Title: Employer makes us clock out when not busy and sit there. Allowed?

Question:
I am in Ohio.

I work for a company that relies on the number of bookings it gets to be open.

If we finish cleaning after the bookings and there is more than half an hour or forty five minutes before the next booking, employees have to clock out and wait until fifteen minutes before the next groups arrive to clock back in.

Is this allowed? Also besides the fact of us clocking out between, it is generally frowned upon to leave because more people could book during the break and sometimes we are forced to clock out when stuff isn't done and then scramble in the fifteen minutes we have to get stuff ready for the next guests.

Answer:
 If your employer has you clock out and you are allowed to leave and do what you want, it is allowed.

If your employer has you clock out but you have to remain on the premises, you must be paid.

If you employer refuses to comply, [Ohio would love to know so they can stop it](https://ohio.gov/working/rights/).Answer #2: If you're required to be there, they must pay you, unfortunately, a lot of employers will not "force" you but if you don't stick around, you may find next week you are not on the schedule or not working as many hours as you normally do.

Fast food places have been doing this for decades and there's not a real way of getting around it, except to find a better job with someone who values your skills. Answer #3: The terms engaged to wait and waiting to be engaged are what applies.  If clock out and then can leave and do whatecer that's waiting to be engaged. That's fine. If you cannot leave or do what you want thats engaged to wait and you must be paid.  Answer #4: If you're required to be there, OR you are required to wait FOR someone, that is WORK, and they are legally required to pay you.  Period.


Title: [UK] I built a WebApp which my company uses. I'm leaving and want to sell it to them.

Question:
So, when I joined my current company, I was asked to source an app to record inspections. After obtaining a few quotes from app building companies, my company would not sign off on them due to cost. I told them I could build something, and was told by the Director (since left the organisation) to go ahead.
So, I built an app myself - in my spare time. I already owned a domain name, and so applied that. They've been using for almost 3 years now, and now that I'm leaving, I offered them the chance to buy it. The response was 'No', and that if I did not give them access to the data, they would take me to court. I've given them data backups, but am I okay to terminate the application once I leave and still request a fee for them to continue using it?
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 /r/legaladviceuk will most likely be able to give you your best answer but at a glance it doesn't appear you have any rights to ask for money or shut down the application.

In the US at least (and from a 2 minute google search, it looks like the UK as well), if you were given an assignment to develop this app as part of your work the company would more or less "own" the application and you have no grounds to demand compensation or "sell" it to them.Answer #2: You may want to ask /r/LegalAdviceUK

In the US, if you are an employee of a company and are working on software for that company, the company usually owns the IP, not the creator.

Did they pay you to make the app?


Title: [RI] Health insurance requiring "health assessment" otherwise insurees are fined

Question:
My mother and my aunt both work at a power conversion company based here in RI. They both get insurance from their work, through BlueCross/BlueShield. Their insurance is now requiring special health assessments, including blood tests, otherwise all healthcare recipients will be fined. In addition, even if they do give all their health information and submit a blood test, they are all scored based on health metrics. If those metrics are not improved upon within a year, you are fined. I can get health insurance providers trying to minimize their losses, but this brings it to the level of invasion of privacy.

To make matters worse, my mother has her own private health insurance and is still getting billed for this crap insurance. Even though she has gone to HR to complain and submitted proof of her private insurance, it's still taken directly out of her check, and she can't even decide not to pay. My aunt has taken the passive route and decided to go along with it; they told her she was pre-diabetic with high blood pressure and gave her metrics to improve within the year. They managed to pressure my mom into submitting a test, and even though she eats an essentially vegetarian diet (not consciously, but just out of being healthy) they gave her a score of -20 and told her she had to eat more fruits and vegetables in order to improve her metrics.

Even if the health assessments are legal (which I suspect they may be), surely requiring her to pay for company health insurance while retaining her own insurance is. HR is notorious for this where she works; a number of her coworkers have noticed this as well but decided to not "make waves" since they fear losing their jobs. There has to be some sort of agency she could report them for refusing to recognize her private insurance, surely?

Thank you for time and consideration, just trying to help my mom and aunt out of a terrible situation being fined for their health.

Answer:
 It's not really a fine.  You pay the full price of the plan unless you submit to testing and improving your health.  If you do those things you qualify for the DISCOUNT.Answer #2: Most workplaces will allow you to opt out during open enrollment. If she never opted out, she'd be enrolled in a basic plan per company policy. You can't undo this until the next open enrollment (the exception is for specific qualifying life events). This is more likely why she is being "forced" to have a plan. It's actually cheaper for her workplace if she uses her own private plan. There's no reason they should want to stop her from opting out.

Most open enrollments are happening now or in the next week or so. Have her log on or fill out the paperwork properly. Ignoring the situation is probably how she ended up with insurance she didn't want.


Title: Can I make my stepmother sign a contract to prevent further abuse?

Question: Okay so to give some background my family is from Ethiopia. My parents divorced when I graduated highschool and my stepmom came here from Greece 2yrs ago (she is Ethiopian as well she was just an illegal immigrant in Greece). She constantly verbally abuses me day in and out. She has assaulted my dad more than once with the cops needing to be called multiple times (damaging my property in the process). And she has assaulted my brother-in-law twice when my nieces were present and he was holding the older one who was 1 years old at the time (they are now 3 and 2 years old). In August 2018 it was the last straw for me and I went to get a civil protection order (CPO) against her. This has scared her because her and her other Ethiopian friends kept telling her she was going to go to jail even though that was not the case. Now she has harassed every single relative on my dad’s side of the family begging for my forgiveness and promising to apologize to me and my older sister for everything she has done. I really do not want to give her another chance but my dad and his side of the family keeps saying we need to give her one last chance because she is our responsibility since we brought her here and she knows no one and may get deported. I want to know if I can have her sign a legally binding contract to prevent further abuse against me, my dad, and my sister and her husband. And if she breaks that contract then she needs to immediately sign a CPO and divorce peacefully with my father and leave our lives forever. For any extra legal purposes I live in Ohio and I am 23 years old.

Answer:
 No. You can have a restraining order against her if she is threatening you. And it seems you have already taken that step. It doesn't sound like your dad wants to cut off contact. Your dad is an adult and can make his decisions about whether he wants to remain in the relationship.

If she did sign such a document, it likely would be unenforceable.

You are not required to maintain a relationship with this person. You can block her on social media and never talk to her again if you want.


Title: [CA] Professional landscapers maintain lawn throughout lease. Being charged for lawn not being as green/full after move out.

Question:
I'm being charged $275 for the lawn being 're-seeded' after we moved out. I'm in

As the title states, the owner contracted professional landscapers that came once a week to maintain the lawns during the duration of the lease. They are also the ones who adjusted the sprinklers for watering.

We actually reported the lawn dying / looking more brown months before we moved out, to which the owner re-seeded the lawn at that time and increased the watering rate. The kicker is that we live in Southern California and are currently in a drought. I also pay the water bill.

I explained all this to the rental management property to which they forwarded to the owner but they advised he is still rejecting my claim.

Do I have a case in small claims? I know there is a new law in effect for homeowners not being able to be charged for letting lawns die but I don't see anything related to tenants and landlords.

Any advice is sincerely appreciated.

Answer: If I was you I would send a demand letter for your full deposit returned and be willing to battle in small claims over responsibility for the lawn not being green enough to the owner's liking despite the owner having contracted professional lawn care. Ensuring the quality of the professionals' work is definitely not your responsibility.


Title: My mom stole my identity (Manitoba)

Question:
I'm 19 and from when i was 17 and a half to about 3 months ago i was living with my boyfriend, my mom signed up for a hydro account and an internet/cable account under my name without my permission. the other day, i went to my bank to get a credit card to start building my credit and found out there's $1600 in debt under my name that i never did. I never changed my drivers license address from our house 3 years ago and she got me my health card under that address, but my ex boyfriends parents and entire family said they would fight it with me and vouch that i had been staying with them. she won't own up to it to the debt collectors who keep calling but i have facebook messages of our conversations where she openly admits to it and she begrudgingly told me she'd own up to the police about it. Shaw basically told me that the only way to fix this is to file a police report and i can't reach the canadian anti fraud line. this has completely messed up my credit and the bank says even if it's paid off i won't be able to get a credit card or sign up for student or any kind of loans for over a year and that's if it's paid off asap. I'm living with her (i started searching for one bedroom apartments yesterday) and i'm scared of what will happen if i file a police report, what do you advise that i do??
i'm really sorry that this post is all over the place I'm not sure what to do and I haven't slept in a couple days.
TL;DR: mom signed up for services under my name without permission and racked up $1600 in debt, place told me to file a police report, not really sure what to do, she's still my mom

Answer:
 > mom signed up for services under my name without permission and racked up $1600 in debt, place told me to file a police report, not really sure what to do, she's still my mom

Comes up a lot here. Either report the crime to the police, and live with those consequences, or live with the consequences of her illegal actions. But remember--you did nothing wrong. She put you in this position.


Title: Father passed away a year ago, concerned that my step-mother may have removed me from will.

Question:
So I'll spare all the unimportant personal details and explain the situation. My father passed away just over a year ago. We weren't the closest while I was growing up but over the last 6 years he tried very hard to mend our relationship. 3 years ago he started becoming ill. He developed dementia and slowly degraded because of it.

Now, my father was quite a wealthy man. I'm really shocked that I was given no notice from a lawyer or my step-mother that he left me anything after passing. My step-mother (who I'm assuming is in charge of his estate) has been extremely manipulative my entire life and I can very well imagine her taking advantage of his mental state to write me off of his will so she could retain everything.

