Title: Did stupid college things in a college town, and now facing the consequences. MIP, and Possession of Paraphenalia.

Question:
To preface, this will be pretty long because i want to be as detailed as possible. I appreciate anyone he reads through the end. I'm 18, freshman, living in a college town in Texas. I've smoked marijuana a few times before and found it really helped me with stress but quit when I went to college because I thought it would be unhealthy for me to continue smoke, and possibly come to rely on it. I also drink, which will be further explained. Legal questions are at the end.

This weekend I smoked for the first time in 2 months because I was going to go to a party and knew it would help me be relaxed so I could socialize (very severe social anxiety). I know how stupid of a decision this is, as well as illegal. What's dumber is that i was wearing the same clothes as I had smoked in, and had the majority smoked roach on me when I went to pick up my friend to go to the party. I also had a near empty bottle of whiskey in my trunk that I was bringing to the party.

As per usual, I am very early to things and I'm waiting in the parking lot of my friends building blasting music waiting for him to come down. I had parked in the normal parking of the lot and not visitor, and because of my music had attracted the attention of the police that were out (friends building is right next to a bunch of bars).

I talk to the cop, he asks what I'm doing, which im honest about, waiting on a friend to head to a party. Cop says he smells weed on me and asks why that is. I was honest about the fact that I had smoked earlier that day, and hadn't changed my clothes. He asks if there is any weed in the car, I hesitated, which prompted to then ask if there was anything illegal. At this point my brain is screaming to stop answering questions, but Instead answered that I had a roach on my person, and alcohol in the trunk. I feel like a snitched on myself, but I want to think I did the right thing by being honest.

The cop has me exit the car and searches me. He finds the "roach" which still had quite a bit of weed life in it. And then searches my car and backpack. I let it happen because I knew at this point he had probable cause, I feel I should have said something.

The officer has me pour out the whiskey and throw the bottle away. He also finds some rolling papers that I was not aware were in my trunk. At this point he tells me how serious this is and that I very well may going to jail. I was respectful and outwardly calm the whole time. I did not believe I was still high at all, but the officer said that had I not been straightforward and honest with him he would have taken me in for driving while impaired because my eyes were red and possession of marijuana as the joint still had marijuana in it.

In the end, he cited me an MIP and for Possesion of Drug  Paraphernalia.

I feel like this is fair because obviously I was guilty. I thanked the officer for being respectful to me and told him I appreciated the job he did and walked home, after having my friend move my car to the visitor parking.

My understanding of these citations is that they are Class C misdemeanors, they can go on my record, and I might lose my license for a year because of the MIP.

*** QUESTIONS ***

- What should I have done differently with the officer?

- What can I do from this point tio get the best case scenario?

- How do I go about getting deferred disposition?

-  Can I get deferred disposition for both charges?

- Should I hire a ticket attorney?

- Should I tell my parents?

- Is there any way to keep this from going on my record?

Any other advice, criticisms  and wisdom are also very much appreciated.

Answer:
 1. Nothing. You shouldn't blast music and attract attention to yourself when you have a ton of illegal things in your vehicle. The smell of weed on you, if that strong, would've been probable cause to search your vehicle.
2. You 100% should hire an attorney.
3. You 100% should hire an attorney.
4. Yup. 0 reason not too. Own up to your mistakes.
5. Maybe/Maybe Not. It *will* be on your record currently as a pending charge. You need to appropriately take care of this. Answer #2: >What should I have done differently with the officer?

Comply but don't answer any questions, say no to any searches. Also stop smoking weed and driving around.

>What can I do from this point to get the best case scenario?

Hire an attorney.

>Should I tell my parents?

That's up to you but I would.

>Is there any way to keep this from going on my record?

Maybe but you need to hire an attorney.


Title: Being threatened with Libel suit HELP USA NJ

Question:
I need to give a little information before I can ask my questions. I have tried to summarize as best as possible. I feel the back story is needed to answer the question.

I lost my oldest child earlier this year. He was driving into town when he was hit by a drugged driver. He was not wearing his seat belt and died at the scene.

The asshole that killed him was high AF on bupe? and xanax. The police did an accident reconstruction the day of the accident and it only took them 6 hours to determine what happened. The asshole who killed my kid has been charged two times. Once about 2 months ago for gross negligent death resulting and just recently for DUI drugs death resulting. The guy who caused the accident HASN'T EVEN BEEN IN JAIL ONCE! At the first arraignment he just walked into the court house, no hand cuffs or ANYTHING. The judge released him on the condition that he not drive(WTF?). At the second arraignment we had a new judge and a new prosecutor. The prosecutor asked for 50k bail but it was DENIED! They again released him this time with more conditions. I have been telling people to let the prosecutor know that the guy is violating his conditions, even if he is not. I did this after his first arraignment.

I have a reporter friend who has been covering this case. I help him write articles about the guy who killed my kid. I am not a good writer so I mostly just give my friend ideas. So for example on the last article we wrote, to make the guy look bad, we made some stuff up and also quoted people in such a way that it makes the guy look bad. Turns out this guy was a CI. The prosecutor outed him in open court at his last arraignment. So we wrote about that of course we quoted the prosecutor but not exactly.
Again at his last arraignment the prosecutor brought up that she had been hearing that the guy had been violating his conditions, but that she had no proof of this. We included this in our last article as well. Again we quoted what the prosecutor said, even though she had no proof.  I have tried to get other newspapers to publish our articles but they won't.

Well yesterday my friend got an e mail from the asshole saying that he intends to sue for libel. He says we are the only newspaper that publishes news articles purposely tailored to make him look bad. He also said that we are putting his life in danger because we are the only newspaper that reported he was a CI.

I don't have enough money for a lawyer but he says he knows I've been helping my friend write articles. Does he have a leg to stand on as far as a libel suit goes?

RIP buddy, im trying but its hard.

Answer:
 You do realize you just admitted in detail to committing intentional libel? Delete this and get a lawyer. Jesus Christ.Answer #2: Your friend is the editor of an actual newspaper and knowingly publishes stories based on made up information?
Yes, you can be sued here, you can be sued for anything.


Title: [TN US] Employer Trying To Move Me To Weekend Shift

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 No. Absent an employment contract they can change your shifts with notice but don't need your approval. Answer #2: You can't be forced to work ever. Slavery is illegal. But you can be legally fired for refusing to work your assigned shift and probably wouldn't be eligible for unemployment. (but if fired file anyway)Answer #3: > This is bad for my family situation and I have voiced that but the part that confuses me is they aren't just forcing me to take the shift it appears that it has to be my call.

Well, yes. They'll assign the new shift and then it's your call whether to show up for it or quit.


Title: My sister took my dog because she ran away, is there a way to file a police report?

Question: I'm not going to go into details on this issue but my sister who ran away took the dog I was taking care of. The dog is not registered with her only thing I can remember is that yes she use to take the dog once or twice to the doctor. So my question here is, what are my options, can I file a police report? What are my options here? I live in the state of Florida.

Answer: You will probably have to sue your sister for the return of the dog or the value of the dog.


Title: Police refusing to give information leads to 'admission of guilt' (MA)

Question:
Backstory:

1) February 2014, Worcester, I came to a rolling stop next to a police cruiser I waived to, WAITED for 2 other cars to go through the intersection, and then went. I immediately got pulled over and ticketed. Mailed in ticket to appeal.

2) April 2014: Pulled over immediately after getting on the Mass Pike. They ran my plate as I was getting on, and pulled me over for a suspended license I had never heard of. Said it was due to:

3) A ticket from Springfield in January. I have been in Springfield twice in my life, and have NEVER been pulled over anywhere near there.

4) To get my license out of suspension, the DMV says I need to pay both tickets. I call Springfield, and they say they cannot tell me what the ticket was for, who the officer was, and if it was perhaps a stoplight camera. My "only option" is to pay it.

5) I pay both tickets (yes, even the one I was waiting to appeal), and get my license out of suspension. I am now told that I cannot appeal the tickets, as payment is an admission of guilt.

6) January 2015, I go to the DMV to update the address on my license. I am told that my license is AGAIN suspended, for failure to take their course. I never received anything in the mail from them, nor was anything forwarded to me after moving.

7) I am told that they have a "hearings officer", but it is pointless to speak with them, as I have admitted guilt to all offenses by paying past charges.

*What can I do?!*

I am a VERY safe driver. The stop sign was EVERYTHING a complete stop should be, the only thing that didn't happen was my car jerking backwards. I was at the sign for AT LEAST 8 seconds, SLOWLY inching forward, looking at all directions (it's Kelly Square... a 7-way intersection), letting other cars go by, etc. SPRINGFIELD, I have no idea what that is. But they will not even TELL ME.

It was something like $500 for the tickets, a few hundred for the original suspension, $100 to get the license reinstated, now paying an extra $475 per year due to the surcharges... I *REFUSE* to pay to take a class and for another suspension!

Any advice?

EDIT: To rephrase my question, "Is there no way to appeal a process I've been forced into? I couldn't appeal the suspension without get my license back, which I couldn't do without paying the tickets, and wasn't allowed to even KNOW what one ticket was for."

Answer:
 You need to follow the procedure for reinstating your license which, apparently, requires taking the class. You can refuse all you want, but it's not going to do you any good. Answer #2: Look, not to start a fight but technically you never stopped at the stop sign. However safe your slow rolling stop was you did not in fact stop (by your own admission).

Now, how you describe it it's a stupid ticket - but a valid one nonetheless.


Title: My friend in middle school took my headphones.

