Law Q&A

Underage Drinking – Ontario, Canada

Legal Information — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:32:47 +0000

Does getting a ticket for “underage drinking” mean you now have a criminal record. If so how long does it last on your record.

Pitbull Laws, Colorado

Legal Information — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:35:38 +0000

Are Pitbulls allowed in Berthoud CO 80513 and what restrictions are on these dogs and their owners? Concerned Grandfather and small dog owner.

My soft sculpture was copied in another medium

Legal Information — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:34:31 +0000

My doll design was copied by another doll maker in a different medium. She has acknowledged that my work was her inspiration but says that there is no infringement because hers are done in crochet work and mine are sewn. Now she has changed her story and says she created these dolls 11 years ago and sold them to a big pattern company. I contacted the pattern company and they acknowledged that she sold them a doll design with patterns in 1993, but not for the items in question and have no such work in their database. So it’s true that they do have a doll design from this person, but not for the ones in question. She is now giving the patterns for these dolls away for free on her blog, as a download.

I have good reason to believe she copied my work when she saw it for sale on a website 9 years ago. She has admitted to seeing the dolls on the site, (why are these stories so complicated?) and even told me that she missed out on purchasing one, at the time. The only reason this person is even on my radar is because she contacted me to tell me how much she loved my work, and then posted photos of her new dolls which look like mine, onto the Flickr site.

This person is a fairly well known crochet designer. At first, she told me said she made the dolls in question recently but now has changed her story to add enough time to put them in advance of the time frame when I began selling them through the website (2001). (The only published photos of these particular dolls of hers are from 2008 and the new versions, from 2010) These dolls of hers look nothing like any of the other work in her portfolio, all of which look quite similar.

I have plenty of documentation for the original work which was actually done several years prior to when she saw them and several years before photos of my original works were ever on the web, a miniature version was presented to a major fast food company in hopes of licensing for a kid’s meal toy premium, which was declined.

Photos of both works, (mine and her knock offs), placed side by side show disturbing similarities and could be mistaken for the same product to the average person. Do I have a case? Is it worth pursuing?

marriage before bankruptcy????

Legal Information — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:32:06 +0000

if I get married before my fiance files bankruptcy, will this my credit?

dropped from disability policy

Legal Information — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:31:13 +0000

My 63 year old sister is disabled and has been for several years. She has always paid her premium on time. She just received a notice from her insurance company stating that all those who have disability insurance and are currently disable are being dropped. Can they do this in Texas?

Water Shut off by third party, Los Angeles

Legal Information — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:27:30 +0000

In Los Angeles, California is it legal or considered a criminal act to deprive someone of water to their house?

A land developer instructed the Department of Water and Power to shut off the water to a third party’s house because he alleged that water was leaking onto his property. The DWP did so and now the homeowner has been without water for almost two years.
The water pipe runs under the developer’s property by right of an expressed easement, but the developer refuses to allow the homeowner access to repair the leak and the City of Los Angeles will not intervene.

The homeowner was successful in a lawsuit against the developer and the City of Los Angeles in an E.I.R. dispute. I believe the homeowner is now being harassed and punished by both the developer and the city.

The homeowner was told to file a civil lawsuit, but the question has now been asked whether this is a criminal act.

Thank you for your attention in this urgent matter.
Yours truly,
Bob Renna
bobrenna1949@hotmail.com
P.S. By the way, do you know of any good lawyers in the Los Angeles area who might be willing to “fight City Hall”?

Grandfather laws, Indiana

Legal Information — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:45:05 +0000

I own a tattoo business in Indiana. Recently our county impemented several changes in our county ordiance. We have been using the same area for sterilization for the past 14 years, now the health board is telling us we have to have a seperate room for sterilization. Is there a GRANDFATHER LAW that protects us from undue expense due to this change in the ordiance?

Statue of limitations on a Traffic violation in Florida

Legal Information — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:17:35 +0000

I understand there is not a SOL on a traffic fine, but what about when that fine has been bought out by a collection agency? Does an SOL apply to them?

