Title: Social network to make people aware how public their life is on the internet: To which point is this legal?

Question:
Hello

I wanted to repost this now that I have been told to add all the information.

I'm starting a social website (worldside access, that is why there is no location) and I need to know how legal it is

Basically the project will be a social "protect your private" network that gathers all the information available on a person publically both on the internet...and real life.

Lets say we have "James Gomez" (completely made up name and no relation to anyone). He has (and you know) a profile on Facebook, Twitter, etc. and you submit to the site these links. There I think there is no legal issues as they are simple links to social networking sites. The legal issues are when it comes transforming real life scenarios into a public space as the internet.

Lets say he eats at McDonalds on Street X every Monday. You go and take a picture of him to prove he does this every Monday and submit it on the site. When on the site you look for "James Gomez" his social profiles come up and so does this picture.

Lets get even worst: Lets say he is a careless man who pays with his credit card and simply discards his receipt in the garbage can. Excluding the legality of dumpster diving in some locations, you go into the can, get that receipt, and **scan the full receipt with all the information on it without editing nothing** and upload it on the website. Again, they search for him, this pops up as well.

The reason behind his social network is to know how many "breadcrumbs" you leave behind in life (and online). If someone gets the message behind the site and James Gomez contacts me, I would take all his information off my site for free (this isn't for ransom or blackmailing). If he wished to hide his information from public internet from other sites such as Facebook and such, I do not mind configuring or telling him how to do it (that is for a fee, since at the end of the day those sites are not mine)

Bottom line is: Is this public information gathering and posting on the internet legal? At the end of the day, the people that upload this content are the ones doing the crime (if exist) but the web host does host it.

Also, I'm looking for legal advice; If this is a good or bad idea, is a personal choice.

Thank you for reading.

Answer:
 I have seen this type of idea come up several times over the years. You would  almost certainly open yourself up to criminal charges and lawsuits, especially if you attempted to go "worldwide". Laws vary from state to state and country to country, depending on what information is posted about an individual and how it is obtained. Many web services and ISPs also restrict this type of activity, which could be considered harassment, stalking or "doxing."  Shady individuals would use this avenue to post false or incriminating information. You would open a can of worms that would quickly spin out of control. I doubt you would be up and running for very long. At the very least, I guarantee that your very own personal identity and deep dark secrets (and probably those of your immediate family) would become prime game and you woud be flayed online mercilessly and with much glee. Ever heard the old saying, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander?"

If you seriously decide to pursue such an reprehensible venture, I suggest you prepare yourself and your family for complete online trashing, (or worse), and make sure you have plenty of lawyers on retainer, because you're definitely going to need them.


Title: (NJ) Got in an accident while working for Uber but didn't have a customer at the time. My insurance company doesn't know I drive for Uber

Question: Basically what the title says. I am really freaking out here and could use some help. I was working for Uber when I caused an accident. The other driver broke a bone and both our cars will probably be written off. Although I was working for Uber I didn't have a customer at the time I was just waiting for one and I never told my own insurance company I was driving for Uber. How bad am I screwed if my own insurance company finds out? I read online they might not cover me but I am not sure and I don't want to ask them and tip them off.

Answer:
 > How bad am I screwed if my own insurance company finds out?

Well, they are going to find out. Unless, of course, you lie to them which is likely insurance fraud. You should probably talk to a lawyer in your area before you talk to anyone. The sooner the better. Answer #2: > How bad am I screwed if my own insurance company finds out?

very. unless you have a specific kind of policy that covers ride sharing (which is not available in all states), they'll deny your claim and drop your ass like a hot potato. good luck getting more insurance with a cancellation on your record.

on the other hand, failing to disclose relevant information like that is insurance fraud.

with respect to the other guy, uber *might* have insurance that will cover your liability. but if you try to use it, your insurance company will find out.

you have now fallen into the uber coverage hole. enjoy trying to climb out -- this is what you get when you work for a company that thinks laws do not apply to them. you can complain further in /r/uberdrivers.


Title: I got pulled over. Cop lied in court. I got a red light citation. I am going back to court to plead financial burden. Any advice will help.

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Removed - PII

Answer:
 Wait, so you've already appeared in court on this and lost? You can't appeal based on financial hardship, and the appellate court isn't going to care about pictures of your tire months after the fact enough to reopen the case.

These are things that you should have done before the judge the first time.


Title: When I showed up to vote they said I was in the wrong county. The county I’m supposedly supposed to be in is 30 minutes away and I have never lived there. [TX]

Question:
Basically, I have it in the title. My voter registration mailer also says Harris county (which is where I live), but when I show up they say I must have changed it?
What could have happened? I’m a registered Democrat and this is the first election I’ve been able to vote in in Houston because I’ve been away at school and I’m pretty pissed my vote won’t matter. I even checked registration details on October 7 with my husband and a group of friends and it said Harris county, like we expected.

Answer: I don't know about Texas voting law, but that sounds fishy. In the future, request a provisional ballot, which they are required to provide whether your name is on the list or not.Answer #2: Not sure if this helps but pulled from the Texas website:  Answers to questions on election law and procedures may be obtained by telephoning the Elections Division toll-free at 1.800.252.VOTE (8683) or direct at 512.463.5650.Answer #3: Provisional ballot!


Title: Labor dispute victory. Now how do I collect?

Question: About 2 years ago I worked for a company that didn't pay me for about a month. My co-workers and I went to the labor board and we won the claims case and now I have a nice paper saying such and such owes me a good amount of money. Except I have no idea where to proceed from here or how to collect. I got a template of a letter I could send to the company that screwed me but they are no longer at that address... However, online records show they are not yet bankrupt and still considered a live company. What kind of advice can you savvy PF folks provide to help me and my past colleagues collect what's owed to us? Thanks for your time.

Answer: You have to find the company and serve them with the notice, or pay a debt collector to do it for you.


Title: Car crash help.

Question:
Hey guys I'll make it quick because my mom is freaking out.

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Yesterday my mom was driving me to work, there was a lot of traffic that eventually became slow and stopped for a brief second, during that second the car behind us just smashed into us and we hit a van in front of us. The person behind us was a young kid who admitted to the cops that he was on his phone, he constantly said he has insurance and what not. His license plate was from Alabama and this is happening in FL.

&#x200B;

Last night my mother called his insurance and she was told since the kid in the back was at fault that they were going to pay for our damages and any bills that popped up. Fast forward today all of a sudden the kids insurance called us and were told that the kid in fact did not have insurance and was under investigation. Since this was the case our car will not be paid for (the motor is messed up, back of the car is ugly and the car is making a lot of noise and no one feels comfortable driving it)

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She called our insurance but apparently it only covers if we hit someone... which is odd if my mom picked it like this, shes an over the top safe driver. So they won't help out?

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My mom worked hard for this car, and now she is depressed like hell because it looks like there's no positive things coming out of this. I will most likely be pitching in for a new car, but it really is not fair for us to pay for anything.

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Just for reassurance... this is in MIAMI FL

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Can anyone tell me what to do in this situation? If anymore info is needed I can give, but my knowledge is somewhat limited.
Topic:
Insurance

Answer: You can sue for the damages and your pain. However, generally people without insurance dont have any money to payout. It may be worth a shot to look into though. You can definetetly file a lawsuit against him though


Title: Collection agency says I owe more than I believe I do. Original service provider is no longer in business.

Question:
(IL) The company is in a state that is different than the one in which I live. I believe the collection agency is in the same state as the company.

I just want to pay what I owe, and no more. Should I take this to small claims? If so, do I file in the state in which I live?

Answer: No. They're the ones wanting money from you. They would be the one to take you to court. Just tell them you'll only pay what you think you owe and if that's not good enough for them they can take you to court. The collection agency is trying to squeeze you for more. They bought that debt for less than you owe to the original company.


Title: Wife left me, sold phone on account.

Question:
[OR] My wife was on my parents and my phone plan, I recently bought my wife a brand new iPhone by using my upgrade to get it, so now I have to pay the monthly financing payment for the next 2 years. The account is in my dads name, but the line on the account was in her name.

Through a series of events, my wife left me and told me she wants a divorce, and has been spending time with some other people, in particular another guy who I think she is having an affair with. She has been refusing to talk to me on the phone and is only texting me.

Today I got a text from a different number saying that it was her new number, and that she had sold the iPhone. Does she have the right to sell her iPhone, with it still being associated with our account and us owing payments on it? Or can we report it stolen? She  was supposed to be giving the phone back to us.

 I am concerned that these people are taking advantage of her.

Answer:
 If you bought the phone while married, it's probably technically a marital asset.   When you get to the divorce hearings, and you're talking about who gets what, make sure your lawyer is VERY aware of the phone and the fact that she sold it, while you're obligated to pay for it for X more dollars.     In theory, that should count as several hundred dollars worth of something she took already, and your side of the balance sheet should get credited for your half of that cost, so if the phone was worth $600, you'd hypothetically keep $300 more from the joint bank account, for example.   It's rarely that exact, of course, but that's the concept - you're going to split everything up, and anything she takes or sells now is going to come out of her share.  If her decision was rash or spiteful, the court will take notice of that.  If she was selling the only thing she had on her to make living expenses after she moved out because you controlled access to the bank account...  well..  less so.

Oregon is a no-fault divorce state, so potential infidelity doesn't help you as much as it might have in other states... but if she has spent money on the affair, hotel stays, gifts, etc - those are things that can affect what she's entitled to, if you can prove them.


Title: I have an illegal audio recording of a lying judge!