Question: I have Bluetooth 80$ headphones. I bring these to school so I can listen to them on the bus,  use them for music and computers, etc. I brought them to Home Ec/Ed(idk). Instead of computers, I was working in the kitchen. I leave my headphones in my table. Class is done. I leave feeling like I’m forgetting something. Weekend goes by. I come back to school and my girl friend mentions she saw him with my headphones on the bus. About to confront him, he tells me he forgot to give them back. I never gave permission to him. If there’s damage, I’m gonna be pissed. He says he can probably get them to me by Friday. I’m like WTF. He’s like my brother went through my bag and took them out. In the fucking 8th grade and your brother goes through your bag? I’m like whatever, but as the days go on, I need my headphones more and more. I’m thinking about going to school to talk about this but I don’t know who to go to specifically. I don’t know how to prove it’s my headphones, in case he makes the argument it’s his. There are cameras. I tried my best to give full detail. I didn’t include brand because I wasn’t sure if that would be against rules.

Answer: Tell your parents. Tell the principal


Title: I'm sure it's been asked before. Arrested without being read my rights?

Question:
I'm from Portage county, Ohio.

I was arrested for prohibition (underage alcohol consumption) last Friday night, and the arrest went like this.

I was walking to my car to grab my backpack before I went into this girls apartment. As I walked to my car, I was about to take a piss by the dumpster in her apartment's parking lot. I didn't even unbutton my belt when the cop turned on his light and asked if I was drinking. As far as he knew, I was standing outside my car, minding my own business.

I blew a .15. I narrowly avoided getting a DUI since I had my keys in hand and almost got in my car.

When I was arrested I wasn't read my rights. He simply said "You're under arrest for underage alcohol consumption". At the station, I asked why they didn't read me my rights and they said "You weren't getting questioned so it was unnecessary" or something like that.

Was it considered probable cause if I was just standing outside? If I wasn't read my rights, could this get the case dismissed?

Answer:
 >If I wasn't read my rights, could this get the case dismissed?

No.  The officer was 100% correct.  Miranda warnings are only required before custodial interrogation.

As for the second question, this statement:

>As I walked to my car, I was about to take a piss by the dumpster in her apartment's parking lot.

makes me think you probably appeared more intoxicated than you thought...Answer #2: You about to expose yourself in public and pee in public on someone's property. Pretty sure that is enough cause. And they were correct, that they did not have to read you your rights because you were bit being questioned. Answer #3: >I was arrested for prohibition (underage alcohol consumption)

That made me laugh.Answer #4: > Was it considered probable cause if I was just standing outside?

Yes. It was at night, you were alone, walking through an apartment complex, about to take a piss behind a dumpster. Totally legal to stop and talk to you.

> If I wasn't read my rights, could this get the case dismissed?

Were you interrogated? If not, you cannot get the case dismissed.

EDIT: Lesson for life; don't piss behind dumpsters, friend. Especially when you have a perfectly good apartment nearby.


Title: Dad is allowing a tenant on property he lives on - but his children own (GA)

Question:
Many years ago, my father transferred his property over to myself and my siblings in a bid to avoid losing his home when he declared bankruptcy. Dad still lives on the property.  He is in poor health and we don’t know how much longer he will be with us.
There’s a small house on the property that dad was using as a workshop until his health started failing. The shack is in bad shape.  An acquaintance of his has offered to fix up the shack if dad will let him live there for free. This acquaintance also wants to store a trailer or several trailers on the property.

I can’t help but feel we are being set up for some sort of squatter’s rights battle when dad passes. Dad most assuredly does not have our permission for any of this, but pointing this out, or that it’s a bad idea in general, has backfired in the past. He doesn’t care what happens after he passes - if it’s a problem for us, too bad! This is one of the many reasons why we all live several states away, which also complicates matter.
We didn’t even know he transferred the property to us until another family member told us long after it was a done deed. No pun intended!
What are our options? What should we expect with this "tenant" when dad has to go into a nursing home, or passes away?

Answer:
 Don't let him bring junk to your property. Don't let him move onto your property.

If he brings trailers to your property, he's not going to leave. Grifters like this guy know exactly how to work the system.


Title: (Pennsylvania) My brother discovered his roommate has been recording him in their apartment

Question:
I'm not going to bore you with all the batshit crazy things this roommate has been doing over the last several months (stealing my brother's keys and moving his car, disconecting/hiding/ressetting the account on the router, going in my brothers room while he is sleeping - those kind of things) but today my brother found out something that takes the cake.

My brother got a text from the roommate informing him that he violated the new apartment 'rule' regarding bathroom usage, and as such will need to move out of the apartment by the end of the month. The roommate wasn't home at the time so my brother questioned it, and the roommate said that a friend had been in the apartment to check on the dog, and informed him.

My brother felt it was bullshit and started investigating. He found a phone set up on the bookshelf in the living room, and my brother can only assume that the roommate is spying on him. However, the phone does not face the bathroom at all. Which makes my brother assume that the phone records sound and could hear when he entered and left the bathroom. In Pennsylvania, video recording without permission is legal, but audiorecording isn't. So if he was using sound to determine when my brother was using the bathroom, he is in violation of the wiretapping law (from our understanding).

My brother confronted the roommate about it, and he claimed it was a nannycam for the dog, stating that he is trying to determine if she is getting into the bathroom while he is gone. But the phone doesn't face the bathroom, so how would he know? This is why my brother believes he is lying (that and the thousands of other lies he has told in the time my brother has been living there).

What should my brother do? He has already talked to the apartment complex, but that did nothing more than inform them that my brother and the roommates prior to him had been living there off the lease which is a violation. So it's likely that the guy will be evicted. But they wouldn't tell my brother what they will do about the videotaping because he isn't on the lease.

I feel he should go to the police. But since the roommate knows that my brother knows about the phone, my concern is that the videos will be deleted or the phone will go missing before the police do any investigation. Some people are telling him to get a lawyer which he can't afford, but to me this seems like a criminal case and my brother wouldn't need a lawyer, right? Is there anything else about this that we should know or should be doing? My brother is trying to find a new roommate for a new apartment at the complex he wants to apply for, but so far hasn't had any luck. He can't move back home and can't find a place on his own due to the cost of living in his area. I'm not sure if he could find a place to stay in the mean time, but I could ask if it is recommended.

Answer: What was the 'bathroom' rule and why does the roommate think he has the authority to make rules?


Title: I sent nudes to someone who was using a fake facebook account. Is there anything I can do?

Question:
I live in Ontario.

Someone I am facebook friends with was not who they appeared to be.

They sent nudes of their own (which were not real) and I sent some back.

I still don't know who the person is - just that they are not who they said they were.

I have their facebook and also their cell#. Is there anything I can do?

Answer:
 Block them and don't send nudes to random people online. Or better yet, don't send nudes to anyone if you don't want them to get out. Let them see you nude in person. I don't get this nudie sending culture.

If you're under 18, you could be charged with creating and distributing child porn. If you're over 18, just put this behind you and move on. If this person starts distributing the pictures, there's not a whole lot anyone can do to stop it, especially if you don't know who they are. All you'd be able to do is report it for copyright infringement since its your photo that you took.Answer #2: Should never send anything to someone else that you would not want published for the world to see.

If you're under 18, it's child pornography. Over 18, it's a life lesson.


Title: Man is threatening me with police and court over supposed harassment.

Question: I found a website that was run by the dad of a student at the school I go to so I, after getting encouraged by some friends I decided to message the owner calling the student "bony" and sending 4 random pictures that weren't at all sexual or weird, just random. I sent 2 mails and I'm pretty sure that was it. The owner of the website contacted the school and they put me in seclusion for 2 days. Now the owner is getting the police involved after this and he is saying they will get me in school when I'm next in (This Monday) What should I do? I really don't believe they have any legal ground to arrest me or take this to court as they say. What should I do if the police really comes into school and tries to arrest me/take me to the police station? I probably cannot get a lawyer, definitely not a good one.

Answer:
 NAL

Life advice: get new friends and grow up

Legal advice: stop contacting this person immediately. If the police show up, don't say anything except "I'd like to speak to a lawyer"


Title: FL - License plate stolen

Question:
My license plate was stolen while I was at the mall this morning  (tis the season!). I filed a police report and have a case number. I plan to go to the DMV first thing Monday to get a new one.

My question is, is there anything else I should do? Should I let my insurance company know? Any other thoughts?

Thanks!

Answer: Call the insurance company and tell them what happened and give them the case number. In Florida the license plate stays with the owner, not the car. So they'll want to know about it.


Title: Dealership forged cosigner for a car. Car and owner now missing.

Question:
Upstate New York. An older family friend of mine has a daughter who has basically lost her mind. In our small town there is a used car dealership. My family friend a s her daughters have always bought their cars their (3-4 cars over the last 10 years).

Unfortunately one daughter is having a mental break and went to the dealership to purchase a car but her credit wasn't good enough, so she said her mother agreed to cosign/purchase instead. The dealership, thinking they know the mother so well due to her history there, just put her on the loan for with out actually notifying her or getting any sort of signature.

The family friend found out when she received loan information in the mail.

The car and daughter are now missing and she is now being asked to pay the loan. She contacted the police but they have been ignoring her (I told her she needs to go there personally and get a report, but she is hesitant). The dealership knew they fucked up but they won't return the money to the bank . The bank won't do anything without a police report.

I am looking to see if there is agency that might help with this.

If she pays the bill to keep her credit good, will this be an issue with trying to get the loan reversed?

The irony is that she works for a lawyer but she doesn't want to  disclose these issues to him. She is the type of person to try to ignore issues in her life and hope they just fix themselves. It's infuriating.

Thank you.

Answer:
 Report to the credit bureaus as well. Stating that her name and information was illegally used for a car loan and that she never authorized or agreed to the loan.

