Title: [NYC] Manager interrogating me after-work asking exactly what I am using a personal day for. Threatened to be fired if I did not comply, I admitted a medical reason with details. Written up, most likely fired. Recourse?

Question:
I live in NYC and I am a teacher.

I needed to use a personal day, and messaged my boss about it. My boss has a tendency to ignore me messages, but I am always reassured that "he reads everything". I have gotten in trouble before for calling this out, so I simply left the message on Tuesday. Friday rolls around, still no reply. I send another message just further verifying the situation, and I take off the Saturday (today).

Two hours later, I get a call from my boss. She is demanding to know why I am skipping work. I explained I messaged her about this days ago, but she had ignored my messages. She admits she missed my message, but then explains she is a manager and is allowed to miss messages because she deals with so much. Suddenly, she asks me what I am doing on my day off. I explain that I need to be someplace.

This was not good enough. My boss asked for more information. I explained that I have an appointment.

Not good enough. Again.

She asked "appointment for what?" At this point I get extremely uncomfortable and I explain that I need to attend something related to my health.

Again, this was not good enough.

It got to the point where she repeated "I need to know exactly what you are doing on Saturday" that I spilled the beans and explained I have an inactive thyroid problem with blood pressure issues and I want to attend a seminar on solutions. This satisfied her, and we both hung up.

The entire time I was on the phone with my principle, I could hear soft chattering and clicking glasses in the background. She was obviously at a bar, and was drinking with her friends showing off her "authority".

I am in shock. I know for fact there will be a meeting about this Monday. However, my roommate mentioned how my principle basically violated EOC laws. Basically, her asking such in-depth questions about my personal days is apparently a violation? Especially discussing this in front of other people?

I want to watch myself with the possibility of being fired, and if so, can I use this as a complaint to HR? I do not want to involve a lawyer of unemployment benefits if I am let go, but this seems so shady to me.

Is what my principle did legal?

Answer:
 In New York there are no laws that provide any type of leave and that if the employer provides a leave, then the employer must comply with any established employment contract or policy. So you need to consult your union contract (assuming you are in a union) and your school/districts policy relating to using your leave.

She however didn’t have a right to know why and you didn’t have an obligation to tell her, so you’ll need to sort this out when you have your meeting. If you’re union make sure your rep is present and if you survive (not fired) file a complaint. That’s really all you can do.


Title: Boss wants text when clock in/out and for lunch [USA]

Question: As the title says, my manager claims there is a new policy in which we must text him when we clock in, when we go to take lunch and finally when we clock out. We already have a timesheet we use to clock in and out, this seems like it is his way of keeping tabs on us due to lack of trust. Any advice would be appreciated.

Answer:
 _Legal_ advice: text your boss when you clock in, when you go for lunch, and when you clock out. There's nothing legally-questionable about that as a policy, and in 49 our of 50 states you can be fired immediately for deviating from it.

_Personal_ advice: If it makes you feel like your boss doesn't trust you, start shopping for a new job.


Title: My Girfriend Has Worked For McDonald's For Three Years. Tonight She Was Told She Would Be Fired If She Left Two Hours Early So She Could Follow The Ambulance To The Hospital. The Ambulance Is Carrying Her Mother Who Is Right Now Fighting For Her Life. IS THIS NOT ILLEGAL?

Answer: Tell your girlfriend to follow the ambulance and worry about the consequences later. If her employer is going to fire her, fine -- we can sort that out later; that's what unemployment is for. Right now, she needs to be with her mother.


Title: Emigrating from the USA for medical reasons

Question: Are there any countries that will allow you to become a "medical refugee?" I have a major illness that I might need serious planning for. I also cannot give up my citizenship for veterans and social security benefits reasons.

Answer: Americans do not usually have much success with being granted refugee status. You can go to other countries for medical treatment, but depending on where you intend to go, you will have to pay for everything and you may require a visa.


Title: About to be interrogated. What should I look out for? What should I do? (Can)

Question:
This is over a criminal matter.
(Can) = Canada

1. what do they need to charge you with a criminal offence? is the plantiff's word enough?(without solid evidence)
2. what tricks do they use in interrogation rooms? etc

Answer: BRING. A. LAWYER.


Title: Is it legal to work 9 days in a row? Washington State

Question:
My employer has been dragging his feet, and in result, has made some bad scheduling choices.

I.E. people working Weds thru Sunday, then starting the new work week working Monday thru Thursday.  9 days in a row.

I'm not the only one who has had to work 5+ days when they overlap the work weeks. We are wondering as a staff if there is anything we could do.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: I don't believe Washington has any laws requiring employees to be given days off after a certain number of work days, so that would be perfectly legal.


Title: My neighbors dog poops in my yard exclusively. When I talked to him about it he threatened to get physical.

Question:
So I've been having some issues with a neighbor. He has two dogs that he let's roam the neighborhood unsupervised, and recently I've noticed that they've been pooping in my yard. Not once in awhile either, they poop a lot, like multiple times a day, every day. One is a yellow lab with some pretty large dukes too...

Anyways I talked with him last week about it and told him not to let them do that anymore. I was pretty nice about it, as nice as I could be anyways considering I had just gotten done picking up about 10 of his dog's turds. He was nice enough about it but didn't like that I wouldn't let them poop in my yard "even if he cleans it up right away". Whatever

So today low and behold there are more dog turds in my yard. I counted up to 4 before I heard him come outside. I walked up to his porch and a little irritated told him there's still dog poop in my yard. First he says that's impossible. I told him I could show him.

I just want to itterate all I said was "there's still poop in my yard" followed by "I can show you".

At this point he gets up, gets in my face, and starts calling me an asshole before threatening to get physical. At this point I said "alright" which he took as another threat, called me some more  names, and just generally acted hostile. I went back to my porch before the situation escalated any further.

So I'm not really sure what to do. I'm not scared of him, he's pretty old, I don't want any drama, I just want the poop gone. I feel like calling animal control is a little extreme, I don't want to get his dog's taken away, again, I just want the poop gone. What can I do?

Answer:
 Calling animal control is easily the cheapest, easiest way to solve the problem.

It's by no means guaranteed to work, but it's a better choice than suing the guy.Answer #2: Practical advice - if you search "motion activated water sprayer" on Amazon you will find some appliances that might help.

Some cameras to catch the culprits in the act would be useful, too.  If you call animal control this guy will swear up and down that his dogs are innocent, so video evidence would help.  He also might retaliate, so the cameras would be evidence to that, too.Answer #3: If you feel concerned for your safety from the threat, call the police.

Assuming it is illegal for dogs to wander freely off-leash in your jurisdiction, if you see the dogs off-leash, call animal control.Answer #4: It can be difficult to get animal control or the police to catch your neighbors dogs in the act.

Dogs are all about smell. They have found their spots in your yard and keep going back. My dog poops (in my fenced yard) in a few favorite spots.

Go to Costco and get one of those big bottles of cayenne pepper. Sprinkle that around those poop spots and they will hopefully no longer be attractive to the dogs.


Title: I [29/f] may have found a child molester [37/m] on a used panty selling website

Question:
****Trigger warning****

Location: Connecticut

I have an account as a seller on a used panty selling website. I have quite a few clients, and talking about their kinks is part of the job.

Recently, I spoke to a man who identified himself as a single father, and immediately asked me if I had any children. I told him no, I don't have children, and we spoke of if I still had any underwear from when I was younger. I told him, yes, I still had a pair from when I was still a virgin (and a minor).

He immediately compared me with me with his oldest daughter, telling me that she lost her virginity at 13 years old using some colorful, sexual language.

 I asked him how he found out about her sexual activity, and he replied to me that he had the sex talk, took her to the doctor, asked her about her sexual experience, and apparently "coached" her, saying:

>position where she can get more pleasure ...... doggy ........and how to stroke a guy as you suck him.........she told me how big he was and even i was amazed she could handle him at her age

The daughter he is speaking about here is still 16.
He has another daughter aged 13, and has the following to say about her:

>naughty of me to say........she has the puffiest little nipples and an amazing booty...

Lastly I asked him if he had ever tried anything with them while coaching them, his response was
>haha maybe ;).

He started taking longer to respond, but finished the conversation by saying that he wished I had daughters, so he could set up some "mommy daughter fun", and would keep looking for the "perfect openminded mother" .

I'm not really sure where to go from here. He told me his youngest daughter has not had any "coaching" yet, and I want to help save her from this dangerous man. I still have the conversation open, but he has stopped responding to my messages as I'm sure he caught on to my line of questioning and I told him I do not have any connections to young girls.

What do I do from here?

tl;dr: I sell panties online, which includes talking to customers about kinks. One of my clients heavily hinted at molesting his daughters.

Answer:
 If you have any information that indicates his identity, you can report him to the police.  That's about it.  Answer #2: [National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Cyber TipLine](http://www.missingkids.org/cybertipline)Answer #3: Call the police.  Give them the evidence you have, including his name and address.  You're not doing anything illegal here, but consult a lawyer first if you feel you need to protect yourself.

I will just say that I'm hoping it turns out that he's a slightly sick single dude that's just taken trolling to a different level.  But you shouldn't assume that.Answer #4: Is there any chance of you still selling him something? Anything he buys he'd have to use a credit card for wouldn't he?


Title: I want to do a podcast that includes reading playscripts. Would I be able to read newer stuff like the cursed child?

Question:
Im just curious and would prefer to have newer plays to mix into the older stuff since Shakespeare isn't for everyone.

im from wisconsin, united states
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: You'll need to buy all the permissions just like shows that perform in person.


Title: [CALIFORNIA] Landlord did not return security deposit or itemized deduction in 21 days. When we sent a demand letter they're claiming they sent us an invoice via email (never received) and are threatening to countersue.

