3 months after I quit but never mentioned it before.

Question:
Australia-
So about 3 months ago I worked for literally a week at a fast food franchise and then quit because I got a better job offer. When I was initially employed I was given a uniform and nothing about paying for the uniform or not owning it was mentioned-- also I never signed an employment contract or anything relating to this. After I quit, they also didn't mention anything about the uniform and I got paid for my last paycheck. A week or two ago I decided to throw it out because, why was I keeping this thing?
But today I got this email-
>If you are receiving this email, it is because our records indicate that you have not yet returned your uniform since the conclusion of your time at () I would like to remind you that the uniform you have was lent to you with the expectation of its return. The uniform in your possession does not belong to you and remains the property of () Please reply to this email, indicating the date by which you will return your uniform to avoid further actions.

I looked up the enterprise agreement and it said that failure to return company property including uniforms could result in your paycheck being withheld- but I've already been paid.
Could they legally charge me for the uniform? Should I just ignore the email or explain the circumstances. Honestly I just don't want anything to do with this place anymore.

Answer:
 > Honestly I just don't want anything to do with this place anymore.

Then return it.  It's the step that will cause you to have the least interaction with them in the future.


Title: Our tour company in China is threatening to cancel my next two nights of hotels one day of tours and a shuttle ride to the airport because a 90$ gratuity wasn’t paid. Are they allowed?

Question: Should we just pay the gratuity charge and have it be over and can this become a legal issue, they are threatening to take away a service that has already been paid for over not tipping them? Please help

Answer:
 Lots of experience in China with work. Pay it.

It’s a huge risk to ignore them. They could be bluffing, they might not be. No one will give two shits if the tour company does something illegal


Title: [UK] Had a car accident, my insurer just told me they're cancelling my policy and will not handle the claim against me any further

Question:
I had a car accident a few months ago with another car, basically the other driver claimed against me for both injury and damages to her car.

My insurer sent a loss assessor round to look at my car, it has a modified exhaust that I wasn't aware I had to tell my insurer about, and they've just told me they're cancelling my policy and will not handle the claim any further.

Other than finding new insurance, what do I do about the claim? Am I now liable to pay any expenses incurred? If I get a new insurer will they handle it? Can my insurer really just act like I never had a policy with them and abandon me?

Please help

Update: Thanks everyone for all your advice. I called my insurers claim department to discuss this with them again, and as I understand it although they will not have anything to do with me if I wished to claim for damages to my own vehicle, they will still deal with the claim from the 3rd party, something about being obligated under the Road Accidents & Traffic Act (?) to do so. However, they apparently have a right to request repayment from me for anything they have to pay out to the third party as a result of the claim? I thought the whole point of insuurance was that THEY pay in case of an accident... Does that sound right to anyone?

Answer:
 Not sure how it works in the UK but in the US the insurer would still have to handle the claim unless they can show the modified part, exhaust in your case, somehow caused the accident and the insurance company was not aware or told of it properly.

Do you have a way to file an appeal with your insurance company or is there a government agency that regulates insurance? In the US many states have an office that regulates insurance companies so you would file a complaint there.

Also what does your policy say exactly? That is the contract you have with them and for them to break it that easily there should be something in there. If not then appeal their decision stating the exhaust was not the cause (if it was not) and where in the contract it allows them to void said agreement?Answer #2: You should repost in r/legaladviceuk

That said, my understanding in the UK has always been that while they could use this sort of thing to worm out of covering YOU, they are still on the hook for liability with the other person (if you were at fault in the collision).

but find a lawyer, I married one 2 years ago and since then I have been stunned to find out how often this sort of thing can be argued against. i.e.: that exhaust did not contribute to the accident, so it should not make any difference with respect to this claim. While they may wish to cancel your policy now that you have had a collision, that does not mean they can retroactively deny coverage on unrelated grounds. But like I said, IAMAL so go find one.


