Title: Airline employee possibly stole my wallet. Airline keeps giving me the run around. What do I do?

Question:
I flew on a domestic flight on Dec 21 and left my wallet in the back pocket on the seat in front of me on accident. Upon realizing the next morning, I immediately called the airlines and filed a missing item report, telling them exactly where I left it. I called back every day asking about my wallet and was given the "this isn't our issue, call \_\_\_\_\_ " wild goose chase.

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Finally, today, Dec 28th I called the airline again and someone told me that they actually found my wallet on the 22nd (the day after) and that whoever was supposed to contact me just didn't do so (suspicious?). I asked them where my wallet currently is and they told me it WAS being held in a lead safe but that they now don't know where it is (extremely suspicious). They gave me some other department number to leave a message at.

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What should I do at this point?

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Here's a tl;dr timeline:

* Dec 21st: I fly on a domestic flight, leave my wallet on flight
* Dec 22nd: I file a lost items report, call the airline asking about my wallet. They tell me it hasn't been found
* Dec 23rd - Dec 27th: I call, get the run around
* Dec 28th: I'm told that my wallet was found on the 22nd. It was placed in a safe, but it is now no longer there.

Answer: So just to be clear, as far as you know, the last time your wallet was seen, it was in a safe at an airport in California? In that case, call the non-emergency number for the police in the city where that airport is and report the wallet stolen. Meanwhile, keep following up with the airline using the number they gave you.


Title: [OH] I spoke to a woman on a dating site. She sent me nudes of herself, including 2 videos. I ended up blocking her and now I found out she sold child porn.

Question: I talked to a woman on a dating site. Our conversations were sexual and she sent me nudes/videos of herself that I have since deleted. They were her because they showed her face. I ended up blocking her. This was a few weeks ago. Now she's in the news for selling child porn. Knowing I talked to someone like this makes my skin crawl and freaks me out because I'm sure I'm on some kind of list now for talking to her. I didn't know she did this kind of stuff. If I would have know, I would have reported it. I'm worried that this could cause me legal problems or cause me to lose my job. From a legal standpoint, what could happen? I'm freaking out and now I'm swearing off social media.

Answer: Talking to a criminal is not a crime. Answer #2: If you didn't get child porn from her you have nothing to be worried about.


Title: [TN] Ordering Chinese Knockoffs for self use?

Question:
So I have a friend who is interested in a certain technical field, and like most technical fields, the equipment needed is very expensive (more than a basic new car in the US).

However, he found that there are knockoff products listed on sites like Alibaba that are much cheaper.  He is aware that there is going to be a difference in product quality, customer service and product support, but would still like to pursue it.

This product is a clear and blatant knockoff item.  It's made to look and supposedly function exactly like the name brand item, but does not have the actual branding of the official product.  It does have the exact same physical design.

This persons intended use for this item is personal enjoyment.  He has zero intention or even interest in selling or distributing this or any product like this. Getting the item cheaper from overseas just allows him to enjoy a interest of his that he would otherwise not be able to afford. (it's not a case of getting a certain brand name on the product or anything like that)

So the question is...Would there be any issues with legality when it comes to ordering this product and getting it into the US, and then to delivered to his home?  The item isn't any larger than something UPS or FedEx might deliver, but there were questions around if it's legal to own and or import an item like this, even if there is no intention to sell/distribute.

I appreciate any input.

Thanks

Answer:
 IANAL. But I am an engineer, and have spent some time in China doing manufacturing-type things.

First off it's really hard to advise as you're being shady about what the product IS. There are enough various laws about what you can and can't import that I can't even begin to wrap my head around them all. Seriously though you should check for relevant import restrictions because some things you WILL get in trouble for.

Having said that, you're usually not going to get much scrutiny if you're just one guy buying your...car priced item...for "personal use."

Also "difference in customer service and support" is quite an understatement. These things are essentially non-existent. Buying things from China on Alibaba is a lottery. Instead of a ~~cadmium-laced real doll~~ totally legitimate scientific apparatus, he may get a box of petrified dog shit and there won't be a single thing he can do about it. Money gone, thanks for playing, better luck next time.

Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of great things on there and legit connections to be made. It's just unwise to drop a bunch of cash on a first-time experiment, which is what this sounds like.


Title: My boss wants me to lie at the border

Question: I have to go to Canada via NY and my boss wants me to lie at the border and say its for pleasure. This will be the second time this year. Should I just be honest?

Answer:
 Lying to law enforcement generally creates liability. Do we have any idea why your boss wants to hide the fact that you are travelling for business?Answer #2: I've been to Canada on business a few times.  The tone of questioning really changed once they heard I was in town because some Canadians were training me on a robotics system.

Sounds like you are up there to lead some training?  Tell 'em you are up there to train Canadian workers to run their own xyz so the industry has more experts north of the border.


Title: Oklahoma - I gave a verbal, more-than-60 day notice to leave and my Apartment complex will not honor it because it was not written

Question:
Here is a little backstory. I moved into apartment complex with my girlfriend and my sister under the impression that we had signed a 1-year lease. I allowed them to go over the paperwork first, sign everything, and because of my work schedule, I signed everything else, assuming that we had signed a 1 year lease, after being told that this was a 1 year lease.... Fast foward 7 months, we get a notice that our lease expires 2 months early! Curious, I went and spoke with the ASST. Mgr of the building to find out that we had actually signed a 10 month lease and that it was too late to really fix the mistake that both parties had missed. During this meeting, I told him that instead of vacating the premise at the 1 year mark, we will be out of the apartment by May 11th ( 10 month lease date) at the end of February. Now here is where life gets even more tricky, I have purchased a house and take possession of the house on May 4th, effectively giving me a week to move, however, with a 184 HUD loan, 2 years of previous tenancy is required, which was denied by the office looking for that information because 60 days notice was not given in written notice, it was given verbally. From the day written notice was given, they basically want me to pay rent for the next 60 days, which leaves me in the middle of June, paying a house payment and rent.

I haven't been able get anyone to meet me somewhere in the middle to where we both can move forward in a positive manner and I am currently waiting for corporate to return a phone call. So my question is, am I basically stuck till April or should I wait and see if they want to take it to small claims court? Thanks in advance!

Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Written notice is required

https://www.ok.gov/OREC/documents/Landlord%20and%20Tenant%20Act%20Update.pdf

(top of page 5 of the document, page 7 of the file)


Title: IL-My minor daughter was served with a Stalking No Contact Order filed by her best friend's (abusive) mom. Obviously we'll go to court but is there anything else we can do?

Question:
My daughter has had the same best friend for 6 years.  They are both 16, and the friend will be 17 next month.  Friend's mother has a history of abuse, documented with DCFS.  The abuse has not been physical lately, just threats of physical and extreme mental.  Part of the abuse is control; she basically keeps her kid held prisoner at home anymore.  The shelter in place order isn't helping.

Anyway, last week things escalated and the friend left her house.  This is not the first time she has left.  She puts up with the screaming and threats for as long as she can...then leaves.  This is probably the 4th or 5th time in the last year she's left.  Typically she'll ride her bike around and be back home before midnight. By Friday of last week, things had escalated and the friend left again on her bike.  My daughter met her a little while later, put her bike in our car, and came back home.  Police were called.  They are well aware of the mom, as she calls the police on a weekly basis for various reasons.  I explained what I knew; they said the friend would have to go home, and allowed me to drive her there, while they followed.

I ended up filing a DCFS report on Monday, the main things being: locking her kid out in February until 2am, and screaming at her when she tries to eat any food.  She also actively tries to take away the cell phone the dad (not in this town) pays for.  This concerns me as then it would mean the friend has no way to contact the outside world for help (she ended up calling 911 at my resuest last Sunday at 3am.  Her mom torments her, won't let her sleep, she was getting ready to leave the house again, and I told her to call 911).

And now today a sheriff showed up with a Stalking No Contact Order in bnmy daughter's name, filed by the friend's mom.  The court date is May 18, and I'll accompany my daughter there.

Is there anything else I should do?  What should I expect?  I highly doubt the friend will be allowed to be there, so it'll be the mom's version of whatever story she'll tell against us.  Our daughters are best friends.  Hers relies on mine to keep her sanity.  Is this even enforcable?  I've told my daughter not to contact her  friend until May 18, but they talk daily so I'm sort of at a loss here.  The friend has reached out to ME for help over the past year as well. My name isn't on the order, but I'm assuming I shouldn't reach out to her either?  And what is my daugher supposed to do when her friend contacts her?
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer: Hire a criminal defense attorney to represent your daughter as soon as possible.


Title: Grandfather killed due to incorrect dosage at nursing home, worth pursuing a settlement?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 > the nursing home determined he was given 100mg of morphine instead of his regimented 1mg.

HOLY CRAP!

I typically respond to these medical malpractice cases urging caution by the OP and explain the definition of negligence, and all that. But, what you described above is a major medical error, IMO. You should speak to a local medical malpractice attorney. They will have to do a detailed chart review to determine if you have a case. Many have free or low cost consultations.

I am truly sorry for your loss.


Title: [IN, Hancock county] Properly kicking a guest out of home

Question:
Backstory: we took in a friend of my fiancee who was down on his luck. His father had kicked him out of his home for refusal to meet his guidelines for the home (he is a corrections officer and rather strict, so I've been told) and had been living out of his car for a couple weeks. We had him over for dinner several times and after about the third time, my fiancee and I had a chat about letting him live with us as a guest till he got back up on his feet and could find a job to pay rent/utilities (which then we would make him an offer to stay at our house if he wanted to for cheaper than most apartments in the near by areas) and continue to go to group therapy . It has been almost two months now and after his messes, different stories of what he had done that day (job interview vs spending time goofing around, thank you Facebook check-in), admission to having beat our puppy for stealing food he left unattended, and threats to call the police about our animals for having too many. Our town allows four pets per household and have two cats and two dogs and is trying to flex power like he has any.