Question: [removed]

Answer: Interstate 80 does not pass through Mendocino County.


Title: What portion of people are reasonable?

Question:
What portion of people are reasonable?

How often do people do or think unreasonable things?

Answer: Are you referring to the legal concept of reasonable person? Because that’s quite different than actual reasonable people because as others have mentioned the average person is quite unreasonable


Title: [MI] In trouble for torrenting with Comcast/copywrite issue

Question:
So I live in a flat with 3 flatmates, and no one is fessing up to torrenting skull island.. and I didn't to my knowledge.  But apparently my landlord had gotten a copyright notice from Comcast.

I've had my own account with comcast before when I lived elsewhere and don't remember this being that huge of an issue- I didn't need to email comcast back.

But my landlord wants me to email him and "take written responsibility" for downloading this and saying I deleted it.  I didn't even download this torrent. But I do need access to internet for my finals soon and I got kicked off. Are there any repercussions to admitting I did this in an email?

I at least have text message records of my landlord telling me to do this.
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer: Absolutely do not do that. You would be admitting that you illegally downloaded something--a crime. Never admit to a crime without speaking to an attorney. In this case, I would do nothing and if you don't have access to the internet because of it I would go to the library to work on finals. Answer #2: Does your lease say Internet will be provided? Your ll can't just cut it off if it does. Don't admit to anything especially something you didn't do.


Title: [NJ]Boss said I'm "let go" without notice

Question:
I've been working at a company that sells sunglasses for about 11 months. I started in September as a part-time associate and would get an average of 6 to 15 hours a week. I thought this is actually good because I am also a full time student.  However, about 3 months ago my manager who hired me had been fired due to suspicions of stealing. They had never had proof for this but decided to fire him anyway. After my employer has been fired, I was targeted and they had given me absolute 0 hours for about a month. I had to text and call the central manager multiple times but did not get any answers. Until I finally met her in person while she was at the job, she basically told me that she "didn't" get any calls or text from me. She told me she will start to give me some hours and I was excited to hear that. A few days pass by and I find out that she had only been giving me 3 to 4 hours average a week. Sometimes 3 hours per every two weeks. Recently, for the last two weeks I did not work AT ALL. I decide to go to my workplace and talk to the central manager again.

[Warning] "Some Dialogue"

I asked her, "Why haven't I gotten any hours recently?" She says, "... don't you know you're terminated?"

Me: Terminated? Why have I been terminated?

Her: Because you are seasonal, did my supervisor not tell notify you?

Me: No? Are you sure I'm terminated or let go?

Her: Terminated.. I mean let go I'm sorry. Let me call our supervisor to check things with her
(The supervisor picks up)

Her: Hey, our employee here (me) says that you said that you terminated him f...

Me: Hold on, I did not say that.. ( So I ask for the phone and take it)

I asked my supervisor what was going on. She then apologizes to me for not being able to tell me that I was let go. I told her we will talk once she comes for work.
*Moments pass*
Supervisor is now at work and the Central Manager had left.
She first apologizes to me and goes on to tell me that:

1. She thinks the Central Manager is stealing and FRAMED me.

2. She says CM had changed my job from part time to SEASONAL.

So I was switched to season without notice, and I was also "let go" without notice.

Is this legal?

**TL:DR; Manager "terminated" me without notice.**

Answer: Yes. File for unemployment.


Title: [PA] Thought person behind me was chasing me down for road rage so I sped away...It was a cop.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Regardless of why, you were speeding. You can try to get it reduced, it never hurts to try. But thinking you were being followed isn't a legal defense to going almost twice the speed limit.


Title: I sold the house that my mother lived in and she is attempting to claim a right to the profits of the sale.

Question: She placed the deed of the home in my name and the house was sold to the state of Georgia during eminent domain.  The check for the sale was made out only to me.  I'm paying the taxes on the sale.  I gave her $25,000.00 from the sale but she is claiming that I owe her the rest of the money.  Does she have any right to the remaining $27,000.00 from the sale?

Answer: Likely no, but seems like your leaving out alot. Why was it placed in your name? Why did you give her 25k? Did you agree to give her anymore money at any time.


Title: So I was driving on the turnpike when I came to my exit. I switched over to the change (coin) lane and deposited the fee. The light remained red so I through in some more change. It stayed red, so I drove through it and heard the alarm sound. What should I expect / do about this situation? Oklahoma

Answer: You will likely get some sort of notice and there will be a fee, usually around $25. Call the number and ask them to pull the camera. I've heard that will some systems you get one free so this would be your mulligan if it's never happened before. This isn't that big of a deal.Answer #2: Fellow Okie. Those toll change collectors are constantly broken. I have ran through red lights countless times after paying and I have never received a notice/fine.


Title: I was written a ticket using a fake id

Question: This weekend, I was in Kansas and was issued a citation for having an open container while on the sidewalk. But, I'm under 21 and handed the officer a fake id. The fake did have my real name, but other than that the information was all fake. Should I just pay the ticket, or can I ignore it?

Answer:
 Going to call *Shenanigans* on this one. I seriously doubt a cop could not spot a fake ID.

For the sake of argument though, since the name was real, you will be discovered as having used a fake ID. You need a lawyer to help you get this straightened out.

But since this didn't actually happen, you don't have anything to worry about.


Title: [NYS] Terminated for theft of time

Question:
Hey all,

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Without getting overly specific I was just terminated for theft of time. I worked in the IT field and I would work remotely so I would punch in from home and work on tickets and general things. I was given verbal permission to do so. I averaged around 80 hours a week with some overtime, both in the office and at home. Today I was informed that my job did not require hours not in the Office and that I was being terminated on the spot for time theft. They stated that they have me on camera for when I'm in the office and my punches do not match.

&#x200B;

The meeting included my boss and the HR rep for the company. I noticed on the counter a tape recorder recording the conversation. I have never been fired for something so I read the information supplied to me and didn't say anything that could potentially incriminate me. They also did not say that they would bring this into a court of law so I'm not sure what the next steps are to be honest.

&#x200B;

I'm guessing they can technically take it to court over theft charges, they didn't indicate they would but I'm a bit uneasy and very distraught over how sudden this was. What can I do to protect myself? Should I attempt to get unemployment or do I not qualify in NYS due to the reason for termination?

Answer:
 > What can I do to protect myself?

If the police come to question you, refuse to answer any questions until you have retained an attorney.

> Should I attempt to get unemployment or do I not qualify in NYS due to the reason for termination?

File for unemployment. If it is refused, appeal.Answer #2: >What can I do to protect myself?

Get counsel if you're taken to court.  I doubt they will, but anything is possible.

>Should I attempt to get unemployment or do I not qualify in NYS due to the reason for termination?

You should absolutely apply.  If you get the initial denial, then appeal.  You were working and doing your job.  If the company had a misunderstanding, then fine, they can fire you, but that doesn't mean they can rightfully get your UI denied.


Title: Can I Post About My Rapist?

Question:
Was raped by someone who was expelled from his high school for sexual assault (now in college) and is currently being accused by another woman of sexual assault and harassment.

In addition to pursuing legal action against him, am I able to post something about my assault? I have texts where he  acknowledges he raped me, but I'm worried he will sue for defamation (unsure how defamation cases work!). Would it be okay if instead of directly referring to him as a rapist I just post the text conversation I had with him? How much of the story can I share (I.e. are texts okay because he indisputably sent them but more specific details of the assault not okay because there were no witnesses?)

To be honest, I'm very skeptical of what the justice system will be able to do against him considering how many other men I've seen been barely punished and am considering "naming and shaming" as an alternative.

TDLR; will I get sued for posting online about my rapist?

Answer: Was he convicted by a court for rape? If he wasn't it would be best not to or be vague where they can't identify the person's involved.


Title: No company left to get unemployment from.

Question: Sorryim uneducated and completely lost. My job just went under and my boss amd everyone else is out of a job. If the whole company is gona can i still get unemployment through the state or does there have to be a company left to get unemployment from? Sorry for my igonarance. CO by the way.

Answer:
 Unemployment is actually paid by the government, it's an insurance system that employers are required to pay into, so that employees can still get paid in situations like this

File a claim [here] (https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdle/node/19141), and always appeal if denied


Title: My Pink Floyd artwork has been taken down from Redbubble and I don't know why.

Question:
Hello guys.

So I'm an art student from France and I uploaded [this artwork](http://imgur.com/kIMoHWS) on Redbubble 2 days ago because some fellow from /r/pinkfloyd really liked it and wanted to buy it as a t-shirt. But yesterday, Bravado International Group Merchandising Services, Inc. which apparently owns the right for Pink Floyd merchandising I guess, took it down. I was surprised at first, and I thought it was because I used some of the band's songs and albums names, but there's a lot of other artists who are selling artworks with song names, there's even some artworks which are plain Pink Floyd album cover.

So I went ahead and contacted another french artist who sells Pink Floyd artworks and she said that she never run into any trouble and that I might just have been unlucky or reported by someone.

So yeah do you know what could be the reason ? Is it because I used the name of the band which is certainly copyrighted ? Note that the artwork belongs to me, and the font I used is suitable for commercial purposes. Could I be in trouble if I try to sell it on another website ?

Thank you !

Edit : Thanks for your answers, I guess I'm just gonna drop the thing.

Answer:
 > I might just have been unlucky or reported by someone

Probably. The issue here would likely be [trademark](https://trademarks.justia.com/search?q=pink+floyd) not copyright. But if you think the takedown was in error, dispute it with the website.Answer #2: You violated their trademark and they had it pulled. That's their right as the trademark holder.  It's pretty simple. The fact that they haven't gotten around to pulling someone else's violations has nothing to do with you. The trademark holder is under no obligation to treat all violators equally.


