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).
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Treatment of lying/exaggerating witnesses
So I'm asking this in the setting of a criminal trial, but I'd also be interested to hear about the treatment of the same aspect in a civil trial.
Assume Danny (D) finds himself accused of some ...
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Software to block contracts
Many websites offer contracts to their visitors by "browse-wrap" (making an offer by notice, where not not using the site signals acceptance) or click-wrap (making an offer where clicking &...
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Is it no longer possible for US universities to specifically support Ukrainians in admissions after SCOTUS ruling?
Here in Poland, after the invasion, universities started providing a separate admissions track to Ukrainian students.
Набір на навчання
Ми підготували два шляхи набору кандидатів на наші ...
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I was banned from an online forum. Which law would enable me to force admins to restore my account and issue an apology? (and pin my post to homepage) [closed]
For example - Twitter is very pro freedom of speech.
Some online forum - their home - their rules - their Terms & Conditions.
I do not like the fact that I was banned, without breaching any rules. ...
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Where is the line between game of chance(gambling) and game of skill? [closed]
I plan to hold offline grassroots tabletop game events that charge a small fixed entry fee and a prize pool that distributes a predetermined percentage of all entry fees gathered to the top players. ...
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NASA and the president's power
If the president of the United States felt that we spend too much on NASA could he/she simply not spend the money that Congress has authorized? For example, could he lay off NASA employees and not ...
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Can an American who travels to Canada record calls of other Americans without their consent?
Canada is a 1-party consent country: at least one person in the conversation has to give consent (which can be the person doing the recording). California is an all-party consent state: everyone in ...
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Imbler v. Pachtman and Texas prosecutor Ken Anderson
In 2013 Texas (Williamson County) District Attorney Ken Anderson served a 10 day jail sentence for prosecutorial misconduct. Quoting https://innocenceproject.org/news/ken-anderson-michael-morton-...
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Jurisdictional Question
Imagine that something is legal in 49 states but illegal in Virginia. For example, imagine if Virginia was the only state to recognize publicity rights.
Which of the following situations would be ...
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If I want to voice record at work, do I only need my boss's approval?
I live in a two party consent state. I would like to record talks in work to defend myself from certain situations. I explained my intention to my boss and he said its perfectly fine. However ...
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Is common law required in the federal system in the US?
The US constitution doesn't prescribe that any state use common law. Louisianan law is based on the Napoleonic laws.
But is the federal government supposed to use it?
Imagine that for some reason, ...
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Can a truck driving company (USA) use an outward facing camera as an inward facing (in-cab) camera without driver's consent/knowledge?
Trucking company has outward facing cameras which drivers are aware of. However, no official company (written) policy was provided about the outward facing cameras recordings, usage, or storage. Now? ...
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Can a US state adjudicate citizenship at birth?
Section 8 of the US Constitution says "The Congress shall have Power...To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization...." But US citizens who reside in a state are also citizens of the ...
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Can I invest the advance payment from my homeowners insurance after a total loss? [closed]
We recently lost our home to a fire, and the insurance company provided a large advance on our settlement. It will be a long time before we are able to rebuild and replace most of our stuff. Can we ...
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Suing over 14th Amendment [closed]
Is it possible for a registered voter, on behalf of the Voters of the United States, to sue Trump for violation of the 14th Amendment?
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Can felons vote?
I am not familiar with USA laws, but I saw that Maine and Vermont are the only states where felons never lose their right to vote. Is this true? Does that include all elections (I.e., local, state, ...
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If you are a state employee, what responsibility does your employer have to provide legal council when you are acting on its behalf?
This question came up during public records training at a public organization in Washington state, but I am interested in the general case. That said, I've provided the specific hypothetical about ...
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Does murdering the President of the United States differ, as a crime, from regular murder?
So, the prospect of siccing a semper tyrannis on the current POTUS has been discussed for the past quarter millennium or so. This has left me wondering, what sort of laws are there against murdering, ...
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Coupons with no or incomplete dates
I received two coupons in the mail a little while ago for a national chain restaurant. I did not see any expiration dates on them at the time. I used one of the coupons a few months ago without ...
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What documents must I carry on me while in the US on J1 visa?
I'm on J-1 visa for half a year in the US. I'm a Hungarian (EU) citizen. I'm wondering whether I need my passport and/or anything else on me at all times. I'd prefer not to carry my passport all the ...
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Tenant with no gas California [closed]
If one were in Orange County in California and moved into a rental property where the landlord guaranteed heating/gas/hot water, but there was an issue in the gas line to the apartment complex and ...
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How does CAN-SPAM apply to physical mail promotions?
In this day of age, it's easy to get a prospect's address with so many online databases available. For example, a college sending a promotional mail to a student. A freelancer sending physical mails ...
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Is it possible to go to trial while pleading guilty to some or all charges?
I understand that when a defendant is charged with one or more crimes, one of the following outcomes almost always occurs in practice: either
1 . They plead not guilty to all charges and go to trial, ...
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In a criminal trial, is the prosecution allowed to discuss its plea bargaining with the defendant?
Suppose that someone is charged with a crime. Before they are arraigned, they negotiate with the prosecution about a potential plea bargain, but do not reach one and instead go to trial.
During the ...
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If one loses their job while outside the US, is their worker visa immediately revoked?
Suppose a foreign citizen was working in the US on a non-immigrant worker visa. While they were enjoying their summer break outside the US, they receive an email noting that he had just been ...