Needless to say, his rude behavior, lies, animal abuse, and attempt to flex muscle of some kind has crossed a major line with me and upset my other half as she wanted to help someone she felt was a good friend. I would like to know what I need to cover ourselves. Like, how short is considered acceptable for a house guest whose legal residence is at his mother's and pays no bills or utilities at this address? Just, any and all bits that may or may not be important; I want this to be as clean a cut as possible.

Thanks in advance.

Indiana, Hancock county

Answer:
 >It has been almost two months now

Give him 30 day notice that he has to move out. If he refuses to move out you'll need to win an eviction lawsuit and get the police to remove him.


Title: [Military] Housing is forcing me to move, should I pursue? (X-post)

Question:
Before you ask, I tried to visit Legal last Friday but they were closed after chow. I intend on going today.

So Hurricane really did a number on some places, however my house in particular had very minor damage (a few missing shingles and a piece of gutter). I was extremely lucky.

In the weeks following the Hurricane, they were sending people out to take tests and assess the houses. Now Housing is telling me that the repairs on my home are to extensive to be done with an occupied home and they're moving me to an entirely new community, one I'm not happy with. However, we have not received any official notice to move, only a moving voucher for DMO. When wife and I (separately) asked about moving back they told us we would have to do a standard home to home request as the lowest priority (put simply, lowest priority means waiting for a long time, possibly never getting moved).

In short, they're kicking us out of the community because of Maintenance issues due to the hurricane and saying we might be able to return if there's space available. We're fine with a temporary move, our concern is moving back to the housing area.

Should I pursue this further or just go with it?

Answer:
 You can try to fight this, but military housing authority gets a hell of a lot of leeway. In all likelihood, they may be leveling the neighborhood if damage was sever enough to enough houses. Does it suck? Yes. Is it going to break you? No.

When the tornadoes were in Missouri and hit ft Leonard Wood in 2010, there were houses it destroyed and the housing there decided the best thing was to level that entire Street and rebuild. That wasn't a quick process and in all likelihood you would be moved to a new base by the time rebuild is done.

All that said, you always have the choice of moving off post and renting civilian.


Title: How do I deal with a erroneous and fictitious restraining order against me?

Question: Hi, Thank you for taking my question. My wife (of 21 years) has taken our children and fled to a homeless shelter and has served me with an erroneous and fictitious restraining order against me. She reports that I have raped her, abused our children, threatened her life and that I am stalking her. I have never done anything even remotely close to any of these things ever. There is not any history of abuse in any way, shape or form. But this restraining order which goes to court in 10 days makes me seem like a crazed monster. My main problem is that I can not afford an attorney and the court appearance is in another county over 100 miles away so finding a pro bono attorney here would not do me any good.

Answer: You go to court and provide your evidence against the restraining order.  A lawyer would be a very very good idea here.


Title: Taking 400 bottles of wine, some other liquor, from Iowa to Minnesota.

Question:
My husband and I currently live in Iowa and are moving to Minnesota in a week.

We have accumulated around 400 bottles of wine.  Someone from our moving company came to get some estimates for the move and said they can't transport the wine because it's illegal to transport across state lines.

We aren't incredibly attached to any of it - 250 bottles of it was purchased for our wedding but it turned out there was a huge miss-communication and our bartender was already providing wine. We'd already paid for it, so we kept it. The other 150 bottles were collected by my husband's grandfather in his wine cellar and we got it when he passed.

There are also around 30 bottles of other alcohol.  We could just give it away if we had to.

1.  Can we take this stuff from Iowa to Minnesota for our move?  We could take it ourselves if the movers don't want to do it...but I don't want to find ourselves in legal trouble if it is, in fact, illegal.
2.  If we can't, what can we do with it?  We paid for most of it so I don't want to give it away, and I don't even know who we'd give it to. Could I sell it?  (I know some engaged ladies who might like a good deal on the wines we had from our wedding, but I'm not sure if I can legally sell it to them without a liquor license or whatever?)

Thanks.

Answer:
 I'm a State Trooper near two state lines,  I always giggle when I inform someone they just broke the law by transporting alcohol across state lines.  I have never done ANYTHING about it.  It's never even worth a second look, **for me**.

That being said, I've never run across someone with that quantity of alcohol, I may ask some extra questions about that.  Some states and some counties crack down on it more, it's completely and totally about revenue.

So there is definitely a risk, it's much less considering you are only crossing one state line.  If you do decide it's worth the risk,  I wouldn't stack it up in the bed of a pick-up truck, an officer is much less likely to investigate that if you're not displaying it to the world.Answer #2: Your post made me think about what people with big wine collections do when they move across country. I'm not a lawyer, however I did some googling and there's some niche moving services out there that would take care of that for you. One place even wrote they do $500-$600 dollar jobs. You may also want to check with UShip or other places who may have move specialists for this kind of thing. People familiar with the logistics and legal paperwork of moving something like what you got.


Title: I was Robbed for my iphone 2 nights ago, haven't reported it yet, not sure what to do

Question: Here's the lowdown. I'm homeless in Portland, Oregon. Someone I know wanted to see my phone cuz it has a really cool 3d case on it, well, He handed it to someone i don't know standing behind him and said "I need that", and they threatened to beat me up if i tried to get it back, there were 4 of them in all but I only know the one guy i handed my phone to. I locked it from icloud and posted a number on it but like any smart criminal they removed the sim card so i cannot track it. What more can I do? I know to contact t-mobile and have them block the IMEI/MEID. I was wondering if i should still report it stolen. I was the only witness on my side.

Answer: Yes, you should report it stolen, and name the person who wanted to see it originally in the police report.


Title: Are judges allowed to dismiss cases when the evidence is obvious and self-evident? If they can and don't, why wouldn't they?

Question: I was just on Jury Duty and the case (Civil Case) was that the defendant rear ended the plaintiff and wanted expenses and damages. The plaintiff's Lawyer provided blurry pics inkjet printed on cheap paper. The Defendant's Lawyer provided high resolution poster sized versions of same pics. The pics showed the plaintiffs car with no rear end damage, but with side damage and the defendants bumper ripped off and stuck in the plaintiff's rear wheel. Clearly the Plaintiff had merged into the defendants lane and hit him. It took us only a few minutes to come to a verdict. I couldn't help but wonder how The Judge should have looked at the pics and not just dismissed the case. Why do you think the judge didn't do that? Can they? Is it bad form?  No reasonable person could think the car was rear ended. Also, why would the Plaintiff's Lawyer take such a terrible case? Roll of the dice?

Answer:
 If the judge issues a directed verdict and is overruled on appeal, they have to have an entirely new trial, which is expensive and time consuming.

If the judge waits until after the jury decides, and then issues a directed verdict reversing the jury's decision, if it gets reversed on appeal they don't have to have a new trial. Answer #2: Antonin Scalia told a group of us about an easy case he had that was turned into a hard case. It was made a difficult one by a summary judgment. It is way harder to defend an appeal of a summary judgment or directed verdict/jnov than it is a jury verdict because you go from 50% and a feather at trial to having to prove no reasonable minds could differ on appeal.


Title: [Philadelphia, PA] I'm concerned that something suspicious is going on at my neighbor's house. I'd like to know if there's enough probable cause for the police to investigate.

Question:
I don't consider myself to be a paranoid person, but my neighbor's house has me sufficiently creeped out to ask for advice here. For about a week now, our neighbor has been playing music really loud through all hours of the day/night (not to the point that it bothers us as we can only hear it when we're outside). It's mostly opera and classical, but sometimes we can hear dialogue (radio, movie?). The house is unkempt and dilapidated, and seems to be occupied only a few times throughout the year (each time with the loud music). Recently, the car parked in their driveway was towed away after some time since it was labeled "abandoned." Tonight is the only night we've seen lights on in the house, with a single uncovered bulb in a lamp shining through the window that are usually covered with blinds.

I don't think there's enough for the police to go on here to conduct a search of the premises, but maybe I'm wrong as I'm not an expert. I don't hear any screams or anything like that. In fact, I've only ever seen the neighbor once in my few years here as he was taking out the trash. Perhaps I'm being paranoid, but I would not be surprised at all if this guy turned out to be a serial killer / kidnapper. I'd hate to be the neighbor that didn't do anything to protect possible victims here. Is there something I can do? If so I'd like to remain anonymous if possible as I wouldn't want it to get back to this guy in the case that I'm right about him.

Answer:
 In another thread somewhere on the internet:

> I don't consider myself paranoid, but I got this second home that was left to after a death in the family. It's not my main house. I haven't really had time to clean it out and some of my family don't want to sell it. Anyway, I sometimes go over there and sort through things or just spend some time. But I have a neighbor who's beginning to creep me out. I noticed that whenever I'm there he's always peeking out his windows trying to see what I'm doing. I've begun to cover all my windows. I also haven't any proof that he's trespassing to peek into my windows though. Or that I'm being stalked. He also never plays music like he's listening for any people to come around so he can immediately destroy evidence.

> I don't think there's enough for police to go there and conduct a search and I haven't seen any indication he peeks into other neighbor's windows or trespasses on other people's property or in any other way commits a criminal offense. But I also think maybe he's peeking to make sure he has no witnesses before he puts evidence of criminal activities into his vehicle and drives away. I'd like to anonymously accuse him of something to get police to search his house and would think it would be totally unfair if somehow I, as the accuser, was involved. Also, I've never gone over and talked the person like neighbors sometimes do. Advice?
Answer #2: You watch too many movies.


