Michael Wechsler

This past Friday I was arrested for shoplifting from my local supermarket. (I live in New York City). I was arrested once before in MA or the same crime in 2003. The charge is petty theft but I am terrified of having a conviction on my record as I'm starting a new job in 5 weeks and fear that this might jeopardize that opportunity.
Over the weekend I ended up writing the manager of the supermarket a long letter apologizing and asking whether I can volunteer to bag groceries or anything to prove to them just how regretful I feel over my actions. He was not there but another manager was and recognized my face from a photo they took of me on the day of my arrest. He was very upset and told me that I was not allowed in the store and that if I ever came back I would be arrested AGAIN! I gave him my letter and hope he forwarded it to the manager that pressed charges against me.
My question to you would be. Is it OK if I call to follow up regarding my letter? I was hoping that I could take the next four weeks, till my court date on July 28th, to work hard to right the huge wrong that I've made in hopes that they might drop the charges. Is there anything else I can do between now and my impending court date to help possibly drop the chargers? Does the store have an easy way of dropping the charges if they wanted to? Should I keep hounding the managers for volunteer hours? Would I be eligible for ACD? I've also signed up for a support group that I will be attending tomorrow night. And am considering counseling as well.
Finally, I think I'm going to have to settle with a public defender because I cannot afford a private attorney. Do you have any advice? Would I be able to contact that public defender before my court date to give him/her a copy of the letter I wrote to the supermarket manager?

i need some legal help

I just got banned from walmart for a year because i had the "intention to steal". All because there was this video game, but it had an extra french wrapper on it so i didn't know if the game was actually english or not. So i took it into the change room and unwrapped to make sure. The games was still in had a layer of plastic on it but it didn't look all that great. So I just laid it on a shelf and walked out the store. The problem was that I left the wrapper in the change room. So one of those guys that secret personell that pretend to be shopppers ran out and took me in. I showed him the game still on the shelf, but he still decided to ban me from walmart for a whole year.
DOES HE HAVE THE RIGHT TO IF I DIDN'T STEAL ANYTHING!!

My grandpa got a car loan for my car, and I signed as a third party person. The loan is under his name, and the title of the car is in my name. Now he wants to take the car back. I need to know that he can do that, even know the car is in my name, and I am the one finially responsible for the payments

Am I in trouble?

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I work for a company of about 15 employees in IL. I'm the production supervisor. My secretary had an affair with one of our forklift drivers over a year ago. After work one day in the work parking lot, the forklift driver's wife came to work and struck my secretary with her trucking, trying to run her over. Since then, both the forklift driver and secretary have been fired for endangering the safety of the other employees, due to the reckless behavior. Recently, my ex-secretary sent me an email to my work email address to see how things were going and just to catch up. I told her to email my personal account, as I did not want the company to be liable for anything said in the emails. We had a few brief conversations about life and the like. The last email I sent to her got to her husband because he took her phone. Now, because I'm the supervisor of her former work and because she was fired, he says that he's suing the company for harassment because of our conversations. How is that possible? It was done thru PERSONAL email addresses and she contacted me? Do I not have the right to speak to whomever I wish outside of my work?



Nervously,

Tmaddox79

my ex-wife has physical custody of our 3 children, yet never has them with her. They have been staying with MY 74 year old grandmother for 2 months. I pay child support and have them when I am not working, but she will not turn custody over to me as she does not get along with my current wife. My Grandmother is caring for them because her living conditions and lifestyle are terrible. I feel like I have no rights...What do I do?

My mom has two kids by her current husband. The problem right now is that they were not always married. She has a custody agreement but she wants to know if that is now void because they are married even though they don't live together.

I retired from the military in 2005 after 22 years iservice.* My divorce was finally April 2008 in the state of Colorado.* I haven't signed the divorce decree because it states my ex-spouse is enititled to half of my VA disability compensation (30%).* My ex-spouse's lawyer and my lawyer says she entitled to half.* Is my ex-spouse entitled to half my VA benefit?* The only discussion we had in court with the judge was to stated my retired pay will be divided according to the law under the Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act (USFSPA).* According to the Defense Finance and Service (DFAS), all percentage awards are figure based on a memeber's disposable retired pay, which is a member's gross retired pay less authorized deductions.* Principle deductions now include retired pay waived to receive VA disability compensation, disability retired pay, and Survivor Benefit Plan premiums. Also what happens if I do not sign the divorce decree?* My ex has yet to sign the decree.

So i got caught shoplifting for the first time and im 20 years old. I received a petty misdemeanor and I was wondering if that would be on my record and what type of sentence I'd recieve. If it matters I'm from minnesota

I purchased a bag and a couple of pouches from a merchant who advertises that the bags are replicas. They look likee the originals by the design. Some of them have tags with designer name on it. Some of them just bear the design and not the name tag. I was going to sell it and was told by someone that it is illegal to sell them. I tried to research the law a little and saw where if a merchant tells you the origin of a product and you purchase it, that the transaction could be legal. Can you provide insight on this and tell me whether the merchant and the buyer is at fault or just the merchant or if there is any fault?