Then she needs to file a police report. Also need to tell the bank that her information was illegally and unlawfully used.Answer #2: As the mother likely does not want the daughter to get in trouble but also doesn't want to hurt her credit or have to pay out a large sum for something she didn't agree to cosign for, perhaps it's important to know the amount of the loan. If it's $1,000 then the mother should probably just pay it and deal with the daughter separately. If it's $20,000 then she should more likely report it and fight the issue, knowing that her daughter might get in trouble for this. The mother should lock her credit so that this doesn't happen again either with a car or more common with credit cards, smaller loans, etc.

The law is the law (and that's what we advice on in this sub) but as we see in so many postings in this sub, people often have multiple concerns, some of which are not law related but more relationship related. Those issues certainly affect how the posters want to involve the law.


Title: Girlfriend beginning divorce - freaked out about child support/alimony in New York State

Question:
I am dating a woman and mother of 2. She is the defendant (only because of timing) in their newly started divorce proceedings.

She makes about $61k and he makes about $58k, or a little less. They will have 50/50 custody and he states he is entitled to alimony and child support because she makes more. Needless to say, she is freaked out as her expenses cannot withstand the astronomical numbers online calculators spit out. Is a judge really going to rake her over the coals for maintenance over literally a few thousand dollars difference?

Answer: Please tell me she has a lawyer, because this is a great question to ask a lawyer.


Title: Just moved to California, Neighbor harassment and entered house without permission

Question:
Background: I just moved in with my boyfriend last week from Minnesota to **Irvine, CA**. We live in a house in a small residential area. He has been living here for 6 months. We have 4 roommates, we are all young adults ranging from age 24 to 28. They each own a car, but car pool to work. So they park on the street. Also it's trash day in the neighborhood.

**The Story**

This takes place just a couple hours ago...  I hear the doorbell ringing non stop. The lady across the street is at the door. She asks, "WHO MOVED MY TRASH CAN? IS THAT YOUR CAR PARKED OUTSIDE MY HOUSE?" She was already aggressive and in my face. I responded, "I have no idea, I don't own a vehicle... (because I just moved here)..." THEN THE FEDEX GUY SHOWS UP.... He's carrying a large rug that one of my roommates ordered... and I felt really bad for him... The lady was blocking his way just screaming at me. "OH YOU MUST BE NEW HERE BECAUSE I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU HERE! HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE HERE..." At this point I was ignoring her. I stepped out of the doorway to grab the package.. as I was going back into the house to close the door... SHE WENT INSIDE THE HOUSE! "SOMEBODY MOVED MY TRASH! AND I KNOW IT WAS SOMEONE FROM THIS HOUSE!" I yelled at her,"You are TRESPASSING AND I WILL CALL THE POLICE!" I shoved her our of the house and she stuck her foot into the doorway to prevent me from closing the door. She continued to yell at me until eventually I closed the door. I called the roommates up and told them the ordeal. Apparently this isn't the first time she has spoken to us in such a rude manner.

When my boyfriend first moved in, she approached him and asked if he was new to the house. He confirmed and she proceeded to tell him that he could not park in front of her house... and that it's HER SPOT. He told her he is allowed to park any were along the street, because it is a public street.

[EDIT] Apparently, she called the police, because one of the roommates just got home and talked to them. This must not be the first time the police have been called because of this. Roommate says the police look super annoyed.

**tl;dr** **Lady across the street thinks someone from my house moved her trashcan and one of our cars happened to be parked in front of her house. Confronted me at my doorway and stepped inside my house without permission.**

What can I do? And what is the law about parking on the street and moving trash cans ? What if she purposely move her trash cans to "reserve" that spot? Can I file a report of some sort against her?

Also, the garbage collectors moved her trash... because you know... they took it... to do their job.

[UPDATE] I made a non emergency call and they dispatched a few officers to my house. I gave them all my information and told them everything. They documented the incident and tried to get a hold of her. She wasn't home. They told me we have every legal right to park there.

**The advice they gave me: Don't answer the door when she's there. Call them right away. They will handle everything. Avoid interactions with her as much as possible. If she continues to harass file a suit against her.
**

Answer: Call the police. Answer #2: Contact the police immediately if she does something like this again, and get a paper trail started.  You can call the non emergency line and ask to have an officer call you back, explain your situation, and see what they say.  If it continues, you can try to file a restraining order against her (I've seen it with neighbors), and hopefully it stops there.Answer #3: On a happier note, my cousins used to live in Irvine and I loved visiting them. The place looked so nice, and the beaches by the Ocean nearby where great :)


Title: Disturbing/Threatening Text Message - Need Legal Advices

Question: I received a disturbing text message from someone who was trying to be with my wife's sister. He was upset that he could not have his ways with my sister in law and started to send my sister in law demanding messages recently. Earlier today, this same person texted both myself and my wife and said he has "the means to inflict severe hardship, pain, and suffering" and can do whatever he wishes since he has nothing to lose. What can or should I do to protect myself and my family?

Answer:
 If only there was some group or agency that people could report threats or crimes to, who would then investigate and arrest the suspected criminals if necessary.Answer #2: If you are in fear for your safety, then you need to call the police.

Or, you can attempt to get a restraining order against the sender.

Or, you can block the number, or change your number, and move on.Answer #3:  I am not a lawyer.

1. Tell this person to stop contacting you.

2. Save the messages.

3. Contact the police.

In my state this would be something like "electronic communications harassment."

A crazy person threatens you and your family? Call the police.


Title: Guy steals notebook I left behind in university building and is anonymously charging money for me to retrieve the book back. Can I take legal action?

Question:
I am a freshman at Purdue University. Two days ago, I left my calculus notebook in one of the buildings after my calculus review session. I didn't realize the book was missing until today, but I had a hunch I would've left it in that specific building.

&#x200B;

I made a post on my university's subreddit (you can see my post history) and asked if there was a lost and found in that building where I could search for that book. This one guy made a throwaway account and responded saying that there is a lost and found but that upperclassmen sometimes take the unattended book and sell it for money. I told him I needed the book to study for exams and that I'd be happy to give him the book once the semester was over. This guy then demanded 50 bucks for me to retrieve the book back.

&#x200B;

I DMed him the contents of the book (my TAs name and email, professor name, etc) on the front cover. The book didn't have my name (which I will add once I get it back - *if* I get it back).

&#x200B;

What should I do? Should I pay this guy to get my notebook back? I really need it to study. I know he made a dick move, but I'm not sure if this is something I can call the police over.

&#x200B;

He asked me for my name in the reddit DMs but I'm not sure if it would be safe to give it to him, especially with the way he's been acting and handling this matter.

&#x200B;

Any advice is appreciated!

Answer: Well, IMNAL but that sounds like extortion to me. Tell him you will pay and talk to the campus PD before you do and have them waiting there for him.Answer #2: How is the payment going to be administered? If it’s in person I’d just show up and call the cops or something at the very least get his pic when he shows up and report him to the school


Title: I'm 22 and my checks are being garnished due to student loan debt.

Question:
As a young idiot fresh out of high school I made the awful decision of attending ITT Tech Inst. Fast forward to today I have received an email from payroll about them garnishing my wages. I have a son and I can barely get by as is. What options do I have? If I do loan rehab will they still garnish my wages?
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: You might find useful information in the ITT megathread listed in the sidebar (and linked [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/51gg2f/itt_tech_megathread/)).


Title: Question about child support for someone who is over 18 Massachusetts

Question: [deleted]

Answer: It goes to your mother. She can use it for whatever she chooses.


Title: Arbitrator awarded 390k total... Lawyer gets 270k and I get 120k? (California)

Question:
This doesn't sound right to me. Please let me know if this seems normal.

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The arbitrator awarded me 200k for pain and suffering and lost wages. The lawyer's contract stated that they would receive a 40% contingency fee "of any recovery obtained via compromise, settlement, or otherwise". However, in addition to the 200k, the arbitrator also awarded an additional 190k in attorneys fees bringing the total to 390k. The lawyer states that they get to keep the entire 190k of lawyers fees, and then they get 40% of the 200k. In total, the lawyer will get 270k and I will get 120k before taxes.

The lawyer states that their traveling, filing fees, etc. cost about 10k but we apparently also signed a document to increase the contingency fee if the case went to arbitration, which it did. The lawyer states that attorney fees are awarded separately to the damages. They claim that they are entitled to 40% of the damages and 100% of the 190k attorney fees awarded by the arbitrator.

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Assuming everything I wrote here was accurate, does this situation seem right/legal/ethical? Should I try to negotiate for more money, or am I screwed?

Answer:
 Doesn't seem right.  Call your local bar association and ask for the name and number of the governing board, bar overseersAnswer #2: Kinda sounds like your lawyer is wetting his beak twice. Usually you don’t ask for attorney fees as a judgement when you work for contingency. If he did...very odd. Answer #3: No, it does not.  Inform the attorney that you disagree with this and believe the $190k fully compensates them with the exception of costs they can document.

If they refuse, contact the State Bar and ask about [mandatory fee arbitration](http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Attorneys/Attorney-Regulation/Mandatory-Fee-Arbitration).


Title: Accidental shop lifting, 20 and too poor for a lawyer

Question: I was out with a friend helping her shop. Having to stop and get some stuff of my own also. Shopping in a local rite aid where I have been many times before looking to grab what I need and get out to go home. Realized when I walked in I needed make up. Grabbed it and was carrying it. At some point I put my phone in my purse which happened to be the hand I had make up in. I continued my shopping not realizing what I had done checked out and began to leave. I was stopped at the door by a secret shopper who told me I apologized and attempted to go back and pay for it. Because I had exited the door I could not do that. He said I could go do some paperwork with him or he could call the cops. I agreed without a fight or a single word to do the paperwork. As we were close to finishing it two officers came walking in. I was told no officers would be involved being I cooperated to the fullest extent and the rite aid would just fine me for the stolen merchandise and I would not be allowed to enter a rite aid for three years which I was fine with. I am now getting a letter in the mail saying I have a misdemeanor on my record and a fine and I have to appear in court. All over an honest mistake. Honestly why would I steal something when I have to federally employed parents a job in a medical field and a grandmother who works for the rite aid chain. I will not be appointed a lawyer because I was not actually arrested. I am not financially able to afford a lawyer and could really use advice. Any would be appreciated. Also I feel very profiled by the secret shopper because he said he followed me because I look like a delinquent. So if that's anything for my case it'd be nice. I'm honestly looking for a clean record. I'll pay fines and not enter the store for the three years.