Title: Stolen Mail

Question:
My brother lived with my grandma and took care of her before she went into the hospital. Now that she’s in the hospital, my uncle, who has Power of Attorney, forced him to leave as he is within his rights to do so...

Having said that, my brother had 3 packages that were being held by the complex my grandmother and brother lived at. When my uncle forced my brother to leave, he went to the front desk and signed for his packages and took them! My brother went to pick them up today and they informed him that my uncle had signed off on them and they gave him the packages. My brother called the police to have them come out to the complex. When my brother showed the officer proof of purchase of the stolen packages and showed that this was his primary residence on his ID, the officer went in and kind of chewed the complex manager out.

After my brother filled an official report, the police went to my aunt and uncles house. They were clearly home, but would not come to the door, so there was nothing that could be done at the time.

What can my brother do as far as legal action against the complex and my uncle?

Answer:
 The complex isnt at fault. They did not know that your brother was not there and it isnt illegal to sign for mail that belongs to a household member.

Your brother can sue your uncle in civil court for the value of the items he took if he refuses to return them. If the amount is under the small claims limit, he can do so in that venue and does not need an attorney.

It is at the discretion of the USPIS and police if they will pursue criminal charges. Unfortunately, it is not likely and they can't do anything about him not answering the door.

If he was living with him, your uncle forced your brother out without giving notice, he could sue for his moving expenses due to the illegal eviction as well.


Title: Late on HOA fees, Lawfirm is now automatically tapping into my bank account whenever they want.

Question:
Long story short - Financial difficulties, HOA fees were basically ignored. Lawyer contacted me to setup payment plan. Ever since they have been dipping into our bank account and taking whatever they can $100, $200 or more.

There is no set time of the month, there is no record of how much I still owe or what has been paid towards the past due amount. Nothing. Every time they pull from my account I get overdrafts. These are starting to really piss me off and I need to figure out how to stop them from being able to do this. Any advice? Where do I start?

The lawyer will not return our phone calls.

edit:just to add. The lawyer got a legal order to withdraw funds, we sent one check and the summons was supposedly cancelled. I am in TN.

Answer: When you signed the payment plan, what exactly did you authorize them to do?


Title: [AL] employer threatened to fire me for taking a lunch break. What should I know/do?

Question:
I worked 8 hours today, and when it came time for me to take a break I was told not to take a break, instead just to work my entire shift. Eventually traffic died down, and I took a break.

I was then told "If you take a break again, you will be fired. Immediately. On the spot. Tomorrow you work 7 hours. You are not allowed to take a break".

So what should I do about this?

Answer: Find another job.  Alabama doesn't require meal or rest periods for employees ages 16 or over.


Title: Is it legal for a security guard to take your ID (FL)?

Question:
I tried googling the answer to this but kept stumbling upon cop related answers, not security guards.

The security guard at my residence became hostile and would not allow me in because for some reason "the system did not show my name" (even though my license has my address). I handed her my passport, which I happened to have with me, to prove my identity further. I was asked to leave and, instead, I parked next to the security booth until my problem was solved. This angered her and she decided that I had "trespassed" and she threatened to call the police. I encouraged her to call the police so that we may solve this matter with another person because she clearly wasn't willing to help. I asked for a supervisor, she declined to contact one. I pulled up my lease on my phone, which had my name on it, and showed it to her.  I then called her from my cellphone so that she could see in the caller ID that I had a registered resident's number. She  gave me a visitor's pass and refused to give me my IDs back. I was told I could retrieve my IDs in the morning after the manager of the association had come in.

I was in a hurry to take my mother to the airport so I did not stay and just agreed to pick it up in the morning. When I went to retrieve the IDs from the manager in the morning, he informed me she did not tell him about the incident and "forgot" to leave my passport behind. She took my passport home with her because she "forgot she had it in her pocket".

Should I be concerned? Should I take legal action? Does she have the authorization to keep my IDs?

I'd appreciate serious responses.

Thank you.

Answer:
 What you should do is absolutely flip your shit at management.

Their security has no right to take any property of yours. You should be getting a new passport issued, placing fraud watches on your credit, and billing it all to your management.Answer #2: You should have called the police as soon as she wouldn't give your i.d back. I'm not sure about in Florida but i can confiscate identification if I believe it to be false, however no way would I keep it. You either give it to the client so that they can call the police or more commonly call that police yourself. It didn't sound like she thought it was false, so I think legally she was in the wrong. Do you have the I.d back now?Answer #3: You can also contact the [US State Department about your passport being stolen and report it](https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/lost-stolen.html)- I assume that they would be VERY interested about this situation. Answer #4: I would also give the non-emergency police line a call and ask if you can file a report that the security guard took your IDs back to her home. To be honest I really don't know, but I would assume that you could probably sue for the cost of identity protection because of it.Answer #5: Well if they don't give you back your ID, I would say you have cause to call the police and report the theft.

Honestly, once she threatened to call the police and then backed out, I would have called them myself.Answer #6: As a Security Guard, a security guard has no more authority than the average citizen.


Title: Outdoor robots regulations in MA.

Question: I am building a wheeled robot which will follow me on a sidewalk. Let's say dimensions are 15"x15"x15", weight 20 lb, maximum speed 3 mph. What regulations and laws I should know to show up with it on public streets (like in downtown Boston)? Could I walk in businesses with it (like supermarket)?

Answer: Probably too slow to be classified in MGL as a 'motorized scooter' or any of the Chapter 90 rules of the road laws. The only thing I could think of is some cities or towns may not allow any sort of motorized device on the sidewalks unless they're personal conveyances for disabled people.


Title: Can a transgender person (for practical purposes let's say MtF who's had a legal gender change be held in a male prison if they haven't had SRS? (Sex reassignment surgery)

Question:
Just curious, Wouldn't it be a civil rights infraction to put someone in a male prison who is marked as Female on their birth certificate? Just to clarify, most states don't require that you have SRS to receive a legal gender marker change. Someone is arguing that it doesn't matter what your birth certificate says and all that matters is what genitals you have but this sounds very incorrect.

EDIT: For practical purposes let's use California as an example because that's the state we both live in.

Answer:
 This is still up for argument in the courts. Answer #2: IANAL: however is did work for over a year as a prison nurse. Right now it is still very up in the air and determined individually, at least in my state. When a transgender or gender nonconforming inmate was processed they were held in the infirmary instead of being in general pop. The women's side had both MTF and FTM. It's very disconcerting during women's triage to suddenly have a scruffy dude in front of you, and the senior nurses were so used to him that they don't give a heads up.

Basically, the state has to look at where to house the inmate *safely*. For both their safety and the safety of other inmates. A MTF without SRS can be at huge risk for abuse in a male prison, but can also be a risk as an abuser in a female prison. Each case was reviewed by the prison officials and  psychiatric (both correctional and outside) before assignments were given.


Title: Restaurant forgot to charge me, now they're hassling me.

Question:
I am not sure where else to post this but here goes..

Edit: I'm looking for legal advice, not criticism of how deep my pocket can be. Please do not call me a dumbass because none of this is my fault and I'm just trying to figure out how to handle things.

For my birthday I chose to go to a 7 course meal restaurant, it costs $82 per person. I kept the party small to 3 people, the two of us had a wine pairing at $45 each and an extra glass during intermission at $27 for the both of us. My friend (who paid for the entire bill) decided to buy a bottle of Port for her dad for father's day and the bottle was $80. Apparently the server forgot to charge us for the bottle and only charged us $395.81 when it should have been $486.81, she tipped $64.19 so it ended up being $460 for her. They have my number and debit card information on retainer which is how they've been able to contact me. My friend is ultimately choosing not to contact them back about it and she does not want to pay them for their mistake. I am not sure how to handle this. Should I send them an email back? If so, what should I say? They did e-mail me the itemized receipt, but it is handwritten so it makes it very unprofessional. I can post the receipt if you need to see it. Any advice is very appreciated, thank you.

Edit: the restaurant is in California. I also work at a restaurant and if we forget to charge a customer for something (even though they are regulars and we can charge the at a later date) we do not pursue the charge. We know that it was our fault the first time around and do better to not let it happen again. I am not being whiney because I did not complain in order to get a free meal. I did not dine and dash because we paid for our meal and did not know we were not charged for the bottle of wine. I did not do anything wrong, I am just asking for my legal rights as a customer.

Answer:
 PAY THE DAMNED TAB. You thinking this is unprofessional is you just being a whiney punk who wants to get shit for free. PAY YOUR TAB or deal with the fall out. (Yes. They can call the police. -this isn't an oops - They have your ID and your information.... DUMBASS)

At a minimum? Be prepared to be pulled into small claims but "dine and dash" is a thing... be prepared to deal with a criminal "thing"Answer #2: You don't say where you live but there are criminal laws in some states about defrauding an innkeeper or restaurant or they could take you to civil court where you may have to also pay their legal fees. YMMV.


Title: Could an 18 year old from Mississippi leave their parents and move to a state where the age of majority is 18 instead of 21?

Question: If they did, would their parents have any legal recourse?

Answer:
 Yes. Once the minor moves to another state, the age of minority of that state takes precedence. They are then a legal adult and can legally make their own decisions.

The parents could call the local police. But after the cops do a welfare check on the newly moved 18 year old and see that everything is fine, there is nothing the parents could do.Answer #2: TIL Mississippians are minors until 21.


Title: Why Are We Being Served?

Question:
Milwaukee, WI

I have 0 experience with family court.