Question:
I'll try to keep this brief, but we're having a very common problem with a very infuriating twist.

Two other girls and I lived in an apartment in LA:

* Moved out by 6/30 (at the end of our lease)
* Provided mailing addresses before 6/30
* Was told we'd have a check within 21 days
* Was told they'd have a cleaning crew and touch up painting (this was post walk through on 7/2)
* We emailed them numerous times checking up on the security deposit
* On 7/24 we were told that we had destroyed a beautiful brand new apartment, that it required a ton of work, and that the owner would contact us re:deposit
* We didn't hear a word about anything and was well beyond the 21 days
* We sent them a demand letter saying that we hadn't received the itemized deduction and/or a check and we were willing to take them to small claims if we didn't hear back on them by 7/30. Sent via email, post, and certified mail (we have confirmation that they received it).
* Today (7/30) they wrote back saying that they had emailed [one of] us the invoice for the repairs along with photos of the damage
* They forwarded us said email (chronologically):

> "Dear Landlord,
Please forward the attached invoice to the former tenants of 8540.00.
There will be no security deposit refunded as the cost exceeded the deposit held. The unit was absolutely disgusting and the damages and filth far exceeded normal wear and tear for a 12 month tenancy. I attach photos which are stomach-turning.
Property Management
> July 21, 2015"

The date is literally typed...Next:
> Dear Landlord,
Below is a copy of the itemized statement which was sent to Tenant 1 on 21 July 2015.  The total cost for cleaning, repair and removing large item furniture was $3995.00 . I was horrified at the condition of the apartment, especially considering it was a brand new unit with new appliances, toilets, sinks, countertops, etc. at move-in.  The degree of dirt, mold, stains, filth and damage was far beyond normal wear & tear and frankly, after my 15 years of property management, the worst I have encountered.  The unit required painting because of the many marks on the walls, dirt at baseboards. I expended energy in finding the most cost-effective remedies. Please let the former Tenants know that should there be a small claims suit, the Owner fully intends to bring a counterclaim for the full cost of repairs, which would include replacing the granite countertops in the bathrooms (now permanently stained and etched from chemical products) as well as the kitchen (permanent burn area).
Thank you,
Property Management

About the emails, there were no attachments whatsoever and the roommate who was supposedly cc’d didn’t receive it. She checked spam and everything. This is them claiming they were within the 21 days but, to me, they **SO EASILY** could have doctored and email and added her name to the cc.

Does this email count as viable proof?

If we take them to small claims, they’re threatening to counter sue us for the excess in damages ($100).

Checked out their Yelp and Facebook page and other people have had this same problem.

For the record, we took really minimal photos when we moved out (I know, so dumb). I also wonder if they're charging us for a leaking pipe behind a wall that I DID take a photo of as well as email to them 2 months before we moved out asking that it be fixed. That has to be the mold they're referencing.

As of now we've just asked to see the invoice and the "stomach turning" photos...

Please and thank you for your advice!!

Edit: Removed name accidentally included.
Edit numero dos: Just to clarify a hitch in their timeline: we got an email on the 24th claiming that the landlord would reach out to us about the deposit, and then today got an email saying the landlord had already emailed us about this on the 21st (untrue).
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 It's been along time since I looked this up, but doesn't California law require the notice for a claim against a rental deposit be either mailed or delivered in person?

http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook/sec-deposit.shtml#footnote218Answer #2: You should take people's real names out of this.


Title: California high school student rights

Question: I’m currently a high school student in California and last week I had an issue with a security guard. We have a library on my the third floor of our school and since our librarian is 80 and delusional she locks the door when she feels it is “full.” Anyway me and my friend were standing outside the library. Keep in mind this is all during lunch. I’m reading the poster on Asian American history and causally talking to my friends. We were not loud nor blocking anyone’s path. The security guards then instructed me and my friends to leave and get off the floor. I refused since I had done nothing wrong to which he asked for my ID. I did not have my ID so I could give it even if I wanted to. He then walked me down to the office where I stayed till the end of lunch. Was what I was doing protected perhaps by maybe the right to assemble or was I in the wrong?

Answer: You were in the wrong. You to not have a right to be on the property especially without ID.Answer #2: No legal question here. If School staff do not want you in an area they can ask you to leave.


Title: Utilities - TIL I've been paying for my neighbors A/C unit for +2 years (DC)

Question:
Crosspost from /r/washingtondc

TLDR: I've been paying for my upstairs neighbor's A/C unit for +2 years. What can I expect to receive in compensation and from who?

I live in a two-story row house. The landlord rents out the top floor and the bottom floor separately. Each floor has it's own entrance and each pays its own separate utilities bill. I live downstairs and get along really well with the tenants upstairs. Last month I noticed that the electrical bill (in my landlord's name which he emails to me every month) was unusually high, $116, considering that my roommate and I were out for two weeks that month and had turned everything off. On top of that the daily usage showed normal to unusually high spikes during those two weeks. Then on top of that my neighbors upstairs shared with me their electrical bill, $54, which showed low to unusually low usage during those weeks we were gone. Something wasn't right. Our bill looked like their's and vice versa.

I contacted my landlord and he told me that my usage was normal considering how hot this summer was and that my bill was consistent with the last three year's summer bills. He didn't seem bothered that my "alibi" was exactly consistent with the upstairs bill. I then tried Pepco but never received a call back.

Fed up and paranoid I finally ran a test. I flipped off the electrical panel for the downstairs and ran the A/C upstairs for 2 hours. The results came in...my meter went up 3 kwh and the upstairs meter went up 0 kwh.

With these results my landlord who's FYI a good person got in touch with Pepco and they are supposed to come by this week. My question is should/can I expect reimbursement/compensation and from who? How far back can I make a claim if this has been an issue ever since I moved in 3 years ago? My guess is that this has been happening ever since Pepco installed their smart-meters a couple years ago and the wires got crossed. My landlord is also raising the rent $100 and I've always been a good tenant so maybe he could propose delaying the rent increase for a couple months as a sign of good faith? Any thoughts?

Thanks everyone.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Since you pay the landlord you should demand a ledger accounting both accounts that show you each months charge and then the landlord should settle up with whomever is owed money.

You shouldn't have to deal with your neighbor at all in this. You both gave money to the LL.

The LL may not really care either way so you may have to push him and report him to some tenant services group.


Title: [GA] Paid $4,500 to have trees and stumps removed. Trees gone, but left the stumps. Dodging calls and starting to lie.

Question:
Back at the middle of December of 2015, I paid $4,500 to have roughly 45-50 trees and their stumps removed. I met with the owner of the removal service and this was agreed on with a handshake. Right off I will let you know I did not get an invoice at all. This is my fault for not asking and his for not offering.

Owner of the company said he could take care of it. Work begins within a week of the deal, and all the trees are gone in a couple days. This is done by a contracted group and not his actual crew. He shows up and collects the check, and it is cashed Dec 23.

He tells me his machine to get at the stumps on the hill is in the shop and it will be a little bit for it to get done. He sends out a local contracted crew to get the ones that were left in the backyard and on top of the hill. Mid January after some of the stumps are ground down, I speak to him and he tells me he "hasn't forgotten about me" and can get to the one in the front that is near a gas line {the original reason I even called him in the first place}, but for the ones in the back, he tells me that he needs 3-4 days of no rain to get at the ones on the hill. I agree.

No word from him all of February. It did rain almost every 3 days so I chalked it up to that.

Beginning of March I call him to ask him about the stumps and he says he "thought the job was finished?". I remind him that there are 30+ stumps on the hill and the one in the front yard.  At this point he starts getting dodgey and a lot of "uhh"s and so forth. He agrees to come out the next day at the end of his work day as he has a job with one of my neighbors. I agree to this.

No call/no show all afternoon. I call him around 8pm the to inquire what is going on. He gives me a story about how his machine broke and he is going to have to have a part over nighted to fix it. I then lose my patience and inform him that my job started 3 months ago. I paid in full and it still isn't done. He tries to tell me that I agreed to leave whatever stumps could not be gotten to. I disputed this and asked why I would have trees cut down if the stumps aren't going to be removed. The next few minutes is us going back and forth with him plying me with sob stories of divorce, almost shutting the company down, money issues etc. I tell him I am sorry to hear that but it doesn't change the fact my job still isn't finished.

He offers 5% refund on the stumps, which comes out to about $225. I tell him no. He agrees to finally send me an invoice, to which I did get the next day or so, but in the wording it says, I paid $4,500 to have all trees and "accessible" stumps removed. Accessible NEVER entered into the original agreement.  He was supposed to get his part for his machine and be over in the 'next couple of days'. This was last Tues or Wed when we talked.

I had a second opinion on the hill for the stumps and was told that it would be no less than $400 to get the rest of the stumps, as well as an additional $300 to get all the wood chips up that the original crew left.

I have never had to ask for legal advice, but I have a feeling I am going to have to get a lawyer to go after this guy. A lawyer quoted me a flat fee of $950 to go to magistrate court. It's more than the estimate to get the yard done. Do I need a lawyer for small claims court? Can I get a lawyer to send him a letter threatening legal action? What do I do? My yard is a mess and every time I think about it I feel sick.

TL;DR -  Paid $4,500 in full up front like a fool, Tree service did half the job, and is now dodging me and finishing the work.

Answer: They should do it for you but if you can't wait just drill a hole in the center of the stump like half a foot deep and an inch in diameter. Then put some vegetable oil it and plug it with whatever. It'll decay naturally without stink or anything very quickly. Not legal advice, it's just if you NEED it gone asap


Title: Accusations of munchausen by proxy?