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Is deliberate radio interference justified in self-defense or defense of others?
Deliberate radio interference is normally, if not always, illegal. Is self-defense or defense of others a valid justification? If Alice hears Bob and Bill using radio to plan a violent crime, is it ...
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Sales tax and insurance
Is it legal to charge sales tax for the full price of the item before insurance instead of the discounted amount after insurance in the state of CA? The good is being shipped from outside of CA.
More ...
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If a cashier forgets to charge me for something, do I have to remind them?
Suppose I’m buying 10 items, and I notice that the cashier has accidentally only scanned 9 of them, leading to a total that is too low. Do I have a duty to remind the cashier?
I understand that the ...
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Federal Law vs Federal Law
What happens when a federal law conflicts with another federal law?
What happens if the conflict is the result of amendments to either law, and both laws have been amended many times. For example, the ...
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Why does the US law seem to conflict with the Kigali Amendment on phasing out R-32 refrigerants?
The Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol states that R-32 (HFC-32) should be phased out of use for certain countries like the US significantly in the next decade. Here's the text: https://...
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What legal framework entitles Alex Stein to speak for 3 minutes and what are the parameters of this entitlement?
See this video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwDnEVAIE6z/
Comedian Alex stein uses public government meetings in his typical style to express controversial viewpoints through absurdist comedic quips....
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How to find specific bill voted into Congress that changed FAFSA (2023)?
According to studentaid.gov starting in 2024, "the new need analysis formula removes the number of family members in college from the calculation". Where can I find which bill introduced to ...
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Do minors need to disclose their age in business agreements?
Is a minor working as a freelancer, or negotiating a contract for another reason, contacting a potential client required to disclose that (s)he is a minor? Assume that the minor has no plan to void ...
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What legal arguments could the defense use to stop a State racketeering case against an individual based on them being elected president?
If an individual in the US is indicted on state racketeering charges (e.g. Georgia) and they are later elected as US president, what legal arguments could be made in court by the defense to stop or at ...
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Under what circumstances would a change to the case name occur when no changes were made to the parties involved?
Given that when a Plaintiff files an unlimited civil lawsuit with a US Superior Court, the name of the Plaintiff and the name of the first named defendant in the complaint are used to form the case ...
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On the legality of booby traps in a far future united states [closed]
So there are a few famous cases in the united states wherein booby traps were ruled to be illegal, as they're indiscriminate in their application.
Let's say we have material X. Material X is special, ...
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How many indictments before imprisonment? [closed]
Donald Trump, ex-president of U.S.A., has many indictments on him, but yet he is still roaming as a free citizen.
Questions:
How many indictments does it take for Donald Trump to be imprisoned?
Can ...
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Who is at fault in a car accident when running a red light?
This question is prompted by me sitting at a green light today while multiple people streamed through from the opposite direction, turning to their left, against a red turn arrow. (Throughout this ...
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What is a "lead defendant" in U.S. law?
In its opposition to the government's motion for a protective order in United States of America v. Donald J. Trump, Waltine Nauta, and Carlos De Oliveira, Waltine Nauta's defense refers to Donald ...
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Typo in disclaimer - worst case scenario
I've noticed a typo on an investment company's disclaimer in a brochure, to the effect:
This company and its research affiliate June continue to have such
dealings and June also have other ongoing ...
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Is it illegal to hire by age in the US?
Maybe one of the fields that has the most "ageism" is programming and software engineering jobs.
There were multiple times I hear of the CEO or SVP at the final approval stage: "we want ...
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Was this a case of negligent homicide, and have any other offences been committed here?
Disclaimer: I do not aim to take a position on the ethics of this situation with this question. This question, and all details of the hypothetical case at hand, merely arose from a discussion I ...
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Is deliberate radio interference a crime?
I know that it is forbidden by FCC regulations to deliberately interfere with radio communications, but is it a crime?
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What are the legal ramifications for someone whose birth was concealed?
I understand that in the US, concealment of birth is against the law. I looked it up, and apparently it is a felony in most US states. (FYI I'm asking because it pertains to a work of fiction I'm ...
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Can a woman living in Brazil collect child support from someone in the United States?
The baby was born in the United States but has been living in Brazil for 6 years. The mother is a Brazilian citizen.
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How would a potential Juror report another as not suited to be in a jury?
The only time I was ever called for jury duty while waiting with potential Jurors I spoke to one who essentially said that she believed that a trial would only happen if the cops had definitive proof ...
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Easy way to check if libel has been committed? [closed]
We have an article about someone's activities that I believe was written carefully to avoid libel:
http://pdacamp.com/Sam-Wolanyk-and-Tangod-Up-In-Blues/
Now the party in question is threatening to ...
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Landlord claims I missed a rent payment from over a year ago, I don't have easy way to confirm a payment from that far back. What are my obligations?
I'm renting a room from a person, not a large organization; it's a monthly rental. He claims he just saw I had missed my monthly rent payment from April of last year. I don't have an easy way to ...
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Murder due to temporary insanity
Due to an unfortunate event outside of his control, "Juan" temporarily goes insane. Due to his insanity, he commits an extremely heinous crime (say, for example, a school shooting.) Still a ...
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Why are some sections of the US Code formatted so weirdly?
There are actually two questions here.
First, why are sections not in order? You have 28 USC §1 through §6, which talk about the Supreme Court, then you have §41 to §49 (appeals courts), then §81 to §...
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