My boyfriend and I have a 4 month old together. Baby is on Medicaid. I used to work but now am a stay at home mom / Nanny. We got a notice in the mail and I needed to provide both of our addresses, which we did and now we are being served.

We weren't home to get served, so I dont have any of the paperwork, they just gave a number to call and they said it was regarding child support. When I went in to give our addresses, they said it was not necessary so I don't know why we are being served.

Does anyone have any experience with this and can tell me what we should be expecting?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: If the baby is receiving any public benefits (such as Medicaid), the state wants to establish paternity and a child support order, possibly including getting your boyfriend to repay the state for some or all of the expenses of childbirth. What exactly they'll ask for monetarily depends on your incomes, whether you are living together (now and before the kiddo arrived), etc.Answer #2: If you are getting Medicaid they may require him to pay you child support or put the baby on his insurance.  It could have to do with this.


Title: At-fault gender bender, pay out of pocket or use insurance?

Question: I was recently in a fender bender (my fault, rear ended car in front of me, thought traffic was moving after red light turned green but a car at front of line braked abruptly as did all the cars behind it but I was too slow to stop before hitting the bumper of the car in front of me). There appears to be no damage to my car aside from some scrapped paint, their bumper was also undamaged aside from large areas of cracked pain on the bumper. They got an estimate from a body shop of $800 worth of damage (they sent me a picture of the invoice). I am considering paying their cost out of pocket and not reporting to insurance (they agree to also not report if I pay) to avoid having an at fault accident on my record (currently completely clean of tickets or accidents) or my premiums increasing. If it is relevant about 8 months ago my car was hit while it was parked which I reported to my insurance, since then I have switched insurance providers. What are reasons I might choose to or to not pay out of pocket?

Answer:
 Perfect title.  10/10.

If you pay out of pocket, make sure you get them to sign a release of liability identifying that $800 was the total extent of their damages.

If you go through insurance, you only pay your deductible (if the accident is covered), but your premiums could increase.Answer #2: Used to work for insurance:

I'm not saying you should or shouldn't pay out of pocket, but you DID sign an agreement with the insurance company stating you would report any incidents that could result in a claim. Answer #3: Just an FYI, claims, especially small ones like that, don't automatically effect you. They also fall off your record after like 5 years.


Title: [CA] Theoretically, how do you defend yourself against false, but believable statements made by witnesses who were paid/incentivized to make those statements?

Answer: You can produce evidence of those payments, or that incentive, during cross-examination.  You can also produce other evidence that negates their testimony.


Title: Is Netflix considered a monopoly and if it starts to (or already has) impact cable companies, could they take action against Netflix?

Question: title. i'm not an expert but i'm seriously intruiged. i read articles all the time about how people are picking streaming services such as netflix over cable. is netflix the google of television?

Answer:
 How would Netflix be considered a monopoly?Answer #2: Have you ever heard of hulu?  It's like netflix, but it isn't netflix.  Answer #3: Some points to note:

1. Having a large market share is not illegal *per se*

2. What is illegal is anti-competitive behavior. You can't simply buy out competition or monopolize suppliers or exert undue trade pressure, etc.


Title: Removal of uncle from home

Question:
I have an uncle who lives with us (mother, sister and, I) in my mother’s house. It is legally in her name. I pay the utilities. He lives here but for free basically, I don’t know if there was a verbal agreement or what. Some months he gives $200, some he doesn’t.  He’s a drug addict, and frequently Philly/Camden daily for god knows what. He takes the bus in. He has damaged a number of items in the house such as couches, blankets, and tables from passing out with a lit cigarettes and the cherry falling off. Just a few days ago he left the gas burner on without a flame. My mother walked into the house to the smell of it. He found no big deal of it because nothing happened. We have found drug paraphilia before, cut straws for snorting, empty drug bags.

I want to just put his stuff on the porch and change locks. My mother is saying we have to give him 30 days. However, from all my readings about evictions in NJ are relevant to situations where there are actual signed documents of the relationship. We have verbally told him you have 30 days a few times, but of course nothing happens of it because my mother is weak. She wants him gone too, but just keeps giving him ultimatums by word of mouth and nothing ever happens. I just want to know my options, do I have to go through the whole, Notice to Stop, Notice to Cease, Notice to Evict?
He has acted aggressively before, we used to drive him to the bus stop before work so he could do whatever it is he does, but ended that. He got very aggressive about that but now walks. I feel like if we do this he will damage stuff. I have thought about just making it very unconformable for him to live here, getting rid of the TV downstairs (he sleeps on the couch). Lock the pantry/fridge only leaving him a sandwich for dinner and breakfast.

My neighbor across the street has a son that is a municipal officer, and so his is son-in-law for the town we live in. If we change the locks I can’t for the love of me see either of them siding with my uncle.

Also, if I do have to go the legal route, what do we do if he refuses to sign the paperwork? Do we have to videotape us serving him or what?

Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 > I want to just put his stuff on the porch and change locks.

You can't do that. Your mother is correct. She needs to give him a notice terminating his tenancy allowing him one month to get out. If he doesn't leave by the end of that month, she can pursue eviction via the court system.


Title: Same judge for first violation of new probation help!

Question:
My BF violated his probation first offense and has been detained for 10 days and he has to be transported to another jail and explain why he violated probation.

Although it is his first offense on THIS probation,  he has violated 2 previous probations that are completed i and is going before the Same judge as the prior violations.

His violation was failing to report to PO and skipping a UA-when it would have been clean. After walking out of the UA, he immediately checked him self into a psych ward because he needs to be on medication because of his horrific anxiety attacks for probation

When he didn't report to his PO, we had a terrible accident. We rolled three times and we were injured. After the accident, his mom was forcing him into rehab where his PO was supposed to sign off on but didn't. My BF left rehab in 2 days. It was not suitable for him. However we did attend N aa meeting.

He will explain all this to the judge as well as pleasing to go to routinely aa groups, counseling, curfew- anything but prison time or rehab because he knows he will be more of a productive member of society and does not need rehab. His mom is forcing that to day to the judge so he doesn't go to prison.

Those are his reasons for failing to report to his PO.

The day he was detained he had a counselor appt to get on his medications fm the psych ward to follow up.

My question is, concerning that my BF has been before the same judge, can the judge put him in prison based on his perception of habitual criminal violations? I feel we have more than ample reasoning to prevent prison or rehab and ample reasoning as to why he viola
ted probation. Like I said, how strongly do previous, different cases influence a new cases punishments. I feel like judges have to treat each individual case as its own, uninfluenced by previous cases to remain unbiased for punishment at hand

Also will recommendation letters work. I'm a witness to all of this.

Alamogordo, NM

Answer: These are terrible excuses and honestly your BF should not be at large.


Title: Jiffy Lube ruined my engine, what are my options?

Question:
I got an oil change and new filter 3 weeks ago at Jiffy Lube.  I drove down the street a bit and a plume of smoke eminated from my exhaust when I accelerated.  I asked around and people told me it's likely they spilled oil and it was burning off.  Over the next few days my car started acting jerky when it would change gears.  After a few days I decided to take it to a garage.

I had it parked for two weeks then I got it towed to a garage because I didn't want to drive it.  They asked specifically if I had recently changed the oil. The mechanic told me that my car had lost all its oil, and the engine is ruined.  It's gonna cost at least a few grand to get it replaced.

What are my options?  Can I get Jiffy Lube to pay for the repairs, considering the problem arose after they changed my oil?  I definitely can't afford the $1000 deposit that would be required for the mechanic to start work on it, much less whatever the total cost of repairs would be.

I'm located in Florida.

Answer:
 You can try; you need the later shop to tell you exactly what they did and how the oil escaped from the engine.

First thing to do is to approach Jiffy Lube and ask for a manager off the bat. Make sure the other shop gives you an estimate in writing detailing what was done and what needs to be done - give that to them. You need to do this ASAP as the longer you wait, the more questionable this will be. Especially if it sat in your driveway for 2 weeks.

As a side note, do not take your car to Jiffy Lube for anything. Learn how to change your oil yourself, in particular.


Title: Im young and got put into police custody but I think the officer messed up. Any advice?

Question:
A link to my original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Drugs/comments/8feort/i_got_caught_and_want_some_advice/?utm_source=reddit-android

Greetings Redditor's!
If you do not with to read the original post here is a tldr; I was at the park and had smoked some weed (no one saw) and when I went back go the pavilion I was on my phone when a police officer and his partner showed up and interrogated me. As a stupid (and high) kid I gave up my rights to him via self incrimination however there are a couple concernes (all of which are in the edit of the original post but I will list them here as well for convenience
1. I was sitting on a bench on my phone drinking a mountain dew energy drink with nothing out all of my stuff was in my backpack (which did not smell like weed nor did I) my eyes might have been red but normally aren't too bad I typically look normal .
2. I was not read my Miranda rights when i was handcuffed and patted down (nor when I was put into the police cruiser)
3. My appearance is sort of stereotypical crazy hair all black clothes emo/goth look so possibly   profiling I'm not sure if that is against some sort of code or not.
4. When i received two tickets one for drug possession and one for drug paraphernalia (pipe and grinder) there is a court date but no fine written on the ticket and the officer did not inform me about how much it would be only that there would be one.
5. This was not on the original list but I should mention I am 17 years old and the officer told me I would be able to go to my court date unaccompanied by a parent/gaurdian and handle it independently (which I won't lol) my dad is currently out of town until tomorrow which I do plan on telling him.

I'm new to the subreddit so pardon me if I break any rules accidentally I did read them and I dont think I am. I can also post pictures of the tickets (blocking out personal unnecessary information height, weight, name, address, ext. ) If that would help. Thanks for taking time to read and I will not be offended to anything so please be open.
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 Weed has a very distinctive aroma. Also, people who are high make very poor witnesses.
Answer #2: >which did not smell like weed nor did I

 Yeah, okay.