Title: (NY) I'm refusing to sign this Quit Claim Deed...good plan?

Question:
Gave my ex the house in the uncontested divorce, which was final in 2014. He told me recently he cannot afford to refinance the house to get my name off the mortgage for "a few more years."  Just this weekend, I finally received the Quit Claim Deed from his lawyer even though I had already told the ex that I'm not signing the quit claim deed until the time comes that he's able to refinance the house without my name on the mortgage.  Therefore, I plan on sitting on these quit claim deed papers and not doing anything until "a few years goes by" and he can hopefully refinance. I figure he won't be able to afford to pay the lawyer, either, to make a motion to force me to sign.  Sound like a decent plan?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Do not sign the Quit Claim until you are off the mortgage. Otherwise, you will be responsible for paying something you haven no interest in. Sneaky on his part.

You could go back to court to force a sale if refinancing was part of the divorce. Check with your lawyer.


Title: [IL] I lied about doing community service work

Question:
So a little backstory... In 2014 I got a DUI and my license was revoked for 3 years. On November 11, 2016 I got pulled over driving a vehicle I had just purchased a few towns over from me and was given a ticket for driving on a revoked license and a date to appear in court. After months of going to court and sitting for hours just for them to tell me a new court date has been scheduled. I worked out a deal with my lawyer and prosecutor to do 10 days in jail with a fine or 240 hours of community service with a fine. I took the community service because I couldn't just not go to work for 10 days. Where I am from in Northwest Illinois I was told I could work on a farm for my hours. So I just put down on my form that I did various jobs on a farm and put a fake name and number that I had just recently got for my house down. Fast forward to October 24, 2017 on my last court date I gave them my hours and paid my fine. Everything seemed fine and all they had to do was verify my hours. I never once heard the phone ring and there were no missed calls. Today, I checked the county website where it lists public records and it says "**** County Public Service Works Disposition Form, filed (UNABLE TO VERFIY). Hearing set for 11/13/2017"

I'm just curious what kind of trouble I could get in for lying or whats going to happen. I'm going to call my lawyer tomorrow and see what she has to say, but I just saw this and now I'm kind of worried. I figured since I gave them my sheet with hours on it that looked legit and I paid my fine everything would be good.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: You will at a minimum be required to serve the 10 days. You could also be held for additional time for contempt of court, and I would not be surprised if the DA charges you with a crime related to falsifying documents. Maybe fraud, perjury, or forgery. Answer #2: This is get a lawyer time. The DA can and very likely will revoke the deal you made and try to press for you to serve the original sentence. If you go before the same judge again, he will likely be very pissed that you lied to him/her. So I would not expect leniency in their discretion. At the same time that can, and would have an awesome case for either perjury or at minimum contempt of court. Get a lawyer.


Title: My wife is going to get fired tomorrow in missouri because she got sick and can't talk for a few days.

Question:
So, my wife got woke up yesterday and couldn't talk. She works at a call center, so that's obviously a problem since she can't do her job. She just started a few weeks ago and is still in training. Her training ends this Friday and she has been taking calls since the beginning of last week already. Yesterday and today, she went into work and they sent her home because she can't work. Today, they told her that if she cannot talk tomorrow, they are going to fire her. They claimed that it's because her training will not be complete and she won't be able to do her job next Monday. She also singed a contract that said during training she could leave for any reason at any time and they could fire her for any reason at any time (not 100% sure about the contract, I haven't read it myself).

We have been to a clinic and it is not strep (90% sure, they sent it off to the lab to confirm). The doctor said it is very likely a virus that nothing can be done about except to wait for it to go away which could be several more days. She does have Diabetes and Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism. This throat issue could be a complication of either of those, or it could be not related at all.

I did a little research for Missouri, where I'm at and it says that it's illegal for an employer to fire you if their reasons are discriminating against your disability and reasonable accommodations can be made. No accommodations have had to have been made so far because of her diabetes or Hypothyroidism. The stuff I read said that a reasonable accommodation could include leaving due to complications of your disability with an estimated return date of even several weeks.

I basically just wanted to get some thoughts before she goes into work tomorrow and see if there's anything she can say so they won't fire her. If she gets fired, we very likely won't pursue a lawsuit or anything, I'm just wanting some thoughts and advice because we really need the income from her job right now.

Unfortunately, I have to go to bed right now so I can't answer questions. Leave your advice and I'll check it in the morning, I know I posted this quite late, but any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 IANAL:
It seems from what you posted that her job is talk but her doctor said she cannot talk, most likely for a few days. I do not know what reasonable accommodations you could think of. Examples I have seen is when a cashier who usually stands twists their ankle, their doctor's not can get them a stool to sit on. A person who has carpal tunnel syndrome may be able to have their employer purchase or allow them to use ergonomic mouse/keyboard if they must type, etc.

Also, you said she signed a contract saying that she can be fired for any reason during her training and also that her training is not over. They can fire her.


Title: Accidentally viewed CP (Hear me out)

Question:
Toronto, CA

I'm 15. I was browsing some chans, and I impulse clicked a link (which in hindsight, was very obviously a spambot). It led me to an imagevenue gallery full of CP. I exited, but after checking the imagevenue terms and agreements it stated that anybody who views the CP will have his IP reported to the FBI and Interpol. I'm really, really scared right now and I'm scared on how much trouble I'm gonna be in. Will the cops come?

Answer:
 Clear you browser history and never say anything about it again, and if anything does actually come from it (almost 100% certainly won't) don't say ANYTHING to law enforcement. That doesn't mean lie about anything. That means you refuse to speak to law enforcement.

Most people on the internet have accidentally seen a picture of CP at some point in their years browsing the Internet.Answer #2: Nah, don't worry about it. Nothing is going to come of this. Just be more careful.


Title: Canada Post community mailboxes - landlord wants a copy of the key (Ontario, Canada)

Question:
We're in Ontario, Canada.

We received the keys to our community mailbox a few days ago.  The mailbox isn't active until late October.

We live in a walk-up low rise, with 3 units. The landlord is requesting one of the three keys.

It seems weird and somewhat illegal:

- They don't provide the mailbox

- They don't maintain the mailbox

- It's my personal mail

- If their mail arrives by mistake in my mailbox, I would deal with it as per the law (forward, hand-over or RTS)

As [per Canada Post's QA section](http://feedback.canadapost.ca/as-a-landlord-with-two-legal-rental-properties-currently-each-unit-receives-its-own-mail-i-understand-that-because-of-this-each-unit-will-get-its-own-cmb-will-the-landlord-get-these-keys-first/)

>Q: "As a landlord with two legal rental properties currently each unit receives its own mail. I understand that because of this each unit will get its own CMB. Will the landlord get these keys first?" - D. O. St John's, Newfoundland

>A: "Hi D. **The CMB keys are provided to the residents, not the landlord.**  This is to ensure that the residents have access to their mail while they are at that address.  The resident(s) in each apartment will receive three copies of the key to their personal mail compartment.  Note that if your tenants vacate the apartment without leaving their CMB keys behind, you can always **request that the lock be changed (at no cost) and the new tenants will be issued three new keys.**" (emphasis mine)

So what are the factors here that I don't understand?
Any thoughts or advice?  This just seems somewhat domineering.

Answer: I'd never give a mailbox key to my landlord or anyone else outside my home.


Title: Woman on facebook accusing me of rape.

Question: She posted a status saying I raped someone and now everyone I know thinks its true. Is there anyway to get her in trouble for this?

Answer: If you're in teh USA, you could conceivably sue her for defamation.


Title: Weird situation with ex filing restraining order. Need advice.

Question:
Location is USA, Ohio. I'll warn you that this gets a little bit graphic and contains elements of sexual harassment.

I moved in with my ex earlier this year. Sounds silly looking back, but we had broken up recently and were on good terms and had been planning to move since we both needed a new place to live anyway.

Things were okay at first. They started getting rocky after I started dating a new girl. It was almost like the ex became a different person. Ex mentioned something about having thought we'd get back together, eventually moved in with some friends who live a few doors down, back in July. She kept pressuring me to leave, which I agreed that I would, but not until the end of October as I simply don't have time to move until then.

Anytime I go on a trip with the new lady (it's kind of long distance) the ex would come over to yell at me, lecture me, etc. The past month it's gotten way worse. She's gotten violent. Came over, got angry, started hitting me and leaving marks and scratches. Sometimes at random times. It's given me a huge amount of anxiety. I told her what she's doing is assault/abuse, and she said something to the effect that no one will believe me anyway (she's like 95lbs and I'm a muscular, fit guy).

When she'd do this, I'd get really panicky, and then really angry for letting that happen to me. I'm not going to hit a girl and so I just tried to leave in those situations. I wouldn't think of it as self-defense because I don't think she had the strength to kill me or even seriously injure me, but it was still pretty scary and unnerving. Anyway, a couple weeks ago, she came into the apartment and started attacking me, clawing at my face, biting me... and then I tried to leave my room and she blocked the door. Like with her body, she was in front of it so I'd have to force her away to escape. I admit I wasn't thinking entirely rationally, but I wanted to get out of there ASAP so I just forced the door in the other direction. It ripped out the hinges and crashed into the wall, leaving a pretty big hole. Then, when I left that morning and came back after work, I noticed a bunch of other holes that weren't there before. I suspect that she came in and made them.