Is there anyway that I can check his legal records and see if there's anything he left me, or if it was modified in the last few years? I'd like to be able to do this without my step-mother knowing, as that would just cause a lot of drama to develop within my family.

EDIT for bot: I live in the United States, California to be more specific.

EDIT 2: I've looked up probate filings in the area and no will has been filed under his name. How can I find out if he even had a will to begin with?
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer: Step 1 is to contact the probate court where he was living when he died for a copy of the will.


Title: Colleagues are publicly accusing me of running an abusive twitter account. [CA]

Question:
Multiple colleagues have publicly accused me of running an abhorrent, abusive twitter account, despite there being NO evidence that I am in any way connected to it.  I work in a field where careers live and die by relationships and public perception, and this has seriously damaged - if not destroyed - my career.

Are there any legal actions I can take to stop this?  Sue for damages?

Do I have to prove they know it isn't me, or just that they didn't have solid evidence to make these accusations?  (It does kind of look like it could be me - it does target people I've been known to be upset with.)

Thanks for your help.

Answer:
 It is apparent from your phrasing that you do in fact run this account. Lying to us does you no favors, and should you find yourself on the business end of a lawsuit for doing it, be more forthcoming to your lawyer.

You have no cause of action if your accusers take out a full page ad in the NYT announcing you run the account. If they have a reasonable, sincere belief that you are the owner of the account, it may not rise to libel, but the bigger problem is you can not perjure yourself and deny the allegation. You run the account.

What you should concern yourself with is the loss of reputation you will encounter when it comes out as certain it is you, and not trying to get someone in trouble for calling you out on your shit. Grow up, will you? I would expect this sort of thing from 12 year old girls, not a grown adult with a career. Answer #2: If you are vying for a defamation claim, no, you have no recourse.  I can tell people all day long that I *think* you are the twitter account holder because that is my opinion.

An opinion is not the same as me purposefully lying about any facts I may or may not have about the twitter account holder.


Title: Company going through near bankruptcy sale and owe me 76k and paycheck. (California)

Question:
So my company had been going through a potential bankruptcy and sale at the same time. They took on too much investment and couldn't pay it back. Our receivables are good but just can't cover payroll etc.

The company is due to close a sale by another bigger next month but until then they are missing payroll. They already are 76k behind on bonuses they owe me and expenses out of pocket.

The main investor is calling in the debt and taking all the receivables (5 million) in case the sale falls through meaning nobody gets paid.

If everything falls through I want to be first in line for payment as apparently employees are last in line behind the investor and the bank.

What should I do?

Sending a legal letter means my job is over and I could disrupt the sale and screw over 100 employees.

Answer: Every single employee not paid on time should immediately file a complaint with the dlse. They have substantial authority to seize assets to ensure employees get paid first.


Title: On TV, cops sometimes tell a person not to leave town. What happens if they do leave town?

Question: Are there legal consequences? What if they have a business trip planned? Or a regular vacation? Is there any reason to take such an order seriously?

Answer: Generally, I think the unspoken end of that is "...or we're going to REALLY think that you did it."Answer #2: There is actually a federal charge called [Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1073), however, if no charges have been filed or the government hasn't gotten a warrant or subpoena for you, it's unlikely that you could be prosecuted under that statute. From what I've read, the government mostly uses it as a reason to get involved in returning fugitives to their proper locations, not to give people federal records.


Title: How can I apply for calworks/welfare without affecting people around me mainly my ex-boyfriend

Question:
I'm resident of Wa. my baby and ex is a resident of California . My ex boyfriend gives me cash for child support but I still need money for clothes and rent, baby food. I only want to receive these benefits until I get a job. I'm waiting until my baby is a bit bigger to have a caretaker for him. What can I do so that the county won't go after my ex boyfriend because he still helps me while still being eligible for calworks or welfare. Is there a way to  eligible  without harming people.

Location: California
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: You cannot do anything. The tax payers should not be paying for things that the father should be paying for. So get what you need for your child and dont worry about him paying child support. It is his obligation to his child.


Title: Can we break our lease because our complex has aggressive dog breads living in it when in the lease it says they are not allowed? (IL)

Question: My Wife and I recently move into an apartment complex north suburb of Chicago. In our lease it says there will be no aggressive dog breeds. We are now living next to two pit bulls and a German Shepard these are two dogs explicitly listed in the lease as aggressive breeds. We are having a baby soon and do not want to be around it. Can we get out of the lease without paying a penalty?

Answer:
 Why are you reposting this?

>Can we get out of the lease without paying a penalty?

Short answer, no.

Long answer.  Absolutely not unless your landlord agrees.Answer #2: Your lease says that there will be no aggressive dog breeds in the complex? Or does it say that you're not allowed to have aggressive dog breeds in your apartment? There's no implicit guarantee that the rules in your lease also apply to all other residents.


Title: [FL] Bought engine from company, they claim they sold only a block to me.

Question:
Hello everyone, hoping to post and get some advice on a predicament I was put in. Sorry in advance if this post gets lengthy.

Around Devember of last year I was having problems with my Jeep Wrangler engine. It was running hot and I found out that I had to have my engine repaired, ok fine I messed up by driving a few miles on a hot engine. I took it to a local mechanic that I have family highly recommending. I lived about 300 miles away so I left my card with my father, and he went to the store to pay for the enging. Turns out they ordered a new engine from a part company that is quite known. The price of the engine was aroun $2760. All was fine at first and the engine was placed, I was told by the mechanic that put it in that it had a warranty for about a year.

Fast foreword about 2 weeks, the jeep begins running hot again. I take it into the same mechanic store only the one where I live that's under different management. They tell me that the engine would have to be replaced again because of a bolt that got loose and destroyed the engine. I contacted the company that sold me the engine (the one my father went and ordered it from). They began saying that they never sold us a whole engine, and that it was only the engine block. They began saying my father specifically told them that he wanted a block. My father said he never said such a thing and would never, especially know that thew gasket was broken (can't put the old broken one on). I also had the mechanic that put the engine in tell me that a full engine was placed. SO, the company continued to stand by what they said, and told me that there was no warranty on this engine. I do have the carbon copy recipt that state A"engine $2760". And documentation that the engine was put in.

I spent so much time arguing with the company and they did not budge, I ended up purchasing another engine and had it placed. This cost me so much trouble with inability to get to work and causing a huge burden. So what steps should I take to get my money back?  thank you.

Answer: Jesus, you're 5400 in? Consult with an attorney.


Title: Made 20K gambling online but underaged, how to proceed?

Question:
I am a 19 year old student attending college (UC) in California. I created an account at CafeCasino and deposited 300 dollars. I ended up making over 20,000 dollars. To withdraw my funds they required me to make 60,000 dollars in bets. I was able to complete this requirement and unlocked my winnings for withdrawal.

The state laws of California say you must be 21 to gamble online, but when I was asking CafeCasino reps about this they stated as long as I was over 18 I can play and withdraw from them. I worry that once CafeCasino pays me the government will take my winnings and/or fine me since I am not of age. Is this something to be worried about? I believe CafeCasino sends checks for payment.

I am also worried about how this will affect my FAFSA and how I would pay taxes.

TL:DR - 19 yr old from California won money from gambling online but California laws state you must be 21 to gamble online. Wants advice on how best to go about withdrawing funds and depositing into savings/bank.

Answer:
 They *should* issue you as W-2G, but I don't know how legitimate that site is.  Either way, you have to disclose income from both legal and illegal sources (income tax evasion is famously how they caught Al Capone).

It will affect your eligibility for financial aid as that's based off your income.  Again, depending on the legitimacy of the site, they should be withholding taxes already but if they're not you'll pay them at the end of the year when you file your taxes.


Title: The woman I rented a room from is not returning my security deposit or rent money collected from months where I did not live in her house due to the fact that she got her house taken away

Question:
This lady owes me $1,000 and has been promising to pay since January. I do have a couple photos of written contacts made between us and a few text messages, but beyond that I don’t have any more proof as all other text messages have been deleted. She is well aware of the amount of money she owes me and has promised to pay, but never has. I just need a way to obtain the money.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 File in small claims court. Answer #2: You can sue in small claims court.     Out-of-state landlords are one of the common situations where a state has "long arm" jurisdiction and you can serve notice of the claim on an out-of-state defendant.

Because your story sounds unusual, I have some questions.

In what way, exactly, was your former landlord's "house taken away" ?    Was it foreclosed on by a bank, or by the government (for unpaid taxes), or was she evicted (and you were a subletter) ?

Why did you pay rent for months that you were not living on the premises ?    Had you paid advance rent for future months, or did you pay and then had to leave the premises during the paid month ?Answer #3: Location is not optional in this sub. States have widely varying laws, so say nothing if you're Canadian, Australian, British, or such.

In most American jurisdictions, you can sue her in small claims court for the security deposit.


Title: Cell phone ticket in Hawaii

Question: So i got a ticket.  I was looking at spotify to switch a song at a stop light and a cop up a steep drive was saw me.  Anyways.  My question is their is 2 things wrong with the ticket.  That being make and model, and my plate number.  They are wrong.  Wondering if these will be taken as large enough errors to get the ticket dropped if i contest it.

Answer: Clerical errors generally do not invalidate a ticket.


Title: My ex cheated and broke up with me for being mentally ill, and is now threatening to sell our house out from under me (MS)

Question:
My ex and I got together 1/19/15.  We bought our house April 2017.