Title: [SC] What are the possible consequences for presenting yourself as a professional that requires a license, but you have none?

Question:
Tl;Dr at end

I have a "friend" who has been presenting herself as an Optician (in South Carolina you're required to be licensed) and she is not licensed, in fact, she never attended school for anything remotely close to this. She is a receptionist/optician technician, and most of the claims of her being an Optician have been online and in her personal life, however, while this is only hearsay, she has claimed this to a few of the patients who come into her office. To my knowledge, she did not tell her employers that she is an Optician, she just started making the claim after she got the job as a technician. As far as her online claims, there is no question that she is using that as shorthand for optician technician because when someone asked if she was a tech she said no, she was an actual Optician. As her horrible character isn't related too much to the issue at hand, but she often goes after people on Facebook and in their professional lives and tries to get them fired. Which prompted one of these people to report her to the state licensing board, who has assigned an investigator and are currently investigating.

Hopefully I was able to present the situation to you guys without inserting my personal feelings, too much. But other than the hearsay from people who went to her office, this is all verifiable and factual. (But this girl thinks she can live her life fucking people over, ruining their lives (mainly the father's of her kids) and doesn't realize that there are consequences to her actions.. so yeah, I do hope Karma finally catches up with her)

That being said, is there really anything that could happen because of her claims, as I'm not sure what the licensing board would be capable of doing when she doesn't have one in the first place. I do believe it is being taken somewhat seriously, due to the investigator being assigned when they often will not follow up on complaints and close them without any investigation.

Tl;Dr : "Friend" is pretending to be an Optician, which in my state requires a license. Board is currently investigating this and curious about possible outcomes?

Answer:
 > I'm not sure what the licensing board would be capable of doing when she doesn't have one in the first place

In the general case, if the state requires a license, then operating without one is a crime.  Especially in the medical field.

Even if there's no licensing crime, she's likely committing fraud.


Title: [Illinois] Question about cemetery laws

Question: Is it illegal to be in a cemetery at night in Illinois? There's a haunted cemetery we want to explore but we don't want to get in trouble for it.

Answer: Presumably you have Google and can determine what hours they are open. Obviously if they aren't open you're trespassing. Yes, you can get in trouble for it.


Title: Pizza shop is deducting money from my brother's paycheck - is this legal and what can he do?

Question:
This is in Indiana, USA.

I was talking on the phone to my little brother (18) and he was telling me about his new job at a pizza shop. He loves it, but he told me something that concerned me. He said that every single shift that he works, the pizza shop deducts 40 cents an hour out of his paycheck to cover the cost of a personal pizza and soda each shift. It doesn't matter if he actually eats the food or not, they still take it out, and he can't opt out of it.

He said that when he got the job, they made him sign a piece of paper saying it was okay to do that and that he didn't really realize what he was signing (he's an 18 year old boy). He's upset because he would rather not eat there every time he works, and that 40 cents an hour adds up quickly. He said that it works out to about $35 a month that he's losing because of the meals - that's over $400 a year! That's significant for an 18 year old who is trying to save for his first car!

My preliminary research says that this is not legal, that they have to allow employees to opt out of this, but according to my brother, he's asked his manager several times if he can opt out and the manager has said no (but apparently once he's promoted, that he CAN opt out).

Is it legal to not allow employees to opt out of shift food deductions? If not, what can my 18 year old brother do? Is it worth it to try to fight this or not?

Answer:
 An 18 year old should be able to understand something like that, so i wouldn't say that is a legitimate reason to be upset with the employer.

Also losing $30 a month but being offered pretty much the equivalent in food isn't exactly that bad, and is probably legal since he signed an agreement and also assuming it doesn't force him under minimum wage.

It is sort of weird to charge for employee meals this way, in my experience it is pay when you eat but have a discount or just free meals.  Answer #2: Waffle House did that when I worked there. Like 2-3 bucks a day I think it was. I'd take full advantage of it if I were him, even if to give it to a homeless guy down the road.


Title: I want to keep my US job with my US company and live in a EU country.

Question:
Where do I start?

I will be keeping my home in the US and plan on returning yearly.  I thought that I could obtain residency in the EU, Portugal, and still get paid by my employer without any change in status, i.e. my personal business/home address and bank account would still be in the US.  My manager is pushing back and implying that the company cannot continue payroll as it is if I am not physically in my US home.  I need to have answers for my manager before he will approach HR.  My company does not operate in the EU.

How do I start sifting through this mess?

Answer: The tax laws are going to give your company headaches.  They probably won’t want to go through all of that just so you can live there.  So figure that out first.


Title: (FL) Tenant refuses to remove his boat from the driveway.

Question: Hi, I'm in need of a bit of advice. I am currently renting a room in my home (I reside here as well.) I had agreed to allow the tenant to store his boat on the property, not in the driveway, but in a spare parking space on the side of the house. The problem is that the boat has been parked in the driveway for a week now since he pulled it out of the water. I have asked him twice to move it, but he has refused. What can I do? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. For a little background information, other than this issue, he has been an o.k. tenant. He pays the rent on time, but complains about everything, and is a generally disagreeable person.

Answer:
 What does your lease say regarding the boat?

Do you have a lease, or is he a month-to-month tenant?

If it were me, and there is no lease, and he really is disagreeable, I would give him 30-day written notice to leave and take his boat with him. I would guess that you can find another tenant who is equally disagreeable but has no boat.


Title: Friend has found children's hair, clothes and a hard drive in a house that doesn't have children.

Question:
[TX] (I need new, normal friends).

My friend is taking care of her MIL's house after she passed. Basically the MIL had one son (my friend's husband) and no daughters or other female relatives. She had a boyfriend who she was trying to get rid of, but he wouldn't leave her brand new house and was basically squatting there. She died before she had even unpacked her belongings and the boyfriend stayed there until my friend had him legally removed (at which point he stole the MIL's car and they never got it back). My friend has been cleaning up the house, selling all the belongings, but the boyfriend's belongings are also there. She has found girl's ponytails, clearly cut from someone's head, as well as a duffel bag with girl's clothes in it. She called the boyfriend's ex (mother of his son) to ask if there are any girls in the family. None.  There are also hard drives but they're blank, and we think they're probably encrypted. He has been desperate to get back into the house to get his bags and has tried to use the car as a bargaining tool to be able to get back into the house, saying he'll give it back once he has been allowed in the house. My friend thinks it's weird that he's not asked the police to help him to retrieve his things, since he seems so desperate to get his bags back.

Police refuse to do anything about the car or what my friend found in the house. It's a small town police department and they're notorious for their unhelpful attitudes, and every crime is a "civil matter" to them.

Does anyone have any resources/who does she need to contact that will actually take this seriously? I mean, it's very obviously human children's hair (it has bows in it etc.) and it being in a bag full of hard drives and girl's clothing seems very strange. [Here is a photo of some of the hair, just for reference](https://i.gyazo.com/51bde3beedb82c73a4f4530db5030a37.jpg).

Update: She was going to a different police department yesterday, but she has decided to wait until tomorrow as her step-dad works at this other police department and will be on duty tomorrow (she doesn't want to leave it there and nothing gets done, and she doesn't have much faith in the police departments in our area for very good reason), so he will 100% ensure it's taken care of. She also has the guy's laptop and went to pick up his charger from the old house last night, so I'm sure they'll find something on there if he is up to something. She hasn't seen the guy in a few weeks, he's MIA, but she is worried about her safety since he was so adamant about getting his stuff back. I'll post a more thorough update in a new post when I next get one, which I assume will be in the next couple of weeks. Thanks everyone!

Answer:
 OP not to diminish the severity of this, but your history has numerous legal advice postings on behalf of “friends.”Answer #2: A suggestion - contact the state attorney's office and run your story by them. They may take action where the local cops won't.

I had a situation where a partner embezzled nearly the entire business, and the local police department (which had relatives of my partner on the force) called it a civil matter. I contacted the state attorney and they said that if the local police agreed it was a crime, they would prosecute. That was the end of it. I had to reboot my business nearly from scratch.

A few years later I was robbed at gunpoint, gave a great descriptions of the criminals, and they were arrested. The state attorney called me to congratulate me on my observational skills (I was even able to give them the exact types of guns they had),  and since we were having a friendly chat I brought up the previous embezzlement. He said the rules had changed, and they recognized that the locals are often compromised or lazy, so if they see evidence of a crime, they'll prosecute without the locals signing off on it. Unfortunately, the embezzlement was barely outside of the statute of limitations so there was nothing they could do for me.

But you may find your state attorney will do an end around the local cops. It's certainly worth a phone call.Answer #3: So is "civil matter" cop speak for "I'm too lazy to do the paperwork"? Because I've seen a lot of things on this sub that are definitely not civil matters.


Title: Adoptive kids being used for their money & dogs shitting in their only sleeping room.

Question:
My adoptive siblings aka 1) is my half sister & 2) is my nephew. They are being used for their money from the state. My great aunt who took me has also taken them into her care only to suck up their checks & the dogs I grew up with are living in one room, where they sleep, shit & pee. Im one of the adoptive children but I’m 21 now & id like to know where I can get legal advice to get them out of this horrible situation
Topic:
Disability Issues

Answer: Call the cops and child protective services, right now. Let them know what is happening. If they're in the conditions you describe, the state will put the kids in a safer environment. Answer #2: If you can, get pictures as well of the conditions and the house.  Start a paper trail of incidents and conditions.  Report to CPS ASAP.