Last week I was packing for a trip, she accused me of going to see this girl, I told her I wasn't but it wasn't any of her business anyway. She started hitting me again, I slammed my fist down on my desk and shouted loudly at her to back off, and she did. She kept hanging around and berating me and telling me about guys she'd had sex with since our breakup, and I told her I didn't really care which made her even more mad.

So, the worst part. I had to use the bathroom, and I went in there and she let herself in. I told her to leave, and she refused. The lock on the bathroom doesn't work (door won't latch) FYI. I have a minor kidney problem and I have to use the restroom every couple hours at least. Anyway, I couldn't hold it in any longer and she made me relieve myself while she watched. I felt really angry and upset after that. We continued arguing for an hour or two, she kept refusing to leave (I know it was her apartment as well so she wasn't obligated to), and then I had to use the bathroom again. She followed me again, and wouldn't leave, and I just didn't want her to watch me again, I felt so angry and embarrassed. I tried turning the light off and she turned it back on. I know I was probably not thinking clearly, but my anger just boiled over and I grabbed the light fixture and ripped it out of the wall. I figured she couldn't see me if it there was no light. I hadn't expected how much it would rip out, though... I'd assumed it was just one of those long bulbs but it was actually wired in pretty deep.

Anyway, the next day she is yelling at me as usual through messenger and I told her that I consider what she did to be sexual harassment, and maybe even sexual assault, and if this happened again I was calling the police. She went completely silent after that. I was relieved at first but then I got increasingly nervous because, well, she's normally in the habit of escalating arguments, stoic silence is really not something I've seen her do.

Anyway, last Thursday, four armed policemen burst into my apartment and tell me that she went to a judge and got a restraining order because she said I was an immediate danger to her life, and I need to show up in court on Wednesday the 3rd for a hearing. They told me I had to leave immediately, I could only get my wallet, keys, phone, and charger. They fortunately let me get my work laptop as well.

Anyway, I've spent the last two days just trying to find a place to stay, as well as buying clothes, toiletries, etc, because I've been wearing the same clothes for 48 hours that I was kicked out in. I feel like it's insane that this is happening.

So, I've only just now gotten a chance to look into any of this. I'm really confused. After I googled it it sounds like the cops should have let me return and get my things with a police escort, but when I asked them they said they would not.

Also, I'm really worried about something else. I admit I was in a panicky state of mind when they burst in and should have asked more questions. She apparently told them I had a gun and was dangerous. First thing they did was search me. After that they asked if I had a gun, I said no. They then asked if I had access to a gun, and I said no (I'd thought they'd meant if I had one on me or like, in a place I can easily get to it). They told me she said I had a gun. I told them I do, but it's way off in storage which is pretty far away (a friend gave it to me 10 years ago, I literally fired it once and decided it wasn't my thing). Now that I think about it, though, I'm not 100% sure if it's not in my apartment since we had to transfer a lot of our boxes out of storage. And apparently I could be in violation of some law because of that, which has severe penalties, so I'm really not sure what to do here. That's probably what I'm most worried about.

I don't really know what to be doing at all with this. Never been in a situation like this before. It's such short notice, I don't even know how to research all of this in the next few days. And yeah, I know I should have called the police the first time she assaulted me, and I've learned from that. But, like... what do I even do from here? I don't have a lot of money for a lawyer. I've pretty much drained a lot of finances trying to survive the past few days.

Answer:
 IANAL

1. Go to a lawyer first thing in the morning. Some of them do free 30min/1hr consultations. Find one that does this.

2. Ensure the location of the gun and make sure she doesn't have it. You ex sounds like a danger to at least you. If the gun is missing, make sure you submit paperwork to the cops immediately ( https://www.atf.gov/firearms/report-firearms-theft-or-loss-0 ).

3. When she calls you and asks you to come back, do us a favor and don't pickup the phone.

4. Document any and all threats, take pictures of wounds/scars she gave you.

5. If she finds you in person, please make sure you two are always in public and your phone is always recording. If you are in a two-party consent state, tell her that you are recording.

6. DON'T talk to her or communicate with her IN ANY way that doesn't generate a paper trail or a recording.

7. If she knows any of your passwords to social media or email, change those immediately. She's clearly out for blood and may be writing herself a threatening email from your account right this moment.


Title: My landlord threatened me he would take me to court for not paying him for the lawnmower company fee

Question: I got a notice from the city explaining that I need to cut the grass, so my landlord told me that he will get a quote from a company and ask the neighbors about the price they pay to cut the grass for my lawn, but i told him that I do own a lawn mower and that is unnecessary, so I did cut the grass the next day and I left to work, I call my landlord and inform him that I did. He then tells me that he already sent a company I believe an hour after i did and they got the shrubs and the small trees and recut my grass and they're going to charge me 125 dollars for it. Now mind you that he didnt give me a price for the quote, and the company didnt ask my permission to cut the grass on my premises, not to mention that I already cut the grass, he says that I am responsible to pay for that fee. The company took a before and after pictures where they cut the shrubs, and he did provide a copy of the bill, but can he win if he takes me to court, and what would happen if I dont pay it.

Answer: What does the lease say about taking care of the yard?


Title: [WA] got a red light ticket, need some help contesting it

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 If you didn't come to complete stop before the crosswalk (which you seem to be unsure of, "pauses" and stopping past the line don't count) then there is no defense because you did illegally run the red light. Every single state that allows turns on red require a complete stop before the crosswalk (or stop line if there is no crosswalk) for it to be legal. This is true for all stop signs as well. My wife is a notorious "California" stopper and if we had cameras in this area, she'd probably rack up quite the bills.

It sounds like you should just make the payment and chalk it up to a lesson learned.


Title: [Alberta/BC, Canada] If a music festival provides a voluntary "safe space" for attendees (independent of first aid/security), is there an "implied duty of care"?

Question:
I'll try to clarify; I wanted to keep the title brief.

I volunteer regularly at various Western Canadian electronic music festivals, and help with coordination for some. It is common for events to provide a "safe space" of sorts--somewhere that attendees can choose to come and go if they feel overwhelmed in any way (common reasons: intoxication, social anxiety, unprepared for the elements). What's offered is generally emotional support/companionship, a place to sit/lay, blankets etc. if needed. On-site First Aid or Security staff is involved if there is an apparent medical concern, or risk to someone's safety.

Generally, at well-organized events, volunteers keep pretty basic notes on who comes in--a first name (whatever is provided, not necessarily their legal name), a basic description, a brief rundown on their stated issue (and/or what the issue appears to be).

What I'm looking for: **Because the volunteers are provided by the festival, is there an inherent duty of care? To what extent are volunteers or the event liable, assuming the first aid/security staff are competent and keeping their own records?**

Hopefully that all makes sense; I'll try to answer any further questions if it helps. Here are a few documents I found on provincial mass gathering guidelines...I couldn't find much in them, as this role doesn't really fall under what is typically enshrined in event safety/emergency response: [Alberta](http://www.aema.alberta.ca/documents/2013_Mass_Gathering_Guidebook-final(1\).pdf) | [British Columbia](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/health/keeping-bc-healthy-safe/major-planned-events/bc-major-planned-events-guidelines_2017_final.pdf)

Answer: Your festival really needs to get its own legal advice about its liabilities here, in addition to carrying liability insurance. This is above the pay grade of free internet advice.


Title: US/International (Hypothetical) - Create company with fictitious employees

Question:
 HYPOTHETICAL:

I create a software development company 'XYZ LLC' taxed as an S Corp in the US. I am the sole member. I create fictitious employees on my website, along with LinkedIn profiles. I also create several 'real' shill/shadow companies to act as clients, so I can have client testimonies.

I market the software company as a global software development firm with the intention of taking development jobs. I would then either/both do the jobs myself or outsource the jobs, eventually adding any 'real' employees to the website, replacing the fictitious ones.

Morality and ethics aside, is this legal? If not, what laws are violated?

Answer:
 It’s pretty much the definition of fraud.Answer #2: If you misrepresent facts to potential clients, such as things like the total number of employees, in a conversation, email, or phone call, and you have gained business you would not otherwise have gained, then you committed fraud.

If you did so using a regulated communications medium, you committed wire fraud, which is a federal crime.

If you merely put false information on your website, but nobody acts on it,  you may have committed an FTC violation.

Please note that these things are not mutually exclusive, and you can get dinged for a combination of them.

NAL


Title: What happens when you get a DUI or DWI while out of state?

Question: Does the infraction follow you home?  Will you license be suspended in your home state?  I travel a lot for work and this question came up during a night of drinking on the road.

Answer:
 You are subject to the laws of the state where you are traveling.  You must abide by their punishments / conditions, or risk having a warrant put out for you.  States honor other states warrants.  Further, due to the [Driver License Compact](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driver_License_Compact), your license can be suspended in your home state as well (assuming your state has signed on).

>a night of drinking on the road.

That sounds incredibly stupid.


Title: Guy got screwed over by a cheating wife; lost home, car, kids and his job. Advice appreciated.

Question:
This post isn't about me. It's about a Networking Engineer I just met named Manoel, and let me tell you about all the bullshit he went through because of his wife.

He has multiple certificates, including CISCO and several others I forgot the names of. I apologize for my lack of knowledge in this field, but I'll do my best to explain his situation. He got home from work one evening, and just like Hollywood has shown us many times; his wife was caught having an affair.

This happened at 7:00pm. Police were called and took the kids. He stormed out of the house in anger and went to his mother's house.