Title: [NY, USA] State mandated sexual harassment guidelines

Question:
So, TIL that in New York State, it's actually against sexual harassment guidelines for employees to hang up those bikini calenders in their work station. No, seriously. This apparently has offended people to the point where the STATE took action.

Don't get me wrong, I would personally never hang one of those, especially at work. And if my private company told me I couldn't hang one due to their hand book policy, then so be it. But how in the world does the State of New York have authority to dictate what can and can't be shown? Especially when there's not actually any nudity?

Answer: Get a life.


Title: Legality of leaving online reviews for medical/dental practices online? [Ohio]

Question:
I had a very, very bad experience with a dental
surgery the other day. Woke up during surgery, surgeon held me down and finished procedure with me wide awake, no pain meds, and left the room. No other interaction with him afterward. Is this information I'm allowed to share in an online review of the dental practice?

Answer:
 Why would it not be okay to share? You can talk about your personal experiences plenty and freely unless you signed a nondisclosure agreement.

You can be sued, sure, but they would have to prove you were lying and malicious. Answer #2: You can also make a complaint to the dental board in your state.


Title: Getting rid of a squatter, buffalo ny

Question:
So basically I started dating this girl back in March of 17. She’s lived with me basically rent and responsibility free until now. We broke up about a year ago, but refuses to leave. I bought a house in December, she’s currently living here paying no bills, rent, etc etc. and her name isn’t on any bills or legal papers regarding the house. There’s no rental agreement or contract saying she can stay here. She was supposed to move out sept 1st, after many arguments, but alas that hasn’t happened. The house is an absolute disaster. She does whatever the hell she wants, leaves trash everywhere that I refuse to clean, it’s a living hell for me...

Can I have her removed from my home legally? What steps do I have do go through to make this happen? Can I just take all her belongings and put them outside, change the locks and be done with it?

Answer:
 She’s a tenant. You give her a notice to quit then an eviction notice.

Practically offering her cash for keys may work faster.


Title: Driving to get Sweets for New Year's. Another ticket.

Question:
Alright guys, I got a good one for you. Completely winnable. I'm guaranteed innocent.

Here's the tale:
It was a cold and windy night tonight. Wanted to drive down the road to get some good stuff to eat. I knew however, that my car was quite low on gas, to complete the mission, I would have to get some. I made my way to the gas station in the picture.

Stopped and got some gas. Was a great time. ($1.93 a gallon. Can't remember it that low in my lifetime)

Turned right out of the gas station and approached an intersection controlled by a traffic right. Waited for it to turn green (light traffic either way). Turned left and began my trek to Walmart a ways down the road.

Now this road I've traveled quite a few times in my life (See, everyday almost) and the posted speed limit immediately following the gas station intersection is 50. This road ends and turns into the highway not long after this intersection but there is still a ways down it before Walmart and the Highway. Prior to the gas station intersection the speed limit on the road for probably about 10 miles is 35; only this last stretch is 50.

Anyways, proceed down the road, travelling at a nice and breezy 47. Blue lights flashing behind me. Fair enough, maybe I got a tail light out, it's an older car and I haven't checked those lights in a while.

I pull off to the side. She comes over to my car. "Going a little fast there huh?" Naturally, I'm bamboozled. I stay quiet though. Give her my information. She says I was going 47 in a 35. Check the ticket. Once again, 47 in a 35. Now you might be saying "JPelter, if you were so sure it was 50, why didn't you speak up?". Well, in that moment I thought my whole life was a lie. I began to think that maybe the road WAS 35 and that I was wrong my whole life.

Then I read the bottom of the ticket.

She was a State Trooper. Not a cop from my town. But some lass from out of town. Now this isn't entirely surprisingly to have them here, it's a fairly large center of travel. Lots of hotels in my town, the highway literally ends here.

I get to thinking, maybe she was wrong. It's not unreasonable she thought the whole road was 35 because the vast majority of it is.

So I go back. And I check twice what the speed limit actually was on that track of the road.

I see the sign and my heart swells: 50.