Can you please help me out with a copyright, trademark question?

I am a member of a small taxpayer group that was instramental in defeating a proposed City Project to purchase and develop a 480 acre "Park". This occured in the late 80's and we have just become aware that they have enlisted the cooperation of a local State University, and a couple of land trusts in our area. They are proceeding in spite of the overwhelming opposition that was presented. The plan at that time was to form a city wide assessment district to not only acquire and develop the property, but provide for on going maintenance. They are now proceeding through other agencies to acquire and develop the property, but they still plan to stick the taxpayers for the maintenance. There are many reasons why this project should not be completed and my question to you is would it be possible to file "Cease and Desist Orders" against all the behind the scene participants and non-profits to stop them from acquiring the property??

Im not quite sure how this is suppose to work do I just wait for you to type back??

My husband has a friend who recently went to the dentist. The dentist specified a certain pop and asked him if drank it he said yes and the dentist than told him that he needed to get $10,000 dollars in dental work done. The pop has no warning label, and he was wondering if he has a case if he goes to court. thank you

I will try to be brief, all events in 2008 year. March 18 discovered unauthorized charges against ATM account. Evening March 19th discussed this with the merchant as advised by Bank. Merchant encouraged me to call Bank and report the authorized charges and submit a written claim with the Bank. March 20 prepared and mailed written claim with the bank. March 25 called debit card services and provided additional details with the Bank of more unauthorized charges. Waited until early May and had several face to face discussions with several bank representatives that assured me that my claim was resolved. Surprisingly by letter dated June 3, received written denial to my claim, and that the Bank denied all provision credit. On June 8, I had a face to face meeting with the merchant's operations manager that informed me that the Bank had not contacted her about my claim. On June 9, 10, and 14 provided the Bank with contact information and telephone number of the operations manager for the Bank to perform a proper investigation. June 24 contacted the bank's management team and provided the same information. June 26 was informed by a member of its management team that the Bank refuses to contact the merchant's representative and that it would continue to deny my claim. Question: pay the remaining balance of the provision credit back to the bank and sue in small claims court, or allow the bank to sue me, then counter claim against the claim for their intentional negligence..what is the best course of action ??? thanks.

My husband recently lost his job of 17 years. I am now being sued for a hospital bill I had a year ago. I had two insurance companys and was pre-approved by both of them for my surgery. When it came time to pay the bill, my primary only paid half saying it was out of network. The other insurance was supposed to pay 80% but didn't even pay half. Now the hospital has sent our bill to a lawyer and we are being forced to pay the bill. I aske d if the hospital would except a close but not full payment, and the lawyer said he can just offer it to them. I'm scared that they will take all the money I give them and still come after us. We owe $1,290.00 and I can only scrape up $900.00. Please give me some advice! Crystal

I went on disablility leave due to complications while I was pregnant. I was from Novemeber 2nd 2007, had the baby March 3rd 2008 and was released to go back to work April 17th 2008. I was told I did not have a position to come back to. Now the company (Chilis, part of Brinker) is currently hiring for 4 manager positions in my area. How can they tell me I don't have a position to come back to, then only weeks later have four openings for the exact job that I held??!!

I had a worker comp injury on 07/02/07. The injury was reported to employer and all that stuff. Injury was to my left shoulder left side of neck. The docs concentrated on my neck,ordering therapy and eventually an MRI. Meanwhile my shoulder got very little attention. When the MMI was done on 03/28/08 it was on my cervical spine(5%). My shoulder now is showing a rotator cuff tear and I am unable to work. The insurance Company is not paying me benefits because they say the MMi has been done. They say the MMi was on the injury as a whole. Im saying it's the same injury, different body part and should be paid benefits. Who is right?

I have a very complicated situation. My parents and my brother went into business together in 2005. My dad was the silent partner, my mom was the cfo and my brother did all the work. They incorporated the company. My parents were the ones with the start up money. Since then the business has gone belly up, and they have not filed any taxes have gotten way behind on all the bills and have not payed hardly any payroll taxes to the state or federal. Now my parents are wanting to file a resignation letter and make the effective date the end of 2005, but my mother paid herself wages in 2006 and 2007. Can they do this and leave my brother holding the bag?

I posted a response I was wondering if you had a second to read it. It seems my attorrney doesnt have big enough balls to get the job done so I need to know who to contact. Im in NY State and I cannot let these monies go beyond today frozen and hurt me unjustly anymore. The Bank attorney said 3 days. its benn 7 days. I just need to know who to talk to today that can make this attorney obey the judges order. Can I call the judge myself? Im stuck ,because I have never been in any trouble at all and I dont know my rights in the legal system.

would you happen to know anything about a 17 year old wanting to get emancipated?