He knew when we got together that I was mentally ill. He completely accepted me back then and helped me through it all.  Around the same week we bought our house though there were a few instances where he hit me, and I know at least one was distinctly related to my mental illness.
In September 2018 my insurance dropped all coverage for therapy and my medication and instead of helping me he continued on with the hitting and would constantly tell me I was crazy.

On March 8 2019 at like 4 am I caught him cheating. Which lead to a massive spiral of me not eating or sleeping for days and self harming constantly, several other girls coming forward and messaging me about their affairs with him, and him beating me up,  until I finally attempted suicide on March 11th and had to be hospitalized.  While I was in the hospital it was all promises about how we'd go to couple's counseling and he'd get anger management and the other girls are blocked.

Then I come home and he either acts like I'm not even here or he plays games with my head.

Then on Tuesday 4/23/19 he messaged me telling me that he is selling the house and doesn't ever want to see my crazy abusive ass again.

I paid the down payment, I paid for our furniture, I pay half the bills, but my name is only on the warranty deed and it's on there incorrectly ( he would never get it fixed).  Can he really just sell my house out from under me like this?

Answer:
 First, cheating/domestic violence/furniture payments are all pretty irrelevant to the question of whether he can sell the home.

You say that your name is incorrectly on the deed. Do you mean it's misspelled or is it totally a different name (e.g. if your name was John Adams did the deed list something like "Jon Adams" or something like "George Washington", a completely different name)? Generally speaking someone will need to show that they can convey title/ownership of a house and that's going to require consent of all listed parties. Does he have a power of attorney or guardianship over you?


Title: [IL] Can you shoot someone who is threatening to poke you with a hypodermic needle?

Question:
Say someone came up to you and asked for your belongings with a needle in their hands and says they'll jab me if I don't hand it over. Can I shoot and get prosecuted for this? It's still bodily harm but I don't think a needle will be enough to kill someone.

Doesn't have to be in IL. Just curious.

Answer: r/legaladviceofftopic is for hypothetical legal questions like this. This sub is for actual situations that people need help with.


Title: Maryland Teenage Car Accident: Can I go to court and do community service instead of paying my tickets?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You really should be more concerned about the lawsuit than the tickets. Your brothers policy may not cover you at all if you live in the same home.


Title: Trust recipient filing for bankruptcy

Question: My grandfather passed away last weekend. He setup a trust naming my dad the executor. My dad reviewed the assets and the instructions in the will and determined that he and his two siblings would get around $25k each. He called his brother (James) to tell him and he acted really strange about it. After a lot of prodding James admitted that he and his wife are in the process of filling for bankruptcy. He implied that he wanted to either have the trust payout after the bankruptcy was over or for my dad to just take the money and give it to him later.  We would like to help him out, but this just doesn't feel legal nor right to us. Is simply leaving the money in the trust for a while really a valid way to circumvent the bankruptcy? My dad doesn't want to be complicent in anything illegal, but doesn't want to go out of his way to throw his brother under the bus. My grandfather lived in North Carolina as does my father. The trust was setup in NC as well. James lives in Arizona.

Answer:
 Hiding assets is illegal, and this is something the trustee will ask about.

If you inherit within 180 days of bankruptcy, you're required to amend your bankruptcy and that inheritance then becomes part of the bankruptcy estate. I believe the important date is the date that your grandfather died and your father+uncle became entitled to inherit.

He must disclose this.


Title: [WA State, USA] A roommate of my GF got frustrated with her and threw her glass cabinet containing fragile heirlooms over the balcony window. What is the best legal strategy to be compensated?

Question: It's difficult to know the re-sale value of the items lost because this was not considered a 'going concern'.  Glass gifts from mom and  grandma; that type of item. Ultimately this is not a question of material compensation. I'm wondering if this is more of a tort case.  My girlfriend is crushed.  Where do we go from here?

Answer: Were the police called?  That would be your first step.


Title: Can you leave a will/inheritance in the form of a trust with stipulations, such as the benefactor must remain employed to receive the inheritance?

Question:
My friends mother has frequently stated that she is setting up her assets to be distributed to her children over time as long as they love up to certain criteria. It may seem a bit intense but I see it as her way of making sure her kids don't take the inheritance and ruin their lives because it is a relatively large inheritance.

Her conditions aren't too terrible, but I believe they have to remain employed for example. There also might be some stipulations for sobriety as some of her children have dealt with substance abuse and she fears them taking the money and quitting their jobs and using substances.

Now before you say, but where will the money go otherwise? Apparently she is very religious and will gladly donate the money to the church in lieu of her children.

This has me curious what the limitations for this type of wealth disbursement would be.

On one hand, I see it as her money that she can choose to do with as she pleases. She doesn't have to leave them a cent if she didn't want to. Some of her stipulations come from a place of love and are common sense like she doesn't want her child to get a life changing amount of money, quit work, and go on a bender. For that reason she wants it to be disbursed slowly and only if they keep their lives in order.

On the other hand I can see the kids side of it if they choose to retire early or become a stay at home dad or something like that. Or even if they did just want to enjoy the easy life and use substances. Or they start drinking but keep a job as it is not illegal to drink even if they have alcoholism. In their eyes it was left to them and they shouldn't have to jump through hoops for it.

And then there's the thought experiment of how far someone could take it. If being sober is accepted, could being fit be accepted? It sounds wild but it is a logical step from sobriety from alcohol to physical fitness as drinking and being fat aren't illegal. What about how they spend the money? What about things that are ridiculous like they have to do the hokey pokey?

TL;DR - Friends mom is saying her will is going to have stipulations and be disbursed slowly as long as conditions are met. I'm wondering how legal this is and if this is a common occurrence.

Answer: Assuming this is for the US, it’s legal, and not super rare. The conditions have to be legal (mom can’t insist you rob a bank), and they can’t be “against public policy”. The most common examples are restrictions on getting married or divorced. In your examples, the problem would be that the conditions are too vague. Who gets to say what “employed” means? Does charity work count? How about being between jobs? What if one of the kids is in hospital long term?Answer #2: Long ago, I worked with a guy in that situation.  As long as he was working he had access to a trust fund.  He had a nice house, drove a nice car, and around work, his nickname was King of the Dog Fuckers.Answer #3: Wonder how stricter terms will be what if I'm only employed one day a year?


Title: Dating Dilemma

Question: Can a 16 year old girl from New Jersey date a 21 year old man from Canada? I'm not sure about the legality of this since 16 is the age of consent in New Jersey. But does this also apply to the man since he's not a New Jersey citizen?

Answer:
 Date? Sure

Send nudes? No, that would be child porn

Cross state/international boarders to have sex?  Potentially criminal and certainly high risk


Title: Came across... something on Twitter feed. Is police after me? (x-post from /r/nostupidquestions)

Question:
So I was casually browsing my Twitter today when I came across some very illegal and disgusting photos. I immediately reported them and blocked the user who uploaded the pictures in question, but I'm scared for myself. Are the cops going to be at my door?

United States

Answer: No, you're fine


Title: What can you do when a child/minor assaults you?

Question:
I’ve always wondered what you’re physically allowed to do when a child does something like bite you or kick you. If an 8 year old bites you on a grocery store, I’m guessing you can’t hit them? But what can you legally do? Push them? Or is hitting allowed?

How does this change when they are 17?

Answer:
 You can use a *reasonable* amount of force to defend yourself from the assault.

You can push a biting 8 year old away.  You cannot pin them to the ground and beat them unconscious. Answer #2: Note that some states have "stand your ground" laws and in others you have a "duty to retreat" if you're able to safely. You may or may not be allowed to hit an *adult* if they kick you, much less a child.

The legally safest thing to do is to retreat, if you're able. You're far less likely to be prosecuted for assault (whether you'd win or lose) if don't hit anyone. If you can't retreat, then the next legally safest thing is to respond with the least amount of force necessary. Push to create distance instead of hitting to cause pain. Restrain instead of incapacitating through injury. Shoot once instead of thirty times. If the person backs off and you can now safely flee, flee.

For an unarmed person a third your size, a jury would probably expect you to be able to open up an opportunity to retreat pretty quickly in the encounter.


Title: Towed put of my parking garage with proper parking pass.

Question: I had my car towed last night out of my parking garage in Texas. I had the correct parking pass displayed and was parked in my normal parking spot I've been parking in for 9 months. I'm not sure of the circumstances surrounding it or why it was towed. All I've done so far is pick up the car and pay. I had to get to work so I ubered there early and went to work. Who should I talk with first my apartment complex or the towing company. Will I be able to get my money back or was already paying and picking it up a mistake? Thanks for the help.

Answer: Your most likely recourse will be against the apartment complex, assuming it was their mistake. Talk to them and find out who authorized the tow and on what grounds. If it turns out that the towing company picked up the wrong vehicle, they'll need to refund you. If it ends up being an argument between them and the towing company, I'd pursue recovery from the apartment complex since the towing company was one way or the other simply a service provider for them.


Title: Can they find DNA in fecal matter? [Serious CA]

Question:
Hello, this sounds ridiculous but I am looking for a serious yes or no answer.  I got wasted at a house party with a classmate several weeks ago.  It was actually a mansion, her father is very wealthy and her mother works for a major branch of government that is in the executive order.  It was so stupid of me but I wasn't feeling that well and I was feeling sick.  All the bathrooms were filled and I really had to go.  I went to the side of the house and diarrhea'd in what I thought was a discreet safe place.  For some very stupid reason the brother (also in major government branch) had placed brand new DJ equipment on the grass and was preparing for another setup for another party.
A couple of days ago the girl was telling everyone her parents & brother found out.  The parents are the investigative type and like to sue (from what I hear).  She said that they collected a sample and would run it in the system.  I was arrested before for drunken misconduct only one time, so I think my DNA/fingerprint might be in the system?  How much serious trouble could I be in?  Thanks ahead of time.