Question:
  My wife has a child from a previous relationship that Is currently suing for full custody of a minor child.  A Connerstone of his case is an alleged munchausen by proxy on her part.  He claims that she exhibits signs due to the child's number of doctors visits.  This most recently came to a head when she took the child for a scheduled asthma test.  He has been in the ER with breathing issues maybe 5 times, each time with documented low oxygen, and a quick recovery after a breathing treatment.  the apointment, however, was cancelled by the hospital after the father called in.  The hospital declined because they " did not want to get In the middle of this".   It has come to our attention afterwards that the child's medical charts refrence and email accusing my wife of.having Munchausen by proxy. We cannot as of yet obtain this email.
   when the medical records of the minor child, and other two we have for that matter, prove that my wife has been spot on 9 times out of ten in detecting illness or health isues, how can she be "diagnosed" via email with MSBP.
   For examole she and her daughter both havery asthma. She caught sleep apnea In One child due to enlarged tonsils. Glues ear and lip tie in another, both being rather rare, and she had to be persistent until tests and further examination revwaked she was correct.
   IMO this is Slander as it is negatively affecting her ability to properly care for her children, my childern, because the doctors are now skeptics when she walks though the door.  Is this slander and grounds for not only a lawsuit, but yet another nail in the coffin of his suit for more.custody?

Answer:
 Especially if her co-parent is accusing her of child abuse during a custody dispute, your wife needs a lawyer.

_You_ have no standing to either intervene in her custody dispute - it's not your child - or to bring an action for defamation - he's not accusing you, and you have no damages. Support your wife and get her a lawyer, rather than coming up with ways you'd like to "punish" her co-parent personally.


Title: Medical lien company is asking me for money a year after my case settled

Question:
In 2015, I was in a car accident that resulted in lasting back pain (other driver at fault) in Colorado. I went to a chiropractor for a little while which helped some, but not much. The urgent care I went to recommended a clinic, but they wouldn’t work with me without medpay or a lawyer to set up a medical lien.

So after a few months with no real improvement, I decided to hire a lawyer so I could go to the clinic and get more help. I went there from about October 2015 to March 2016 when I moved to another state. While there, I saw an acupuncturist for a bit, but with things finally improving I decided to work with my lawyer to settle my case. I had some bills from my acupuncturist and the chiropractor I went to at first and a large medical lien, which I (and my lawyer) thought was the bills from the clinic. So we settle in December 2016, everyone gets paid and I get some money on top, which I use to pay down some debt.

Come September 2017, I get a strange text from someone claiming they hold my lien from the clinic and I owe them 15 thousand. I thought it was fake until I got an email from them. They claimed they had tried to contact my lawyer and they refused to talk with them because my case had already settled. My lawyer claimed a little differently, but the result is the same. Finally after a long investigation my lawyer just told me that they weren’t notified of the lien until after the case settled (implying it’s not their job). As it turns out the lien we had payed off was just the services that had been done by third parties though the clinic. They claim they told the lawyer such, but my lawyer says otherwise.

I talked with the clinic and they say I signed some form that said they could have a lien. They then sold the lien to another company at some point, which then started trying to collect. The other seemingly important thing is that the lien was never registered with the Colorado Secretary of State.

I’m really frustrated  because it’s a lot of money and it seems like it shouldn’t be my responsibility to pay. It would basically wipe out all of the money I got when the case settled(which of course is now gone to pay down debts). To me, it seems like we might have been able to settle for more had we known about this lien during that time (we maxed out the defendants insurance but not my underinsured motorist insurance).

Is there anything I can do about this?

Answer: Do you dispute the validity of this debt insofar as the services that were provided or are you saying you shouldn't have to pay because it was not included in the original settlement?


Title: Assaulted by my friends boyfriend

Question:
So. About a month ago my friends boyfriend assaulted me and her. I didn’t press charges because she begged me not to. I’ve decided I want to press them now.

The night of I called the police and they made a report. The police begged me to, but I refused. Is it too late?

The only reason I have decided I want to now is because he’s been threatening me. And she’s continuing to be assaulted by him, but you know how manipulative abusers are and she continues to let him in her home with her infant.

Answer: Yes you can absolutely go to the police and should. Let them know about the additional threats he has been making.


Title: Biomom of my stepson(4) wants to sue me for "tattling" on her for lying to her social worker.

Question:
Located in North Dakota

Husband has primary custody of stepson, Biomom gets every other weekend. Biomom was supposed to switch my stepson's Medicaid case from her county to ours, where stepson lives, so he could go to a doctor appointment in our county in Monday. She put it off, wouldn't give my husband direct answers when asked if it was done, and eventually said she wouldn't text about it, only call. Well we need everything said on record. She said either call or she wouldn't tell him anything.

DH (dear husband) was at work, so he told me to call her county and ask if it was done, or if there was anything we could do to speed up the process. I called, talked to a secretary, gave my name, DH's number and I told them that DH is the primary parent of stepson and that stepson lives with us, and that we need to have his Medicaid case switched before his doctor appointment on Monday. They said that they'd give this info to her social worker.

This morning, DH called her county to check up on progress, make sure the info I provided the day before got to her. He talked to her social worker, who said that Biomom seemed "confused" about a lot of things, said that Biomom must have been worried that she wouldn't get her own Medicaid if she admitted that her son didn't live with her, and that she would switch the case over to our county today.

Biomom is now understandably furious. She says that I have no right to SS's medical or case information. And she's right, I don't. But I didn't ask for or receive any info. I just gave them info. And I didn't know I was tattling on her. She said she was going to have them change it, and DH thought she already provided them with this info.

She's now saying she talked to a lawyer and plans on pressing charges on me. How worried should I be?

Answer:
 "Tattling" is not a cause of action.

And people who are going to sue you don't tell you that they're going to sue you-- they file suit and a process server shows up.

Lastly, "pressing charges" is vastly different from a lawsuit, and that's done by the DA, not random angry people.Answer #2: She's not talking to a lawyer, and she doesn't have the ability to press charges. You don't have anything to worry about.Answer #3: Step 1: Buy sand

Step 2: Give her sand

Step 3: Tell her to pound said sandAnswer #4: She hasn't talked to a lawyer, because any lawyer would tell her to piss off.

She can still file a civil claim, don't ignore it if she does, but like approximately 97.64 percent of people who say they've "talked to a lawyer and plans on pressing charges (lol)" she's utterly full of shit.  IE she can't press charges, only the DA can.


Title: How to address possibly being stalked?

Question:
Not sure if this is the right place for this, but i don’t really know where else to ask.

Today a guy on snapchat was asking me (15 year old girl) for nudes in a jokingly ‘send bobs and vagene’ way that seemed harmless, so i sent a picture of bob the builder, he laughed, and it seemed fine.

Then a couple hours later he asked for nudes in a more serious way. when i said no he began offering me money for sex. He offered me $4000 to finger me and i think $10,000 to make a sex tape with me.

when i said no he said he could give me drugs, and also that my boyfriend wouldn’t find out. which was a red flag that he knew that i have a boyfriend, that i do (minor) drugs, and that said boyfriend is against drugs.

Anyway, i declines and he said something along the lines of ‘your knife won’t scare me’ (i carry a small pocket knife thing for protection after a guy followed me home twice and a guy near where i live took pictures of me walking home) and then he started listing other things i usually have; a black lighter, hello kitty purse, birth control tablets.

He then said which school i go to, and what year i’m in. He also said he’s been watching me for months, and that last week i went into a burger place called baby su, with a blonde boy and two girls, who he is also aparantly watching. That did happen, and the place was really close to where i live.

i wasn’t really taking it seriously, mostly responding with stuff like ‘wild’ and ‘lmao who tf even are u’. He said he would come to my house and i’m really worried because i had my snap map thing turned on. (it’s off now, obviously)

Immediately after i screenshot the conversation he removed me, only to add me back again about 10 minutes later. i blocked him right after that.

This could just be someone i know being a dickhead, but i’m really worried. i posted a screenshot on r/creepyPms and they all suggested i contact the police. I’m 15 and have never dealt with this kind of thing before, i live in Australia so it might be different to other places but any advice is welcomed, thanks.

Answer: Contact the police. Do not walk alone anywhere, even just outside to take garbage out or to get the mail.


Title: Hypothetical: What can you do if someone steals from you and just walks away refusing to return it?

Question:
First. If this isnt the place for a hypothetical question let me know and ill happily delete this. But I cant find an answer or more relevant reddit outside of askreddit.

Now, in a situation where someone robs you, lets say steals a hat off your head and refuses to give it back. What can you do in this situation? I assume vejng physical is out of the question, are you just supposed to call the garda police? I feel like in that scenario the item is as good as gone unless you are able to follow them.

Edit: I have had this stituation happen to my friend before but it was something unimportant so we just ignored it and moved on. But no idea what we would have done if it was something important

Edit2: Im in ireland but any general law or opinion would be appreciated

Answer:
 Further monkey wrench. What if the robber is a insane off duty police officer who thinks he is acting in his duties? And after identifying himself as an officer while fleeing, you then tackle him from behind?

Would this then be a felony for attacking a police officer?Answer #2: In many states citizens arrests are sanctioned by law. Usually these states do not provide the same liability protections that law enforcement gets, so if the citizens arrest was not legal you could face civil suits, or even arrest for unlawful detention/kidnapping.


Title: Quit My Job [in PA] - Now my employer wants ~$15K of bonuses back after suddenly sending me to another country! (xpost from Personal Finance)

Question:
I would appreciate your guy's opinion on this as this is a very unique situation.
I work at Company A and am in the 3rd year of a rotational program. For simplicity sake lets say Company A has three separate business units called Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3. I was working for Unit 1 on the West Coast and accepted another job in Unit 2 on the East Coast. Company A moved my car and goods and provided me a 'moving bonus' but required I signed a document saying I would pay them a prorated amount of that money back if I quit within a year. I get to the east coast, move into my new apartment, and show up for my first day of work at Unit 2.

