Legal Affairs

We enjoy a complex love-hate relationship with the law: While we expect it to protect our interests, we don’t want to see ourselves held accountable to it. We therefore cheer the wrongdoers who put one over on the legal system, while lamenting the real crooks who slip away.

Did the Company That Makes McFlurry Machines Get Hit with a Restraining Order? Gizmodo captured a development in a "right to repair" lawsuit with the McHeadline "McFlurry Machine...

True

The state of New York has repealed an archaic law that banned the act of barbering on Sundays. It is now technically legal to operate barber shops on that day of the week.

Is It No Longer Illegal for Barbershops to Cut Hair on Sundays in New York? An archaic law may have been long overdue for a cut.

True

James Brown and wife Adrienne Rodriegues at the 34th Grammy Awards ceremony.

Is the ‘Ambassador’ of Soul Music Entitled to Diplomatic Immunity? Diplomatic immunity does not extend to American citizens who commit crimes in the U.S., ambassadors...

True

Does the Lawless Yellowstone ‘Zone of Death’ Exist? Reports speculate that “murder is legal” in this area.

Mixture

Is It Illegal to Peel an Orange in a California Hotel Room? Never mind the meth labs. The real menace plaguing hotel operators is in-room citrus peelers.

False

Is It Illegal to Have More Than Two Dildos in a Home in Arizona? Various states still have a lot of odd laws on the books, but are lawmakers...

False

Did the Supreme Court Rule in 1943 That No One Can Be Forced to Participate in Patriotic Rituals? The Supreme Court's 1943 ruling applied to school board officials and other government entities, not...

Mixture

Do U.S. Citizens Have the Right to Resist ‘Unlawful Arrest’? It's probably best not to get your legal advice from social media.

Mostly False

Does Iowa Grant Gun Permits to Blind People? Reports about a 2011 change to Iowa's gun licensing rules in Iowa went viral after...

True

Does the ‘Bar’ in ‘Bar Exam’ Denote a Secret Lawyers’ Conspiracy? A "sovereign citizen" conspiracy theory about the licensing of lawyers is riddled with bad logic...

False

Is Oral Sex Still Illegal in 18 States? Although some states still have anti-sodomy laws on the books, they are unenforceable because of...

Mostly False

Did Michael Jordan Sue a Grocery Store for $10 Million? The former NBA superstar won a hefty award in 2015 after filing suit against the...

True