Answer: are you saying you defecated on your friend's brother's DJ equipment?Answer #2: Yes they can. Some apartment complexes and HOAs do this to identify which owners aren't cleaning up after their dogs.


Title: Former employer attempting to charge $15 per pay stub for access to pay stubs

Question:
My former employer provided pay stubs through a website - no hard copies were provided.  After I left the company, but before I thought to print out my pay stubs, the company removed my access from the pay stubs even though I still have access to the site as a whole.

I contacted my former HR representative and she informed me that they will provide my pay stubs for a fee of $15 per stub.  This seems like flat-out extortion, is this legal?  My former employer and I are located in Michigan.

Answer: If you are no longer employed there it makes sense that they charge a fee.


Title: I need to request a public defender and most of my income is off the books. How do I do this?

Question:
Im in school in Indiana. I got a ticket that requires a court appearance and could cause me to have my license suspended. I will be going to an initial hearing soon. I work part time at a retail job where I make about $500 a month. I make about another grand that pays for my school and living expenses by doing odd jobs, hauling with my truck, and some mechanic work. This is not consistent pay and I can barely afford rent and school as is. In no way could I afford a lawyer.

Now how do I go about explaining this without lying or admiting to dodging taxes and running an "illegal shop"? I don't think any reasonable person has a moral issue with those things but IDK how that effects a judge.

Answer:
 >Now how do I go about explaining this without lying or admiting to dodging taxes and running an "illegal shop"?

By properly reporting your income to the IRS and paying taxes on it like you are legally required to do.

> I don't think any reasonable person has a moral issue with those things

This sub is r/legaladvice, not r/morality. What you did is absolutely illegal.Answer #2: What were you charged with?  Generally you are not afforded the opportunity for a public defender for routine traffic violations.


Title: Contacting someone after restraining order is lifted (NY)

Question: Is it illegal to contact the person who put a restraining order on you after it has been lifted? Can/will you be arrested for this?

Answer:
 If it has been lifted, you can't be arrested for violating the order anymore.  But if the conduct is otherwise illegal (trespassing, harassment, etc) you could be arrested for that.

A restraining order is Nature's way of saying that the other party doesn't want to talk to you.  For Realz.

So my "bonus advice" is don't do it even if it is not illegal.Answer #2: Do you want a brand new restraining order against you?

Because that's how you get a brand new restraining order against you.


Title: (TX) My bf avoided arrest after assaulting me, causing bodily injury. Knowing that I pressed charges, he left the state for a rehab facility. What can I do to see that he faces the music immediately?

Answer:
 You do not press charges.  If you filed a police report, the attorney for the state (DA, states attorney, etc) can file charges.

Meanwhile, sit back, close your eyes, and picture me rollin'.

I do hope he does seek counseling and rehab for his issues.  That does not absolve what he allegedly did to you.


Title: car accident with minor damage. insurance claim denied

Question:
About a month ago I was involved in an auto accident. It was 10pm and it happened in a large parking lot that serves a big shopping center. I was traveling down a marked lane correctly when I was suddenly struck by a driver on my left side. This driver was cutting across the parking lot diagonally(see diagram). There were no injuries, just minor damage to both of our vehicles. I called the police and a report was made. The police report claims that the other driver was at fault. I called the other drivers insurance company the next day and started a claim. A week ago, the adjustor denied my claim with the decision being based on the following: Failure to yield the right of way at an open intersection. I then provided the adjustor pictures that I had taken of the scene to show that there was no intersection in sight. After reviewing the images, the adjustor stood by the other drivers story of events and said, “since there are no independent witnesses, I must back up my insured.” The pictures and police report both show that it didn’t happen at an intersection at all so I’m baffled as to why the adjustor is sticking to this story.

http://imgur.com/a/E7r9I

Any advice on what to do at this point? This happened in Texas. I was told to file a suit at small claims court. Who do I sue and who do I mail the “letter of demand for payment” to? The insured or the insurance company?

Also, I haven’t taken my car to a body shop yet. I’ve only got an estimate for repairs from the other party’s insurance company. Any advice on what to do about getting my car fixed? I was told to take it to different body shops and have multiple estimates done but I can’t easily do this due to the fact that my car is not drivable. I would have to tow it to these different shops and it seems like it would be an expensive hassle. Should I do this?

Answer: The other driver's insurance company doesn't owe you squat. You can file a claim with your own insurance or sue the other driver for the cost to repair.


Title: Minor's rights when being kicked out? [British Columbia, Canada]

Question:
It is a very real possibility that my friend (18M) will be kicked out of his home very soon. His parents are very verbally and emotionally abusive, and previously he experienced physical abuse; the physical abuse stopped when he got big enough to fight back. As well, his parents covered up sexual abuse by one of his siblings when he was younger. His parents threatened to kick him out because he got accepted into college and wants to move out in September. They see this as him abandoning his family because he is "too good for them". Because the age of majority in BC is 19, he is still considered a minor under the law. This leaves him unsure of what his rights are in this situation.

His parents are threatening to kick him out and not let him take any of his stuff unless he purchased it himself. This would add up to basically some underwear and a couple of video games. They are threatening to even take the clothes off his back, claiming that they own them. From what I can tell in BC, a minor legally owns all things that they bought themselves or were given as gifts. I would assume this would include clothing bought for the minor. Can they legally take his belongings from him?

As well, would they still have to support him financially if they kicked him out? Like, say he made a complaint to the MCFD (child services) that they kicked him out, would they still be responsible for providing him food and shelter? I ask this because I found this family law [website](http://www.familylaw.lss.bc.ca/guides/childpro_makecomplaint/makecomp_yourrightsresp.php) that says all parents are responsible for providing these things under BC law until a child is 19. I am unsure if this counts still if they kick him out.

I know they have all his I.D, and he'll probably need that soon but he is unsure of how to get it from them without antagonizing the situation more before he figures out what he is going to do. What should he do about this?

He is also considering that maybe he should make an MCFD complaint himself, and have them step in to handle the situation. What would that involve, and what would happen if they removed him from the home? He is a bit old to be put in foster care.

Are there any other things that should be considered in this situation?

(EDIT: punctuation)

Answer:
 He can't be kicked out without a written eviction notice after reaching the age of majority, until then his parents are obliged to provide for him.

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies/ending-a-tenancy

He needs a job and his own bank account and to get prepared to get out from under their narcissistic hands.

Answer #2: More reference for those who come later:
http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96007_01

Some legal resources for youth:
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/bcs-criminal-justice-system/services-and-resources/youth-services


Title: [WA] Break lease over month before it even starts

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You signed a contract. The whole point of contracts is that they result in a binding agreement. "I think that breaking the agreement would totally not be all that inconvenient for you after all" is not a valid extra-contractual reason to break the contract.

You can try to talk them out of enforcing the contract, but no, you don't have a magic Get Out of Jail Free card here. Next time, don't sign a contract until you're willing to enter into a binding agreement.


Title: Writer research. Stanger kidnapping 30 years ago of 5 year old.

Question:
Writer research. 5 year old girl was kidnapped by stranger close to 30 years ago. Lived with kidnapper for 9 years. Lived in Illinois taken to Wisconsin. 1. Is there a statue of limitations? 2. Which state would now prosecute?  3.Would it be a District Attorney,  States Attorney  or A federal Prosecutor?
Thank you in advance for any input.

Answer:
 1.  The state where the original kidnapping occurred might prosecute.

2.  The feds would almost certainly take the case, since cross-state kidnapping is a federal crime.

3.  There is no statute of limitations for kidnapping.


Title: [NYC] My ex won't pay rent, but she won't leave either. What do?

Question:
Ex and I were together for a decade. Ex broke it off two months ago. Fine. Ex says she'll remove her stuff from the apartment and get on with it.

Except the part where she never did. And she stopped paying rent.

We are co-tenants on a lease that ends in approximatemy four months. Out of the eight months we have been here, ex has only paid rent for three.

Because we were together so long, there is only a verbal agreement of splitting the rent in half. Maybe there's a saved text or something but I never got a written contract because love I guess.

The main thing here is I can't stand being around her anymore. We had a domestic violence incident in the last year that I did not report. Staying in this apartment now is mentally and physically destroying me but I don't trust ex to 1) not steal my shit and 2) not wreck the apartment.

The only silver living here is that the landlord allows for leases to be broken with notarized signatures of both co-tenants. I've sent this is ex multiple times and they've yet to complete it. To be fair, I haven't done it either because I've been waiting on her to sign it first.

My main question is:
Is there any way I can potentially just get my name off the lease? This leaves ex with the hot potato, as they say, and is the easiest way to dodge. I'm just worried about this coming back to bite me in the ass later either via a small claim or a bad landlord reference. That's probably out of the question, though, considering the early leave.

Thanks for any help you can give.

Answer: You should consider taking your ex to small claims court to recover the missing rent. Verbal contracts are enforceable. You should gather what evidence you have showing the three months of payments as that bolsters your claim that you agreed to split rent.