On my first day of work at Unit 2, I am told that due to a lack of work I would be loaned out to Unit 3 and be sent on assignment to another country - Country B. I decided to be a company man - I did not protest and I went for ~8 months. They put a bunch of papers in front of me and told me to sign - one of those being a document saying I would pay back a bonus if I quit within a year of earning the bonus. I signed it because I was aware it would raise questions if I did not sign the document. This bonus was given to employees for spending some % of the quarter in Country B. I have earned three of these bonuses (3 quarters).

My Country B assignment has ended and I accomplished the job I was expected to do. I am now back in the USA on the east coast - 8 months later. Since I am also at the end of the rotational program, I have been looking for jobs within my company for 4-5 months but economic hardships have caused a serious lull in new positions. My manager, my managers manager, and many others in leadership positions have told me to look outside the company for a job. I did exactly that, found a job that will be paying me $20K more, and quit Company A.

Company A is now asking for a check for [1] the prorated amount of the moving costs/moving bonus; [2-4] bonus 1,2, and 3. I believe in paying Company A the prorated moving costs (~$4K) but I feel so strongly against paying back the bonuses I earned in Country B.

**Should I pay back my bonuses to Company A? Can I negotiate with them? Is a document saying I would pay them back for a bonus I worked long hours for legally binding?**

Now here are the details I left out above. These are some of the biggest reasons I am so frustrated that Company A would ask for the money back:

1. I accepted the job in Unit 2 so I can be closer to my family on the east coast. At this point, I have been away from them for two years. Going to Unit 3 in the Country B shattered my plans of being close to family and friends.
1. I was maintaining a long distance relationship (~1 year) from the west coast and east coast. We had plans to further grow our relationship when I moved to the east coast but the company's decision to send me to Country B caused great hardship and resulted in a break up.
1. I did NOT choose to go to Country B. I actually had another offer to work some where else in Unit 1 but because the hiring manager of Unit 2 told me there was a lot of good work for me to do, I accepted that offer.
1. I suffered severe depression during my time in Country B due to lack of support, distance from friends and family, and social differences between the USA and Country B.

Answer: unless it has been more than a year, you owe this money. you agreed to the terms, you signed the paper, and you then acted on the contract knowing the conditions. pretty basic acceptance, and nothing here seems against public policy. you may want to check with an attorney, but you owe this.


Title: Is my medicine legally mine?

Question:
I'm a 18-y/o living with my parents, and I am still on my parents insurance plan.
I came down with flu this week and was prescribed antibiotics for the infection and (Tylenol?)-Codeine mix to fight the pain of hacking my lungs up, but as soon as I got it home my mom confiscated the Ty-Cod saying "that's how you get hooked".
My parents technically paid for it because I'm on their insurance plan, but the prescription is in my name. Again, I am 18.
Is that medicine mine?

Edit: Living in TX

Answer: Yes, if they seize your medicine that is considered theft.Answer #2: Depending on your state, it may be a felony for them to be in possession of codeine without a proper prescription in their name. Answer #3: Yes. Unless you're in an unusual state, the age of majority is 18.


Title: If I alter a meme, can I use it for commercial purposes?

Question:
Based in Austin, TX. Looking to recreate 8-bit renditions of memes and use them inside of a product (intended for commercial use). Is this legal? To what extent do I need to recreate the meme so I don't get sued?
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: Likely no but its case dependent. Usually at the source of all meme their is a rights holder who could prohibit anothers use.


Title: Apartment management lost my renewed lease (CALIFORNIA)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Is there any evidence this lease exists? Emails, texts? Can you reach out to the old manager and ask them?

NEVER EVER sign anything without keeping a copy. EVER. this should be /r/legaladvice rule #2 (right after always put your location and right before always buy rental insurance)

Not a lawyer.


Title: Made a Mistake at the Bar

Question:
I'm sure many of you are looking at my name and thinking that I am in the wrong right away. I am a dumbshit drunk but hey this time it was just an accident and I'm in trouble.

I was at a bar a week ago where I ended up wearing a jacket home that was not mine. I have a jacket that looked similar and after a few drinks I thought it was mine even though I didn't wear a jacket there. After walking back to my house I put my hands inside the pockets and realize gloves that were not mine and then looked the jacket up and down and saw it wasn't mine. It was pretty late and I knew the bar was either closed or very close to it so I just figured I'd just return the jacket the next day when the bar opened.

The next day I wake up to a call from the local police station saying that " I may had been a witness to a crime last night and they saw me on cameras" and then I cut them off and asked if it was about a jacket? The officer said it was and I assured him that I had the jacket and I'd be happy to come bring it in to him right away.

When I showed up to the police station and gave the cop the jacket and gloves that were in it he thanked me and asked me for the story of what happened. I explained to him I was just confused and thought the jacket was mine and that I was planning on returning the jacket to the bar when it opened later that day. He told me that accidents happen and assured me that it was no big deal. The officer than asked if there were keys and a phone in the jacket along with the gloves. I told him that their were neither in the jacket when I took it. The cop said that he believed me and my story and just asked me where I was living now because my information wasn't up to date (They had tried an old phone number to get a hold of me but it didn't work). After I gave him my updated information I asked the officer if it was possible that I could get the gentlemen s phone number whose jacket it was so I could personally apologize for the inconvenience I caused him for my mistake. The cop agreed and thanked me for the thought as most people wouldn't bother to do that.

I went home later that day and attempted to call the gentlemen but his father answered and I left a message with him that I wanted to apologize and that he was more than welcome to call me back so I could apologize and if not I understand.

Exactly a week later I receive a call from the gentlemen saying that he was giving me the opportunity to return his phone and keys before he presses charges against me. He said that he had called the policeman that I had dealt with and that he will be in touch with me soon.

I understand I was in the wrong for the jacket switch up but how do I know that he wasn't the one who lost his keys or phone drunk at the bar? Or perhaps someone could of stolen them from his jacket before I left with his jacket? I feel as if he has a case but other people assure me he does not.

There are no cameras on the coat rack which is available to anyone to use at there own convenience. there was only a camera outside the bar which is the one that caught me walking outside with it.

Sorry for my bad grammar. I'm a college student so you know I'm still learning.

Answer:
 People don't press charges, the police do.  If the police don't think you stole his phone, they won't do anything.

He may or may not try to sue you for the value of the phone in small claims.  Answer #2: Don't even worry about it. The cops would've pursued it if they deemed it worthwhile; the DA won't press charges as it's an unwinnable case (unless your location has some obscure laws). After all, why would you return the jacket AND voluntarily update your info with the office, if you had, in fact, stolen the keys and phone? If you weren't telling the truth about it to the officer, you'd either be a criminal genius with balls of steel (over a cell phone and a random set of keys?) or a complete idiot.

It's a scare tactic, don't stress about it.


Title: Is there a reason NOT to take this to trial? (California)

Question:
So nearly a year ago I got pulled over practically right out of a parking spot in front of a bar, when the cop asked if I knew why he pulled me over I had no clue so I said "because I pulled out without my lights on?" (they were on by the time he pulled me over, but that's all I could guess) he answered with "uh, well, yes, AND your friend didn't have his seatbelt on". Long story short, he wanted to breathalyze, I refused, I was taken down to the station, and had blood drawn after a warrant was granted, tested a 1.1.

Now he has 'passenger no seatbelt' (which was a lie) and he added 'driving with no lights on' (which was also a lie, and not even what I said, much less anything he actually saw) listed as reason for pullover.

So I've been trying for almost a year to get any video or audio from the pullover through a public defender to prove he's lying, with no luck. The judge finally said if they haven't produced it by now they don't have it, your last pre-trial is next Friday to either plead guilty or take it to trial.

So it looks like I'm screwed on proving he was lying about why he pulled me over. All I have are the 4 other people in the car to testify, and from what I've heard, that won't mean anything, and going to trial will almost for sure lead to a conviction.

So my question is, is there a reason NOT to try a trial anyway? The prosecutors didn't cut me an inch of slack and offered me the standard for 1st time DUI plus 2 extra days in jail for having an AZ license instead of a CA license. I heard if I'm found guilty in a trial, it should pretty much be the same standard 1st time dui sentence as the 'plea'-deal.

So considering this DUI will ruin a lot of aspects in my life (trying to start a mobile dog grooming business with my gf), is there a reason not to spend a little extra time taking it to trial for that small chance I'll win? I'd be willing to risk a little extra punishment and spend a little more time in court for the small chance of it not being there and fucking up my life.

Does anybody know of a situation where the judge chose a harsher punishment merely for defendant choosing to take it to trial instead of accepting the pretrial offer?

Answer:
 This is a critical strategic decision that personally I believe goes well beyond the scope of "simple legal question." I think you need to consult with your public defender and rely on their advice.

> Does anybody know of a situation where the judge chose a harsher punishment merely for defendant choosing to take it to trial instead of accepting the pretrial offer?

Yes, that is the whole principle of a plea offer: that it will be more lenient than what they expect the judge to sentence. But there are always exceptions. You need to speak with your PD.


Title: Hostile landlord pressuring me to move out of the house while new tenant has already arrived and is staying in living room in freezing SF, CA

Question:
I posted this question earlier but forgot to include a great many details.

Long story short, landlord informed me Nov. 24 via text from housemate that I must leave before the end of the month and the new tenant has already arrived and has no choice but to sleep in the living room.

What I missed: this new tenant was told by the landlord that she could sleep on the living room floor until I move out finally. This new tenant broke down in tears last night explaining that sleeping in the living room uncomfortably has made her stomach hurt.

Yesterday the landlord took her along to church and she came back brightened up, but with a catch. Someone from church must've told her to stay in the house and not move out and that I could find a hotel. The tenant asked me if I could stay elsewhere until I find a new place (mentioned $65 a night hotels) while she sleeps in my room. I refused and left.