She claimed he threatened to kill her. No evidence to back up the claim. She got custody of the 3 kids and filed for a restraining order. The man never touched his wife in an aggressive manner. In fact, he never saw the affair coming. He sincerely loved and trusted her. In the courtroom, she took the "I'm afraid" plead and made herself out to be the victim. The judge granted her everything. She's American and he's Dominican. Kind of speaks for itself.

He paid his lawyers something around $300 an hour to watch them sit around and laugh with other lawyers about their everyday lives. She got a court appointed lawyer. She didn't pay a dime. He lost everything he had to cover the charges.

Throughout all of this, he lost his job as an engineer and is now trying to start his life over. I work at a small cell phone store. We fix phones and sell plans. He came to our store for work today TO PAY FOR HIS GAS MONEY SO HE COULD DRIVE TO AN INTERVIEW TOMORROW.

The man is broke. He lost his house, his car, his kids and his job; and is now on the way to starting his life over. My heart went out for this guy. I made this post to ask you guys if there is anything that can be done for him. I suggested suing his wife for false charges (threatening to kill her; motive: her cheating on her) but he said that he simply cannot afford another lawyer, so he has decided to let go of his kids (since she has complete custody) and live his own life.

Once again, I apologize for my lack of professional legal and networking knowledge. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I can PM you his phone number, but I'd rather refrain from publicizing it right away.

Edit: Location: Massachusetts

Answer:
 What was your question?

My advice would be to assume he's lying about his side of the story to seem sympathetic and move on with your life.  Answer #2: There are at least three things in this story that make me doubt its veracity.  I would take the story with a huge grain of salt and move along.


Title: A friend is getting fired and I had some questions.

Question:
This is in Maryland, and I'm going to try to be pretty vague since all this is ongoing.  Apologies for that up front, and I'll try to make this as concise and cogent as possible.

So my roommate (let's call him Bob) was just told he's being terminated from his job.  He held a medium-tier position in an office environment, with a few direct reports.  About a week ago he was suspended while an investigation took place into Bob's supposed disclosing of confidential information about a co-worker to other co-workers.  This came out of the blue, and yesterday he was informed that after the investigation, he will be fired for this.

Bob doesn't actually have the information he supposedly divulged.  At a recent meeting (couple weeks before all this) he was discussing general office issues with his supervisor in a private meeting, and speculated on the status of a few other people in the office not directly below him.  Emphasis on speculation, he went into the meeting not knowing the info and left the same way.  Come Wednesday last week, he's suddenly suspended.

It was revealed yesterday that the private conversation with the supervisor is the source of the breach.  For revealing information he didn't know.  Outside of that, like who exactly made the complaint, and any details about the investigation, were not disclosed.

And finally, after being officially let go yesterday he was given the option of resigning and forgoing any more steps in this process.  This would allow him to claim this company on his resume, the company would acknowledge he worked there, etc., and if they go through with firing him I suppose he would lose these advantages.  The offer of "allowing" him to resign expires tomorrow afternoon.

Bob is obviously angry and just confused about what he's supposed to do here - in trouble for telling information he didn't know to his supervisor with no more to go on, and a very near deadline on a major decision.  What are the options here?

Thanks in advance, I really do appreciate any help at all.

Answer: Bob has zero recourse for being fired: at-will employment means that he can be fired for any (non-protected) reason or no reason at all, regardless of how factual that reason is. If he has a union or contract (unlikely) he needs to refer to that. Otherwise, time to file for unemployment and start the job hunt.


Title: Child Sexual Abuse Scenario, Offense/s Clarification

Question:
*I've posted in asklaw, but here has a lot more people, so I'm posting in both*
Hi, I was in a CRJA seminar class that's not nearly long enough to discuss the topics of the day (1 hour, what a shame). So the best one that ended up being brought up on the last class was about a 5-7 year-old niece and her uncle in her bedroom. She was modeling clothes for him and claimed that he licked her "private area." He says that he noticed that her vagina was red, so he took a tissue, dabbed some of his saliva, and wiped it. I just want to have a clarification of what he could be charged with, guilty or not guilty via CA, USA penal codes. We had only listed the following during the class:
*oral copulation/criminal sexual act in the first degree
*inappropriate touching/sexual abuse in the first degree (but my professor noted that "sexual abuse" is not a legal term??? Someone can explain further on this?)
Is there anything else that can be a charge or are we completely off?

Answer:
 Whoa, this is bringing back [some bad memories](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/1a2cm3/fiance_charged_with_sexual_battery_7940112a_is/).

I think your professor, or whoever was giving the seminar, reads /r/legaladvice.


Title: Employer asked for a list of medical conditions

Question: I am an assistant manager in fast food. I have arthritis , fibromyalgia, chronic bathroom problems, chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, plantar fascitis and heel spurs along with some other health issues. I do not have any absences or tardies without dr notes ( which I always schedule my appointments on my days off or before work so I don't miss work). A couple of weeks ago my manager sat me down and told me that I look miserable and I'm sluggish. And that I had to do a better job and be happier. I told her that I do the best I can I but I do suffer from chronic problems which slows me down some days and I can't help that. I've worked here a year with no complaints about my work. She told my district manager and now they are trying to see if maybe I can go to a corporate job. Today she asked for a list of all my conditions. I've told her verbally but never in writing. Should I submit my health records is she breaking the law by asking. I am not legally disabled and not on any kind of assistance. I don't even have health insurance thru my work. Any advice would be great. I'm from Oklahoma usa

Answer: It's not illegal to ask you questions. You can choose how much documentation you want to provide. You could ask what the reason is and maybe they have a clearer answer.


Title: Being accused of sexual misconduct/rape in a university setting. (IL) please help!

Question:
So as a graduate student, I am being accused of some sort of sexual misconduct, although the campus police won't even be straight with me about it. The long and short of it is while this undergrad and I fooled around, there was no intercourse. We're supposed friends, and this has happened before.  We were both drunk, her a bit more than me, and she was the aggressor/instigator when things started, both times. Now it turns out she went and had a rape kit done, and I found out that the results were consistent with someone who had experienced sexual contact.  I talked to the campus police and told my side when they asked which maybe I shouldn't have done, but in the moment I wasn't thinking clearly.  Please help, I don't know what to do, what possible repercussions I face as its being handled within the university, etc. I will answer questions if need be, but nothing too specific.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 This is a serious situation; you need to consult a criminal defense lawyer.Answer #2: You need to stop talking to anyone about this until you get a lawyer.

Get a lawyer like now.  Answer #3: There are two separate issues.  She had a rape kit completed and talked to the police.  You should probably be primarily concerned about criminal charges.  They may be campus police, but they still conduct criminal investigations.

Now you seem to want answers in regards to how to handle the university's administrative proceedings.  Unfortunately, these type of administrative proceeding can very drastically from university to university.  Some allow you to be represented by legal counsel and question the accuser, others don't give you either right.  Without knowing what university you attend, there is not much people here can recommend.  You can obtain your school's rules and policies on disciplinary proceedings, which may give you some insight.  They may have a specific policy designed solely to handle alleged sexual assault.

In the end you really need to get an attorney, even for the university's investigation.


Title: M23 i earned 3 traffic citations today in New Jersey.

Question:
So I was going down the shore on my new (bought it less then a month ago) bike. New jersey state trooper gave me 3 tickets.
1. 30-34mph over, listed 110 in a 45 (not true, he followed me and clocked me later at that speed probably later but that was a 65 when speed increases)
2. Reckless driving
3.  Non displayed liscense plate (tilted up)
So they gave me a court date on the ticket and listed no fines or penalties so I have 0 clue what to do. I guess my options are show up clean shaved and dressed nice and say I messed up, or lawyer up. I cannot lose my liscense or else I'll lose my job so if that's a option I may be forced to lawyer up. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Answer: I don't think you understand the seriousness here. You need a lawyer. Screw keeping your license, you need a lawyer to keep out of *jail.*Answer #2: 110 is ridiculously fast.  At that speed you're unlikely to get much of a deal from the prosecutor.  Maybe they'd drop the license plate ticket.  You're looking at several points on your license and a possible suspension depending on how angry the judge is at you and your driving history.  A lawyer will probably cost between 500-1000.


Title: Dentist trying to charge me $300 for missing an appointment that I didn’t schedule.

Question:
It went like this:

What I scheduled was a free consultation. I called 30 minutes before the appointment to ask how long it would take and they said that I had a 3 hour appointment scheduled to get the work done. I explained that not only did I not have 3 hours to do it, I didn’t even know what it was because it was supposed to just be a free consult to find out what I needed, NOT the actual appointment to get ANY work done.
I couldn’t stay for 3 hours, so I told them I couldn’t do that. They sent me a letter dated the same day stating that I owed $300 for the missed appointment, and that they were also banning me as a customer because of my unreliability and ALSO BANNING MY EXTENDED FAMILY. So now I did nothing wrong, got charged $300 for it, and lost my dentist, apparently because of a mistake that the receptionist made. On top of that, why the hell would they ban my family, or even me for that matter. It’s so weird. They already threatened sending me to collections if unpaid in 15 days. I’m confused, insulted, and upset. I don’t have $300 to pay and I don’t owe it. I’ve been a loyal customer with no missed appointments for 4 years, and was sent coupons last year for being such a good customer and referring people.
What the hell went wrong and what can I do?

At this point, I don’t want to use them anymore, but I really don’t want to pay them for this either.

Thanks in advance for advice.