Title: Car stolen for the second time in my apartment complex. About the 7th time its been broken into

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > What i want to know is if there is any legal action we can take against the apartme t complex for neglecting our security?

No.  Unless you can prove the complex had a hand in the theft, it's not their issue.


Title: Pulled Over DUI License Wasn't Taken (CA)

Question:
So I was coming back from a concert and I had been smoking, but less than even a gram. As I was driving back I was pulled over and the officer had arrested me for driving under the influence of Cannabis. I have my med card as well by the way. They didn't tow my car, just parked it on the side of the road for me to get the next day. I have a court date next month, but the officer had told me that since this is my first time getting in trouble for the first time, and I also have my med card that the judge won't charge me with a DUI possibly, was wondering if this is possible and my chances? The officer also didn't take my license, and gave it back to me. Also wondering if there's any fees I'm going to have to pay if the judge decides not to give me a DUI. Also does my insurance go up if I'm not charged with a DUI? Thank you.

EDIT
If i go into the court date without a lawyer (can't afford) is it worse?

Answer:
 Having a MMJ card doesn't give you the right to drive while stoned. Answer #2: The officer doesn't decide what you're charged with. Since your "med card" came into play I'm guessing you admitted to being under the influence and driving. California will nail you for this.

I'd lawyer up asap if I were you.


Title: College dorm overheating, threatening to fine for for open windows

Question:
Happened in PA (yes this is a past case, I'm just wondering what would have happened if they'd actually fined us like they threatened).

Essentially, in winter the dorm I lived in had the heat controls in RD's room the basement.  The heating system was old and not very even; heating the basement to reasonably warm would make the upper levels hot.  I lived in the top floor and with the windows closed it would consistently be in the high 90's.  I don't remember what it measured but it was bad enough that with a window closed I'd be sitting in my underwear dripping sweat.

Naturally most of us opened the windows - but the college said we were "wasting heat" and threatened to fine us.  Could they actually have done that, and would we have had any recourse for the room being intolerably hot?

Answer:
 No legal advice but similar situation. The heater in my dorm room was broken on high. I went to the front desk and they had maintenence temp it, it was above 90 in the dead of winter. They said that was illegal to be that high and considered it emergency maintenance and fixed it right then and there. This was at a SUNY school.

Edit: if you were fined, you would probably be able to fight it. Answer #2: It'd depend upon the contract that you signed with housing. It is very possible they could've fined you, yes. But it is very possible you could've successfully appealed within the university structure y weighing on the compassion of higher-ranking officials.


Title: (Australia): Cousin ran away from home, what steps do I take to find her?

Question:
As per title, my cousin ran away from home some time ago and I wasn't really informed about anything about the scenario until recently when my parents dropped the bomb on me about her running away from her family. Until then I was told she left for work.

From what I know she had ran because of her mum not accepting a man she wanted to marry, and after a big fallout left and it's been years since anyone has heard from her. She is very close to me and practically raised me, I'm 18 now and I feel I should be able to do something to find her and reconnect. But finding a person who ran away, is that illegal?

What are my options here to find her, I dont know where to begin or who to talk to so if anyone would be able to help I'd greatly appreciate it. I'm located in NSW Australia so maybe theres a different system in place here I'm not too sure.
Topic:
Non-US

Answer:
 > From what I know she had ran because of her mum not accepting a man she wanted to marry

You didn't mention any concerns about her boyfriend. There would be different responses if there was something wrong with him.

> and after a big fallout left and it's been years since anyone has heard from her. She is very close to me and practically raised me, I'm 18 now

That last sentence fragment should have been at the start of the story. She's an adult (you're 18 and she's older than you). She didn't "run away" the way a child might have. There's nothing suggesting she's in danger. She is free to go "no contact" with her family.

> and I feel I should be able to do something to find her and reconnect. But finding a person who ran away, is that illegal?

It's probably not illegal (IANAL, certainly not an Australian lawyer). However, it would be a violation to give her contact information to her parents if you find her.

> What are my options here to find her, I dont know where to begin or who to talk to so if anyone would be able to help I'd greatly appreciate it. I'm located in NSW Australia so maybe theres a different system in place here I'm not too sure.

She has your contact information. If she wants to email or phone you, she will. If she doesn't, it could be because she thinks you will give her contact information to her parents.


Title: How would one go about fighting against a traffic ticket issued for going 13 mph over (43 in a 30 mph zone) in Ithaca, NY?

Question:
I was issued a traffic ticket a little while earlier for going 43 in a 30 zone. The roads were wet from snow and rain, but there wasn't anyone on the road. In addition, I believe the road was going slightly downhill. I thought I was within the limits (~35-40) and when the officer asked me if I knew the speed limit I said I had thought it was 40.

I am 24 years old and have been driving for about 7 years with no legal history whatsoever and will be fully employed within the week.

As a first time offender, is it possible to get this ticket either reduced or thrown out without paying out the ass for a lawyer? Also, the ticket she gave me does not have a fine amount listed on it. It just has a court date. How would I even go about paying it?

Answer:
 > is it possible to get this ticket either reduced or thrown out without paying out the ass for a lawyer?

Reduced, likely. Thrown out, not likely at all. When you attend your hearing, you can attempt to negotiate with the court to plead to a lesser infraction.


Title: [NC] Caught with Schedule 1 drugs

Question:
Posting for my girlfriend because she can’t. My girlfriend was at an on-campus housing location with some friends when the police showed up because of a marijuana smell complaint. Someone had been smoking earlier and the smell had lingered quite a bit and was apparently present when the cops showed up. She chose to give up what she had (thinking that all she had was some marijuana on her) to limit the trouble because otherwise the on campus police were going to search the apartment. She had forgotten that stored with that were a couple tabs of LSD and they (obviously) found that and arrested her.

A friend who did not get in trouble contacted me about it and she has still not called anyone or had any bail posted. It’s been about 3-4 hours since this happened. I know a lot of it is just waiting for the process to occur but I’m quite worried and just wanted to ask for advice about the early process of processing and bail as well as for future advice on how to best help her in her situation moving forward.

Thanks for any advice as any helps calm my mind!

Answer:
 > she has still not called anyone or had any bail posted. It’s been about 3-4 hours since this happened. I know a lot of it is just waiting for the process to occur but I’m quite worried and just wanted to ask for advice about the early process of processing and bail as well as for future advice on how to best help her in her situation moving forward.

Well, I got some bad news for you. She might sit in jail until Monday morning. Possession of LSD is a felony, and a sheriff generally can't or won't set bail for a felony. So she might have to remain in custody until her arraignment, at which point the judge will set a bail amount. But a judge might not be available until Monday morning because courts are closed on weekends.


Title: Possible wrongful termination?

Question:
[Florida] I was fired from my job Tuesday, my boss told me she had gotten reports of my mistreating coworkers and decided with her RM to terminate me. I've been working for this company since June and never had a problem with 90% of my coworkers openly. Only one I did actually have a problem with and reported said problem multiple times was one with a series of issues that lead her to doing such things as pissing herself in one of our shared work vehicles and driving the wrong way up a highway with coworkers in the van. Aside from reporting those and multiple other incidents, I made a post on fb asking for advice on reporting some sort of employee protection for anyone who had to ride in said pissy van because to date, it still had not been cleaned by anyone.

I was never written up nor given a warning or any sort of disciplinary action for that, yet the girl endangering lives still has her job and is still allowed to continue driving.

Another caveat to this, I've been working for their base pay rate all this time in a supervisor role I was hired at and promised to be paid extra for but never happened due to managerial negligence, I started making some waves about that shortly before my firing as well.

In you INAL viewpoint, do any of you think I have grounds for pursuing a lawsuit? I loved my job, but fuck this company.

Answer:
 As /u/swalsh411 said, your location is important.

Assuming you live in at at-will state, you can be fired for any reason other than being part of a protected class.


Title: My ex girlfriend accessed my email. What are my options? NYC.

Question: 6 years ago, my gf and I broke up. I found out that she logged into my gmail account multiple times by checking the IP log ins. She had the password but just logged in on her own accord and found out that I was cheating on her with multiple women. We haven't talked since. Reading around this subreddit, it's come to my attention that this is absolutely illegal and I want to report it. I don't have any way of contacting her. She's married with children and I'm assuming her husband wouldn't want me contacting her anyway, even if it's solely legal matters. Would a lawyer contact on my behalf? What are my options? Is there a statue of limitations?

Answer: Your girlfriend logged into your email 6 years ago and found out you were cheating with multiple women.  You've had no contact for 6 years.  You have no damages and probably no proof.  Why do you care about this?Answer #2: Get over her.  Let the past be the past.


Title: Legal Advice for an Electronics Repair Shop

Question:
Hey guys! on a throwaway as my other handle is a blatant match to the business. (I'm from the United Kingdom)

Basically; a guy brought his iPad in to us that was no longer charging - it was dead on arrival (he has no proof of this and neither do we, other than a ticket my staff wrote out).

We told him we'd try a charging port replacement, this got the device charging again and turning on, collected the device working. Everyones happy.

He returns a week later with the device only charging up to 28%. We agree to take a look under our warranty. We try batteries and charging ports and all sorts of stuff - nothing works.

He takes the iPad charging only up to 28%.

Another week passes - he returns the iPad but this time we're back at square one. No charging and battery dead.

--

We try everything again (batteries, charging ports etc), this takes weeks - in the end we can't get it working and we offer him his money back on the original repair under our warranty.

Now, I received a badly typed letter from Citizens Advice explaining he either wants us to fix HIS iPad, buy him a brand new iPad or he's taking us to court!