I'm very urgently requesting any legal advice due to this situation. Are there any grounds to sue my landlord about this whole mess? Not only is she kicking me out, she has a terrible attitude about the whole thing and no remorse for what she's caused.

Edit: apologies for the missing details prior. I'm living in a month to month room in a house where the LL also lives.

Answer:
 Does your landlord live in the house?

Do you lease the entire premises and, if so, when does your lease end?

Why did you let these people in your house at all?


Title: Angry Pepboys manager put his hands on my wife and me for having to stay after hours. Should I seek legal action?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You call the police if you are assaulted.  Same advice you were given the last time you asked this.Answer #2: You're unlikely to see any result from a civil suit.

However you should call the corporate office and lodge a complaint. Make sure they know how serious you consider the situation. They'll probably drop a pile of free crap on you to make you feel better.


Title: Stop signs, water balloons and legal liability - Indiana

Question:
Hello Legaladvice!

Avid listener, sometimes participator, but throw away to avoid further showing who the hell I am :)

Indiana, because bot.

We have a problem in our 'hood (neighborhood, we don't live in the ghetto, we live in a hood).  We have people blowing stop signs all the fucking time.  On my corner alone, at least 40+ a day, and I live in the back of the hood...

Even the fucking fire truck and ambulance blow the stop signs (not on duty, coming back from a call).   I have video, as I live on a corner with a stop sign.   I have documentation of everyone that blows the stop sign as part of my home surveillance package.

Now the issue is that we are in an unincorporated area, so we don't have 'city police', we have the county sheriff dept...  The county PD are entirely too busy with other shit, way more important, so they can't sit around and wait for people to blow stop signs.

But, it's an issue.  It's an issue on every corner in our 'hood.  Like I said, I live in the back, but other people around the hood are also concerned, and want to do something about it.  Additional funding to the county PD would not be useful in this situation, so local home grown home-style justice needs to be dished out.

I know legaladvice hates non-governmental justice, and it's generally frowned upon in the legal system.  However, we fear not only for us driving through the neighborhood, but our children that can be hit.

I understand that this may seem like a first world problem for many, but without laws and order, what are we as a society?   Let alone the issue of repeition.  If one stops every time at a stop sign and looks around, when a child runs through, as children do, then there is no need to be worried about fucking smacking a child because you didn't stop....

So, ultimately, the question is, if we decided to take a day and throw water balloons at those that decide to disregard the stop sign, not as an HOA, but as individuals, what sort of legal repercussions should we prepare for?

As an aside, when I was a child, I was hit by someone on my block that wasn't paying attention, so I have a particular interest in this subject.

EDIT:  This is a 1L question in case you didn't understand the context.

Answer:
 The fact that you participate here and *still* have to ask whether or not you can legally throw water balloons at moving vehicles is a bit concerning. Don't be an idiot.

Suppose this driver is distracted to the point of crashing. Who do you think is going to be liable?Answer #2: Instead of breaking the law and possibly causing an accident, why not petition the city to put in speed bumps? Or talk to your local government about getting law enforcement involved.


Title: Is this actionable discrimination? (Colorado)

Question:
Apparently a very large woman with a very strong aroma came into my wife's workplace today. After she left my wife's boss stated "I don't usually discriminate against groups of people, but I do discriminate against fat people". My wife's dad is morbidly obese and, though she said nothing at the time, she was very offended. She feels that her boss should be punished in civil court for this statement and is a bigot.

However, she's also said that she's never seen him be specifically rude or unaccommodating to an overweight client or employee. Regardless of whether or not he's a bigot with a bad filter, it doesn't seem like discrimination to me unless he's basing how he treats people on his bigotry.

Of course I'm going to have my wife's back, but I really don't think there's anything to sue over here and I'd hate to see her burn bridges pushing knee-jerk legal action. What do you think, Reddit?

Answer: No case at all.


Title: Japanese wife wants a divorce. I’m an American living in Japan. What do I do?

Question:
I’m an American on a spouse visa in Japan. Our relationship was fine until we got married last year. Then she became an angry sexless woman who occasionally hits me and shoves me. She also has a teenage daughter from a previous marriage who is spoiled and my wife enables her.

Her daughter just in 5 days threw a purse at me, ate my mother’s mother's day gift, claiming she didn’t know it was for my mother (which may or may not be true)and then locked me out of the house by using a lock that can only lock from inside. She also claimed she didn’t do it on purpose.

I removed the lock from the door and dropped the issue but then she kept interrupting me when I was talking to my wife. I told her to have some manners and my wife freaked out at me because of this and later found out she secretly recorded me.She threatened to send it to my parents. I suggested letting a counselor hear it. This made her even more angry and said she wants a divorce. I think she may be embarrassed at the stuff i said she did to me in the recordings. She screamed at 2am I’m front of our house that I am a bitch.

She today revealed to me that she called my school to say I am no longer a student and will not renew my cellphone. She also wants to know how much I want for the divorce and will get an advisor.

After all of this I’m done with this marriage but I don’t have much money as it is. This marriage and moving to japan cost me a lot.

What should I do?

In short I’m an American married to a Japanese woman and living in japan and my wife wants a divorce. What do I do? Thank you

Answer:
 You can definitely repost it to /r/japanlife, but... Be prepared for some serious salt. You'll get some good advice, but it will come with a heavy side order of sarcasm and possible mockery.

IANAL (Especially not a Japanese lawyer), but I am a resident in Japan with a bit of knowledge.

Step one: Run, do not walk, *RUN* to city hall. File a  離婚届不受理申出 (*rikon todoke fujuri moshidesho. Loosely translated: Rejection of divorce form.)* That will keep her from end-running a paper divorce on you while you figure out what to do.

Step two: While you're running to city hall, secure your hanko. It'll avoid the aforementioned end-run and save you a lot of potential headaches.

Step three: Since it seems like you've decided you're done with the marriage, find a divorce lawyer. One that speaks English. I'm taking a wild guess and assuming your Japanese isn't native-level.

Since it seems like you're not the primary breadwinner, you're not going to get much out of a court-mediated divorce. Japan doesn't do alimony, you basically end up with a lump sum, and it'll get expensive fast. Your best bet may well be to take her up on her offer of a settlement and see what she's willing to do.Answer #2: The posters on this sub generally don't have expertise or experience with Japanese law or culture. I think you should ask your question on a subreddit specific to expat life in Japan.Answer #3: Hire a Japanese divorce attorney that speaks English (assuming you don't speak Japanese).Answer #4: Your school may have legal services available as well even if you are not a student next semester you can still try to see if they do. You can try this sub not sure if it will be of much help /r/japanlife/


Title: US-TX Hospital bill was paid, now they're threatening to send us to collections, will not update account and will not give us any information.

Question:
Had issues even getting a correct bill from them, which I posted about [here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/70w12u/ustx_husband_was_in_hospital_2_weeks_ago_hospital/)

Long story short, we paid our hospital bill 2 months ago.  Have the credit card statements to prove it.  A few weeks ago we got a letter threatening that we would be sent to collections if the bill was not paid.  We called the credit card company and verified that the payment was sent to them.  Insurance has also paid their portion.

We've called the hospital numerous times trying to find out what's going on, and every time they say "we'll call you back in a week."  SHOCKER, they don't call us back.  So we call back and no one knows what is going on and will not escalate the issue or help further beyond "I dunno."

We very much do not want this to go to collections.  What are the next steps?  Do we contact an attorney?  Is there some state board that regulates this kind of thing?

Thanks in advance - you guys are always awesome at directing people to resources so I figure it couldn't hurt to try here :)

Answer:
 I went through something similar. You need to get in contact with their billing manager, ask for a supervisor every time. Do not tell them that you are ok being called back in a week. You want to talk to someone to review your account now. Also make sure you’re writing down the names, dates, and times of these calls.

You need to also get all your papers together. EOBs, proofs of payment, and go through all of it on the phone with them. Make sure you have the right charges and figure out where the money went. Write yourself a timeline if you have to. It should all match up.

Every time you access a patients account, it leaves a digital footprint and if you’re making calls and payments, they should be notating every call, including payments over the phone.

Your other option is to wait for them to send you collections. In the meantime, consult a lawyer to see what your options are to dispute the debt. The collections agency s burdened if you ask for proof of the debt and dispute that you owe it, citing your credit card statement that says you paid the remaining debt according to the statement you received.


Title: NH: My wife posted a sex video of me online right before she filed for divorce but the cops won't do anything about it

Question:
State is NH. 6 months ago I did something stupid and made a mistake. I hooked up with a woman I had met on a FA/BBW website. I'm married and my wife is not big. I regretted doing it and I deleted her number after that and stopped visiting that site or any other. I never told my wife and tried to be better to her. We have been married for 6 years and together for 9 and we were trying for a baby.

The video from the hook up was posted on my Facebook page. It also was linked to the website. I had completely forgotten about it. Both were taken down quickly but my wife left the next day and filed for divorce a week later. I went to the cops because I didn't post the video so I figured my wife must have because no one else has access to my Facebook or my phone.

The cops interviewed me and my wife and they examined my phone. They say that my wife didn't post it because it was posted from my phone through our ISP and my phone was only pinging a tower by our house on the night it was posted. My wife was out with friends that night and there are pictures and witnesses to prove it while I told them I was home alone all night.

I know there is no way I posted it. I had been drinking that night but I wasn't blackout drunk. Also my wife came home from the bar because she forgot something. I remember her playing with my phone before she left again. I also saw that on my tablet she had researched divorce lawyers and divorce after adultery before the video post. I think she already knew and posted the video as revenge. She told the cops she never left the bar and they say her phone was pinging a tower by the bar and that combined with the pictures means she didn't and they closed the case. But they also told me that if the woman in the video comes forward I could be in trouble for revenge porn.