Answer: We're not the cops, you don't need to lie to us too.


Title: City is telling me I have to remove a decoration. What can I do?

Question:
Location: City of Rocklin, California, USA.

I got a notice today from my city that I have to remove a Bigfoot silhouette that I have had on the side of my house for months.  Is there anything that I can do? I don’t want to be a bad neighbor, but I also feel like I have a right to decorate my home. Most of the homes around me have bad looking yards and other decorations, and with some other complaints i got already, I feel like I am being harassed.

Please see pics for more info.

http://i.imgur.com/HTJcgXr.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/OAdnc4d.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/iyX64CL.jpg

Answer: How much do you care?  Because you could probably fight it, since it's not [really unsightly or dangerous or so out of harmony or conformity with the maintenance standards of adjacent properties as to cause substantial diminution of the enjoyment or use of such adjacent properties.](https://www.municode.com/library/ca/rocklin/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT8HESA_CH8.04PRMA_8.04.020UNPRNU).


Title: [New York]Grand Jury Summons close to out of state program enrollment date, may also make me lose job. What to do?

Question:
Ahhh!!! Jury duty! I have a problem, I got a summons for grand jury and must come in at the end of this month (29th). They say that grand jury minimum date is for 20 days. I've put a down payment to go out of state for a 3 month education program and intended to actually relocate once I complete that out of state program. The program starts the first week in April and Grand Jury Duty summons is for Feb 29th.

In addition to that, I'm an independent contractor and my current and only job is winding down. My contract lasts until completion (which will most likely be up in the next few weeks, prior to my move). There's already a time crunch on my contract (we're behind) and I don't want to lose my job for the time being since I've been unemployed of and on for the last two years (and had received UI in 2015) and haven't had a job lasting up to six months. I'm also studying for graduate school examinations and honestly was planning to use my time after the contract to refocus on my studies (I paid a tutor mad money already). Since my contract started recently it threw off my studies.

How can I postpone or get out of this thing? What would be a more compelling story? When I came out of college two years ago I got a summons for regular jury duty and believe I had postponed the call because of job interviews and lack of employment. The grand jury summons says I may ask for a one-time postponement of up to 6 months. I feel like I'm in a total bind.

Answer:
 Call the phone number on the summons and ask if you can have it changed to regular jury duty instead of grand jury duty.

When I did this my expected time of service went from several weeks to four hours. (It helps that from an attorney's perspective, I'm a bad juror).


Title: [US/NY] What laws can I cite to sound terrifying to a spammer?

Question:
Recently, I've been getting quite a few spam texts and emails from an unknown source. I'm diligently blocking the numbers and emails and flagging it as spam where I can, but instead of just doing that, I'd like to also reply -- once -- with something scary sounding, like

> By federal law 18.138C, you have fifteen minutes to cease all sending of textual communication, via cell phone, email, or other device. This is your only warning.

But instead of totally made-up, I want it to sound real. What law can I cite (and how should I change the text) so that it will hold up to, at the very least, a quick Google search?

*NB: I am not looking for something that I could actually go to court or the police with. I'm looking for something that, on first read, will look like it means the scammer has gotten themselves into a deep crock of [][], and hopefully make them stop wasting my battery with their inane messages.*

***

**EDIT**: The response seems to be "Don't reply, this is a bad idea because then they know the number is valid". Fair point.

Answer: Why are you wasting your time? Odds are the person will just laugh and keep sending you garbage, your phone number will be confirmed as an active number and they'll send more, or the robot sending messages won't read what you've sent.


Title: So, a company messed up my background check and possibly cost me a job. What are my options?

Question:
I applied for a job and went through 4 interviews. I gave them permission for a background check. After I didn't get the job I asked for a copy of the background check just in case.

In it, next to my next to last employer, they noted that my 'dates of employment and title varied wildly from what I reported' (paraphrased).

The reason for that is that job was at a sister university in the same system as my alma mater, and instead of checking with the university I worked at, they stupidly checked with my alma mater instead. So instead of confirming my professional employment, they only got my employment as a student for my alma mater.

Do I have any legal options? Is it going to be worth it?

Answer:
 Reach out to the company that performed the background check and ask them to correct your report, explaining very clearly where the miscommunication was.

If you were employed at two universities concurrently or somehow easily mixed up, you should find a way to plainly explain that on your resume or whatever documentation you provided that prompted this in the first place.


Title: [MD] Is this against the rules?

Question: My mom and stepdad have filed papers against me for grandparents visitation rights. (Long story) 3 days after filing they showed up at my house. I always thought that, if someone filed against you, that they are not to contact you until the issue is resolved in court. Isn't that a type of harassment?

Answer: You are under no obligation to let them in.  It's your home.Answer #2: No. That isn't a thing


Title: [GA] If my FWBs gives me an STD can I sue?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 The other posters in this thread are right, but didn't answer your question, so I will.

No.


Title: Xpost from r/weddingphotography

Question:
Edit: located in PA.

Need advice, as I've never been in this situation before - my husband and I do a handful of weddings a year for some side money and for fun. We charge $1700 for an engagement shoot, 8 hours at the wedding, two photographers and a full online gallery that typically has ~550-600 photos that we have up within a month. So...a really good deal especially since the going rate around here for that is closer to $4500. We just enjoy it and want to be affordable for those who don't have much to spend.

We both went back to school on top of working normal full time jobs, so we stopped booking. Had our last wedding on May 27th. This bride has for months been texting me sometimes daily despite being told she needs to communicate with me via my business email or call, has tried to get me to make her wedding invitations, has demanded I be available for phone calls during my work hours etc. About two weeks before the wedding I had to have a last minute, unplanned spine surgery but still showed up and did her wedding despite my contract having a clause stating in case of medical issues, I could not show and just give a refund.

 And now that it's over, she is constantly asking where the rest photos are despite the fact it's been only three weeks (I should mention I've been uploading them as I go just to keep her happy) and me telling her I would be letting her know when they're all done, has tried to make me talk to her mother (seriously...) and says she's "very unhappy" with what she's seeing but won't say why. She is today demanding I call her now even though I'm at work and told her no. I asked her to please stop disrespecting my time and the fact that I'm at work and told her to wait and she flipped. I told her I will not be answering further texts and she needs to email me if she has an issue and explain what it is rather than trying to force me to adjust my work schedule around her.

I'm afraid she will try and get money from me despite the fact I've stuck to my contract. Hell, she's getting about 800 photos which is far more than any other client and she also tried to get free extra hours from me day of. My concern is if she tries to sue me. She has no grounds, but my husband and I don't make much since we're back in school and have almost no savings. How should I handle this? My nature is to want to say get lost, I'm not putting up with harassment, but she's been so ridiculous I'm afraid she will not leave me alone.

Any advice would be appreciated. I don't do this more the 5-6 times a year and I've never had a client be anything but thrilled with our work, so I'm at a loss.

Add in: I can post my contract terms in the comments if that helps. It basically just says that I'll be at the wedding for the agreed amount of hours, that I have the copyright to the photos and that the client can print and share them but not sell them or use them for advertising, that they will receive an online gallery with the photos, that the client does not get to approve which photos are produced, and that not liking how the photos turn out is not reason for a refund. It covers as well that if I am injured I can either find a replacement photographer or give a refund.

Topic:
Contracts

Answer: Ignore her until she sure you. Then go to court and provide a copy of the contract and proof that you fulfilled your end of it.Answer #2: Stick to the terms of your contract, and yeah, you may be sued, but that's just a part of being in business. If you didn't explicitly stipulate in the contract all photos must be provided by XX date (which you should do in the future) she's got no leverage.


Title: i could use a little advice, i'm in some trouble.. i think (CO)

Question: (this would be my first offense ever and I'm panicking) While driving home at about 8:00pm last night i came behind a car that was going super slow. and got slower as we drove along, he break checked me a few times, i flashed my brights at him, he continues to slow down break checking me and flipping me off till were doing like under 10 in a 45. now fairly annoyed with the driver in front of me i illegally pass him on a double yellow, only to have him try and match my speed. i got over. but a few seconds later i had to slam on the breaks (i should have just ran it over) to miss a cat. i come to a full stop and he hits me a second or two later. (i'm in a hurry but i don't wanna kill anything, ya know?) so i got rear ended. now here's where i really start to fuck up. after a few seconds i left the scene, afraid of a fight breaking out (i was pretty mad after getting bumped into). get home and inspect the damage, nothing noticeable on my car so i don't think anything of it and don't report it, thinking if any damage happened to the other car i would have some paint left behind. (apparently this is also a huge no no) so the cops show up after he reports it and i kinda lie and tell them i left work, stopped for a cat and the guy hit me. leaving out that i passed him. or that he antagonized me. as it is I'm facing;  failing to give info after damaging another vehicle, and failure to report so far.. whats the worst possible outcome for this situation? im trying to get a hold of the officer to give an accurate statement(owning up to what i did wrong, and explaining why i did what i did). my biggest worry is malicious intent or whatever because i know it looks like i break checked him back... i was mad but i didn't want an accident, i just wanted to get home and not kill the cat. i really appreciate anyone who can help me understand what to expect next. felony? misdemeanors? am i screwed?