Title: Made a joke on social media that nearly put my school on lockdown, what should I be doing?

Question:
I live in Alberta, Canada.

In a state of fatigue I made a joke about a school shooting in an anonymous post on a social media around 2:30am. The post was deleted before 3am because it upset some people.

While I was asleep at 7am people were gossipping about it on Facebook groups; most of them were asking for classes to be cancelled.

The school didn't cancel classes but they did increase police presence.

Neither the police nor the school had tracked me down by the time I woke up around 9:30am. I immediately phoned to talk to the head of campus security and explained the situation (explaining that the post was deleted, that I had no real intent, and that I was actually just in my bedroom with plans to attend class as normal at 2pm). He sounded fairly calm. I agreed to go in to his office at 1pm before class.

It's now almost 11am. Now that I've called the school, what should I be doing for damage control?

Obviously I'm freaking out a little bit so any advice you can give is appreciated. Thank you.
Topic:
Canada

Answer:
 For those wondering.... heres an update: http://globalnews.ca/news/3024308/edmonton-police-on-scene-at-macewan-university-after-report-of-online-threat/

EDIT:  TL;DR by clicking the link, you will see OP was arrested this afternoon. Answer #2: i go to your school. this thread was posted on a campus facebook page. what happened with the head of security & the school?Answer #3: I'd consider the possibility that you are going to be expelled.  You might want to dig and find out the school's policies on expulsion and be prepared.Answer #4: Lawyer. They may not be able to help you with campus judicial charges, but you definitely need one to help you navigate these meeting if you want to avoid jail time.


Title: [GA] I am stuck between a rock and hard place I don't know what to do.

Question: I was laid off about 4 months ago and I got behind almost $5k in child support. I finally got a new job and the week I got a new job, the child support offices contacted me about putting me in jail for being behind. Basically they gave me a chance for a settlement meeting to get me to pay again and pay some of my arrears, or have a show cause hearing for contempt and put me in jail. In the meeting I told them that I could pay the arrears in full today, just let me go to the bank and get the money. My new job actually had a $5k sign on bonus, so I was able to have the money to do it. On my way back to the child support offices I was pulled over for not stopping completely at a stop sign, which I am pretty sure but not 100% sure I did. Long story short, they asked about the bank envelope and what was in it. I told them and they "seized" my money. I showed them the balance that they office wrote out, it was like 4815.40 The envelope had 4820 in it. They still would not hear it. So basically I went back to the office empty handed. There is supposed to be a hearing they will contact me for over the money and there is going to be a show cause to put me in jail for contempt too. I don't know what to do.

Answer:
 You need to get an attorney to help you get your money back. Did the police give you anything in writing that said they seized your money? If so, show that the judge who would jail you for not paying child support.

Why would you withdraw $5K in cash from the bank? Why not write a check?Answer #2: And this is why you never, EVER answer any questions you aren't legally required to from the police. Even if you don't think you're doing anything wrong. I bet you never guessed that under asset forfeiture laws its perfectly legal for cops to steal your money.


Title: Can a lawyer charge me to show up to court and say he was too busy with other cases and not prepared?

Question:
Was going through a divorce when the GAL (split between my wife and I) showed up to the first case after he was assigned. He told my wife beforehand that he probably wouldn't have time to make it there that day.

He ended up coming to court that day but just walked in to tell everyone that he was busy with other cases, wasn't prepared, and wouldn't be able to do anything that day.

My wife and I have since put a stop to the divorce but received a bill from him. Only a few hundred dollars, but it still caught me by surprise and was unexpected as we had already given him a $2500 retainer and he didn't do much.
He talked to my wife and I for a half hour each and then just billed us for emails and phone calls with our attorney's numerous times and the time he came to court for nothing.

My question is this. Should I refuse to pay due to the fact that he billed us more for a day he said he wouldn't be able to make it but came anyway just to say he couldn't make it or do anything?

Edit: typo

Answer:
 I not saying yes or no about paying the bill,  you have a contractual obligation and your contract with the lawyer determines what you should do.

Under the concept of contractual obligations, every state has Bar for ethics and professional conduct of lawyers.  I suggest that you find your states Bar rules and regulations, and word any letter to a layer with exact passages that coincide with your demands.  Usually lawyers hate the  "detailed and itemized"  and  "Productive to the client" requirements  of the BAR rules and  regulations.Answer #2: The phone calls between you and your wife as well as all communications with your attorneys are reasonable to be billed.  the time he came to court you can argue.


Title: Why did she get sent to prison for 18 years? [TX]

Question:
It appears that she probably has a mental health problem.  The minimum stature was 10 years.  What she did was really wrong, but did it warrant this long of a sentence?  Also, could Barack have actually received the substances?  That is really scary.

http://www.chinadailyasia.com/life/2013-12/11/content_15105203.html

Answer:
 She was sentenced to prison for 18 years because she tried to poison more than one high ranking government official in a manner that could have easily injured or killed additional people. I don't even know why you'd ask. Good grief.

Edit: also, the minimum sentence is not 10 years. I don't even know where you came up with that.


Title: [USA-IL] Can a cop who suspects me of buying weed, but didn't charge/arrest me, call me in a week later to "clarify some things"?

Question:
Hello, I'll be short and ask my questions up front, small story after for clarity.

1. Can a cop who put you in cuffs/read you your rights, but did not charge you with anything and let you go right after, later text you and ask you to come back in next week to "clarify some things"? Do I have to go back in?

2. If I was suspected of drug dealing, could they tap my phone without me knowing (tap or just watch texts)?

3. Can they obtain a search warrant from my home despite having no evidence other than the suspicion that I was trying to buy weed?

**Story**

The guy I buy weed from was busted, and the cops used his phone to set people up. I texted him to buy some (not saying "weed" but things like "I need a half P"). They were using his phone and told me to come meet him (them...)

Soon as I pull up they flash lights and say they were on the other end of the phone and I'm suspected of attempting to buy weed. They pull me out of my car, cuff me, read me my rights, get the dogs on my car (which is clean), take the 2000 dollars in my wallet from me, then let me go saying they don't care about me since they got the guy above me.

Two days later the cop texts me and says I need to come back in to "clarify some things". I'm assuming he wants me to incriminate further the guy who I was buying from.

Was I even arrested? I mean I was in cuffs for about 15 mins and read my rights, but I never signed anything or saw any paperwork, was immediately let go and my name hasn't appeared in any sort of police blotter/local arrests in paper, etc

Can I just text the cop back saying I'm not interested in working with him? I'm afraid if I do that he'll try to get a search warrant since he already suspected me of dealing (Which I don't even do. I'm a vet with PTSD and two other vet buddies from school go in on some bud every few months.)

Or because they did what they did, am I now on the hook for their demands since they had probable cause to suspect me of buying pot?

As it stands I'm feeling so depressed. I'm very much alone, I don't socialize or go out much. My girlfriend doesn't know anything about it. I'm feeling abused because I was set up by the cops then robbed, all without actually purchasing anything. I smoked pot and played games and went to school, and these cops are catching the bad guys?

Answer:
 General rule of thumb is that you really shouldn't talk to cops if they have you under suspicion for something without consulting with a lawyer (and following their advice). If you can't afford one and eventually get charged with something, you should see about getting a public defender.

Given what you describe, I can't imagine any way in which a voluntary interview could help you, no matter what the cops tell you.

Also, it's not generally cops who have the ability to offer you a 'deal' for helping them. It's prosecutors. If someone offers you a deal to help them, no matter who they are, you should contact a lawyer before agreeing to it. They're not required to offer you a GOOD deal.Answer #2: Can someone expand on the legal protocol of confiscating money from a suspect? I'm not a cop or a lawyer but the idea of confiscating two grand without any paper work seems ridiculously sketchy. An I wrong?Answer #3: Also [here is the video that always gets posted to explain why talking to cops can be bad for you in these situations](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc&noredirect=1).


Title: Teaching a summer program for kids, quick question about liability [VA]

Question:
Hey all, I am teaching a summer clinic for children on "Biking in an Urban Environment" through a nonprofit in my city.

As part of the clinic I will be taking kids (middle school aged) out on bike rides on the local roads. While safety is a huge component of the clinic, with biking, there is always a risk for injury or death.

What steps do I need to take to ensure that I am not liable, in the absence of negligence, for an accident that occurs during the clinic? I am referring to an accident in which my instruction or direction was not at fault and a participant was injured/killed due to their mistake/the mistake of a driver, etc.

The contract sent to me doesn't seem to mention anything about liability. All I could find is the following, under the heading "Indemnification."

"CONTRACTOR shall defend, indemnify, and hold ORGANIZATION OMITTED harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by law, from and against all loss, liability cost or expense, including reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses, arising out of any suits, claims or actions (including, but not limited to Worker’s Compensation/Employer’s Liability) that may be brought against ORGANIZATION OMITTED by reason of the acts or omissions of CONTRACTOR and irrespective of any contributory or comparative negligence by ORGANIZATION OMITTED.

Do I need to add something to the contract? Talk to a lawyer? Are there laws which already cover me? Please let me know! Thanks!

Answer: You need insurance, or to not do this.  Given the activity and potential risk here, you need a LOT of insurance.


Title: Extent of first amendment rights for purpose of protesting

Question:
If a group were to gather to protest marijuana laws by smoking pot why wouldn't this fall under the first amendment?

Where is the line drawn between a protest of a policy under the protection of the Bill of Rights and an illegal act?

Answer:
 No.