My wife is denying that she posted it or that she did those searches on my tablet. She also said she filed for fault divorce and she told me she took a copy of the video off Facebook and has screenshots of my visits to the FA/BBW website and the searches about fault divorce and adultery from my tablet. She told me she will be subpoenaing my phone records too.

I need advice because I don't know what the fuck I should do or how I can get the cops to believe that she posted it. It's embarrassing because my family and friends saw it before Facebook took it down. Also how bad will the video be for the divorce if my wife was the main breadwinner and had paid for 100% of our home and all our bills and mortgage?

Answer:
 Everything here is too complex for reddit advice, in my opinion. You need a lawyer and a private investigator, and you need them yesterday.

The fact that you regretted this, tried to erase all memory of it, and admittedly had "forgotten" it... but still had a video of the encounter on your phone kinda stinks. Stinks as in, it makes something sound very wrong about the story. Answer #2: No sympathy. I hope your wife gets a great deal.


Title: Does my mother have legal rights over these children? (Arkansas)

Question:
My mother took custody of two children a few months ago. These kids have been through hell and back, abused physically and mentally, moved around from Pennsylvania to Arkansas. Their mom is a drug addict and they're well aware of it. They love living with my mom and don't want to leave. Today their mom tried to pick them up from school, the older one (15F) refused, but the younger brother (13M) went with her. Apparently their mother stated that she hadn't signed any paperwork. We have one document that is notarized and signed. Is this legal? Does this document mean anything? Can she fight for custody of them? The kids are in no way related to my mother.
https://imgur.com/a/RSMjV

Answer: If your mother wants custody of the children then she needs to go through a court.Answer #2: That is not a court order and can be reciended at any time.


Title: Pulled over at 3am and ticketed for having insurance, got it later that day. Should I plead not guilty?

Question: Last week I was pulled over for making a wide right turn, I turned from the rightmost lane to the second-furthest lane on a 4-way street. I was pulled over a couple blocks down once I had moved to the left-most lane in preperation for my turn where I was ticketed for no insurance and my vehicle was impounded. There's something that makes me wonder if it's worth pleading not guilty though. My father had given me the vehicle that tuesday when his wife got a new one, I was pulled over on Friday morning on my way to get something to eat before being picked up and taken home by my mother in law. The only reason it wasn't insured is because I got paid that Friday and was going to get it insured then, which I did. Should I just bite the fines or try and plead not guilty and hope for leniency?

Answer: With a no-insurance ticket, some states/courts will dismiss it if you show up with proof that you are covered retroactively.


Title: [RI] Months ago my car hydroplaned into another car and was totaled. Today I got a letter saying my car had a recall order because the brakes may fail when wet.

Question: Not really sure what to do now. Insurance has already paid for my losses but my rates went up a lot. I was wondering if me or the insurance company could sue the car manufacturer.

Answer: Hydroplaning has no relation to brakes. You aren't even supposed to brake if you hydroplane. There is no case here. Answer #2: Did you hydroplane or did your brakes fail?


Title: I broke a kids finger on accident

Question:
There is kid that comes into my (that he's not supposed to be in to annoy the special needs kid) and sat in the seat 2 in front of me and to mess with my friend by lifting he seat from the back (it's one peice desk) and the kid that sat in the desk sits sideways and puts his fingers on the back of his seat and I didn't see that. And let go of the desk and he barely flinch and just said "ow that hurt" that was 2 days ago today he came back in saying " your going to pay my medical bills but my drunk dad hasnt taken me yet" but another kid says he jammed his finger playing football but the finger looks smashed. This is in high school 9th grade

Can he really sue me for him not paying attention?

I live in south Texas

Answer: He *can* sue you, but just wait to receive papers and don't talk about this to anyone except your parents.


Title: Being sued for a private student loan collection -- is it past the statute of limitations? Western Massachusetts

Question:
I signed a student loan agreement in January of 2006 for a $10,000 private student loan from Citibank at 3.25% interest. There was an agreement between me and my parents that they would cover the payments for this one loan and I would pay off anything else I incurred after that (it was the first loan I had to take out for school).

Well, they never made any payments and never told me they never made any payments. I hadn't even thought of this loan since signing the loan documents. I received a notice from the county Sheriff yesterday that a guaranty company, United Guaranty, is suing me for the loan plus accrued interest, a total claim of $15,406.77.

Citibank transferred the loan to UG on April 27, 2010. Both my parents and I have had 0 contact with either company since signing the loan agreement, and it was an electronic signature, no seal (to my knowledge).

Looking around online I have found several sources that say the statute of limitations for collection on private student loans in MA is 6 years if the contract was not made under seal. I can't find the specific CMR outlining this in detail, however.

I've already called the bar association and am getting consultation with an attorney this week, however can anyone answer to whether or not the statute of limitations has expired on this so I can prepare to either make a settlement/payment arrangement or to go to court to claim the limitation and expiration of their claim?

Answer:
 The statute of limiations is going to go back to when the cause of action began not when you signed the loan docs. That means the date would start when the loan went into default.

> " because there are more complicated issues involved, including when these may be tolled, or extended, or even when the statutory period has begun to run"

source: http://www.mass.gov/courts/case-legal-res/law-lib/laws-by-subj/about/debt.html

http://www.mass.gov/courts/case-legal-res/law-lib/laws-by-subj/about/debt.html


Title: I got a new debit card after my previous one was hacked and fraudulently used. However, after activating the new debit card, I am still getting fraudulent transactions! How is this possible? What should I do?

Question:
I live in Florida.

A day after I activated my new card, I see fraudulent transactions the next day...I didn't see my bank statement until this night.

How is it even possible? This is a brand new card! I have it in my possession! I haven't even used it since the fraudulent transactions started occurring. What should I do?

Answer: It could be that you have a keylogger in your computer or phone. I recommend downloading an antivirus software and cheking if you have any viruses


Title: Can you get arrested for "trespassing" (or any other charge) in a public park?

Question:
It's the 4th of July, I'm in St. Louis, MO with a friend. We try to walk in a public park and we're stopped. We're turned away by police and told the park is "too full."

I say "I can see people walking around just fine."

They say "it's not safe and there's too many people."

I repeat, and then say "look behind you. It's fine."

They say "It's for your safety. Can't let you in."

Ultimately I just walked down the road and entered through a gap in the fence. I win. But my question is what if I would have just walked right past the cops to get into the park? Would they have the right to arrest me? And on what grounds? It's public land. Also it's not like there was a terrorist attack or a wild mob in this park, everyone was fine. They just arbitrarily decided "Well fuck your ability to enjoy the 4th, you guys showed up too late."

Answer:
 > Would they have the right to arrest me?

Yes.

> And on what grounds?

Trespassing.

> It's public land.

So's your local jail.  Try sneaking in there and see the response you get.

"Public land" does not mean "any member of the public gets to do whatever they want".  It means that the public, as a group, through their government, decides what to do with it.  It's perfectly fine for public land to have access restrictions.


Title: My wife's ex-husband quit his 5 year job to pursue "ministry" and now my step-son doesn't have health insurance.

Question:
My wife is the Naples, Florida court ordained medical parent (ex is the school parent). His job provided our son with health insurance and a stable living environment in the weekends. Now he quit to run a t-shirt business with prayer on the side and call it ministry. He started that a month ago and just got around to telling us.

What can we do to ensure our son is being cared for and is it our responsibility to put him on health insurance?

Answer:
 As others have noted, what the court order says matters.

If the court order requires him to cover the insurance, then the simplest solution is to go back to court, update the order so that you cover him, and modify support to account for the fact that you're covering insurance.


Title: My ex is depressed and showed evidence of being suicidal. She's threatened me with police for trying to contact her.

Question:
Hey guys, Sorry for the drama and wall of text. This takes place in Washington State.

August 2, 2014, my ex (then 22F) and I(then 24, M) broke up. She was very depressed to the point she told me once that she thought I was the only reason she wasn't suicidal. We broke up because I pushed her too hard to get help, and along with a bunch of other problems (disagreements on sex being a major one), she felt overwhelmed by my nagging and insistence to do things my way. I've since realized how shitty I was, but I'm still worried about her depression. She told me once that a big reason she wasn't suicidal was that she actually cared about me and didn't want to hurt me by killing herself. Many times she indicated that she didn't care about emotionally hurting her family or "friends".

When we broke up, we agreed to stay friends, but meet up and talk about things and check in with each other after one year. She said she needed space to hit rock bottom and scare herself into getting help. I was skeptical, but agreed because she had a good point: I had pressured her so much to get help that she wasn't going to get it out of defiance. Around this time, she passed on to me a small collection of her favorite books, among many other small actions associated with suicidal thoughts.

On September 6 or August 30 (I can't remeber), we attended PAX Prime in Seattle together. I had purchased tickets for us to go when we were still dating, and intended to go together, and understood this to be the plan, as we were still friends. When we met up, she quickly made it apparent that she wanted to go do her own thing, and I was upset, because that's not what I bought the tickets for. We got in a huge fight that culminated in her threatening to call the cops because I kept trying to talk to her and work out an agreement. Later that night, we met up with some of her friends that I had been invited to. She spent the evening allowing another member of the group to give her very sexual massages (he was taking off her clothes in front of everyone). We got in another fight about that where she tried to say that it wasn't sexual, which culminated in her saying that she had lied to me just to get me to leave her alone. Her last message to me was reminding me that we had agreed to not talk about "these things" for a year.

On July 25, 2015, I sent her a message, apologizing for how I had behaved, and asking if we could meet up, since it had been a year. I told her that I would be working at an event that she goes to every year, and that she should let me know if she wanted to meet up or not. She didn't respond, but she did attend on a day I said I was working, wearing a dress that I'm 90% sure I bought for her. However, when we ran into each other, she brushed me off.

