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1500 questions
23
votes
3 answers

Judge Judy specific retaliation: technically ethical?

In this clip, Judge Judy Sheindlin directs a defendant to “talk fast.” He responds with, “If you wouldn’t cut me off, I’d be able to talk fast.” Judge Judy, out of disbelief or humor, asks the bailiff to confirm that this is what he said and…
23
votes
3 answers

How to mitigate the risk of getting sued by clients (web dev contracting)

I'm a web dev and I'm thinking about becoming a contractor. I feel a little uneasy about the possibility of someone potentially trying to sue me. If, for example, a client wants an e-commerce website and I build one for them, and then the client…
user1157885
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23
votes
7 answers

What should I look for when seeking a lawyer?

The standard legal disclaimer is that someone should ask a lawyer if they really need legal advice. So how do you find the right lawyer? How can you judge how "good" a lawyer is? How can you find what is a fair price? Are there other things you…
Nattgew
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23
votes
3 answers

Bringing in a peanut butter sandwich to discourage lunch thief who has peanut allergy

Let's say my work has issues with a lunch thief, and the most likely suspect has a peanut allergy. I am heard to say I intend to bring food with peanuts in the future so they won't steal my food, or if they do we would be able to rule out the…
dsollen
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23
votes
7 answers

Is a private third party allowed to take things to court?

Say that Viola the Victim and Percy the Perpetrator have a dispute, but don't want to go to court. However, William witnesses everything and wants to take Percy to court over what he did. Can William reasonably do this? In the extreme case where the…
chausies
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22
votes
8 answers

What is the purpose of being tried by a "jury of your peers"?

If you are facing criminal charges (in the United States), there is a person in the court (the judge) who is an expert in law, has extensive experience, and is (at least theoretically) impartial. And instead of having that person decide the case, it…
SegNerd
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22
votes
1 answer

Is it legal to intentionally wait before filing a copyright lawsuit to maximize profits?

Let's say someone uses my intellectual property without my consent and uses it for commercial purposes. Can I wait until they've made many millions of dollars off of my work, so that I can sue and take a large portion of or all of that money? This…
22
votes
3 answers

Is customer entitled to the same car tested in the test drive or in the ad?

I know someone who went to purchase a brand new car from a dealer in the US. The customer came in with an internet ad and asked to test drive the car listed. After the test drive, she paid for it. But when she returned outside, and got in the new…
Village
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22
votes
3 answers

What is the purpose of pardoning powers?

Various countries have pardoning powers given to either the president or the governor, this is secured as a constitutional right of the president and governor. What is the purpose of such powers? Is there a special reason why are they handed to a…
user49663
22
votes
4 answers

Why is Star Wars a copyright issue but a MLB team is not?

Over the weekend, I was asked to be part of a photo shoot for a political candidate. I was wearing a t-shirt that featured a Star Wars character and the photographer stated that he wanted to position me in a fashion so it wasn't visible to avoid a,…
Pyrotechnical
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22
votes
3 answers

What remedies can a witness use to satisfy the "all the truth" portion of their oath?

Hypothetical: A witness took an oath to tell the whole truth. The adversarial cross-examiner abruptly cuts off the witness's testimony in the middle of a statement, leaving the train of thought incomplete and possibly leading to a misunderstanding…
Mindwin Remember Monica
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22
votes
6 answers

What's stopping someone from saying "I don't remember"?

There are (at least) two problems possibly stemming from a person testifying in court: If they tell the truth, the testimony may have negative consequences they potentially don't like (which is the whole point of 5th Amendment, when the testimony…
user0306
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22
votes
7 answers

Are there any laws against either excessively loud motorcycles or riding such motorcycles inconsiderately in residential areas at night?

Loud disturbing motorcycles are awful but occasionally circle around certain roads after midnight up and down gratuitously if the objective is actually transportation. One would hope that there are laws on the books restricting the legality of such…
TylerDurden
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22
votes
2 answers

How to transport a knife that falls under the Weapons Act

In Germany, there is a law (Weapons Act) that prohibits the carrying of a knife with a blade length of 12 cm. "Fixed knives with a blade length of more than 12 centimetres, any knives classified as cutting and thrusting weapons and folding knives…
Maik Lowrey
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22
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2 answers

Why was nine-pin bowling illegal in most states, unlike ten-pin bowling?

In the 1800s, ten-pin bowling was invented as a way to circumvent the ban on nine-pin bowling that was placed by all states except Texas. However, ten-pin bowling was not banned by any state. I don't see any difference in the two sports other than…
mathlander
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