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1500 questions
35
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6 answers

What is the purpose of a disclaimer like "this is not legal advice"?

If someone who is not a lawyer is giving out legal advice, does it make any difference if they include a disclaimer along the lines of "this is not legal advice"? For the purposes of this question, I assume legal advice means one party instructing…
Stefano Palazzo
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35
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1 answer

What's so Grand about Grand Theft Auto?

Why does the law use the word "Grand" when describing Grand Theft Auto. It's almost like they're glorifying it. Is there a lesser type of theft auto?
foreyez
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35
votes
2 answers

Does being engaged (to be married) carry any legal significance?

Being married carries specific legal consequences, e.g. spouses typically are treated differently under tax law, divorce property law, inheritance law, have rights regarding medical visitation and medical decisions. Sometimes insurance carriers…
user0306
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34
votes
7 answers

At what point is it "legal" to overthrow the government?

It has been argued that the point of the 2nd amendment is to overthrow a tyrannical government. In the Declaration it states that “whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to…
Digital fire
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34
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3 answers

Can prisoners of war be exchanged against their will?

Assume the following situation: You live under an authoritarian regime. Your country is at war with another country, which has a far more favorable human rights record. Your attitude of your regime is critical, and you see the war as…
user149408
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34
votes
1 answer

Can Prince Harry wear the uniforms of his former units?

It's been in the news recently that Prince Harry has been banned from wearing a military uniform at the events surrounding the late Queen's funeral, since he was stripped of his honorary military titles when he stopped being a working…
nick012000
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34
votes
5 answers

Is it legal to break into a locked car to get a child out in hot weather?

The NHTSA's page about heat stroke in cars seems to imply that if you see a child left in a locked car on a hot day, you should break into the car to get the child out. "If you see a child alone in a locked car, get them out immediately and call…
Someone
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34
votes
11 answers

Why do non-lawyers refer you to lawyers even when they know the answer?

We've all seen it: you ask a law question (a classic being "Am I violating X's copyright by doing Y?"), but they refuse to respond and instead tell you that you should be asking a lawyer, not them. I have seen this happen all the time: even when the…
user541686
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34
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4 answers

Is it true that it's not illegal for a parent to sell their 13-year-old child to a drug dealer?

My question is prompted by an episode of the TV show Law & Order, specifically the 6th-season episode titled "Slave". In the episode, a couple of the lawyers state as fact that it is not illegal for a parent to sell their child. That seems clearly…
Tom
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34
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2 answers

What happens to a country’s debt if the country ends?

Suppose a country either just calls it quits or is destroyed by war (for example, Yugoslavia or Czechoslovakia). If that country has a national debt, including both domestic and foreign lenders, what happens to the debt? I have read about countries…
SegNerd
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34
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3 answers

Is it legal for Microsoft to install software without user approval?

On several occasions, Microsoft had misled their users to forcefully install updates or unwanted programs (like Windows 10 on Windows 7 here, here, here, and here), it also has forcefully installed the new Edge chromium web browser on W10 computers,…
Chico3001
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34
votes
2 answers

Do the police have to kick someone out the house if the owner demands it?

I phoned the police to kick my in laws out the house after they started to take my furniture when they were only meant to take theirs (splitting up with wife). They came but refused to kick them out immediately and instead just waited until they had…
user607
34
votes
2 answers

What can I do if neighbor is blocking my solar panels intentionally?

I live on a 2.5 acre lot. I installed a ground mount solar array 6 years ago. Then 4 years later my neighbor planted over 39 tall cypress trees which are blocking the sunlight. Is there any law in Maryland that protects the solar owner?
Elaine
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7 answers

Can "Dumb Starbucks" be legally considered Fair Use as satire or parody?

About a year ago, a new, familiar-looking coffee shop opened in LA. Their reasoning for this was, basically, that it's making fun of the popular coffeehouse chain and is thus fair use: Naturally, it attracted a lot of attention and was later…
fstanis
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34
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3 answers

If someone's record has been expunged, can they legally say that they have not been arrested?

If someone applies for a job and the application asks whether they've ever been arrested, can they legally say on the application that they have not been arrested before? Note: Case was dismissed with no finding of fact.
LOSTinNEWYORK
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