Being still worried about her depression and preoccupation with suicide, I assumed the dress meant she was still wanting to talk, but afraid to have the conversation. So I made a huge mistake and waited for her outside her workplace. I didn't approach her till she was in her car and backing up, so as to reduce my threat. I asked if we could meet up. I couldn't understand what she was saying in response, but she mumbled something and drove off.

I sent her another email asking if we could meet up like we said, and she ignored it. Then today, one month later, I sent her a message asking if she still wanted to meet up, and saying that I had no way of knowing where she was at. Finally, she responds by saying I was wrong to think she wanted to talk after a year (despite email evidence contrary), and that she would contact police if I stopped by again.

My question is... if I'm in fear of her harming herself by distancing me from her, given suspicion of suicidal intention, can she take legal action against me if I initiate a confrontation (perhaps involving other people)? I'm also afraid that talking to her at this point is going to continue to escalate her distancing from me, so I feel in a catch 22.

Logic tells me to leave her alone, but I'm convinced that she's been trying to distance herself from me so that she doesn't feel bad committing suicide. I don't like having that on my conscience.

**tl;dr** - Possibly suicidal ex, I've been overbearing, but afraid she'll harm herself. she may be threatening to file report of harassment against me.

Answer:
 She has made it abundantly clear that she does not wish to have contact with you. Stop reading messages in her wardrobe choices. Leave her alone.Answer #2: You are way to obsessed with your ex.  She has made it very clear that she doesn't want you to talk to her, contact her, or otherwise interact with her.  Respect her wishes, and let her go.

And maybe seek some counseling for yourself.  It's been over a year per your story, and you're still obsessing on her, and reading things into her clothing choices.


Title: Holding on to a friend script?

Question: So a friend of mine has been going through some depression and didn’t trust herself with her medication and asked if I could hide/ hold onto it for a couple days. It may or may not be controlled but it isn’t something that people would do recreationally I don’t think. It’s hidden at my house right now is this something I should worry about? It’s bipolar meds as well.

Answer:
 To be honest, I think you should treat this as a suicide threat.  And, her asking you to hold on to this medicine may be a cry for help.

She should be taking her medication as prescribed.  There are other methods of suicide than taking bipolar meds, so I do not see you holding on to it as having a very large effect on preventing her from committing suicide.

Yes, it's technically illegal for you to have possession of another person's prescription.  But, I think that there are bigger issues here.

You might call the suicide prevention hotline to see if they have any advice:   1-800-273-8255

Maybe I am misreading this, but I'd rather err on the side of caution.Answer #2: You are not allowed to hold onto other people’s prescriptions, particularly if you are not their guardian.


Title: My father-in-law is trying to leave my mother-in-law destitute, what can we do?

Question:
We are in BC, Canada.

My 55 yo FIL has asked my 53yo MIL to leave the marital home, she spent the night on my couch last night. He is the sole bread winner, as she stayed home to raise their now adult children. They have no savings that I am aware of, and no assets (they rented for the last 18 years, and are now being evicted due to sale of the property). She has informed me that everything (bills/accounts) in their life is in his name.

We are going to work on getting disability benefits for her, as she suffered a stroke last year, and I believe she would be unsuitable for employment.

Is there such thing as a pro-bono divorce lawyer? She has no money, but it feels so wrong that he can just kick her to the curb with nothing, after 34 years of marriage.

Any advice is appreciated.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 As far as finding a lawyer, talk to your local legal aid. Local law schools might also have pro bono services or programs. Contact relevant bar associations. Also remember she might be able to pay for the attorney with the assets she gets from the divorce.

There are a lot of considerations, but their assets are likely considered joint and he can't strip her of everything if they divorce.


Title: I'm a women working a mans job and my new helper makes more money then me. Is this fair (sexisum)

Question: I am a women and I work as an industrial  sandblaster. I am the only women on my shift and I have been there 18 months. I run my department. I asked for a raise at one year of employment and was told there was nothing they could do for me at the moment. I haven't had a raise since I started. My job is a two person job but for the last 10 months I have been working alone (the other guy quit, couldn't handle it) they hired me a new helper on Monday and I have been training him on all the heavy equipment  (forktruck, skidster, crain, ect...) and everything else the job entails. We got out paystubs today and he left his out in the open and I looked (my bad) he makes 1$ more and your then I do. I know he's new but he does a quarter of the the work I do and the bosses already treat him with more respect then thay do me.  I feel like I'm being treated different because I'm a women. What can I do to prove this?

Answer:
 On the pay portion, it will be difficult to win. There could be a legitimate reason he makes more, and you'll have to prove that there is not.

As for the treatment, document everything.


Title: Is it illegal to send nude pics of my ex girlfriend?

Question:
I sent some pics of my ex girlfriend (F20) in underwear showing her nipple to my best friend. Is this illegal?
Sweden

Answer:
 It depends by country and state, but your best bet is to go with "yes".

Barring that; morality, your conscience, or the opinions of others are all good reasons not to do this.


Title: My neighbor's dogs killed my rabbits

Question:
I had two bunnies inside a two story hutch in our back patio while we worked on decorating the inside of our house for an upcoming baby shower. Across the street lives this young woman and her two dopey larger dogs who obviously have no respect for fences in areas. This morning, they both got into our back yard, made their way into the back porch, and managed to open up the bunny hutch and maimed my two rabbits. Honestly the worst way to wake up, hearing two dogs having the time of their lives with my dead rabbit in its mouth. My other rabbit was hiding in the top floor of the hutch, in shock but still alive. He died on the way to the emergency vet.

This is not the first time her stupid dog got into our back porch and messed with my rabbit. Luckily they were separated at the time so only one suffered, but if we didn't intervene then, she would have died at that time. We confronted the neighbors (well my mother did), but it just turned into a screaming match that I cut off because I was such in a frenzy to get to the vet.

Any advice? Is there anything I can do? Is it so taboo for dog owners to be capable of keeping their large dogs contained for the night/morning? I'm so angry and sad that I temporarily wanted her to suffer the same way I am. But I don't wish her dogs to be put down or anything. I just want consequences. Sorry if I seem bitter.

I'm in Tampa, Florida.

Answer:
 Report the dogs to animal control. They'll log the event and may issue a fine. If this is a repeating pattern there may be more severe consiquences.

You are entitled to the value of the animals and any vet costs you incurred as a result.Answer #2: Call animal control.

Did you call animal control the first time?Answer #3: You are likely entitled to the reasonable replacement value of two bunnies.Answer #4: Do you have any of this on camera? You can try suing her in small court for the cost of the rabbits & any damage to the hutch. I'm so sorry this happened.


Title: How do I move to another state with my child?

Question: I live in NY. I share custody of my 8 year old son with my ex bf. I am looking to relocate for work and I wonder if anyone knows the process for getting permission to move. I dont think he will willingly let me leave with him.

Answer: You will have to petition the court that issued the custody order and ask for permission to do so. The court will determine if it would be in the best interest of the child to move with you or if the child should stay with your ex.


Title: [FL] My girlfriend's sister is dying, and she wants my girlfriend to assume partial guardianship of her child. Is this an option?

Question: The sister and her husband have a six year old daughter, but the husband is likely to leave the country after she dies and her family wants to make sure that the daughter doesn't disappear from the country and their lives.  My girlfriend is wiling to take on legal responsibility for her niece while she remains with the husband, but her sister wants to make sure that there is someone looking out for her wishes for her daughter's interests.  Is there a legal structure that would allow my girlfriend to have a say in what happens to her niece while the girl's father retains custody?

Answer:
 Unless there is any evidence that the father has done something very wrong, he will get full custody when she dies.

Here's a very famous case with some similarities:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eli%C3%A1n_Gonz%C3%A1lez


Title: Daca being terminated what would happen to me confused and lost what to do?

Question:
I have a work permit
What happens when daca is terminated would I be safe if I get married to my girlfriend I live in phoenix Arizona I don't know what else to provide

Answer:
 > would I be safe if I get married to my girlfriend

If you marry a US citizen then you would be entitled to apply for a green card.  To do so you would have to return to your home country and stay there for several years (10 IIRC, given your situation) before your application for permanent residence would be approved.

Alternatively, you could apply for a hardship exception after you are married, but I'm fairly certain that is part of DACA.


Title: Advice on immigrant (soon to be ex-)wife [USA]

Question:
I'm a US citizen.

November 13th 2014 married my wife, a UK resident, in the USA while she was here on VWP. Started immigration process.
November 18th 2015 we had our Green card interview, Green card was approved at the interview, received it in the mail roughly two weeks later.
December 6th 2015 found her in bed with housemate. Found out it had been going on for months. She admitted it over text, I have the text. She also said "I had nowhere  to go" on text when I asked why she just didn't tell me she wanted to end it.

I moved out immediately.

Is she guilty of immigration fraud? Do I have sufficient evidence?

I don't think I can get my marriage annulled, but any chance I'm wrong about that?

Should I file for divorce right away?

I don't make much money and my mother is joint sponsor, worried about myself and mother being financially responsible for this person.
If I do not have sufficient evidence to get her green card revoked is there anything we can do to get out of being her sponsor?

thank you

Answer:
 Her green card is going to be a conditional card, valid for only two years, for exactly this reason. At the end of the two years if you're still married you're both supposed to sign an application requesting removal of the conditions. Obviously, you probably don't feel like doing this. She can [request a waiver](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/divorce-your-conditional-residence-status-how-file-divorce-waiver-with-form-i-751.html) from having you both sign, but she's going to have to show that you abused her and there would be an undue hardship in going back to her home country. If she can't, then her card expires and she either needs to get a new source of status (employment visa, maybe) or she needs to return to the UK.