Answer: Since you left the scene, the burden will fall to you to prove why you did it. If you can legitimately prove that you were in fear for your safety from this other driver, then you have a defense. However, you left the scene and did not call 911 to report it or say that you were in fear. The chances of you beating the charge are slim to none. I wouldn't say anything else to the police and hire an attorney. Sounds like you are just facing some misdemeanor stuff here, but learn your lesson, OP. Don't road rage and don't leave the scene of an accident. Answer #2: It sure looks like you're leaving out portions of the story you're telling us here, just like you did with the cops.  This guy was going super slow, brake checking you, and flipping you off for no reason at all?


Title: What gives an airport the right to withhold your "lost and found" and demand a fee to return it?

Question:
I hope this has not been answered before, I could not find a specific thread for this scenario.

Some time ago I left my Kindle on the airplane when arrived at destination but immediately realized it after passport check. I got to the help desk where, after calling somebody, they dismissed me saying they could not find it. They said I should check on their lostandfound website the next day. It ended up there but I had to pay a significant amount of money to get it back (the Kindle was not new, the fee was effectively the same money as buying a second-hand one on eBay).

If I had lost something valuable, I would have been happy to pay say 100$ for them to keep it safe until my collection, but this felt like taking advantage of the situation.

So, my question is: what exactly gives the airport the right to withhold my property? And is it really "lost" if I just left it behind and notified them in 10 minutes?

Answer:
 So technically they don't have the right.  It's your property, period.  They can't intentionally withhold it from you if it's yours.  Make a stink, threaten to call the police in, and they should return it to you without the fee.

However, there is a cost involved in having a lost and found, running a website for it, keeping the items secure, and disposing of items once they haven't been claimed for long enough.  They could in theory sue you and win for those costs.


Title: Dad passed away, still owes approximately 8k on motorcycle ONTARIO CANADA

Question:
My dad passed away a few weeks ago and I have been sorting through his stuff. I came across the loan agreement for his motorcycle, he still owed approximately 8k on the bike, and there is no life insurance listed on the loan itself. Am I correct in assuming that, to keep the bike, I am going to have to take over the loan?

Also, as a hypothetical, say I decided I didn't want to pay for it, if the loan people repo the bike, what happens to the money he has already paid into the loan? He traded in his old one for 3k, and put around 1k into it before he passed.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Answer:
 Before anyone can inherit anything - including the bike - his estate needs to pay its debts by using the estate's assets to the extent possible. Those assets can include cash in bank accounts, retirement accounts, things to sell, etc.

If there's not enough assets to pay all the debts, then no one inherits anything and the remaining creditors are SOL.

So, does the estate have enough assets to pay the debt on the motorcycle? If not, the estate will have to sell the motorcycle (if the loan is not upside down) or else let the bike be repossessed (if the loan is upside down).

Its the job of the estate's executor / administrator to do this settling of accounts.


Title: Leaving apartment lease early due to a roommate dispute and a new job out of state. My roommate is withholding my security deposit from me and the landlord refuses to get involved.

Question: I am in Manhattan NY. This is a joint lease. My roommate actually asked me to leave.

Answer: Until the lease is terminated, your landlord does not need to return the security deposit. Your dispute is with your former roommate. Leaving state does not terminate your obligations under the lease agreement.


Title: North Carolina. Our family dog was killed by a neighbor's dog. Please help.

Question:
Here is a link to some pictures of our dog Jake: http://imgur.com/a/Of0yZ

Reddit,

Sorry this post is so long, I'm trying to provide as much information as possible.

I don't really post much on here, but I was hoping that I might find some helpful information to help us navigate through a horrible situation. Two days ago, my wife was walking our two dogs in our neighborhood in Durham, NC (on leash). We have a ~80 lb black lab named Monty, and a <10 lb Yorkie named Jake. I unfortunately was not walking with her at the time, so I am sharing her account of what happened. I will never stop wondering how it might have gone differently if I had been there.

She was walking down the sidewalk of a neighboring street. As she was getting closer to one of the houses, a woman was exiting her front door with two of her own dogs on leashes. Her dogs immediately began barking and growling at my wife and our dogs, and began pulling really hard on their leashes. The woman tried to contain them and get them back inside of her house, but was unable. She fell down and one of the dogs got away from her. It ran straight at our small dog Jake, growling. The woman screamed for the dog to stop, but it didn't. Jake growled back defensively and then the neighbor dog snatched up Jake in his jaws and shook him vigorously several times. My wife screamed and kicked the dog off of Jake. She estimates that the whole situation lasted about 10 seconds. She can't remember a specific breed that the other dog appeared to be, she guesses it's a mutt, and she said the dog was much bigger than Jake but smaller than our other dog Monty. Jake went limp and was bleeding, so she knew it was bad. She let go of Monty when she went to save Jake and Monty ran away from the altercation because he's afraid of everything. He wasn't involved in the attack.

The neighbor had picked herself back up and came and finally restrained her dog. She started trying to give my wife her contact information and appeared clearly concerned, but my wife knew it was really bad and was only concerned with trying to save Jake's life. My wife thinks she remembers the neighbor saying that she'd take care of whatever, but she's not clear on what exact words the neighbor said. My wife said that she just wanted to get help and that she'd find her later. She turned and ran home, carrying Jake in her arms, and Monty followed behind her.

I was at home when she burst through the front door and said we needed to get Jake to the vet immediately. Jake didn't appear to be able to move his back legs, so we weren't sure if they were broken or what might be going on. In the car I reached over and he licked my hand, so I thought he might come out of it ok. We live really close to our vet so we managed to get him there probably less than 10 minutes after the attack had occurred. They saw him right away and a vet that we like and trust a lot was there to look at him. They took x-rays, which revealed a very clear abdominal hernia, at least one broken rib, and a possible perforated colon.

The vet broke it down for us and said that the things they see on the x-rays are relatively straightforward and could hopefully be repaired in surgery, but it'd have to be that day. He said what concerned him was a few organs that he could not see in the x-ray, namely Jake's kidneys. He cautioned that if one of the kidneys was bad it may not be life threatening, but if both were badly damaged then there's basically no chance. During surgery, the vets noticed one kidney was pretty bad and the other one was damaged beyond repair. They said that they worried from an ethical standpoint that they might be waking a dog up into kidney failure as they were finishing up the surgery, but Jake ended up passing away before they finished bringing him out of anesthesia.

We're devastated. Jake is a family member. We're never going to be the same without him. It's basically been nonstop tears for two solid days now. Obviously right now we're mostly just grieving, but I'm also trying to be mindful of how we should handle this situation with the neighbor.

We don't have a final number from the vet yet. They had given us an estimate originally, but they gave the impression that they may find ways here and there to reduce the cost a bit out of sympathy due to the outcome. But I'm expecting it will still be a lot. The estimate they originally gave us was $1600-$2300 depending on some factors that wouldn't become clear until the surgery. They had also told us we could take Jake to a 24 hour emergency vet to have the surgery done and make sure that the same people were responsible for his care from start to finish (they were saying that most likely Jake would need 24 hours of medical supervision following a successful surgery). They estimated that would cost around $3000-$6000. We also had the option of contacting the NC State Vet School to conduct a diagnostic 3D MRI that would have run around $1800 in addition to whatever other option we chose. We really really love and trust our vet and, regardless of cost, we just really thought Jake would be best under their care. After discovering how severely injured Jake was, it seems pretty clear that nothing could have saved him from that. If he did somehow survive, his quality of life and ours would have been permanently ruined.

Additionally, from a pure financial standpoint, my family had tickets to attend a bowl game  in Charlotte on the day of the attack. The cost of the tickets was ~$470. We ended up having to miss the game while trying to save Jake's life, only to have the day end in heartbreak.

We do not know the neighbor's name or phone number, but we do know her address since she was walking out her front door when the attack happened. We have not yet contacted the neighbor to inform her that Jake has died or to request any kind of repayment. Here is where I need some help. I know from a pure civic duty and "being a generally good person" standpoint, I should care about having the neighbor's dog dealt with in some way, or at the very least reported. We have no idea if the dog has previously been a danger to other pets or children and that's definitely concerning. My gut feeling right now though is that if we speak to the neighbors and they immediately agree to cover 100% of the resulting vet bills, I'd be inclined to let that be the end of it. If they aren't agreeable to that, I would want to pursue every action available. Vet bills, ticket costs, animal control, police, etc.

Please help. What should/can we do here? I'd happily pay every penny out of pocket if it could bring Jake back to us, but sadly that's not an option.

Thank you

**Update:** I think I forgot to mention that the vets are closed today, but they are very clearly detailing and documenting everything they saw for us, so probably next week we will have that available and an itemized bill of the final vet costs.

**Update 2:** I also forgot to mention that Jake was 10 years old. My wife has had him since he was about 2. Monty is about 1.5 years old.

**Update 3:** If I were to contact a local attorney about this for their advice, what kind of lawyer would I look for? Does this kind of case fall under a specific type of law? Thanks again for all the support and condolences, it means a lot.

**Update 4 (1/4/2016):** We got the final vet invoice. Just under $1700. My wife and I decided to walk over to the neighbor's house and discuss. We let them know what happened and I said I felt it was reasonable to ask them to cover vet bills. I left a copy of the invoice and contact information with them. They said they wanted to discuss with each other and that they'd contact us soon, possibly even later tonight.

**Final Update (1/4/2016):** The neighbors were really horrified to hear what had happened to Jake and handled the situation really well. They wrote us a check for the full amount of the vet bills. They also talked about training classes for their dogs (and them). We're glad to be able to focus on trying to put the situation behind us and start trying to move on. Thanks everyone for the support and advice.

Answer:
 You can sue for the cost of Jake and veterinary bills. I don't think you can win back the cost of the tickets.