We believe the iPad has (and has always had) a damaged power chip, we don't replace these due to how complex the job is (the chip is damaged from not using genuine apple cables, as the apple cables have voltage protection inside them where as the copies do not). (the power chip repair usually costs ~£60)

I do business as fair as possible, if we break it - we replace it. This has happened once before and we came to an amicable agreement, but this just seems grossly unfair!

I'm fully insured to go to court but if I can avoid all the b/s then that's much preferred.

Any advice or insight is MUCH appreciated! Thank you :)

Answer:
 Texas attorney here. First off, I do believe there is a UK legal subreddit where you might have better luck.

While I haven't the slightest idea about UK consumer protection law, if I was presented similar facts in Texas it seems as if you've done everyone reasonably possible to effect repairs, including offering a full refund. This would mean that he has no damages to sue you for since at the start he had a busted iPad and cash, and at the end he has the same thing.

I would refrain from asking about what charger he uses as it sounds like that is an important piece of evidence which could be a good surprise in court when it's brought up, because that would mean whatever damage there is to the iPad was likely caused by him not your shop.

Finally, an iPad is maybe £400ish on the high end? I guess it's possible he could find someone to do the case on contingency but I'd want to be absolutely sure of winning AND recovering attorney's fees before taking a case that small. He could of course do it pro se in whatever y'all call small claims court, which probably would make it more likely for you to win.

In the end I'd tell him to go bugger himself vigorously. I suspect he bought a damaged iPad with the intention of getting y'all to buy him a new replacement, because people are bastards.


Title: How do I report someone for burning during a burn ban?

Question:
My neighbors are busy bodied, bored, assholes and have called the cops on my family for stupid reasons in the past. (An example, I had a friend park across the street at the church and they lied and told the police that we were doing a drug deal at their church.😑) We're currently under a burn ban and I was curious on how to report them for burning. I'm certain that I don't need to call 911 over that sort of thing.
Topic:
Douche

Answer: Call the non-emergency number of your local fire department (or the police department if the fire department doesn't have fire marshals who enforce those laws).Answer #2: This has been a particularly bad fire year, there are currently active forest fires in California, Portugal, Vermont, and half a dozen other states (I only know of things in these three off hand).  You should, by all means, take this issue seriously and report him promptly.  Answer #3: Call the police non emergency number.


Title: Need advice: business partner refusing to sale

Question:
Location: Florida
Need some advice here, our startup has an opportunity to sell off for a substantial amount. We are in debt with a lien against the IP and are still quite a long ways off from being considered profitable. Our business partner (acting CEO) refuses to sale and said he'd rather have nothing because he is affluent individual and values his time more than what he'd get in return. He has also been allowed to "seed" the company with family members and friends who are "silent partners" and have put in little to no work but still hold equity. He had money invested at one point but pulled it all out during our first seed round of funding (which resulted in the angel investor cutting us off for more funding).
My leverage is that I hold all the code and am the liaison for the customers. We have put in hundreds of hours into this over 3+ years.
Any help would be much appreciated as I do not have financial capital for litigation at this point in time.

Answer:
 Do you own the code's IP rights or do you just know what the code is? Do you have an actual interest in the business or are you just an employee?  These situations are *precisely* why I cringe whenever I see tech astute people going into business with well established financiers.  It's also precisely why you need to have operating agreements established in writing well before you start writing code.

The problem here is that you rigged the deck against yourself. Presumably you have no rights because you didn't set up a membership agreement from the jump.  You went into business with someone who has more resources / assets than you, so they can win any war of attrition you wage.  You're also likely replaceable because it's easier to find programmers than it is to find money.  You need to talk to someone who has real experience with small business arrangements because it's beyond the scope of this forum and the transactions can get rather complex rather quickly.

I should also note that possible dilution issues aside, the guy might be right. The sum may be worth less than fair market value of the business / IP rights.


Title: I (31 aspegers), went to a store in NY without a mask, I was refused entry even after explaining I can't wear one due to my aspergers.

Question:
Wearing a mask bothers me and I rip it off in a matter of moments, after explaining to the clerk I can't wear one due to a disability they still refused me entry and threatened to call the cops.

&#x200B;

Is there anything I can do to get stores to recognize my disability in these trying times ? Sometype of legal precedent ? IF I try to go to court I fear this will all be over before it I even get my day

Answer:
 Yes, they can refuse you entry. Your disability makes it difficult to wear a mask but not impossible.Answer #2: Even if there was a legal option, which I do not believe exists, the courts are closed so you can not pursue it.

You can be denied entry for refusing to wear a mask. The ADA doesn’t even apply in this situation.

§ 36.208 Direct threat.

(a) This part does not require a public accommodation to permit an individual to participate in or benefit from the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages and accommodations of that public accommodation when that individual poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.Answer #3: It is unlikely you could successfully make an argument that a store should allow you to violate a state order because you feel uncomfortable complying with it.


Title: [Alberta, Canada] Girlfriend got into an accident in her friends car. Turns out it wasn't covered by insurance.

Question:
A couple weeks ago, my girlfriend was involved in an accident with another car at an intersection. She was driving her friends vehicle in crappy conditions and was hit by another driver in an intersection while trying to turn left. The vehicle she was driving was an obvious right off, however the other driver got away with a small amount of cosmetic damage to the bumper and fender. As you can imagine, she felt awful. She told her friend she would pay whatever the deductible was.

Her friend (We'll call her T for simplicity sake) is a part-time student here, however the vehicle has Saskatchewan plates and insurance. T was under the belief that her vehicle was covered as she was a student her. However, T just got a call from the insurance company and they said she was not covered due to her only being a part-time student and my girlfriend was found at fault in the accident. This leaves T without a car and the car that was written of had about $5000 left in payments. Even though the insurance company told T that she didn't need to change her insurance if she was going to school.

T, being a student and single mother of two children, would not be able to afford another car and for there own reasons her parents refuse to help, other then to bring up the possibility of suing my girlfriend for damages. My girlfriend had no knowledge that the vehicle was not covered and would have refused to drive it with that knowledge (as would any sane person). The only reason she was driving it was that she looked after T's daughters after school and did not have her own vehicle to go get them.

I obviously don't want my girlfriend to be screwed over as she does not have the money to pay for anything more then what the deductible was. At this point she is unsure of what to do and i am no help either. Has anyone had a similar experience or some advice? Any advice is welcome and more information can be given upon request. Thank you.
Topic:
Insurance

Answer: She’s going to be responsible for the full damage to the car.  In the future, she shouldn’t drive at all unless she has her own coverage—that’s the only way she can be sure.


Title: "Firing" a customer

Question:
Does anyone know if it's legal to "fire" a customer. I'm the founder of a SaaS business catering to landscaping professionals and we have the most irate, unappreciative, outright nasty customer we've ever had the mispleasure of dealing with. She rants to us via email daily, calls us names, insults our intelligence, trashes every new feature we release, etc.

We're to the point where we want to fire this customer because she's poisonous and outright disrespectful and it's not worth having her money. How do we go about this legally? Any information would be greatly helpful. Thanks!

Location: United States

Answer:
 As long as you are not discriminating for a prohibited reason such as race, religion, national origin, etc, you can decline to do business with her.

Keep copies of all hers and your communications in case she gets legal on you. Just because you are in a protected class does not give you free reign to be unreasonableAnswer #2: Not only should you fire her, you should make it a habit to fire any customer who is not a net positive for your company.

I've got 23 years of sales under my belt and several of those were running my own company offering sales consulting to startups. One thing I stressed to my clients was for them to fire any customer who was part of the 20% of one variation of the 80-20 rule (80% of your complaints come from 20% of your clients).

Here's how you do it ... first thing tomorrow, send the woman the following email:

"Dear Gladys, I hope this email finds you well. During our recent review of customer feedback - including yours - we realized our product is not a good fit for your company. Based on this, we have decided to cancel your account and you will not be billed for this month. We wish you best of luck finding a solution that better fits your needs. Regards, /u/andyglive."

That's it. If she calls, let it go to voicemail. If she emails, don't respond. Take the time and energy you would use dealing with her and find new and better customers.


Title: If I report a crime, can I be arrested

Question: So I was at a party and it had weed and alcohol, all the basic shit. But then some junior brought in Heroin and we're letting kids try, I wanted to call the police but I wasn't sure if I could be arrested for being there even though I reported it. Would I of been clear because I reported the crime? This is in Missouri in the U.S.A

Answer:
 You could be arrested. You could also leave the party and report the crime anonymously.Answer #2: For reasons you've already figured out, the police could definitely arrest you for reporting that you'd committed a crime. It would be terrible public policy for the police/prosecutors to punish you for trying to prevent some greater harm, like some asshole letting children try using heroin, but in some places the legal system lets the tree block their view of the forest.

Report it anonymously.

>Would I of

I want to arrest you for that :)Answer #3: If you report a crime and during the course of the investigation the police believe you have also committed a crime of course they can arrest you. There are very very limited circumstances where they could not and they don't apply in your situation.


Title: My dog became deathly ill after being boarded for one day

Question: So, I boarded my dog overnight on my birthday so that I could go to Atlantic city with my family. When I came back and picked her up she was not acting like herself. Very lethargic and she seemed to be in lots of pain. She's currently in the hospital and the vet bill has racked up to almost 3000 dollars and we've been told that she most likely will not make it. The vet says there was a good chance that whatever she has was caught at the kennel. I was just wondering if I have any ground to sue the place where she was boarded for the cost of the vet bills and the emotional distress. I'm completely broke now and am going to be living paycheck to paycheck for at least the next 6 months. Thank you for reading and please let me know if you have any advice that could help.

