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.

Are You Exempt from Paying Sold-Off Debt? A popular social media item wrongly claims that consumers are not obligated to pay back...

False

Can Ancestry.com Take Ownership of Your DNA Data? An experienced attorney's blog post has caused widespread concern.

Mixture

Will Aaron Hernandez’s Family Receive $15 Million from the NFL? Aaron Hernandez's conviction could be vacated under the obscure legal doctrine of abatement ab initio,...

Mixture

Did a British Mom Lose Custody of Her Kids for ‘Co-Sleeping’? Various news sites overemphasized one aspect of a case involving repeated injuries to two children.

Mostly False

Is it Illegal to Take Photographs of the Eiffel Tower at Night? As is often the case, a little bit of factual information is spun into something...

Mixture

Is Everyone Who Bought Milk Since 2003 Covered Under a Class Action Settlement? The deadline to qualify for a class action settlement covering people who bought milk has...

Outdated

Did Some Cities in the United States Have ‘Ugly Laws’ to Keep Disabled People Out of Sight? Chicago, to name one city that enacted an "ugly law," didn't repeal its ordinance banning...

True

Are Diners Obligated to Pay Mandatory Gratuity or Tip Charges? The often unwelcome presence of precalculated "mandatory" gratuities have left diners confused about whether those...

Mixture

Does U.S. Law Require Alcohol to Be Radioactive? If such a law existed — which it does not — the scientific rationale would...

False

HUD Tiny Homes Ban A lot of anxious bloggers incorrectly surmised HUD was moving to make "tiny homes" illegal.

False

Do You Need a Driver’s License to Legally Operate a Car on Public Roads? Despite what you may read on social media, you still need a driver's license to...

False

Close-Up Of A Person With A Load Of Money

Is It Illegal to Carry $10,000 in Cash? Common discomfort over the handling of large sums of money has led to some near-superstitious...

False