I strongly suggest you file a complaint with animal control, NOW. That dog is dangerous as hell. Do not use the police or any other enforcement organization as leverage to get them to agree to cover your costs. The aggressor dog needs to be reported regardless of the outcome of your civil suit.


Title: Someone stole my mailbox...Left behind a receipt from 20mins before them took it...

Question:
The other day some jerk from my school stole my mailbox with mail in it,after they stole it i found a receipt on the street where the mailbox was and turns out it was from 20 mins agao.The day after me and my dad went to the store where the receipt was from and looked at the security cameras and i recognized the kids who took it. can the receipt and the video prove anything or help the police at all?
Topic:
Douche

Answer: Proving that the person who owned the receipt also stole the mailbox to the standard required for criminal prosecution would be almost impossible. Best thing that could happen is when faced with the evidence the thief doesn't realize this and confesses.


Title: Bought car for my gf, found her cheating. Can I keep the car from her?

Question:
Car is only in my name.

Can I take the car from her? It's a 2016 and I'm still paying on it.

Answer: Well yes it's your car. I would call the sheriff and have them come with you to get it with title in hand.Answer #2: If the title and registration (registration is important) are in your name, then yes. If the title is in the bank's name but the registration is in your name, yes. If the title is the bank's name and the registration/insurance is in your girlfriend's name, then no.


Title: Parents purchased a new item $1500 cash that was defective and they wont accept returns.

Question:
Hi all,

My parents purchased a $1500 meat slicer in Manhattan from a Kitchen Supply company. When they received the item, it was defective out of the box.

My parents tried calling the company multiple times but they get hung up on each time because they don't want to deal with any return even though they bought it 'new'. What is the best course of action for us/them to take?

Answer:
 Contact the manufacturer.

If that fails, request a Return Authorization, in writing.

If that fails, small claims court.Answer #2: Why did you say "new" and not just new?


Title: Custom shirts

Question:
If I design a shirt with very unpopular copyrighted images but make slight changes/change color/add fraternity text and a custom shirt place approves the design can I still get in trouble for copyright? I'm printing no more than 150 shirts and not selling for profit.

ex: using this image http://www.tulsakids.com/images/cache/cache_7/cache_4/cache_d/Logo-2014-95f41d47.jpeg?ver=1432665495&aspectratio=1.1106471816284

and using it for a fraternity function

State: Iowa

Answer: It's still copyright infringement. You're not likely to get in trouble. The copyright owner would have to somehow find out and sue you.


Title: Movie Monday: So Tony Stark's a war criminal, right?

Question:
So. Marvel Cinematic universe. Let's forget the weapons manufacturing and creation of a worldwide extra-judicial paramilitary force. Or that whole "oopsy I built a killer AI that almost made mankind extinct" thing.

I'm talking Spiderman.

in Civil War/Spiderman Start finds a minor child with abilities and blackmails him into what looks a lot like military action. Then he was bout to publicly announce said recruitment.

Is there a way this **isn't** recruiting a child soldier?

Answer:
 The Avengers are a SHIELD project in the movies, not Tony Stark's private army.

Also, when not engaged in official SHIELD business (of which their little slap fight arguably is not) they have no more authority than any other private citizen.

If anything most of them could possibly be given assorted assault and battery charges.


Title: (LA) My friend is in jail charged with 3rd Degree Simple Rape

Question:
He met a girl in college and they hit it off pretty fast. Two weeks into the relationship she tells him she's married and her husband is coming back home from offshore soon. (I don't know every detail about their relationship so I'll skip to the point.) Six months of sneaking behind her husbands back My friend wants to come clean to her husband but she doesn't, so he ends the relationship. One night she picks him up from his home here in Rapides Parish and drives him to her house in Avoyelles Parish, they have sex and the next morning she drives him to his workplace in Rapides Parish; she then calls the police and says he raped her. He's been in prison since November 2016 now awaiting trial. I have pictures of us all on vacation, he has pictures and text messages on his cell phone, but the avoyelles parish detectives told his court appointed lawer that his cell phone was misplaced by the officers who apprehended him. That detail does not sit well with me at all. What can I do legally to help him?

Edit: He's 22 She's 24
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: You can inform his attorney that you will make yourself available as a witness. But note that your story does not exclude the possibility that he raped her that night. Answer #2: Is it really called simple rape?


Title: [Connecticut] Roommate wants to break the lease and leave me to pay his rent

Question:
We signed a lease last year for a year-long residency in an apartment complex. We started paying for rent on July 1st. However, the complex started charging us two weeks earlier - I don't remember why (I'm a college student, so my parents were dealing with the apartment people) all I remember is that it wasn't fair. But we agreed to pay it because we signed the lease.

Our lease is up June 15th of this year. His parents decided that they don't want to pay his final month of rent (around $800) and that they want to use his security deposit in lieu of the rent. This is because they feel they were treated poorly by the apartment complex last year. My dad got wind of this and talked to the apartment people and this is what he was told: the apartment will not allow my roommate to use his security deposit as a substitute for rent. Plus, my roommate is not going to even get the deposit back since he trashed his room and broke the dishwasher.

His parents refuse to pay the rent. Their plan is to move him out in a few weeks and leave me to pay the rest of his rent. If I don't, I will be sued by the complex and my credit will tank.

I've been trying to talk to my roommate about this but he won't listen to me. He will only do what his parents tell him to do. My dad is talking to his parents right now and pleading with them to just pay the rent (they're both doctors, they're not poor people). They just don't agree with the principle of the matter. But their pride is going to tank my (and his) credit.

What can I do here, legally speaking? My father and I refuse to pay his rent just because he wants to duck out a few weeks early. But if we don't, we'll get sued.

Answer:
 "He will only do what his parents tell him to do."

Tell him to grow up.Answer #2: Life lesson since you said you weren't sure why you had to pay an extra 2 weeks when you didn't move in until july....if your lease is 1 year long ending on June 15th then that was when your lease started last year...you don't have to start a lease right on the first of the month if you start on the 15th then you owe 2 weeks of the first month and then on the first of the following month owe a full months rent...unless you give a deposit +full first month, then you would just owe the prorated amount


Title: Not so much legal advice I guess, but where can I report how nasty the restourant I work at is? Tx

Question:
I work at a fast food place in a small town, and I know how disgusting this place is illegal. I'm talking mold in corners and creases and freezer, making food without gloves and dirty hands, girls really needing hair nets, nats in the drink containers, soured coffee cream in the nozel my manager won't fix (since she says when things need replaces), just gross stuff like that. Ontop with trash all over the floor, sinks not properly washed out, old old food under tables and machines, stuff like this. My family won't eat there after I started telling them stories because it's just so nasty.

I Googled some places, but they only let you report food poisoning and bad service, and I need to remain anonymous because I know if I report this and my managers find out I got them in trouble they'll find reasons to fire me.

Is there websites I can report all of this anonymous, or local inspectors that are not ran by the company, because we have our own inspector who continues to pass the inspection because he's just as lazy as my managers. I live in south east texas.

Answer: Contact your local county health department, which is in charge of restaurant and food inspections.


Title: Me and Wife want to canel Kinship/ Guardianship. Temporary care taker wants to sue and keep our son.

Question:
We agreed to adopt our son away after he was born. Hes only been with them for 3 months and we decided we want him back. (Born april 6th, left April 9th)

We have not finalized the paper work of him in court and she has not made a court date.

We agreed to pay her back all the money she spent paying for the lawyers before he was in her care and now she wants us to pay her back for the whole 3 months he has been with her. Says she wants to sue.

Can she do this? Do we need a lawyer? Were in New Mexico

Here is a picture of the text she sent.

http://imgur.com/gallery/yUCzuPq

Answer:
 You should speak to a lawyer on this since it’s not an actual “adoption”. Under New Mexico law, prospective parents cannot threaten or coerce a parent to relinquish rights by demanding repayment of expenses. But - if this situation isn’t subject to adoption law then that could be irrelevant.

What is important to note is that you can’t just ask for the child back and hand them some money. If this is a legal kinship guardianship situation then you will need to go to court to reestablish your parental rights, and they have been temporarily terminated. The judge isn’t just going to hand your child back, they are going to assign a guardian ad Litem and they are going to make sure that you and your wife are ready to raise a child. They’re going to look at your finances, your home, your health and history - basically everything. The fact that your wife suffers from PPD and you just graduated from high school could impact your case. This woman is correct in saying the baby could be taken from BOTH of you and placed in temporary foster care while then custody battle ensues, so you’ll need to think about whether that’s something you want to inflict on this child. I’m not saying you shouldn’t do it - but you have far more to consider than a lawsuit.Answer #2: If the adoptive parents threaten to sue you, you need a lawyer to deal with the situation. Did you have an adoption agency help you to arrange placement?


Title: Can a tournament release my personal information?

Question: I am a high school student, and participate on a team(want it to be anonymous) at my school. We signed up to attend a tournament later this month. We had to fill out a wavier to go the tournament(which we all did) and send it to them. The waver was pretty much if we get hurt we won't sue, as well as that they can publish images and videos of us at the event. The waver also contained basic information: Team member's names, parent's names, signatures, and address. I went to the tournament website, and it turns out they posted every single of these papers to the internet, and anyone that is on the website has access of over 700 family's personal information. Is this legal? Not planning to sue or anything just wondering?

Answer:
 Without knowing everything on the form it’s hard to tell. But best guess is all information posted is most likely public record and under no expectation of privacy.

Shit thing to do, yes. Illegal. Hard to tell.


Title: (CA) Being harassed by backdoor neightbor

Question:
When we first rented our townhome, the backdoor neighbor (who owns a house) greeted us through the fence. She asked us not to use our back porch light. We told her that we were smokers and we needed the light when we smoked. We offered that we wouldn't leave it on unless we were outside. She got mad and said she hated the smell of smoke.