It wasn't as if I had crossed from the 35 part of the road onto the 50 either, I entered directly onto it. So I was travelling under the speed limit the entire time.

So what's the best and quickest way to deal with this one?

I'm assuming if I can prove to the prosecutor at the pretrial that the speed limit was 50 that he'll drop it there. How should I prove it? Pictures of the road with the sign(s) on it?

BONUS:

[One Minute Diagram](http://i.gyazo.com/feee150f8a40874acd0ca49eea68dca3.png)

Answer:
 So, diagram the area with posted speed limit signs and present your case in court.Answer #2: >Pictures of the road with the sign(s) on it?

Sounds like the most straight-forward way of doing it to me.  A handy diagram pointing out the speed limit changes would also help.Answer #3: >$1.93 a gallon. Can't remember it that low in my lifetime

I feel unspeakably old.Answer #4: Also, bring the evidence you have about getting gas, so that you can show that's where you entered the road.


Title: TX - Lady stole my dog and wants money for him.

Question:
[**UPDATE**](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3kcant/update_tx_lady_stole_my_dog_and_wants_money_for/)

OK, the title is kind of harsh. I have just a simple general question. You can skip to the bottom if you don't want to read most of this.

5 months ago my husband and I were moving into a new apartment. We took my dog to stay with my grandpa for a week or two while we moved so that my dog didn't get in the way. He's a pitbull/ chocolate lab mix and has a lot of energy. My grandpa has a huge plot of land and I thought my dog would enjoy that as a little vacation while we moved.

A day after my dog had been at my grandpa's, my dog got out. We think he pushed open the back door. My grandpa felt awful and we called every vet office nearby and even let the police station know and gave them a picture. They said they'd keep an eye out for him. This is a SMALL town in Texas. I don't even know if the population is more than 200 people.

Fast forward 5 months. I thought my dog got ran over by a car and that's why no one had turned him into any shelters. He had tags on him and is microchipped so I figured that if someone had picked him up, we would know. My phone number and name is on his tag, even.

Yesterday I received a call from a vet office in this town. They told me an old lady had picked my dog up FIVE MONTHS ago. She has been taking him in for regular check-ups and even got him his shots. Yesterday when she brought my dog into the vet, they felt the microchip on his neck and decided to scan it. They found my information on it and called me.

Well, this morning I spoke with the lady. Let's just say her name is Tina. She is old, probably in her 70's. I let her know that I was happy she had my dog and that he was not dead or had been run over. She was not happy to speak with me. I asked her if I could come pick him up and the first thing she says is, "I just spent $165 on his shots!". I let her know that I was sorry, I know she had formed a relationship with him, but he was my dog. I adopted him when he was a disgusting looking pit bull at the pound that no one wanted. He was malnourished and I formed a bond with him getting his health back. She then started telling me that her mother had just died and she had no one else in the world. I, again, apologized about her mother and thanked her for taking care of him. She gave me her address and said I could pick him up but also said she needs me to pay for all the food for these past 5 months. I'm a little upset she found a dog and didn't call the number on his caller or have him checked for a microchip in the event that he somehow lost his collar.

My dog got out, someone found him and never turned him in. It's been five months and I was finally contacted.  She wants money for his bills and food before giving him to me. Should I pay her back? I don't think this old lady is trying to scam me. But my husband says that something seems odd. I also am not sure if she can keep my dog from me until I pay her.

**Edit: She doesn't want just $165 now. She wants $165 for his shots yesterday, $100 for "medication" (wouldn't specify what), $100 for the first check-up he had, and $250 for food for the past 5 months. So she wants around $615.**

Answer:
 >2. Bailment Created Upon Taking Lost Pet
When a person finds and takes lost property, an implied bailment is created under common law. [FN8]  A bailment is a contractual agreement between the owner of the pet and its finder that the finder owes a duty to take reasonable care of the pet and return it to its true owner. [FN9]  In turn, the owner of the lost pet must pay the finder compensation for caring for the pet before she has a right to recover possession of the pet. [FN10]  As a general rule, a finder who takes care of lost property is a “gratuitous bailee” liable for breach of bailment only by committing an intentional tort or an act of gross negligence. [FN11]

Source : https://www.animallaw.info/article/detailed-discussion-legal-rights-and-duties-lost-pet-disputes


Title: [Mexico] I am an american living abroad. I have had a girlfriend for 3 years and we have a 15 month old baby. Im heading into unknown territory...