Your affidavit of support applies until she departs or becomes a citizen; it's unaffected by divorce.

You may be questioned about possible immigration fraud, but they're experienced with this and will be able to tell that you were just an unwitting dupe.


Title: Order hasn't arrived after 35 days, company says they can't refund

Question: I placed an order off a online website who has said my order was shipped, but it hasn't arrived after 35 days. I've contacted them for a refund but they say they can't issue a refund due to a LIMITATION OF LIABILITY with certain shipping methods, is this legal? (I'm in Australia, the order was through paypal so I was thinking of putting a dispute in through that)

Answer: The company *can* refund. It just won't.  At this point, you need to file a dispute through Paypal's resolution center.  Alternatively, if you paid by credit card through Paypal, you could consider filing a chargeback for goods not received.


Title: Dogs killed chickens; both were killed on site. Is there any recourse?

Question:
Some friends of mine live right outside of Albuquerque, NM. All three of their dogs have been shot by a chicken owner in the area. The first time, two dogs got onto the mans property and one dog was killed, one dog escaped. Two months after, two more of my friends dogs got out and got into the same mans property. Both dogs were shot and killed.

Based off reading NM state law, the livestock owner has every right to shoot any dog that harms his livestock.

Is there any legal action that can be taken against the man who isn't a farmer, just has a couple of chickens?

I understand these laws are meant to protect livestock owners, but at this point this man has killed 3 dogs in two months and many more in his life. It seems kind of sociopathic to me, even though I understand the laws protect him.

Is there any action that can be taken against the man who killed the dog or does he have full cushion of the law? Sorry if this seems sad or perverse but my friends are awfully torn up about this and it seems senseless at a point. Not once did the man try and scare them off or bring the dogs home or give a warning (not that he has to).

Thanks.

Answer:
 Dog Law specialist here.

Your friends repeatedly failed to properly supervise their dogs, and they got themselves killed. Once is an accident, and my heart goes out to your friend. The second time? S/he's a fool who's failed to learn.

> Not once did the man try and scare them off or bring the dogs home or give a warning (not that he has to).

Exactly. He doesn't have to. The killing of the first dog was a warning; the fact that a second was killed shows that the warning wasn't heeded.

Also, note that these dogs killed the neighbor's chickens. This wasn't "puppies going out to romp and play" issue.


Title: Newly adopted puppy bringing in some medical bills.

Question:
So I've had quite the rough day today so any help would be greatly appreciated. I adopted my border collie/Australian Shepard mix(James) about a Week ago from someone I met on craigslist for $250. He did not have any of his vaccinations nor was he neutered. When I first bought him he seemed healthy but he had diarrhea. The longer I had him, the weaker he became. He soon refused to eat, making me hand feed him. It became more serious this morning so I took him to the vet where they put him in critical care. I found out I might be spending from $500-$1500. I've only had James for 1 week and have been very careful with him so I feel like I bought him while he was sick which I didn't know about. Can I ask the person who I bought my puppy from  to help me with some of his medical care or am I on my own here?

EDIT: I live in north Hollywood California

Answer:
 Can I just say, and I'm really not trying to get down on you, but a border collie/Australian shepherd mix is going to be incredibly hard work and it sounds to me as if you don't have much experience with dogs so this was probably not the right choice for you. I understand that this is what you wanted and I also feel very sorry for both you and your pup that he possibly has parvo, but it's clear to me that you don't have much of an idea about dogs in general, let alone a very high maintenance cross such as this. Both these breeds are serious working dogs: they need constant ongoing training exercise and work. A lot of work.

I've had dogs my entire life and I would definitely not take on this breed combination unless I was prepared to put in 5 hours a day minimum on hard physical exercise. Quite possibly longer. These dogs are not for the inexperienced owner. I've had so called "difficult dogs" (pit bulls, rotties, dobies, ) but those dogs are nothing compared to a working dog who isn't worked.

Hopefully, your pup will recover. If he does, make a commitment to long-term ongoing training (agility would be a good thing, but CGC would work). You need to keep these dogs engaged and working.

Edit: I'd love to know why whoever downvoted me downvoted me. It's not in anyway important but I'm interested in the thought process. If there is one.


Title: My partner told me to sign my right away from the company but I wasn’t in the right frame of mind

Question:
My partner made me sign paper to give up my percentage of the company I was crying and just very depressed that day when I signed those papers. Come to find out Today I have bipolar disorder and depression. I would like to know what actions I can take so I can have 50% of the profit before I signed the paper
Topic:
Disability Issues

Answer: Getting a diagnosis like that does not invalidate every contract you’ve ever signed.  This will be very fact specific, you’ll need a lawyer to even have a chance at doing anything.


Title: Paid for an oil change. Now 2 months later my Jeep is in the shop because they didn’t in fact, change my oil.

Question:
Hi everyone! I’m a long time lurker and this is my first time posting here, so I apologize for any error I may make. I live in North Texas.

I got my oil changed February 6 at a Walmart for about $70. So last Friday night (March 29)on my drive home from work my 2017 Jeep starting giving me some issues, and when I say issues I mean it was completely shutting down on me while I was trying to enter on a major highway. It took a good couple minutes for it to restart, but thankfully I was able to make it home safely (about a 50 mile drive).  Since I grew up in a car family, I know how important it is to keep my vehicle maintained. I talked to my husband about the error message I was getting (something about turning my car off and switching gears), and we agreed to keep an eye on it since we figured it wasn’t anything too serious.

Sunday, March 31 I was driving out of my neighborhood with my husband, and it showed  the error message again. Except this time it wouldn’t restart. Thankfully we hadn’t quite left the neighborhood, so we were able to get the car back to our house. I called the dealership that I bought my car from and they ended up having to get a tow truck to come and get my car from my house (about 50 miles) and take it back to the dealership to see why my 2 year old Jeep won’t start. I’ve been driving a rental that is costing me $53 a day until I get my car back.

So, to make a long story short I get a call from the dealership and turns out my oil was never actually changed and was completely bone dry!! I am beyond livid, because not only did I pay for a service I didn’t receive, but this could have completely fucked my car up and now I’m paying close to a $1000.

I will be going to Walmart when I get off of work today so I can go talk to somebody, but I don’t know what steps I should take regarding this situation, or who exactly I should be talking to. I’ll also be bringing my dad with me considering I’m a 27 year old female and they probably won’t take me seriously.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Answer:
 There is too much going on here. Going two months past an oil change interval will not cause these problems unless you have some larger issues going on like burning or leaking oil. Also, the cost of damages from running a modern engine on low or no oil is much more than $1000. Answer #2: > my oil was never actually changed and was completely bone dry!!

hah...no. First, it can't be both. How on earth is the dealership going to know if the oil was actually changed. Second, if it's bone dry you have a serious issue unrelated to a simple oil change. Answer #3: You are misunderstanding something OP.  If you would have had no oil in your car it would barely have made it out of a parking lot never mind two months.


Title: [NY] Wife was robbed at gunpoint, employer refused to fix security camera prior to robbery, is there any action we can take here?

Question:
Hey guys, so my wife works at a pharmacy in a pretty ghetto area of upstate NY (Newburgh) and the store was robbed at gunpoint Sunday. They took 1000s of Percocet and Oxy as well as cash, the police were helpful and my wife is physically ok. The thing is, my wife’s employer refused to fix their security system (cameras) due to the cost. Now that the police are asking for the security tapes he can’t provide them. My question is , doesn’t her employer have a legal obligation to have working security equipment? Especially in a low income high crime area and especially since they deal with a lions share of the cities controlled substances. Is there anything we can do, I personally don’t feel good about her continuing to work there until proper security measures are taken.

Also the area they are in has had 4 bank robberies and other armed robberies in the past year. So this isn’t a shocking thing to happen there.

Answer:
 >  My question is , doesn’t her employer have a legal obligation to have working security equipment?

No. And even if they did, it's doesn't legally concern you or your wife.

> Is there anything we can do, I personally don’t feel good about her continuing to work there until proper security measures are taken.

She can find a new place to work.

Answer #2: As a note, if she needs counseling for this, she may be eligible for workman's comp. Check with an employment lawyer - it's very state dependent.Answer #3: There is no legal recourse here. Your wife can take some time off and get counseling or short-term stress leave.


Title: I'm watching a Dateline about a man named Eric who committed murders. The police couldn't question Eric because his attorney wouldn't have it, but once Eric's attorney was no longer representing him, said attorney emailed the police to let them know Eric was fair game.

Question:
[In Kaufman County in 2013, an ex-lawyer killed two prosecutors and one prosecutor's wife](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaufman_County_murders#cite_note-2).

 As the title states, Eric and his attorney parted ways, (I'm not sure why). Up to the point, his attorney had shut down communication between Eric and the cops. However, once he no longer represented Eric, the attorney emailed the police to tell them as much. I'm not asking about this because I sympathize with Eric or anything, I'm just curious as to how that works from an attorney-client privilege standpoint. Well, let me walk that back, because I doubt the fact that the attorney-client relationship had ended was privileged, but it still seems like there would be an ethical issue with breaking ties with a client and then going out of your way to alert the cops, with the assumption being that the attorney's goal was for the police to scoop him up before he secured new representation.

 Is that questionable, or nah?

Answer:
 If nothing else, the police and DA (court) would be informed that they were no longer to communicate with the attorney in question.  That's standard, and in a normal case is just as much for the client's protection as the attorney - if you have just fired your lawyer, you don't want them involved in your case anymore, and you don't want a bunch of time wasted with everyone trying to contact the wrong person/firm.

Beyond that, without knowing what exactly the email contained, it's hard to say if it was actually illegal, morally questionable, or just fine.