An illegal act doesn't become legal just because you call it "protest." Answer #2: Because the first amendment doesn't give you the right to break any law you disagree with. Answer #3: An illegal act is still illegal, even if done under the guise of protesting. For example, you can't lawfully protest laws forbidding murder by murdering people. The first amendment protects lawful and peaceful protest.Answer #4: > Where is the line drawn between a protest of a policy under the protection of the Bill of Rights and an illegal act?

Well, one set of things are your rights. The other set of things are illegal acts. Is it really that difficult to grasp?


Title: I want to sue my mom's insurance company

Question:
I just don't know what kind of lawyer specialty I'm looking for.

My mom was a smoker for years and quit about 20 years ago.  5 years after she stopped smoking, her primary doctor wanted to do testing on her lungs to access the damage.  Her insurance company denied the claim so she never had it done.  Now she's dealing with Stage 4 small cell lung cancer which would have been caught sooner had her insurance company actually allowed her Primary Doctor to perform the test and cover it.

Can you tell me what kind of attorney I should speak to that would handle cases like this?

Answer:
 I don't see any obvious reason that the insurance company would be liable for anything in this situation. At most, if the test should have been covered per the terms of the policy, she could have worked that out at the time (or, in extremis, potentially sued the insurer to force them to follow the terms of the policy, but that tends to result in the policy getting yanked entirely afterwards).

It was your mother's decision not to get tested. She made that decision for her own reasons - I'm guessing that without insurance, it probably wasn't affordable - but it's ultimately her responsibility, not her insurer's, to decide how to seek treatment. Her insurance did not prevent her from getting tested, they only told her they weren't going to pay for it on her behalf.

You can - and should! - talk to an insurance lawyer about this. Your local bar association or law society can refer you. Go into that conversation with low expectations, though.

I'm sorry for the rough situation you're in. This sucks, regardless.


Title: [Florida] Being evicted in an apartment complex from drug paraphernalia found in the common room I was unaware of.

Question: I am just now coming home to a notice of eviction. I live in a 4 room apartment and there was drug paraphernalia found in the living room (common area). I did not know about this and have tried talking to them and offering to submit a drug test. I don't do drugs. I did know my former roommate who moved out has smoked but I told him not to do it inside. They are being very unreasonable and not allowing any sort of appeal. I live in Florida, what can I do?

Answer:
 My suggestion is to try to find another place and leave within the notice period (7 days), because then the landlord would not have to actually evict you through a court complaint and then the eviction won't show up on your credit history.

You can fight the eviction if you want but evidence of the apartment being used to commit a crime has been discovered, so you are going to lose.


Title: [Oregon] My neighbor goes absolutely crazy whenever my dogs bark. Is there any legal action he could take against us?

Question:
We live relatively near our neighbors. Occasionally while our dogs are chilling out on the deck or in the yard, they'll see deer and bark at them. We have baby monitors set up to hear them and always run to get them as soon as we hear the barks. When we leave the house, we let the dogs out to do their business then shut them in.

The thing is, if our dogs bark even slightly while outside, our neighbor goes crazy. Yesterday, him and his wife yelled at me from his house when I was slightly slower getting to the dogs (I tripped on the stairs and hurt my ankle). Today, my mother says he started yelling at her and making woofing sounds, saying the dogs ruin his life.

We're worried he might try to make this a legal thing. Can he effectively take legal action against us? On the flip side, are there any steps we can take to protect our dogs pre-emptively if he does pursue legal action?

Answer:
 He can contact animal control if you have local dog b~~p~~arking ordinances.

Anyone can sue for almost anything. That doesn't mean they will win.


Title: Can someone be sued for stopping first aid?

Question: If someone needed CPR and a bystander started to render aid but left before the EMTs came because they couldn't be late to pick up their kid/go to their own wedding/catch the last bus home/watch GoT, could they be sued? If so, why would they get sued in that situation and not if they didn't try to help in the first place?

Answer:
 Good Samaritan laws vary by state. In general you take on some duty by intervening. If you start cpr, which for some reason causes other people to not provide aid if they would have otherwise, then you stop, there could possibly be liability. Answer #2: Generally, no one is under a duty to render aid to a stranger. If, however, one chooses to do so then they create a duty to see it through until the EMT's arrive, or something else happens.

For example, if you start CPR you could stop when you were physically exhausted from the effort, to avoid hurting yourself but not because you wanted to go and catch the latest episode of Judge Judy.

The reasoning behind this is usually stated as once a person chooses to render aid, then they prevent another passerby from potentially choosing to render aid. So, because they are potentially stopping other help they create a duty to provide aid and not withdraw care. It is the creation of this duty that gives rise to potential liability.

There are certain state laws that will require a stranger to render aid to another stranger. For example, in IL if you get in a car wreck with injuries you are legally obligated to help the other party. Usually this means calling 911 and following the directions of the dispatcher - they don't expect you to perform filed surgery. Absent such a law, you have no legal duty to help a stranger.

Cheers!


Title: [PA] If the police requests that our landlord show them whose names are on our apartment lease, does he have to comply?

Question:
Me and my roommates threw a party, cops came, got us in trouble through the university. My roommate (who got in trouble) refuses to tell the school the rest of our names in the house. They said they will go to the police to find out who is on the lease.

Is our lease a matter of public records? does our landlord have to show them who is on the lease?

Answer: Once they tell the landlord why they want it, you can bet your tuition payments he will give it to them.


Title: UK Property Law - Landlady has changed communal living space into another bedroom. Is this legal?

Question:
Hi /r/legaladvice,

This is a UK matter, as the title says, my Landlady has changed our communal living area into another bedroom but only notified one of my housemates about this.

* I want to know if what she has done is legal?
* Is there anything I can do?
* Should my rent be cheaper if there is now 1 less room than what was advertised?

Answer: As it is a UK matter, you should instead visit r/legaladviceuk. This sub reddit is essentially American and Canadian law based.  We don't know the difference between a solicitor and a barrister, and we like it that way. Answer #2: I would contact shelter http://www.shelter.org.uk/ Depending on where you are they have drop-in centres and they also have a help-line, although you may be able to find the answer in their copious online documentation.


Title: Can I use this copyrighted material under Fair Use?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: I think you misunderstand what a parody is in terms of copyright law.  And on these scant facts, I don't see any fair use at all, just straight up copying, which requires a license.


Title: Can Elon Musk tweet about Bitcoin repeatedly, influence the price of it and not face any consequences?

Question: I'm asking how easily would it be for him to multiply his money by just tweeting. For example, he buys a load of Bitcoin today, the next day he will tweet "I'm thinking of buying 1 billion dollars worth of Bitcoin" driving the price up. He sells, and then tweets "after thinking about it, I decide not to buy bitcoin" driving the price down. Rinse and repeat. Will he not face legal consequences?

Answer:
 The entire point of crypto was to not be beholden to governments

That includes consequences for fucking with it.

Really amusing watching all the Libertarians scream manipulation and unfairness right now.


Title: My sister was hurt at work. How do we sue?

Question:
Hello! I've never done anything in the legal system so I'm kind of at a loss and not sure what to do next.

Here's the story. We live in Somerset, KY and my sister has been working at the same wood factory for 2-3 years. On Wednesday of last week (4/11) her boss poured a substantial amount of chemicals (I think it was acetone) in the factory. Now this wouldn't be a big issue if she didn't have preexisting lung/asthma issues. Her boss poured several gallons of it without notice and never offered a mask to her or any of her colleagues. She toughed it out but the next day she could barely breathe and had to see a doctor.

After getting an inhaler she tried to work again on Monday (4/16) but had to go to the ER after an hour or two. She filed for worker's comp. On Tuesday she saw a doctor for comp and said that she would be fine if she just wore a mask. Today she went back with a face mask and was rushed to the ER again. We're waiting in the lobby now.

As stated before, we know jack about law and whatnot. What are our options? If we hire a lawyer and sue, what are our chances of success? Much appreciated!

Edit: Found the name of the chemical used and updated location.
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: Worker's comp is likely her exclusive remedy here.


Title: Is there a way to sue a Private Catholic High School?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: No. You cannot sue because you don't like the school. There is no ruler for moral values that you can hold them to


Title: Madison, WI: Am I legally allowed to threaten my (guilty) landlord/rental agency with a Fair Housing Complaint unless they pay me?

Question:
This is a follow up question on this update: https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/7lb4ua/update_madison_wi_who_is_allowed_to_discriminate/

Since I posted the linked update, I've received a letter from the rental agency that my account is closed in good standing, as I have paid all that I owed after I broke my lease. I got my security deposit back as well. I am happy with the current state of affairs, overall.

However, they did illegally discriminate. I wouldn't benefit from suing them, as I can't prove any damages and they aren't very big anyway (and are partly in the hypothetical realm: what would happen if I _did_ advertise to girls too?). What I can do is report them to the Fair Housing Council (if I'm not mistaken, I just looked up some links) for what they did.

Is it legal to tell them that I feel wronged and ask them for some money, to make the wrong righted, in which case I would not report them? Would it be extortion? The attorney that I spoke to thinks that what they did is illegal, for reference, but his consultation costs $60 an hour, so I'm asking here.
Frankly, I don't care what happens to them, but if I can benefit from the situation after few phone calls, exchanging emails and signing a document, without getting into legal trouble, I would do that.

I am very well aware that they'll most likely ignore me, but if it is legal, I literally have nothing to lose by trying, and may have money to gain.

Answer: Yes, that would be extortion. "Stop doing this or I'll report you" is different from "Pay me money or I'll report you". Either report them, or don't, but threatening them won't get you anywhere.


Title: Been lurking here. When someone brings up medical malpractice, it's always states these cases are "very very fact specific" or something like that. Curious what types of cases are NOT very fact specific?