Failure to yield out of a private drive
Miami Dade County, FL

employment disclosure

Legal Information — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:16:26 +0000

Is an past employer allowed to tell a prospective employer if and why an employee was fired in Nebraska.

Bad background check for job

Legal Information — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:40:38 +0000

I recently started a job through a staffing agency and on the third day at the job site, was told I had to leave because the staffing agency said I failed the criminal background check. I went to the KBI (Kansas B.I.) website and found no record for myself, as well as nothing on my DMV. The report that the staffing agency’s Background Check service sent me claimed I was arrested in 2003 for battery and served time. I’ve never been arrested for anything, so I dug into what was going on. Apparently there was someone with similar name and D.O.B. as myself with a criminal history, but obviously it wasn’t me. They are currently looking into my “dispute”, but I want to know what legal course of action I have for being falsely accused of a crime and being kicked off the job site until the matter is resolved because of it. So far I have only lost 4 days of work, but that adds up, not to mention everyone at that job now thinks I am a criminal.

charge dismissed but read in

Legal Information — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:39:44 +0000

Back in 1998 i was charge with bail jumping, but the severity of it was a felony but it was dismissed but read in.So does that mean i have a felony?If so can that ever be overturned.

After moving what rights do I have in the Marital home

Legal Information — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:24:49 +0000

I live in Florida and moved out of my home two years ago, My spouse and I have a close relationship and still see each other and spend the night at either our house and my apartment. I also receive mail there and have many of my personal belongings there. My spouse says I own the home but have no legal rights as to who can come and go and who can live there since my moving out is considered abandonment of the home. Is this true?

felony, warrant

Legal Information — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:23:27 +0000

I charged a isp officer of assault when he assaulted me and he had dash cam to prove it and when i went to court for traffic tickets i was arrested in court by another county and put in jail for felony charges and they said they had a warrant from another county can they do that if it has not gone to court yet

Criminal Burglary/Trespassing

Legal Information — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:20:08 +0000

I asked my roommate to leave my apt. The day she came to get her things, she brought her dad and uncle with her. She had animosity with my boyfriend because of a previous argument and threatened that she would have her dad come over. When my boyfriend opened the door, he was immediately struck by her father resulting in a big fight. The other guy held him and her and her father fought him resulting in cracked walls in my apt and broken closet doors. Who can be charged and what can they be charged with?

Idaho Garnishment

Legal Information — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:18:42 +0000

Is there some place I can get a copy of an example of an Idaho State Garnishment?

HOA Question

Legal Information — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:05:07 +0000

Two parts: Is it true that hoa covenants provide an “extra layer” of protection and/or restriction to it’s members on top of state law? Second, if that’s true, and the covenants require a 70% written agreement to amend the covenants, can the hoa board sidestep this provision by citing state law, which allows in absence of a ballot or no-vote to be counted as a yes to amend the covenants?

court fines, statute of limitations

Legal Information — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:01:58 +0000

Is there any city/state statute of limitations on court fines that have been sent to a collection agency?

Homeowners’ Contract

Legal Information — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:52:06 +0000

Do homeowners’s associations have the rights to charge you fees even if you haven’t signed a contract to abide by the rules?

Can California Indian Casinos Be Sued

Legal Information — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:31:45 +0000

Ive been injured, and abused in promotions and work asignments. I am so stressed out and get no answers to any questions in HR..and Lawyers willing to fight for me!?

Statutory Rape? Minnesota

Legal Information — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:29:47 +0000

We live in MN. I have an 18 year old daughter (she turned 18 on Dec 20, 2009). We just found out she is 30 weeks pregnant. Which means she got pregnant while she was 17 in Aug of 2009. The father of the baby is 30 years old, and would have been 29 at the time she became pregnant. He is on SSI for a disability, unknown for sure why, but I suspect a slight mental handicap. He lives with his mother and she says he is his own guardian but she controls his SSI and his money. I want to know if there is a case for statutory rape. My daughter would not agree with this and has taken all the blame on herself. What can I do? Any help would be greatly appreciated.