Questions tagged [united-states]
For questions specific to the United States as a whole, or that span multiple state jurisdictions. If your question is related to a specific state then you should use that state's tag instead (or as well).
7,282
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Could a trial be held against a sitting President?
During the Mueller investigation, it came out that the Justice Department has a policy against indicting a sitting President, so nothing he found would result in bringing charges against Trump. ...
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How (and how come) are US state/federal prosecutors allowed to seal indictments?
I have recently heard Tara Reade (who had accused US president Joseph Biden of sexual attack several decades ago) say, that there has been a sealed indictment against her, for the past 3 years (2020-...
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How can I tell if a court case exists?
As someone without access to pricy legal search engines, how can I tell if a given case exists?
For context, a lawyer was recently found to have cited a number of cases hallucinated by ChatGPT. The ...
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How do you check the legality of a new business model?
How do you check the legality of a new business model to make sure it will be legal, and you won't be running afoul of some law you have no idea of?
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Can this statement be considered a threat?
If you write in an email, "Enter at your own risk. Anyone trying to enter a home without permission or consent will be treated as a trespasser or intruder.". Is that considered at threat?
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Legality of using book covers from Google Books API on a website
Under US copyright law, is it legal to download images of book covers from the Google Books API and display them on my website? The purpose pertains to obtaining product images for an online store ...
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What 'specific legal meaning' does the word "strike" have?
Over on main meta, on the post containing a statement from Stack Overflow about the current moderator action, there was a brief edit war over the inclusion (or not) of the word "strike" in ...
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Is an exact match necessary to prove trademark infringement?
For the sake of example, let's use Robert E. Howard's character "Conan, the Barbarian". The author died in June 11, 1936, Cross Plains, Texas, United States.
As seen above, it's been almost ...
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Question regarding creative commons copyrighting of only original content from my blog. Is this sufficient [closed]
I know that if I need legal advice I should go seek a lawyer, but as the blog that this creative commons copyright notice will be utilized for is for my own personal career-related blog and not ...
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Who gets to see the living revocable trust documents when a person dies?
Suppose that person X has setup a living revocable trust and his or her will leaves everything to the trust. The trust controls who gets the assets after person X dies.
After some time, person X dies. ...
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RAIL (license) use - how does this work [closed]
References:
This is the RAIL (responsible AI license) from huggingface:
https://huggingface.co/spaces/bigscience/license
This is their FAQ about the RAIL:
https://bigscience.huggingface.co/blog/the-...
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Who gets to see the will when somebody dies
When somebody dies, who has the right to see the will? I am thinking the executor does and all the beneficiaries do. Does a contingent beneficiary have the right to see the will? Is there anybody else ...
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What law requires me to safeguard classified information?
Let's say I have a briefcase full of Top Secret papers, and I carelessly leave it on the table at Burger King and it falls into the wrong hands.
18 U.S. Code § 798 apparently only applies if I "...
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Whats the point of a federal law that does not get enforced?
In the USA, the Constitution requires a Census every ten years. Anyone living here, legally or not, are required by law to respond to the Census, as well as be truthful. This has been the case from ...
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Is it common for software licenses to, as written, technically prohibit normal and expected use of the software?
In Is distributing software that makes modifications to video games legal? an example snippet of a video game license is given, which reads:
You may not copy the Software (except as specifically ...
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A witness (former gov't agent) knows top secret USA information. Can a court compel them to reveal the informaton?
A former US federal government employee knows information that was classified as top secret by the federal government. This information is relevant to a case. They were called to testify before the ...
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Why and when would an attorney be handcuffed to their client?
While reading about the trial of Hans Reiser I came across this peculiar sentence:
On Monday, July 7, 2008, Reiser led police to Nina's shallow grave in the Oakland Hills. Reiser's attorney, William ...
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Can a judge force/require laywers to sign declarations/pledges?
I read this story where a US judge is forcing lawyers in his court to sign a pledge saying they did not use ChatGPT to generate filings without being checked by a human.
While that's a very reasonable ...
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Is the Howey test pertaining to the source of profits or the receiving of profits?
The Howey test states:
"investment of money in a common enterprise with a reasonable expectation of profits to be derived from the efforts of others"
Is this "profits to be derived from ...
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Would a poker buyin share voucher be a "security"?
Hello I am trying to learn more about securities and really confused by the laws regarding unregistered securities in the US. NJ state if that helps too. I made a scenario and I am needing help to ...
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Suspect's Right to Privacy in Court
If no charges have been filed, do courts have any responsibility to protect a suspect's privacy during an investigation? Example below. Let's say this is in New Jersey, United States.
Mrs. X is under ...
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Can I tempt the police into using a password that would destroy evidence without being guilty of destruction of evidence? [duplicate]
Purely hypothetical situation here, not at all related to my need to hide my plans for world domination on my laptop...honest!! Lets say I have incriminating evidence saved electronically somewhere. ...
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Auto insurance - how to skip adding spouse [closed]
Auto insurance company of my friend insists to add spouse on the policy when they are divorcing and when friend's spouse no longer stays with friend (moved outside US). Their marriage was solemnized ...
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Medical POA and a Home Health Aid
Imagine a standard POA for medical has been given to an adult son for his parent to become effective when the parent cannot speak for him/her self. It has been determined by several doctors that the ...
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Can you be arrested for not paying a vendor like a taxi driver or gas station?