Answer:
 Your only entitled to the replacement value of your dog and reasonable bills.

It Is an understood risk that your dog may be exposed to disease in kennels.

That's why vaccinating your pup is so important.

If the operator of the kennel maintained reasonable standards such as confirming vaccinations before boarding dogs, maintaining clean kennels, and providing adequate care they haven't met the threshold for negligence to be liable for the death of your dog.

Also you would need to prove that whatever it is that is killing your dog was caught there, and the operator was grossly negligent in their operations.

You would have a huge uphill battle, and I find it hard to think of an illness so fast acting that would kill an otherwise healthy adult dog in such a short period of time.


Title: Company I sent $2000 in engine parts to make a custom coupler will not return my calls or emails 7 months on

Question:
Seemingly well established electric vehicle conversion business had me send my transmission, flywheel and clutch to make a custom adapter plate and coupler. They've had my parts since September and now have ceased all communication and are unreachable.

Parts are from a 75 alfa romeo and are difficult to replace. (Value $2000?)

Should i file a suit in small claims court to recover my property? I am in NJ, company is in CA.

Thanks

Answer: Take them to small claims court.


Title: I was promised a $3000 reimbursement and I'm not getting it.

Question:
In December of this past year (2018), I had hip surgery. The orthopedic office I had the surgery through makes everyone put down a $3000 down payment to, as I was told, "hold my place for an appointment" and also just in case insurance did not accept the surgery, the orthopedic office would charge me a total of $7000, and they would already have $3000 of it.

The lady (who we will call Jan) who helped me make the appointment and told me about the $3000 told me that I did not need to read the contract because she would explain it to me. She actually encouraged me to not read it. So I didn't. She "explained" the contract to me and had me sign it. She also told me that I was guaranteed to get the money back IF my insurance company accepted the surgery.

Well, I had the surgery and my insurance did accept it. So today I went in to have a checkup and asked the billing manager when I was going to get my money back. She goes on to explain that it is not guaranteed that I get the money back because the $3000 was NOT to hold my place for an appointment, it was for part of the surgery (that I did receive, but was not told that I would be paying for it with the money I gave them).

Even the business manager said that Jan should not have lied to me like that and shouldn't have encouraged me to not  look over the contract. And also, that Jan got fired because I was not the first person she had done this to.

Is there any legal action I can take with Jan? I'm not mad or want to take legal action with the orthopedic office, just Jan.

If there is not, it is totally fine. I'm seriously just wondering if there's anything I can do.

Answer: Take them to small claims court.


Title: Trying to gain access to dead father's storage unit

Question:
I am in kcmo, and so is storage unit.
Father passed 11-25-2015. He had a storage unit that contains personal effects. I am one of two children of his, we are both legally adults and he has a surviving parent who is receiving hospice care due to dementia.
The storage unit has his former social worker as an "open" contact. Nobody else is listed, father was using multiple names and trying to out run child molestation charges, obviously didn't list anybody from his "old life" Social worker and I have been in contact and she has asked that I be allowed access to my father's unit. She has been denied unless she has the key. Nobody has been able to locate said key.
Storage facility wants a court order stating none of the other NOK want the property. My sibling lives in Texas, and I along with said unit are in Kansas city. He has no interest in the unit, have this in writing.(text message)
As far as I know, decedent's children are the NOK if there is no spouse. Is this correct?
Jackson county probate court said to "open a case" I will need an attorney.
But, if my sibling and I are the NOK, why do they need a court order?
Are there any back ways to do this? I can't afford any attorney...
Thank you kindly, redditors!

Tldr; storage unit won't let me in, don't know why they're being difficult.

Answer:
 I am a lawyer, not yours. Short answer is that you'll have to open probate.

 Next of Kin only goes so far.  Everything that belonged to your father does not automatically become the property of the next of kin, or heirs.  Technically it becomes the property of your father's estate, and the personal representative of the estate has a duty to determine if there are any creditors of the estate (people to whom your father owed money before he died), before it can apportion the items from the estate.  There is a quick way [to do it](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/missouri-probate-shortcuts-31951.html) on small asset estates in Missouri.

The owner of the storage unit is absolutely right to insist on some form of legal assurance that you are the representative of the estate. It can be done without an attorney, but you will still have to open probate.  Property does not move "automatically" to you, there is a legal mechanism that must be followed.


Title: I know about a possible cover-up relating to a workplace fatality.

Question:
I am a director at a large manufacturing company. One of my direct reports who works at a customer site called me to tell me that an outside contractor performing maintenance had died.

Everything points to a heart attack except that the victim was a young healthy man.

 One of the managers at the site told my employee that it wasn't a heart attack and that the contractor had hooked up a nitrogen line instead of an airline to cool his helmet.

I think my customer may be trying to cover this up to avoid liability.

My question is do I or my employee have a legal responsibility to say anything? It's all hearsay and neither of us knows if it's true.

Do I call in an anonymous tip? If I do and my customer finds out my employee could lose his job and my company would lose millions in sales.

Any advice is appreciated.

Answer:
 I don't think you have a legal obligation if you are not responsible for the site where the accident occurred.

OSHA fines, even for fatalities, are seldom catastrophic.    And this sounds like one where the worker contributed significantly with his own negligence.

I think you have a moral obligation to take action to prevent future accidents of that type, especially because your employees work on those sites.   Whether or not you think your position as a director increases or decreases your moral obligations in the Company, and your industry, is your decision.

My opinion on that is professional and specific;  a laboratory where I consult had a near-fatality with an air mask and an unlabeled N2 supply port last year.


Title: Professional Photographer and Same Sex Weddings

Question:
Hi,

I've searched and haven't found help so I apologize if this has been covered.

I'm a professional photographer based in Maryland that is shooting weddings. Business is picking up and eventually I'm sure will attract same sex couples.

To keep it simple, I would prefer traditional weddings only. I'm not trying to discriminate at all but due to my religious beliefs I would like to keep away from same sex couples while doing so professionally and lawfully.

I'm sure it's legal for me to do this, correct? Would putting such disclaimer on my website (such as in the FAQ) cause an uproar? Would it be best instead to decline a couple after a private consultation instead?

Would kindly like some legal advice on this. Thanks!

Answer:
 > I'm not trying to discriminate at all

> I would like to keep away from same sex couples

It doesn't work like thatAnswer #2: NAL, but based on a quick survey of [this wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Maryland), this would not be legal.

Lying to gay couples about why you are denying them service would also not be legal.

Also:

>  I would prefer traditional weddings only. I'm not trying to discriminate at all

these 2 things contradict each other.


Title: Pretty sure this is illegal

Question: [Nintendo online message pushed to my 3DS device](http://i.imgur.com/jAag6a1.jpg)

Answer:
 That looks extremely fake. LOL Stop trolling bro. Let's assume Nintendo contacted your local police department, how would they know someone was dispatched?

For some clarification from people who may not have a 3DS or Super Smash.... what Nintendo does or at least it's coded that way, in an online match in a four player battle if you contiously attack one specific person, you get disconnected and/or banned for a short period of time.

This has nothing to do with verbally or text someone threats, bad language, etc. This is why this message is fake. Nintendo is not notifying the police because OP targeted and beat up on specific online player over and over again in a fighting game....

As for OP.... I'm a gamer myself, stop being a twat to other gamers online. It's shitsippers like you who make gaming shitty.


Title: Ohio- business in Florida that recently registered their name as a trademark is threatening my small business

Question:
I run a small wedding pet care business. I bring your pets to your wedding for photos and help during the ceremony. I started my business in July 2017, I registered everything with Ohio.

Today I received an email from a business in Florida that is telling me they will be suing me for copyright infringement and sent me a copy of their trademark for a similar name to my business dated from March 2019.

It is an email from the business themselves saying threatening legal action but “wanted to give me time to change my name first before their legal team contacts me.”

I am very new to this and I run a very tiny little business - I have no money to get involved in any litigation. Should I respond to this email? Should I just give and change my name?

Thank you for any advice.
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 You can actually contest the trademark filing \[ [https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/organizational-offices/trademark-trial-and-appeal-board](https://www.uspto.gov/about-us/organizational-offices/trademark-trial-and-appeal-board) \]. You would need to show that you've been using the name before the other party's filing.

&#x200B;

Beyond that, a quick call to an IP lawyer would be your best bet. They'll be able to ballpark how much a case like this would cost, and you could determine whether it would be worth your while.


Title: Can employers ask about salary history on an application?

Question:
My husband is severely underpaid (by about 30k).

I know NYC has made the practice of asking salary history on an application illegal, but what is the law for Buffalo, NY?

He wants to apply at my company but the online application requires him to enter current and past salaries. My company is based in California and Japan but has a location here in Western New York that he is applying to.

Answer:
 I have no idea on the legal aspect, but all the job apps I have put in for the last few years have had this question. I just put 0 in for my current salary.  This usually ends up with HR/recruiter calling me if they are interested and asking about pay.  Doing this runs the risk of me not being considered, but if a company does not consider me as an applicant over this, I do not want to work there.

&#x200B;

Most of the time they want to know if you are priced above what they can pay.  If you make 100k, but their job only pays 60k, it's not generally worth their time to contact you as that would be a 40k pay difference.


Title: (Indiana, USA)Hit someone with my car, minor dent, but they told me it's cool and I drove off. Should I have stayed?