Answer: What kind of dental work takes three hours anyway?! What were they hoping to do, remove all your wisdom teeth and throw in a root canal?Answer #2: And tell your friends that you referred what happened so it doesn’t happen to them.Answer #3: First course of action would be to contact the dentist and explain your version of events.  Do not talk to the same person who handled the appointment and appears to have made the mistake, go as far up the chain or command as you can to discuss.  If they won't listen to reason, send them a letter/email of your version of events so you have it in writing when/where you communicated with them explaining the mistake was on their end, not yours. Answer #4: Is there any way thy would have proof you owe them $300? No signature generally means if they put it on your credit you can dispute it and win pretty easy.Answer #5: Dentists fall under HIPAA so telling your extended family any information or talking to them about you is a violation. I would file a report about this as wellAnswer #6: Is this a franchise dental office or a local place?  Some franchises are notorious for this (think a city in Colorado). Answer #7: NAL, but have you spoken to the Dentist about this yet or someone else at the Dentist's office? It might be possible that the receptionist made a mistake and she's trying to cover it up.


Title: A quick question on New Jersey marijuana possession laws

Question:
Three years ago, my boyfriend was pulled over for swerving due to exhaustion. Because his eyes were red, they decided to drug test him, which he failed for marijuana due to having smoked the day before. He was fined and served probation and never failed a test and had his license reinstated.

Last night, he was pulled over for an outstanding ticket and the officer spotted a pipe in the car. After a search, the officer also found less than an 1/8th of weed and arrested him. He was released after a few hours with a court date for an arraignment.

So after some research, it appears that he could be facing jail time along with the fines. I will, of course, be finding him a lawyer.

My question is whether a DUI would count as a first offense and possession a second, or because possession is a different category, this would be separate and could be a first offense? My hope would be to get him Conditional Discharge, but I don't know if it's an option.

Edit: okay, second question. I'll be asking the lawyer this, but since I'm at work I can't yet and I'm just trying to wrap my head around this and the possible outcomes. Does anyone have experience in how often these circumstances result in jail time? I realize it depends on the judge and the lawyer and all the specifics... I just need to know what to prepare for. I've never been in any kind of situation like this.

Answer: OP, your boyfriend needs a DUI lawyer. Contact your county bar association for references. And he should pay any outstanding tickets he still has.


Title: Does an employer 'owe' me two weeks pay if i'm fired after giving my two weeks?

Question: UT, I understand i may be able to collect unemployment but some people i know seem to think the employer legally owes me the two weeks pay. I am under the impression UT is an at will state and i can be let go at any time and the employer wouldnt owe me anything further than unemployment.

Answer:
 No.

2 weeks NOTICE is just a professional courtesy.  Answer #2: As a legal matter, you are correct and the some people you know are mistaken.

Some employers elect to pay those two weeks out anyway, either as their take on their moral obligation (yes, there really are employers who approach it that way), or as a risk-management approach.  But they generally have no legal obligation to do so.Answer #3: As I'd mentioned in a thread to someone else a while back, a 2 weeks' notice is for your employer's benefit ONLY. That is just a heads up to them that you're leaving and give them enough time to start looking for someone else to replace you. However they are not obligated to keep you and can tell you to leave immediately. If you expect to be working those two weeks, don't give them any notice. The employer does not owe you anything other than payment for time worked.


Title: [FL] Report sexual abuse that happened to me as a child

Question:
When I was about 5 my cousin who was 8 or 9 abused me and my sister by (I apologize if this is graphic) by inserting his private parts into our mouths. I still remember it to this day and it gives me chills and I feel angry and disgusted. I still see my cousin sometimes and he completely ignores us, I don’t know if I should bring it up or what. We haven’t told anyone about this, should I tell the cops? Would they even do anything? I’m 17 now.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: He was not old enough to be prosecuted for it. You can get some counseling for your self.


Title: Experiencing the worst customer service, please help!

Question:
I am at my wits end. I have no idea what to do but know i can't just let them get away with this! Here's the story:
(Sorry if this is posted in the wrong place...not sure where to go)
Back in March 2016 I purchased a winter coat via Kickstarter in support of the company North Aware Inc.(I am from Canada) After a ridiculous long time and constant set backs, the coat that was originally supposed to arrive in August/September 2016 arrived on December 23, 2016. The sent out an email giving instructions about returning the jacket and said because of the new year and a flood of emails to wait a bit before asking for a return. I waited a bit, sent the email on Jan. 16, they provided me an address to send the coat to and said once the coat had arrived I would be refunded. The coat was sent Feb. 13, and arrived at their warehouse in Toronto Feb. 17. No return was ever processed. I emailed multiple times to different people and they always just referred me back to other emails. After no communication I messaged them on Facebook and after a couple days someone finally replied and basically they said the warehouse is closed for the season and my refund cannot be processed until October! I am honestly completely floored that any business would do this. Talk about the worst customer service ever! Is this even legal?! That stupid coat cost me over $300, and I don't even have it anymore because I sent it back to them!!!!

Answer: Have you filed a chargeback or attempted to yet?


Title: I want to sell jewelry with original "fan-art" charms of copywrited concepts (i.e. Pikachu, Mario, Triforce etc.) - how can one legally do this? (CA)

Question:
I want to sell jewelry with hand-made clay charms of copywrited characters, i.e. pikachu, a pokeball, the triforce symbol, etc). I see jewelers on Etsy and similar sites doing this all the time.

According to some of my research, fan art is legal to create but illegal to profit from, but there is all this grey area.

Not to mention if you Google "Pokemon jewelry," tons of independent etsy sellers pop up with their re-creations of copywrited images. Profiting from their version of a pre-existing concept. How are they doing this?

I thought of naming them something generic but not even other sellers do this.

How can one do this legally?

Answer: You can't. If you do this without getting the proper permissions from whichever corp currently owns Pokémon, it is only a matter of time until you are sued. Those shops are easy to find because literally thousands of people have had this same idea and didn't think of the consequences. When one gets taken down another pops up. They are definitely not there because it's legal.


Title: Friend stole gun

Question:
I bought a gun for about $2k in 2007 in Utah (Iron Country). In 2016 I moved out of state so I had my parent take it to a friend who owned a gun shop to sell for no less than $1500. Every summer since I checked in to see if there have been any takers (dropping in to the shop, texts, calls...) but since May 2016 he hasn't responded and the shop has closed. His phone number is still good though.

What are my options?

Answer:
 Well, call him and see what's up. If he says, "hey, sorry I didn't let you know, moved to another county, you can grab your gun [place]," nothing to see here.

If he doesn't answer, you should file a police report. If you have the serial number of the weapon, or other identifying information, bring that with you. Ask the police if they will notify the ATF.

Do not sit on this and do nothing. If that gun is used for nefarious ends, then you may be investigated as a trafficker, and you do not want that.


Title: [Texas] My dog ate the bottom portion of a red Kong dog toy. Do I have any potential at legal recourse against the company?

Question:
My (almost) 4-year-old boston Murphy ate the bottom portion of the [small Kong](https://www.amazon.com/Kong-Classic-Size-Small-Packs/dp/B00UK7BHBY/ref=sr_1_5/132-6385938-1090303?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1494445078&sr=1-5&keywords=kong). If you look closely, you can see the line across the middle of the largest section of the toy — that's where it looks like it broke cleanly off. This ended up in his small intestine requiring surgery to remove the blockage.

This brought about $4,500 in vet visits and stress/worry. Do I have any potential for legal recourse against the company, since this looks to be a design defect on their part? Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Thanks for any and all advice.

Answer: Don't Kong toys have warnings on them that say "Supervise your pet when they're using this product?" I know all the toys I buy for my dogs do. If it does, you may not have any legal recourse. Answer #2: NAL, but I'm betting the phrase "Supervised Use Only" that appears on all of their packaging, along with the admonition to discontinue use if damaged, will protect them.


Title: I hit a parked car

Question:
This morning I hit someone's mirror with my mirror in VT. It was 6:30 AM and I had no way to leave a note and I had to go to work. I want to do the right thing but I'm freaking out. I'm on my insurance as a partial driver (college student) and I'm not supposed to have my car with me. I can't do anything before I get out of work but I'm weighing my options:
1. Call the police, explain what happened, and try to get in touch with the owner. I can't do this for another 8 hours (again, I'm at work) and I don't wanna get screwed over for a hit and run. This would also likely get my insurance company involved which would suck.
2. Hope the car is still there when I get out of work and leave ~$100 for them to get their mirror fixed. Yeah that's shitty but it's better than nothing.
3. Nothing. There are scrapes on my mirror but no one saw it happen. This is absolutely the wrong thing to do but I'm so scared.

I know I fucked up. I want to fix it but I don't know how without getting in a ton of trouble (hit and run) and raising my insurance a ton. Help a girl out please!

Answer:
 Jesus, these answers.

Don't call the cops, that's crazy. When you get home, look for the car. Leave a note and offer to pay. No one was hurt, it's minor scratches (which is basically expected when you park in an urban environment).

What is it with this sub sometimes? People are regulary told to never talk to the cops without an attorney present, except apparently when they've clearly committed  crime in which case they should call the station and confess? Sometimes this place is far closer to a legal thought experiment than a sub dispensing real world advice.  Answer #2: http://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/23/013/01128

Not trying to scare you.  I'm guessing they'll let you off easy if you do the right thing and call. Having to work is not a reason not to stop.  Answer #3: You dun goofed. Try to find the car ASAP and leave a note with your name, phone number, and insurance information on it. Hopefully, the time that's passed won't matter, and the car will still be there. If you can go on your break at work, do so. You messed up, and you need to take responsibility for it (and I think you know that, because you said you want to do the right thing). However, calling the cops on yourself probably won't help the driver of the car you hit.