I have read conflicting information about police in the United States arresting people for not paying a bill from a retail vendor, like a taxi driver, auto mechanic or restaurant.
On one hand my ...
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What counts as a medical facility?
A certain POA for medical document gives an adult son the right to move his parent to medical facility. Would a assisted living place count as a medical facility?
Is there a precise legal definition ...
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Are online file converters legal?
Online file converter: Web-based tool or service that allows you to convert files from one format to another through the internet. Users upload a file in a specific format, it is converted on the site'...
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What is the Maximum Sentence for Contempt of Court? (USA)
Is there a maximum sentence that a New Jersey Superior Court Judge can impose on someone for contempt of court?
I understand that there are different types of contempt of court, so here's a made-up ...
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Do parents have a right to obtain a copy of all worksheets (non-tests) their child will receive for the year in a public school via e-mail? [closed]
Do parents have a right to obtain a copy of all worksheets (non-tests) their child will receive for the year in a public school electronically to assess/audit it?
If not, how can they point out bad ...
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Equal Protection and Free Benefits in the United States
What parameters determine whether an organization may give free goods and services based on protected characteristics?
I'm trying to understand the pattern of organizations that dispense benefits to a ...
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Equal Protection and Charitable Activities in the United States
What parameters determine whether a non-profit can maintain its tax-exempt status while dispensing benefits based on protected characteristics?
I'm trying to understand the pattern of organizations ...
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Why Saudia Arabia Consulate's website in the United States (US) require US certification of Power of Attorney document if both are members of HCCH?
Why does the Saudia Arabia Consulate in the United States (US) require US certification of Power of Attorney document if they are member of HCCH?
Documents and Powers of Attorney
Notary Public The ...
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Constitutional Race-Conscious Policies
In 2021, the Biden administration created a loan forgiveness program that excluded white farmers. It was ruled unconstitutional and a violation of equal protection. (Wynn v. Vilsack et al)
Washington (...
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Why did this US prosecutor keep asking whether documents would refresh a witness's memory?
Background
I served on a jury during a criminal trial in the United States several years ago. There was a strangely formal interaction that repeated itself a few times during the trial.
The ...
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Is it against the DMCA to use the recent implementation of the Windows XP's product activation algorithm if one has an XP licence?
The Windows XP's product activation encryption algorithm has recently been "cracked", and a software implementation that emulates the telephone activation question / response procedure is ...
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Is lying in an application for a job at a private company, signed under penalty of perjury, prosecutable as perjury?
A person applies for a job at the XYZ company. The XYZ company is a private company. As part of applying he fills out an application and signs it under penalty of perjury. The application has several ...
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Contract work - is signing an offer before seeing the contract binding?
I'm new to working as a contractor, and have just been offered a contract-to-hire position through a contracting company for a specific client. Notably, I have not seen the actual contract I would be ...
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Small claims when insurance refuses to pay
If a delivery driver damages property when making a delivery and the company's insurance refuses to pay, can I sue the driver directly?
Can I sue the company and/or the owner of the company directly?
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What standard of evidence is used for a subpoena of documents in a criminal case? How does it compare to probable cause?
A Website I use received subpoenas from the US Department of Justice for data related to certain specified usernames. What standard of evidence must that subpoena have met and how does it compare to ...
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If pharmaceutical manufacturing meets US CFR 21, or its European equivalent is it automatically accepted by all other countries?
If pharmaceutical manufacturing meets US CFR 21, or its European equivalent is it automatically accepted by all other countries?
Do other countries automatically accept any other countries ...
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Two-Way Browse-Wrap
I often browse web sites that offer me contract terms via "browse-wrap": there is a link on the page to a "Terms of Service" or similar, and my browsing the web site, having had ...
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Trading authority and incapacitation
Person X gives Person Y the authority to trade person's X brokerage account and to take money out of the account for the benefit of person X. It is not a durable power.
After some time, person Y has ...
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Parties related to transaction
No person, other than sponsor(s), its related parties and its
associates, shall acquire units of a REIT which taken together with
units held by him and by persons acting in concert with him in such
...
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Can a lease last forever?
If two parties agree to a lease on real property, can the lease be binding in perpetuity if it lacks a termination date? Can the lease ever be rescinded because the lessor wishes to terminate the ...
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Does a US company moving its PII and web servers to the EU solve the Meta fine problem?
As discussed in this question about the Meta fine it is a problem for companies that host websites with access to EU user registration data in US datacenters. This is based on the 'Schrems II' ...
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Is it legal to file two insurance claims for the same loss?
Say my car started a fire and the fire caused damage to my house, resulting in a loss of $1000. Is it legal/ethical for me to file a claim with my car insurance while at the same time filing a claim ...
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Is handing out bibles near school property a 1st amendment violation?
Context: There was some random guy handing out pocket bibles on the road path leading out of the school a few weeks ago. I don't think they were on school property, but they were close if that is ...
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When is payment by a mailed check made?
A contract is executed between two Indiana LLCs which obligates the payor to "pay $100 on the 1st of each month" in exchange for goods/services. No other terms are given.
Payor mails a ...
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Am I legally obligated to let a store clerk see my receipt? [duplicate]
For as long as I can recall, bulk stores in the area I live (e.g. Costco, BJs, etc.) have checked customers' receipts as they exit the store to verify that all items in their cart are what was ...
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Have any recent US court decisions cited English common law?
As I understand it, the common law system in the United States inherited the body of caselaw developed by English courts up until the US declared independence, at which point we started developing our ...
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