Question:
Are there degrees of "fact specificity" and does this vary by state? For example is a DUI more fact-specific in New Mexico than in Ohio?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Well everything really is fact specific, but in medmal, determining what the medical standard of care is is very location specific.  The medical standard of care is:

>the level and type of care that a reasonably competent and skilled health care professional, with a similar background and in the same medical community, would have provided under the circumstances that led to the alleged malpractice.

From nolo.

So what may violate the standard of care in Boston may not violate the standard of care in Podunk, Nebraska.  Further, medical standards of care are constantly evolving and changing as new studies and standard operating procedures are developed.  That's not to say other laws don't change, but the medical field changes much faster than DUI standards for example.

Edit to add: It's easy to offer an educated guess on OP's chances of beating a DUI based on how the cop pulled him over, booked him, tested him, etc.   But with medmal there are countless things we don't know, like specific location, doctor's training, what the standard in that doctor's medical community was, etc.


Title: I think my friend's parents are stealing money he doesn't know he has [WA state]

Question:
I think this is a legal question, please forgive me if it's not. A 30 year old friend of my is semi-estranged from his parents over personal issues. Recently the parents have been asking suspicious questions, like wanting his driver's license number to renew car tabs, even though non of their cars should be in his name. Or trying to get him to come meet up to "sign something important." Or asking for his baby daughter's social security number to set up a savings account in her name.

He's not speaking to them and he's just ignoring all this. I'm concerned that they have money in his name, maybe from his recently deceased grandmother, or they're trying to do something else sneaky. They ARE the kind of people who would commit identity fraud on their own family.

Any advice on how to find out if someone else has investments or property in your name? Many thanks.

Answer:
 He needs to talk to the lawyer that handled his grandmothers estate.

My guess is that they are trying identity theft.


Title: I got a Cease and Desist for using a new Top Level Domain extension that happens to be trademarked.

Question:
Edit: I do business in Virginia Beach, VA

I just registered chiro.hosting and I am planning on reselling hosting services and offer web design services to chiropractors. I invested several hours on the official website and template designs, but I do not have any actual clients yet. The domain name was completely original and I did not steal the idea of using this name from anyone else. I actually have proof of this if it matters; I.e. I used a variation of the name to setup email for my father's chiropractic business in the past.

About 3 - 5 days later, I got an email (and now a letter with an extended deadline) from "ChiroHosting" that threatens to file a UDRP (Uniform Domain Name Resolution Policy), that would force the transfer of the domain name to them, "based on the existing trademark and that your domain offers a competing service that could confuse our customers.) They also threatened to sue in federal court for damages (again, no clients so good luck with that mate).

They want me to immediately delete the site currently hosted at chiro.hosting, provide them the EPP code for transferring the domain, and agree to refrain from using their trademark, ChiroHosting. They are offering a whopping $39 for me to do all this (the price I paid for the registration of the domain).

I pulled this from uspto.gov that describes the trademark:

>Word Mark 	CHIROHOSTING
Goods and Services 	IC 044. US 100 101. G & S: Providing a web site featuring information on health and nutrition; Providing a web site featuring medical information; Providing a website featuring content regarding healthy living and lifestyle wellness; Providing a website featuring information about health, wellness and nutrition; Providing a website featuring information concerning alternative health and healing. FIRST USE: 20000502. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20000502

I already emailed them saying that I do not believe they have a claim because my their business described by their trademark has nothing to do with mine. The trademark describes a website providing information on health and whatnot, but mine would provide websites marketing chiropractors' practices. But from their website, they do seem to offer web hosting of that type, so they are completion. I just don't think they have claim here.

Also, it is worth mentioning that their company name is not ChiroHosting. The company I have legally registered is ChiroHosting, Inc, while they are doing business as ChiroHosting, but on the bottom of their webpage, it clearly shows a completely different name they are operating under. Also, the person who sent me this letter is not a lawyer - he is the registered person of the trademark, and "CEO" of the company called ChiroHosting which is not a real company (except the one I just registered with the state clerk).

What do you think, Reddit? Do they have a claim? And what should I do? Also, no matter if your opinions are in my favor or not, I will still appreciate it your thoughts on this (unlike some other people who post on here).

Edit: I think we've determined that they do not have a claim since I actually use the domain name for a business where the name is legally registered. Thank you all for your advise/thoughts on the matter!

Answer:
 > The company I have legally registered is ChiroHosting, Inc

Not a trademark attorney, but if you legally registered a matching name as your business name, I don't think they have much of a case to force you to turn over your domain.  You've clearly already set up a company under this name (even if you don't have clients yet) and I think it would be hard for them to claim you were trying to pretend to be their company to skim off their webtraffic.Answer #2: Well, chirohosting.com now appears to do exactly the same thing you want to do, so I think chances are pretty high that they will follow through with the lawsuit, which means you'd have to spend quite a bit of money to prove that the trademark is invalid.

I'm not sure that the trademark would be invalid too.

So, I think chirohosting.com has a decent claim, and since this could cost you thousands of dollars, you should follow the sidebar:

* Please only use responses as guidelines to better prepare yourself for when you meet with a lawyer.
* Lawyers everywhere usually offer low-or-no cost consultations

nissan.com is quite a bit different because it was registered by a guy with the last name of 'Nissan' and it was registered before Nissan had *any* web presence (ford.com was probably available at the time too).


Title: Was called to my HR Dept.

Question: Location NH USA I am 33 male diabetic type 2 requiring insulin injections before eating. So  I was called to my HR Dept. I was reported for injecting insulin in a non private place the locker room and lunch room. I was told the person or persons reporting me had phobias of needles/blood. I was asked to use the private room that is currently only being used by women who need to pump. I said I'd rather inject in the men's room. HR seemed ok with it. Now I was asked to repost this here. To see what you people think of it. The private room is single occupancy. I wanted to know if the ADA was violated

Answer: So...is there a problem here? It sounds like it's been resolved to everyone's satisfaction.


Title: [NJ] Trademark application refused because of an existing trademark that has not been in use for 3+ years. What are my options?

Question:
My trademark was denied because company X has the same words trademarked in another language.

I'd like to know if it would be possible to file a Petition for Cancellation since company X and it's trademark has not been in use for 3+ years.

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 You REALLY need to consult an IP lawyer

The general standard for evidence of abandonment is the trademark not being used for at least three years. The company also has to have no intent to use it again. Is it possible? Yes. Is it advisable without an IP lawyer? Definitely not.


Title: Property Manager Stole from me. Help please.

Question:
So, I am a college student. I moved out of my house recently and into an apartment. The housemates still there were holding on to my 2 kayaks until I got situated. I went back today to get them and the property manager stole them. The other housemates that didn't know said that he could take them.

&#x200B;

I called the manager said I want them back, and he said shadily "I don't know where they are I already passed them off." I told him he needs to find them or pay me for them. I am now thinking of options possible. I have proof of one kayaks payment, the other was a gift. Combined worth around $1000.

&#x200B;

The other details are that the house that I was living in was a shit hole. There is no way the house was up to standard. Pipes were falling apart, the circuits were completely (for example microwave wasn't on its own circuit, exposed wires in garage, etc.), and many more health violations (like a boarded up, built-in Jacuzzi in the outside deck that had black still water in it for years, even before we got there). There's no way the property is insured (landlord is in Israel). The reason why we rented it is because we are college kids who needed somewhere cheap to live and we just passed it down to friends every year.

&#x200B;

If he doesn't pay or give me my property back, what can/should I do? I'm extremely angry and need some help. Do I have a stance to sue? Do I tell him I can report the property and him in order to get him to pay? I don't think contacting the landlord is the way to go because I don't even  know if he responds to anyone/anything. I only have the property managers name, email, and phone number, no other information. He may not even be licensed.

Thank you.

Answer: Go to the police immediately. He flat out stole your shit and that's a crime, not a civil issue.


Title: (FL) someone keeps calling me and saying that I'm harassing THEM

Question:
I live in FL but we both have a NY number. They have called me numerous times. Today the left a message saying "they alerted the authorities because they know the two phones I am trying to sell them are a scam. And the authorities are looking into it."

I don't know these people, I have never called them. And now I might have the police on my case. What should I do? It's a very weird situation.

Answer:
 Block their number and ignore.
Answer #2: Nothing. Don't respond to their messages. If they get you on the phone, tell them you haven't been calling them. I'd lay good money that the police are not, in fact, coming.


Title: Can private events really ban women in the US?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 If they are truly a private club, and not open to the public, the answer is generally, yes, you’re allowed to discriminate.

Some exceptions may apply, see Supreme Court for details.


Title: Girlfriend is homesick Chinese citizen living in US, H-1B visa was declined, on grace period. Could she visit China if we got married?

Question:
We live in Kentucky. I am a natural born American Citizen and am currently unemployed, but my 2016 take home was very good. My girlfriend graduated recently, her OPT has run out, her H-1B work visa was declined, and she is on a grace period. If she is still here after August she will be illegally residing.

If we went to the courthouse and got married, would she be ok to stay in the country? She wants to visit China and travel abroad, but my friend with a wife who is a foreign citizen thought that they could not leave the country for a 2 year period while something is processed, I can't remember what it's all very confusing.

Any advice is very much appreciated, thank you.

I found this, not sure which path would be best for us:
[Immigrant Visa for a Spouse or Fiancé(e) of a U.S. Citizen](https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/immigrate/family/fiance.html)

Answer:
 You're going to want to consult with an immigration attorney in order to make sure everything is done legally in regards to her citizenship and ability to leave and come back.

Keep this in mind though: getting married solely so she can stay in the country and go visit China when she wants is inviting some scrutiny.