Answer #4: This is why I don't live near colleges. People are unabashedly irresponsible. If you can't insurance, you can't afford to pay me.


Title: FMLA Teacher Pay during Summer

Question:
Hello, I am currently located in Minneapolis Minnesota. I just heard a story from a friend that concerned me. Me and my wife are trying to get pregnant. If we did, the due date would be in the summer. My wife is a teacher.

I was told by a teacher friend of ours that if you give birth during the summer, you are forced to start your FMLA as soon as the baby is born and start burning your sick time(no official paid time off).

To me that doesn't make sense legally since you are only officially working for the school year but opting to get paid all 12 months. Does FMLA prevent this?

What does everyone think?

Answer: NAL, but I am a teacher.  I have known numerous colleagues that specifically plan babies around summer breaks so they can then take additional leave when school starts. However, this could be different depending on state laws and especially her contract. What does the contract say about maternity leave? Her union rep should also be able to answer that question (if she is in a union).


Title: First ever encounter with police and I kinda screwed up. What should I do?

Question:
So here's the story:
I was in my back yard with 2 of my friends, we were shooting an airsoft pistol that I had recently gotten for my birthday and my next-door neighbours were sitting on their deck. They both yelled at us saying that the bb's were flying up into their deck and yelled to stop, I do so and asked if they could show me them to prove that they were indeed going up there. (They aren't the best neighbours, the kind that like to call bylaw over everything if they don't like you so I thought they were just being dicks) The husband then says "how about I come down there and punch you in the face?" I say come try it, he leaves so we go inside. About 30 minutes later an officer shows up. He tells me that I need to make sure they aren't going into other peoples yards and what not and that next time I'll get a $400 fine. Me being the nervous wreak I am, I don't tell him my side of the story and he leaves like that.
I live in Canada, ON

So I'm wondering how do I, or should I even go about "editing" the situation that the police have, and give them the situation that actually happened, or do/should I just have to wait till they call the cops on me again?

Edit: I should add that I'm like 98% sure that the bb's weren't in fact going into their yard, I've been trying to be really careful about that kinda stuff.

Answer: You don't need to tell them your side of the story. Nothing happened.


Title: [FL] I just got hit from behind by 3 drunk students. Their car spun and stopped, they got out and ran. An ambulance took me to the ER. I don't have health insurance and my car looked totaled. The cops brought dogs to find the guilty party. I heard the caught one. I'm waiting on my X-ray results.

Question: What do I do now? I've never been in an accident before. I need my car and these medical bills covered.

Answer: Follow doctor's orders.  Report accident to your insurance.


Title: If Neanderthals were resurrected, which are technically humans, how would the law apply to them?

Question:
This is something I thought of when I read a joke thread on if a chimpanzee can be charged for a crime, which of course can't happen as they are animals and not human.

But we are technically able to resurrect Neanderthals, the science for this is there to do this in the future. The question is, Neanderthals are a human species, so if this would happen, how would the law apply to them? Would they be treated the same as homo sapiens children?

Answer: Questions like this unfortunately never have interesting answers because "the law" doesn't "automatically" do anything. Probably they would be, but until society decides that they definitely should be, no one knows for sure. At some point after the resurrection, a court will make a ruling or maybe the lawmakers will pass a law about it.


Title: (PENNSYLVANIA) Landlord trying to for an extra month

Question:
So, our lease was suppose to end on October 6th, we turned in our notice yesterday to not renew, but the landlord states it has to be in by the 1st or pay an extra month.

When I pulled out my lease, it does state a 30 day notice has to be given if you are ending your lease early. But, the "renewal" part where it states "at the end of lease date, or renewal term __ days have to be given notice"  and in the __ days, nothing is in there. Do I have to still abide by the 30 day notice or not since nothing is listed in that part for my lease for a renewal.

tl;dr Originally  after the lease date it rolls to a "month to month", however in the renewal part it state "____days" with nothing listed, therefore am I obligated to pay?

Important note: it doesn't go to month to month till the 1st, so this would be our last month.

Update: looking through my lease there is no end date on the lease listed. Is this normal?

Answer:
 Lease dictates, and your lease is absent any language to back the landlord's claim.

How did you give the notice?  Was it written?


Title: Tennessee, My room mate left a dog locked up for two days, I damaged her door.

Question:
So, my room mate/landlord hasn't been the most attentive dog owner. That dog lives in a cage for most of it's day. It bugs me that the dog is in a cage while she is in the same room playing video games, but it's none of my business unless she is actually abusing the dog.

The past two days, my room mate has been gone.

The first day, I figured she'd be back. Today, I was starting to get worried about the dog. The room was locked and the dog was crying. Night rolled around, and I took a bit of drastic action.

I kicked the door open and I broke the door frame. The dog was covered in poop, dehydrated, and hungry. He's fed, watered, and clean now. I walked him and he's a happy little dog again.

My girlfriend got me a bit worried. I called her and told her what happened. She said that given I'm a combat veteran, they might say kicking in doors is pretty aggressive and call it a B&E.

We have deadbolts on all the inside doors in the house. I was legitimately worried for the dog. The only way I could get to it was damaging the door.

Don't know where the room mate is. She does disappear from time to time, but this is the first time since the dog. Can't get a hold of her, but that's actually pretty normal.

How screwed am I?

Edit: So I'm about to head off. This is a throw away so I'm probably not coming back to this.

What I gather:

If the room mate involves the police, shut the fuck up. I want an attorney.

If the room mate sues me for damages, shut the fuck up, and consult an attorney.

If the room mate wants me to replace the door and frame, do it, and call it a stupid tax.

Answer:
 I don't think you are screwed at all. In fact I would have done it even sooner. Let her sue you and explain to a judge why she left her dog in a crate for 24 hours.Answer #2: I'd make a report to your local SPCA as well.  No sense leaving an animal with someone who treats it like that.Answer #3: You're going to be liable to the property owner for the damage you did.

Next time call a locksmith.


Title: [CA, Quebec] A business requested some logo prototypes, which they didn't end up using. Later, the business tells the designer to remove these prototypes from his portfolio since they have an official logo now. Can you legally keep them in the portfolio or must you remove them?

Question:
Talking here on behalf of someone else's situation. A graphic designer was approached by the wife of a business owner, said that her husband wants a logo for his business and wanted to get some design ideas out of him. The designer had no problem doing this pro bono- he already had another job- and thought it's a good way to kill some time and add some stuff to his portfolio.

So he made some logos and showed them to her. Later she said that they will not be using the logos, so the designer just kept them for his private portfolio.

Some time later, she came back to the designer and said her husband has an official logo for his business and tells the designer to remove his own logos from his portfolio, to avoid confusion. She said that these portfolio logos would be falsely representing the company.

So here, the designer owns the copyright to the logos because he's the one that made them. On the other hand, what risk is there for keeping them in his portfolio? I don't know about CA laws, but is there anything about trademark infringement with regards to content that isn't being used commercially?

Answer: The business could offer to buy exclusive rights to the logos, and then never use them. Otherwise he has the right to use whatever designs he made for whatever he wants, as long as he’s not claiming to represent the business. Designers sometimes present work like this as “spec” or “concept” work in their portfolios. (I’ve seen students especially do this.)


Title: I dont know if my friend is being molested

Question:
I just found out that my best friend since kindergarden has been having sex with her older brother and has been for over a year she is 17 he is 19 almost 20 and they have been doing this because they believe that even thouh noone would understand that they are in love they did not live together growing up because of some weird separattions in their family but were came backtogether a few years ago and my firend told me today that they were sleeping together when i found some texts on her phone from her brothr.

Isnt this illegal because she is still in highs chool and he is responsible for her when there mom is at work all the time ? I dont know if i should report this to my school counsellor or something becuase I don't feel this is right . I almost threw up when she told me but she started crying and said that they olove each other and when she graduates in June they are going to move away and live togehter ! please i dont know what to do i am not a troll i just need help this has to be illegal .

Answer: [This is incest, which is illegal in Washington State.](https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9A.64.020)  The age of consent in Washington is 16.  You said the is 17 now and this has been going on for over a year.  Was this going on when she was 15?  If so, that is statutory rape.


Title: My fiance quit her job and has been told she needs to provide a letter of resignation or they will withold her final paycheck. Is this legal?

Question:
More specifically, it will not be issued until they receive a letter of resignation.

Edit: Sorry, forgot to include the location - Michigan.

Edit 2: Thank you everyone. I have suggested that my fiance' still do a letter of resignation out of professionalism; but I'm also tempted to suggest that she notify them that this practice is illegal and should not be threatened in the future. A big part of me wants to have her email them and tell them this practice is illegal and that not only will she not do a letter, but if they refuse to pay her, she will file a complaint.

Edit 3: Thanks again for all the responses. Looks like I should have mentioned that they emailed this request as well, so she has documented evidence of this threat.

Answer: No, they cannot hold her paycheck. Depending on location, which you somehow missed, there is a timeframe in which she must be paid, regardless.


Title: License Mistake (MD, details in comments)

Question:
I was talking with a friend of mine a few months back (college student, over 21) and she was relaying a story about how she once got denied entry to a bar because they thought her ID was fake. The bouncer even took her license and creased it so other bars would immediately be tipped off that it was a fake.

Obviously this is a massively dick move to make just based off of an assumption, but did anything illegal actually happen? Is tampering with a state issued license something you could raise issue with?