The following week, she put up an "No Smoking- Oxygen in Use" sign, in her backyard. We ignored it, as where we smoke is about 20 yards away from her backdoor. So she had an 8 foot fence nailed to our existing fence, which the town house management owns.

Since then, she's been burning incense through the fence. It smells terrible. One day I heard her yelling at our cat and I saw her trying to spray him with something. He wasn't in her yard, he had jumped up on the fence to get next door.

Last Saturday, we got a puppy. The puppy spends about %25 of the time in the backyard.

Yesterday, animal control came. They had been told that we were leaving the dog our back all day and night with no food/water. They were told we had 2 dogs who barked all day. The puppy doesnt bark at all, she scratches at the door when she's ready to come in. And we only have 1 dog. I explained this to the officer, everything checked out and he said he'd ignore "her phone calls" in the future.

I knew when I opened my front door that she had called.

At 10pm last night, the cops came. They had been told that we were shining a light in her bedroom window. She must've been referring to the back porch light, which we had upheld turning off when not in use.

I want to make sure that she stops calling the police for frivolous reasons. She's an old woman who lives alone, so I don't feel comfortable confronting her. I can already imagine the allegations. What actions can I take to protect myself from her?

Thank you in advance.

Answer:
 So, your neighbour sounds crazy, and I'm sorry you have to deal with her.

But I have some empathy for the light issue.  My backyard ends at a river, and across the river is a house with a front porch light that's angled so that it shines *directly* into my eyes when I step outside. It's really frustrating (especially since they're so far from me - feels doubly unfair that I have to deal with their light).

Just to be neighbourly (because you can take the high road even if she's a jerk), maybe take a look at how your light is angled, and whether you could make an easy change so that it illuminates your porch, and not her windows.

The advantage to this is that, if you ever do end up in courtroom over this dispute, you look like a reasonable person who tried to address the issue.  That generally goes well when you're asking a judge to side with you.

Good luck.Answer #2: Get a red light bulb.  It should give plenty of light for you to smoke and reduce the night-time glare of white or near white light greatly for your neighbor.


Title: [Ohio] My landlord(s) are extremely creepy and have violated lease rules. But we don't have proof.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Get/test your Carbon Monoxide detectors (there should be a bot that just posts that on these...).

A dozen dozen programs exist for PCs/Macs that turn an internal laptop camera into a webcam. Answer #2: I'd get a security camera that records the footage online when there is movement. You can see if he enters and he can't steal the camera with all your footage on it. Many cameras provide the service free for short periods of time. If you see anything, download it. You need prove before you can do anything. Answer #3: What is your legal question?Answer #4: His inappropriate texts are not grounds to break your lease.

For the rest of your incredibly long story, you have:

1.  No evidence that anything is *actually* happening
2.  No evidence that the landlords have anything to do with it.

You can't break your lease or sue for things you can't prove.


Title: Friend caught stealing at Wal-Mart. Theft under $500.

Question: So a buddy of mine has been frequenting Wal-Mart recently to steal Magic the gathering cards. For those not familiar, this is a trading card game that comes in a variety packaging options. Most popular being the fat pack containing 10 single packets of cards each with 10 cards in them. Some of which can be fairly valuable. At any rate my friend has been caught on camera stealing what they amounted to $260 worth of merchandise. They filed a police report and banned him from Wal-Mart for life but what happens from here? Restitution seems likely but what other legal ramifications could this hold for him? Will there be any chance of jail time or probation? This is in Chattanooga Tennessee.

Answer: up to the store to pursue charges, may or maybe not happen. he will get a letter asking to pay back what he stole. he should start getting that money now.


Title: Can I be a Joint landlord?

Question: My fiance currently owns property we are looking to rent out. My question is can I legally be considered a joint landlord of the property without actually having any ownership ? We live in Illinois if that makes any difference.

Answer:
 Why? To what end? You have no stake in the property and no responsibility to the expenses? What benefit is this to your fiance? You get a legal stake in the income and that's about it.

If she is stupid, sure. She can have your name on the lease as a landlord.


Title: California law and conversion therapy

Question: Hi, I'm writing a story and need some clarifications regarding conversion therapy for minors. The mods removed my post from legaladvice because it didn't fit the topic (fair enough). In the story, a gay teen is outed at school in California. He overhears his parents planning to send him to conversion therapy in Texas, as it's illegal in their home state. A friend's family secretly takes him in. In California, Is it illegal to transport your kid to a state for the explicit purpose of putting them in conversion therapy? Can the kid do some kind of emergency emancipation process? His parent won't simply kick him out, they see him as an extension of themselves and they need to keep up appearances at their church/save his soul/etc. Any help or point towards resources is much appreciated, as I want this story to reflect reality.

Answer:
 [This Californian bill](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201120120SB1172) bans the practice of conversion therapy. It is a ban on providers and does not ban sending your child to conversion therapy, it only bans anyone in California from providing conversion therapy.

I'm not sure if there's a separate bill that would applicable to the parents in the above scenario (Google only turned up the above bill). However I can imagine that CPS and the courts in California would not look favorably on parents sending their children to conversion therapy and so would be more likely to grant court orders restricting them or relocating the children on the basis of abuse.

For that matter, 'child abuse' is broad enough that it could be applied to conversion therapy, now that the legislature has specifically legislated it to be an illegal and harmful practice.


Title: Girl was raped and University is attempting to sweep it under the rug. What legal options does she have? [Michigan, USA]

Question:
My friend does not know how to use reddit, so I am posting this on her behalf. A few weeks ago my friend was raped by a close friend of hers. She was a virgin, and planned on saving sex until marriage. Her friend kept insisting that sex would make her a true woman, and that he would be doing her a favor if they did it. She was attempting to cover herself up, but he was stronger than her and forcibly moved her hands and held her down. She did not fight or hit back, but she did not consent in any way whatsoever.
She went straight to the police to file a rape charge, and the process has been ongoing. The lawyer assigned to her does not want to pursue a higher court, as apparently there is not enough evidence and there is too much "he said, she said." There have been multiple other girls that have approached her saying this guy has also raped them, and they would be willing to testify. The lawyer said this wouldn't matter because it wouldn't affect her case. He suggested counseling to get through it and to try and forget about it.
She said that she cannot get through class or study because it is all she thinks about. She has nightmares and can't think about anything else. She wants to pursue it further but doesn't know how to go about it. He landed a very prestigious job and is about to finish school, and the university is also trying to sweep it under the rug. If he can get past this he won’t look back and will once again get away. Can she call his employer and say something, or what else is there to make sure he is punished properly?
[I keep in close contact with her so if there are any questions I will be sure to get an appropriate answer from her.]

Answer:
 She should contact the Title IX coordinator at the school about the school's handling.  Also, she should get in contact with the [Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network](https://rainn.org/), who can help give her clearer ideas of her options and connect her with local support.

She may not get the outcome she wants, but at least this way she'll be in contact with the right people for working this through.Answer #2: Getting the Title IX coordinator involved will make the school sit up and take notice. That's federal civil rights law, and the school does not want the feds checking things out.

What lawyer is suggesting she just get over it? Is this a prosecutor, or a local attorney she hired?Answer #3: Did she go to the local police department? Get a rape kit? Or is this campus police? Because if it's the campus police, the are notorious for this. Get the real police involved.
I'd also suggest she contact RAINN.

Good luck. Poor girl.


Title: I registered for two classes, due to a clerical error it never went through, and the school won't do anything. What can I do?

Question:
So here's the deal. I registered for two classes after my initial registration, but it was long before the final due date of registration. I missed the first week of both classes. My classes have an absence policy where if I miss more than 3 classes I will drop a letter grade for every following absence. I've been a great student, turned in my work on time, etc. I've missed three days of one class, once was supposed to be excused for a choir event, and the other two from sickness. The teacher is claiming I've missed 5 classes because of my absence in the first week. He never told me he would be counting my first weeks as absences. Anyways, I've tried reregistering for the classes but the school is saying it's past the date so the only real way I can register is if the teacher approves it. I've been going to the classes all semester, doing the work, turning it in, etc. The problem is that my teacher claims I've missed 5 days of class and thus even if I was getting 100% in the class I'd be down 2 letter grades to an 80% and my grade is currently at an 83% putting me at 63% (failing) so there is no point in me continuing with the class anyways.

I haven't paid for the class but I've been spending my time for the last 8 weeks going. 5-6 hours a week in class and countless hours outside of class. I also have spent a couple hundred dollars on supplies and the acquisition of supplies for this class. Do I have any legal ground to fight this? Or am I just fucked out of half a semesters worth of work?

Answer:
 > He never told me he would be counting my first weeks as absences.

Why wouldn't he count these? Do you think they don't count because it was the first week?


Title: I practice meditation and get inspiration through Buddhism. I might be going to jail. What are my specific religious freedoms in the event that I do go to jail?

Question:
I know that Buddhism doesn't have a specific canon like Christianity does with the Bible, or Islam does with the Koran, but is there any text that is accepted in United States jails or prisons as a religious text for somebody who practices meditation/Buddhism? What are my rights here in the event that do have to serve a little time?

Edit: Rights including the ability to bring in my own "religious text" as people do when bringing in with them a Bible and the right to perform my own religious ritual (meditation) without discrimination and/or in peace.

I am also vegan.

Specific state of residence: Iowa

EDIT 2: For the random odd jerks that say things down the lines of "Here is another thought, don't do anything that could get you sent to jail so you don't have to worry about this stuff." -I am actually fighting this case so please stay on topic.

Answer: What do you mean, what are your rights? What sort of special treatments are you looking for in jail?