Question:
So, ive been with this lady for 3 years. We are not married. Everythings been great, we had a baby, some normal ups and downs...blah blah. Then come two nights ago, we had a big fight. That latina threatened me with some spicy words that even i couldnt handle. She wants to cianara-the-fuck out of town WITH our baby.

We live together in a border town. She is originally from (where i met her too) a city in mexico about 1200 miles from where we live now. I am the sole provider of our household and at that we are a poor household; i am currently a happy but jobless man.

I cant help but imagine how the hell i am going to have a life with my baby when she returns with the baby to her home town and where the baby lives 1200 miles away from me. Even in pesos, flying back and forth is so expensive and plus taking time off of work (if i had a job).

I want to be able to have a life with my baby, but so that its fair. She doesnt have a job. Shes already told me that "you can see the baby whenever you want [as i sit my happy ass here with the baby 1200 miles away from you, sucker!]".

Legally, does she have a right to take the baby with her wherever she wants without me and to not have to put effort in to helping the baby to see me?

Heres some side notes:

-i am on the birth certificate as the legal father

-the baby is a mexican citizen

-i am an american citizen living in           mexico

-the babies birth city is the hometown from where his mother is from

-i have not been able to take out the babies american passport (because i dont have a job, ergo money)

-we are not married, but we live together

Specific questions i have:

     1. Can she take the baby from me and make it so i have to go to her in order to see the baby?

     2. How would child support be decided in the case that she is allowed to take the baby with her?

     3. Do i have any legal rights in mexico as an american living in mexico?

     4. Would i need to hire an american lawyer or a mexican lawyer?

I appreciate any help that you may have for me. I tried as best as i could to be clear and concise. Adios amigos.

Tldr; i am an american living in mexico. My girlfriend wants to take herself and our baby 1200 miles away to her abd the babies mexican birth town.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 I can't comment on Mexican custody laws, but did you file for a [Consular Report of Birth Abroad](http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/abroad/events-and-records/birth.html) certificate when the child was born? Without it, it may be more difficult for them to prove their US citizenship when they become older.  Answer #2: Wait, I'm confused...

>I am the sole provider of our household

but then

>i dont have a job, ergo money

So which is it?


Title: If the lease for my apartment specifically states "no dogs are allowed," can I interpret this to mean that "no dogs" means dogs plural, and that a single dog is allowable?

Question: If the lease for my apartment specifically states "no dogs are allowed," can I interpret this to mean that "no dogs" means "dogs" plural, and that a single dog is allowable?

Answer: No.Answer #2: Sure you can, if you want to be evicted.


Title: Police holding potential charges against me over my partner's head

Question:
My spouse was recently arrested on drug-related felonies. There is currently a plea deal on the table requiring that my partner give up their source in return for probation and a diversion program. If they do not give up their source, the case will go to trial and my partner will likely go to jail for several years. Additionally, the police will then charge me with a felony for "maintaining a dwelling" because I did not report my partner's activities. I have not been officially charged or even contacted by the police. If my partner takes the deal, what's to stop the police from pursuing charges against me anyway? We're married, so isn't it the case that I cannot testify against my partner? What if my partner's information is not as fruitful as they want? Also, was it legal for them to wire a CI with a camera in my home without a warrant? This all feels very unethical and extortionistic. Thankfully we have a good lawyer but I have a lot of questions.
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer: Get a lawyer. Don’t take any deals or work with the police at all or even talk to them.