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1500 questions
41
votes
3 answers
What is the legal take on the trolley problem?
From the Wikipedia page on the trolley problem:
There is a runaway trolley barreling down the railway tracks. Ahead,
on the tracks, there are five people tied up and unable to move. The
trolley is headed straight for them. You are standing some…
Praxeolitic
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41
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3 answers
What enforcement exists for medical informed consent?
I'm in the USA, New York. I find nowadays that it's common -- maybe the majority of cases -- in which forms are to be signed for some medically-related purpose, that the system and/or provider actively prevents me from seeing what I'm agreeing to…
Daniel R. Collins
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40
votes
3 answers
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 Du Bois, who was handcuffed to Reiser and…
pipe
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40
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5 answers
Does Elon Musk have any grounds for legal action against people who track his plane?
Most airplanes, including Elon Musk's private jet, are required by law to broadcast their location throughout a flight in a well-documented, unencrypted digital format called ADS-B. This system is a critical part of aviation safety infrastructure.…
Someone
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40
votes
12 answers
Why are there no laws rewarding people
It might sound like a stupid question, but I am not a legal expert. The positive laws prohibit certain acts and punish those who perform the acts. However, do the laws always prohibit and punish? And why there are no laws about rewarding people who…
user30303
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40
votes
1 answer
Isn't a hung jury proof of reasonable doubt?
I don't understand the logic with allowing additional trials after a hung jury. Isn't the fact that the prosecution can't get 12 jurors to agree the accused is guilty proof that guilt was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt, and so he should be…
Ryan_L
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40
votes
4 answers
Can you legally move a dead body to preserve it as evidence?
A fisherman is heading upstream in his boat, and sees a human corpse float past. Obviously even if it wasn't murder, it still warrants a 911 call because it was a death. The river however, is steadily moving the body away.
Can the fisherman move the…
Razmode
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40
votes
3 answers
What legal liability does one's participation on Stack Exchange carry?
This question is motivated by a question which came up recently on engineering.SE: Cracks on the wall. It may be closed in the future so I will summarize. The user posted pictures of (very large) cracks in the wall of his house and asked the…
Chris Mueller
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40
votes
4 answers
Is it legal to copy a software license text from other companies to write my own?
I am writing a software license myself before I hire a lawyer.
Is it legal to copy a software license text from other companies to write my own?
I could not find anyone talking about the copyright of the software license itself. But many software…
ultrafrog
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40
votes
6 answers
Suppose someone kills more people than they intended. Did they murder the extra people?
If a person sets a bomb in a music festival. Based on previous attendance numbers, they expected 60,000 people to show up. 120,000 people showed up and were killed by their bomb. Legally, did they murder 60,000 people, or all 120,000?
Also, suppose…
moonman239
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40
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4 answers
Consent to searches: Who wins "my-word-against-yours?"
Hypothetical
Officer testifies citizen consented to be searched.
Citizen denies consenting to be searched.
There is no other evidence (that weighs net in favor of either party).
Question
Whom does the judge believe?
Clarifying Discussion
from…
Alexanne Senger
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40
votes
2 answers
What is the legal status of "warrant canaries"?
A warrant canary is a repeated claim by an individual or organization that they have not been served any warrants with an attached gag order. The idea is that you can say whatever you like if you have not been served such a warrant, but if you are…
Michael Burge
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40
votes
6 answers
Why does browser cache not count as copyright infringement?
My browser is saving a copy of the web pages I visit on my computer. How is that not copyright infringement?
in this answer I read:
I would hazard a guess that displaying an HTML webpage online is implicitly allowing others to read that code
How…
Mario Trucco
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40
votes
9 answers
How can I declare independence from the United States and start my own micro nation?
How can I take back my sovereignty from the American government and start my own micro nation?
I've read about starting a foreign company with my name in all caps but I want a lawyer's answer.
Gabriel Connor Nelson
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40
votes
1 answer
Can an insurance company legally sell an unclaimable policy?
Can a insurance company legally sell a policy that cannot be claimed?
A colleague of mine has just returned from a visit to a country that's currently at war. He purchased a (very expensive) insurance policy beforehand. Before purchasing he…
Lima
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