Title: I was terminated from my job for something that happened while I was not even on the clock. [NJ]

Question:
Now, I am fully aware that NJ is an at-will state, but I can't help but feeling I was unlawfully terminated. I am(was) a server at a worldwide food chain. Last night (12/28/16) I clocked out of work at approx 8:45 with permissions of my shift manager to go to a store that closed at 9 that I needed to get to, with the stipulation that I come back to finish my closing duties (sweeping, dishes, cleaning tables etc.). I went to the store, and came back as agreed upon. During my time that I was out, a table had come in to eat. I have no idea what time they came in, or how long they had been there. I returned to work after my shift manager sanctioned errand was finished, and was told they were there before I had clocked back into work. I finished my cleaning duties(without clocking in, which is me working for free, already a strike against my employer I do believe) and went to check on the table. Keep in mind they had come in while I was gone, so I had no knowledge of how long they had been sitting. By the time I finished my cleaning assignments, no more than 5-10 minutes, they were gone. They filed a complaint the next day about "refusal of service," and the President of the company said someone had to be terminated because of it. Since I was the scheduled server for that night, they terminated me, even though I wasn't even there when the incident occurred, which can be reflected by my time sheet. I also had the receipt of my purchase I had made, proving that I was out of the restaurant when the incident occurred. Do I have any kind of case?

TL;DR A customer came in and was not happy with their service, called and complained, and because I was the server for that night I got terminated, even though my time sheet will show I was not working at the time of the event.

Answer: Sounds like your manager was covering their own ass. Talk to the owner, if that doesn't work your only option is to file for unemployment. I suppose you can possibly claim discrimination but I don't know what your situation with that might be. There is , unfortunately, no other legal avenues after that.


Title: Expecting a visit from CPS

Question:
Our 2 year old son got out of our house while my wife was sleeping. The police picked him up and brought him home. CPS was called and we were told they would be randomly visiting. We are in Michigan.

1) What’s the best way to handle them when they drop by? I’ve heard nothing but horror stories about CPS.
2) Are we required by law to open the door and talk to them?
3) Should we retain a lawyer? How do we go about finding a good one?

Answer:
 1) you tell the truth and talk to them. The horror stories are mostly people making stuff up to feel better about their mistakes.

2) no. you are not. But they can go request a court order to force you to or to get custody of your child(ren)

3) you can if you want. You would search for family attorneys with CPS experience.Answer #2: In addition to what /u/Napalmenator said, I'd take the steps to make sure this doesn't happen again. You should make a determination on how your son got out, and make sure it wont happen again. If he just went out through the front door, buy one of the chains that you can use to stop a door from opening all the way unless you unlock it (hotel style). Or the door knob covers. They'll likely want to know if you've taken any steps to make sure this won't happen again.


Title: I have proof my company does not handle bio hazards legally.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >Anything to protect us?

Gloves.


Title: Feel I was falsely arrested and held?

Question:
Hi, 31 year old from Arkansas here with an odd story, wondering if I have any legal options?

I went to my small hometown in Northeast Arkansas over the weekend, and was walking around town with my cousin late at night. I had not been drinking, which is important for reasons that will become clear.

A cop drives up, and asks for our IDs. We give them, and he asks where we're going. I tell him we're just walking, and he says "no, where are you going?". I dislike his tone, so I tell him it's none of his business, and things got worse from there.

After some hassling, he asks me if I have anything in my pockets. I ask him why and if I am being detained. Without a word, he steps towards me, and I take a step back. He yells at me to stop, walks behind me, grabs my arms and his partner pats me down. Nothing. I'm furious at this point, and ask if I'm being detained again. He says yes, and puts handcuffs on me. I ask why I am being arrested, and he says public intox. I demand a breathlyzer, which is given, but he will not show me the results (100% no alcohol). They then put me in the cop car and take me to the station.

When I get there, I demand another breathlyzer at the station, but they say they don't have to give me one. They take my mugshot, and put me in the drunk tank until morning. I ask for the results of my breathlyzer the next day, and they say they don't keep records.

Is this really legal? Do I have any recourse whatsoever?

Answer: You say you hadn't been drinking, which is fine. Had you taken anything else (legal drugs, illegal drugs, etc) that would lead the officer to his decision?


Title: Smashed my head on Rite Aid store security binder due to careless associate.

Question:
On Saturday April 15 2017 around 9:20 PM I entered a Baltimore Maryland Rite Aid location to purchase some items. There were only  two associates in the store. In the ten minutes I browsed the aisle for my items  the cashier made an announcement that the store was closing in ten minutes (9:45 PM). This was very confusing as the store is supposed to close at 10PM.

I got my items and the second associate, a heavy set older  woman with short hair was standing around chatting with the female customers ahead of me in line. She and the other teller then observed me.

They were "surprised" I was in the store even though I have been inside there for over ten minutes.

I go to the counter to purchase my items but upon checking my wallet I seemed to forgot my debit card in my car due to an earlier drive thru meal and I haven't updated my Samsung Pay payment information.

Knowing that the associates was going to close up after me, I resigned on the fact I was not getting my items. The older associate took me to the door and as I head out I suddenly felt a blunt blow to the front of my head.

It seems that the associate in her negligence to close up early forgot she pulled the security blinder slightly down and me being 5'11 walked full force into a metal binder.

Disoriented but still on my feet, she apologized.

After a few moments I felt due to the circumstance of getting hurt I could ask her for a minor favor;  to accommodate me going promptly across the street to my car which was in eyesight of the entrance door to retrieve my debit card to pay for my items.

The associate agreed I could. When I returned to the door she was gone.

I returned to my car feeling insulted that she lied to me. During the five minutes  I was looking for an alternative business to buy my items on my phone she came out the entrance, I pulled up and told her  "Thank you very much".

Her response "Not my fault".

I drove away fuming.

I was going to let it go but people told me to see a lawyer;I willing to see one after work to today if this case is worth it.

Answer: So....you walked headfirst into something at eye level and think it's someone's fault *other* than yours?Answer #2: By security blinder do you mean the roll down gates? So the gate was partially rolled down and you walked into it?


Title: [ID] Landlord is charging us $50 per hole they find in the walls. They found 40 of them after we moved out and demand $2000 to repair them.

Question:
As title states, this is in Idaho.

In our lease, the landlord forbids that tenants put holes in the walls, so no nails for hanging pictures, decorations, etc. They reserve the right to charge for these repairs if they find any after we move out, and they'll charge us more if we attempted to repair them ourselves.

My wife is big on decorating, so of course we figured we could try to cover these holes up upon leaving, and if they find them, they probably won't charge much to patch the holes. In hindsight, this was very stupid and careless on our part, and it will definitely be a learning experience for us.

We did our best to cover the holes and moved out. They just sent an email stating that they found 40 holes in the walls and noticed that we tried to fix them ourselves. Their rate for repairs is $50 a hole, which brings the total to $2,000.

This rate seems extremely high. While I'm not too familiar with what it takes to patch a hole, I'm pretty confident that $50/hole is not a reasonable cost of labor and supplies. Do we have any recourse to lower this amount?

Answer: Talk to a local lawyer about whether that clause and the penalty is enforceable. I suspect it is not, but I don't know Idaho law.


Title: [CA] Are legal guardians entitled to a child's wages? Is a child legally obligated to pay bills?

Question:
http://hollywoodparentsguide.com/who-gets-the-money-when-a-child-actor-works/

I've researched and researched and this is the only thing that remotely comes close to my questions. In other states as you know, a parent has 100% legal control over a child's wages. However the above website states that a child actor's wages belong entirely to them, so wouldn't the same be reciprocated to me working at a fast food place?

>The first thing to get straight is what the law makes clear: in the state of California, 100% of every dollar a child actor makes belongs legally to THEM—and them alone. It is not “family money.” Of course in California 15% of each paycheck also goes straight into a Coogan Account (a blocked trust account only available to tap after the actor turns 18) but that money is ultimately theirs too.

I have a savings account unbeknownst to her that I plan to do direct deposit. She get's SSI from me (illegally), which will immediately stop once I start working. I have text messages and proof of her saying I am obligated to pay for half of all the bills. I'm simply trying to save enough money for a rent/deposit so I can file for emancipation in the future.

Any help?

Answer:
 >However the above website states that a child actor's wages belong entirely to them, so wouldn't the same be reciprocated to me working at a fast food place?

IIRC that law (the Coogan act) only applies to children working in the entertainment industry.


Title: I am a Notary Public in Texas

Question:
I am a notary public in Texas.  My company paid for the stamp and licensing and has stated that I can notarize documents only as it pertains to the business.

From time to time I have employees approach me asking me to notarize documents for their own personal matters.  At first it wasn't a problem, but then it started to get out of hand.  I have a very heavy workload, and sometimes it was becoming a bit of a bother, which is why management stated that I need to start doing this strictly for business purposes.

One person got very offended and told me it was illegal for me to refuse to notarize something for her.  I explained to her that I wasn't refusing, however my workload that day was quite heavy and I had some deadlines to meet.  I referred her to the local bank, which is a short walk from our office.  She said that she could report me if she wanted to.

I understand that I cannot refuse to notarize a document that meets all of the necessary parameters, however I recall (during my training) that I could advise employees that my services were only for official company business.  Please advise if I have done something wrong.

Answer: She's full of crap. A notary doesn't have to notarize a personal document any more than a plumber has to unclog any given toilet. What I would suggest is that people let you know *in advance* when they need something notarized and you schedule a time to help them. Coming up to you out of the blue whenever they feel like it would annoying and disruptive to anybody trying to work.


Title: My ex-friend admitted to hacking my Grindr account and snooping through my messages. Is this illegal? How much jail time can he get and can I sue for damages?

Answer:
 In order to sue, you need to have monetary damages.

What exactly would your damages be in this case?Answer #2: How did he manage to "hack" into your account?