Edit: to be clear, when I say 'creased' I mean the bouncer took it, bent it in half, and gave it back to her. She had to get a new license because bars wouldn't let her use it afterwards, spotting that it was a 'fake.'

Answer:
 > Obviously this is a massively dick move to make just based off of an assumption, but did anything illegal actually happen?

Yup. Illegal. Sorta. Driver's licenses do not belong to the person, they belong to the State/DMV. The bouncer could/should have just returned it  immediately (or kept it if he thought it was fake and returned it undamaged when requested by authorities).

> Is tampering with a state issued license something you could raise issue with?

She could try. I seriously doubt any cop or anyone at the DMV would care too much. Too many other problems. Too few resources. If she had to pay money to get another ID, she could conceivably sue the bouncer and/or the bar owner in small claims court for the cost of replacement (plus filing fees). But, then she should expect to never be allowed back in that bar, ever.


Title: Speeding 41+ mph above limit amendment. (NV)

Question:
Hi everyone, by the way this is Nevada. I was cited for going 107 on a 75. Officer told me to give the NV court a call 2 weeks after my citation date to get it into the system. My ticket did not have the amount I had to pay, it just said "Crt Req" which I learned was Court required appearance.

Fast forward 2 weeks, and I call the said justice court. I spoke to a clerk and she stated that if I pay the amount of $608,(which was the fine they put on my charge of going 41+mph above posted speed limit.) my charge would be amended into a non-moving violation automatically, as well as no traffic school, or points in my license. I asked, how was this possible, and the clerk mentioned that the judge approved said amendment only in their jurisdiction.

My question is, if I DO pay the fine and it DOES NOT get amended and I get all the consequences *(+5 pts in license, increase in insurance premium, traffic school, permanent record of said charge)* from my bad decisions,

* What are my options?
* Is the clerk liable for giving false information?
* Does this way of fixing tickets happen a lot of times in other places?
* Has anyone ever had the same experience?

Answer: Get a ticket lawyer to help you with all of these questions and stop driving like maniac.


Title: Can't sell the property due to Property Management being under water with HOA funds.

Question: My property management is underwater by 50k dollars. I can't sell this home to traditional lenders and people have to short sale or foreclosure to move on with their life. I do not want a short sale or foreclosure on my credit report for 7 years since this Property Management can't take care of its funds. The Board for the HOA will not approve an increase to HOA fees each month to catch up. What are my options going after my Property management and what else can I do to get out of this property?

Answer:
 First of all. Stop being rude to /u/UsuallySunny She is 100% right in this situation and has the power to ban you (also to crush you into a diamond, but that's not relevant here).

Second you need to be clear on your terminology. The HOA is your neighbors. The Management Company is the company hired by your HOA to collect fees, hire landscapers, fix the common areas and so on. If the Management Company is underwater it is a civil or criminal matter. If the HOA is underwater it is on you and your neighbors. You need to force an election and get them to raise HOA fees to get you back into the black. You will need to sell this idea to your neighbors because they won't be able to sell their condos either. Ideally you can do this more civilly than you have behaved here, because if you can't then there is a 0.0% of you getting a new board to approve higher fees. Go to toastmasters and learn how to talk to people.

Also don't let it out that Sunny has the power to crush people into diamonds. The government is looking for her. Answer #2: Why are you blaming this on property management?  Do you have proof they've stolen funds from the HOA?  If so, go to the police.

The property management company could be doing its best to juggle bills and obligations in the face of a board that refuses to raise assessments.


Title: Misreported hours for work-study job (IL)

Question:
Hello everyone. It all started ~a year ago when I didn't have enough money for groceries.  I was eating onions for meals/skipping meals altogether - so I got a work-study job.  Here's where I really messed up: at first, I clocked out late a few times out of pure forgetfulness, but was stupid enough to think that I could make some more money if I did this a little each week. So stupid.

In short: About a year and $1,700 later, I got caught. I'm meeting with the director of student conduct tomorrow to discuss the case, and an investigator from university police will be present "due to the nature of this concern."  They stated that I can bring one person with me for emotional support, but that I can't bring a lawyer or family member.

I'm scared as all hell (could I be charged with a felony??) and don't know what to expect at this meeting.  I'm unsure of what I should/shouldn't say, especially when I can't bring an attorney. What advice do you have for me?

Answer: Don't go without an attorney despite what they say. I wouldn't meet with them at all, and hire a lawyer ASAP. Answer #2: Theft exceeding $500 committed in a school or place of worship is a class 4 felony in IL. Class 4 felonies carry the punishment of 1 to 3 years in prison. That's your worst case scenario here, OP. As others have said, don't say anything to anybody without a lawyer present.


Title: I declared bankruptcy 3 years ago - Can a former business partner legally force me to pay him for a previously co-signed debt?

Question:
This is in Texas. Three years ago I declared bankruptcy. I had a business that had been floundering a long time and I was no longer able to keep up with it all. I had a business partner who was well aware of our issues and was investing personal money (as was I) into the business to help keep it afloat. When the time came for us to start planning an exit, we had a conference call with an attorney. I decided at that time to declare personal bankruptcy as the debt was unsustainable.

My partner and I had previously co-signed on a business loan for things like equipment and the purchase of another business. We talked long and hard about bankruptcy and he knew I would be declaring. He asked that I commit to helping him pay the remainder of the loan after bankruptcy was over and I was non-committal because I had no idea how bankruptcy would affect my personal financial situation. After bankruptcy was over I flat turned him down and said something along the lines of 'short of winning the lottery I can't see how I can do this.'

I declared bankruptcy and listed my partner as a potential creditor. He was notified of the 341 hearing and did not contest (as did none of my other creditors). He kept up with and knew he was responsible for the remaining business debt and we split ways shortly thereafter (its hard to maintain a friendship after something like this goes so bad). We were both surprisingly adult about all this and he never really blamed me personally for the failure of the business or how the cards played out but I know he wasn't happy with having to continue paying the loan. As a side note he made way too much money to declare bankruptcy and was not in any way inclined to try because he didn't want to take the hit on his credit.

Today out of the blue I received a text message from someone claiming to be his wife. She is exasperated at the fact that I 'dumped' debt on him that 'wasn't even his.' She made some rather crude remarks about how I should send my wife to work (she's a stay at home mom) and take over the remaining balance of the loan because this wasn't fair. She lamented about their personal financial situation. I didn't reply.

I know I have no legal responsibility to the debt but her tone and anger got me really concerned. I know of people being dragged into frivolous litigation and I am worried that they'll hire an attorney for the sole purpose of harassing me until I submit to continuing to pay the loan.

Its been three years - I have finally started rebuilding my life and things are looking good for the first time in a long time. I am worried this ghost from my past is going to ruin things for me and I don't know what to do.

Is there any way I could be forced to pay the loan after all this time? What if they take me to court just to try and bleed me into submission?

I appreciate any and all assistance and advice you can provide.

Answer:
 You're really very overly worried for a single text message from someone who is not legally connected to the problem.
Maybe they're getting divorced and she's just pissed off that his debt means she won't get as much money.


Title: Can the police enter a garage to close the garage door if it was accidentally left open?

Question:
I was gone last weekend for business. Apparently, I left my garage door open. While I was sleeping I got a call from a blocked number, ignored it, and went back to bed. I woke up and listened to the voice-mail.

"Hi, it's Officer Smith with Logtown PD. I'm trying to get a hold of Mr. UnkyZ about your house on Apple Rd. There's really nothing to worry about, but call back when you can. Thanks!"

I called back and the dispatcher sent me to Officer Smith and he just wanted to let me know he was driving by and saw my garage door left open. He tried knocking on my door but was pretty sure there wasn't anyone home. Since it was late at night, he went in there, lowered the garage door, and ran back out before it closed. I told him thanks for helping out and he said they have had a lot of thefts lately so if anything appeared to be missing or stolen to call them back. Sure enough I check my camera and see some Vin Diesel looking Hulk of a cop in my driveway shining a flashlight into my garage. He knocks on my door for a good couple of minutes, then goes into my garage.  A few seconds later I can see him jumping over the laser sensor at a jogging pace. Actually kind of funny to see.

Anyways, I have a friend who is persistent that he violated  privacy and search/seizure rights by entering my garage without consent, probable cause, a warrant, or exigent circumstances. He wants me to file a complaint and even went as far as to give me a business card of an attorney he knows.

I understand what he is saying, but am under the impression the cop was acting in good faith and in regards to a genuine public safety concern. I also wouldn't interpret a garage that is fully open as having a reasonable expectation of privacy, but I don't know. He says this is all irrelevant.

Again, I genuinely appreciate that he went out of the way to secure my garage and reach out to me - I'm not going to fuss over it. But under what pretext or existing case law can the police enter property, specifically in an instance like this?

Answer:
 If the cop did not search, just went in, closed the garage door, and left, you should thank the cop.

If the cop stood at the entrance of the open garage and saw 30 kilos of coke, then it wouldn’t matter that he went into the garage, the plain view doctrine would say the Coke could be seen with out entering the building so your screwed.

Your friend has a misunderstanding of what a search is.  The garage door is wide open, almost anything that could be found under the plain view doctrine would not require the cop to enter the garage anyway.Answer #2: Don’t be a douche. Cops get enough grief these days…finally a good story…Answer #3: I've been woken up at 3 am by police when I left my garage door open. It scared the daylights out of me. One for the time of day, two for 2 cops at my door at 3 am.

I was great full that they did it though, and sent a thank you note to the precinct.

After reading yours, I would have preferred they just shut it, but I certainly would have wondered what they were doing if I checked my cameras.