Question:
I was backing out of a parking space, then someone came up from the side I wasn't looking at and I scraped the side of their car, ended up with a little dent in their car, but no damage on mine. I offered them my information.

I was relieved that they told me to just go on, they were college kids/same age as me, but I have a bad feeling that they might have taken my license plate number. Should I have stayed?

Answer: Nope. You pulled over. They said not to worry about it. If it comes back up again, relate that story.


Title: I brought the car to a Hyundai dealership for a recall of the steering wheel coupler. They told me my coupler was "fine," but apparently, it was not. I was driving dangerously the whole time.

Question:
 There was a clicking sound on my steering wheel, this got me worried. so I brought the car to a  Hyundai dealership for a recall of the steering wheel coupler. They told me my coupler was "fine," and everything was ok.

But the clicking noise was getting worse. So I took it to another mechanic for a second opinion. The mechanic took the steering wheel apart, and saw the coupler was worn out to the bone.

Wow, this got me pissed since I drove that car alot with my kids in it. Never knew how dangerous that was.

Now, they won't take any responsibility for it. They basically said, "it was okay a few weeks ago, it could have just turned bad since then" --- Yet it was obvious that the coupler had a long time of wear and tear on it. Not "weeks"

&#x200B;

I will eat the cost and have this fixed by another mechanic, but I can't get passed them telling "it was safe" to drive the car (with my kids in the backseat). It was really really really dangerous for us.

Any legal advice on what I can do about that?

&#x200B;

Pic of coupler [https://imgur.com/a/b4Ksxe5](https://imgur.com/a/b4Ksxe5)

Answer: you can complain to hyundai corporate.  if it is a recall issue you shouldn't have to pay.  try taking it to a different hyundai dealershipAnswer #2: Keep all receipts if you have already had the part fixed. Every recall notice I've ever seen has a paragraph about being reimbursed if you have already had the issue fixed out of pocket.


Title: Lady tries to steal my cays in front of my face

Question:
 So recently my cats have been going missing, and I didn't have any clue why they were disappearing. Today my family and I were going to pick up food, and we got in the car. We see a tan car in front of our house, but we think nothing of it because people love parking there. We started backing up our car. Apparently this a perfect time for a woman to open her door and try calling my cat to her. My cat Sirius is pretty friendly and started approaching her, until one of my sisters got out of the car. She left in a rush. My sister brought him in.

 This has happened before, but I saw it from my window. How do I stop this from happening I've  already lost 2 cats.

Answer: Don’t leave your cats outside....Answer #2: The only thing you can do is keep your cats inside and install a security camera so you can file a police report with evidence if this happens again. You can also file a report for the missing cats and the lady and car you saw trying to nab the other car cat. Put up missing cat signs for the missing ones in case someone has seen them. The only thing completely within you/your family’s control is whether or not the cats are allowed to go outside, though.Answer #3: You might also look for your cats at the local Humane Society/pet shelter. Are they chipped?


Title: KY can my ex landlord sue me for lost income?

Question:
In October 2018 my family moved to a rental. The lease I signed was for a year. I always paid rent on time and have the messages showing that. October 2019 made a year but we didn't sign a new lease. Last month my husband and I purchased our own house. On February 1st I gave the landlord our 30 days and told him we would be moving out by March 1st.

Now he is claiming that because his health has went down hill he's not able to show the rental to new tenants. So he wants us to continue to pay the $500 a month without living there for a year or take us to court for lost income. Is this legal? Will we have to pay for this year even though we don't live there?

Answer:
 > Now he is claiming that because his health has went down hill he's not able to show the rental to new tenants.

Not wanting to sound heartless....... but too friggin' bad, landlord. You ended your lease, went month-to-month, and then gave appropriate notice to vacate. Unless there's something strange in the lease paperwork (the major provisions of a lease will continue to apply when you go month-to-month, just not the requirement for a fixed length of tenancy) that would require you to stay until the landlord finds a new tenant, you're home free now.

A court would laugh at him.


Title: [US-NM] client is accusing me of sexual assault/ prostitution

Question:
Im a massage therapist and i work for one of the larger massage corporations. 2 weeks ago i worked on a client, the session was fairly normal. She seemed to enjoy the session, but after it ended and she came out of the room, she seemed upset. the next day i find out that she had called my manager and told them that i had tried to put my penis in her hand and had rubbed it on her arms. furthermore, she claims to know other people who have come to me and had issues. She says that ive given prices for "happy endings" to people she knows.
   My boss talked to me the morning after the supposed incident and told me Id be placed on a 3 day suspension while they sorted things out. Hes been on vacation since that day and the manager of my location hasnt been able to get a hold of this client to talk to her since that day. my suspension is still in effect, ive lost out on 2 weeks of work which is a significant amount of pay for me to lose out on.
  Im not sure if the client has pursued the matter further with the police or the state massage board.
  With what has happened so far, do i have enough of a case to pursue legal action against the client or my company for lost wages? Should i wait it out to see if she takes this further?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: From what has happened so far you will be lucky not to lose your license. You are likely to lose your job (just my wild ass guess there). Worry about that. Even if you could be definitively proven not to have done these things,  you employer can suspend you and even fire you and you still have no legal claims against the employer. For that matter your employer could fire you just for being unlucky enough to be accused of


Title: My son's mother might be putting his life at risk. I need advise.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Who does the custody order say should have him right now? Yes, it’s an overreaction to say that she’s putting his life in danger and shouldn’t get to have custody of her child right now because she’s a nurse saving lives during the pandemic. If you go into court to file an emergency order with that kind of language and attitude, you are unlikely to have positive results. If you think there is actual danger to your child you can consult a family law attorney and attempt to have an emergency order put in place. Your likelihood of success isn’t great.


Title: Virginia/US - Am I legally married?

Question: My "ex" wife and I were married in Iceland, then came back to VA and lived as married for 17 years, three kids, all but one grown (youngest is 15). We've been apart for over 6 years. It seems as though we were supposed to get a license in VA and do all that upon our return, but we did not. Never lived in a common law state for more than the required time, etc. So, we're both cool and friendly and all is good, are we really married in the US?

Answer: Provided your marriage wasn't illegal by US standards (i.e incestuous, wed to a minor, or bestial, etc), then a marriage performed elsewhere in the world is recognized as whole and fully valid in the US. You are married.


Title: Fired from a grocery store (legal firing) but manager told my former coworkers why I was fired

Question:
I was hired back in 2014 by a major grocery chain. I was fired in 2016 for alcohol consumption on the clock. Granted, I just turned 21 at the time.... so...

That is not the reason for this post. I went back about 3 weeks after being fired and found out my  coworkers all knew what happened. (Nobody saw me drink. Only the camera did. And that is only accessible to the manager himself.) I asked around and it turned out the manager exposed me. Not to mention he explicitly told me nobody was allowed to know.

2nd issue at the same place.

I had an assistant manager in the department I worked at. Every day I came in, he always was talking about his "Anaconda" and the best way to lengthen it. He also always asked me if I had a good "Uncle Jack" (Real quote changed for SFW means) last night. This guy was the Union Representative in my store as well. I did, on several occasions, request to my department manager he be asked to stop. I was told to ignore him and move on.

Potentially helpful notes;

I am in GA (Hire/Fire at will state)

City of store: Roswell

Date of events: Start was May 2014. End was November 2016.

My question:

Am I still able to press charges and with whom do I do so? The grocery store itself? Or the company? Am I still in the Statute of Limitations?

Any advice would be great.

Before you ask,
I was not yet decided until now to do this. I have been pondering this for 4 years now.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: First, you don't press charges. It also doesn't sound like they broke any laws, so you'd have nothing to report to the police.Answer #2: So you want to sue because the manager told employees the truth about your poor conduct?


Title: 4th amendment violation?

Question: I was driving home 2 nights ago after a Christmas Party when I was pulled over by two officers. My tire slipped on wet pavement (not peeling out, just a chirp) They gave me a field sobriety test that I easily passed in bedroom slippers. They gave me a careless operation ticket and gave my keys and license back. They told me to call someone to get me because they claimed I was not drunk now but would be. I hadn't had a drink in 3 hours but complied and told them I needed to find my phone to call a ride. I was looking through my car when the younger officer asked to help me look. I told him I didn't need help but if he could call it so it would ring that would help. He called my phone but then grabbed my wrist and handcuffed me. They changed the charge to reckless driving and threw me in the squad car. They then proceeded to tear my car apart. The officer found a bag of benzocaine in my glove compartment that I had been using months ago for a tooth that broke in half. I was charged with cocaine and reckless driving. I know there is absolutely no cocaine in the bag because I bought the benzocaine on Amazon for $44. I spent the night in jail and had a $5000 bond to get out. Is this a violation of my 4th amendment rights? I did nothing suspicious, complied with everything and was polite. I see no reason for me to have been arrested. The field test came back positive for cocaine but they have to send it to a lab which will confirm there is no controlled substance inside

Answer:
 get a criminal defense lawyer NOWAnswer #2: You need a criminal defense lawyer. This is not a problem for a bunch of pretend Internet lawyers!Answer #3: You need a lawyer to properly carry out a process for quashing the search and getting your record expunged. Don't talk to anyone but your lawyer, even if you think you are completely innocent.

Benzocaine is generally not sold "by the bag". It's usually in some kind of compounded form, gel, or paste. Something is being left out here. Answer #4: Can’t answer this without either seeing the police report or watching the video to see what you did that THEY believe to be suspicious