Legal FAQs and Forum Guidelines - PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Dr. J

Bluelight Crew
Joined
Sep 30, 2001
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First Stop Legal FAQs

First time in the Legal Q&A forum? Have a legal question that needs answered right away? In an effort to provide a one stop shop for answers and to clean up the forum, here are direct links to several useful threads.

If you still cannot find the answer you're looking for after using these FAQs, please feel free to post a new thread. If you are concerned about how to post, there is an FAQ that deals with that very question. Any other questions or concerns? JUST ASK! :)

GENERAL

What to do when QUESTIONED BY THE POLICE or investigators. <=== VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION

When and How to Post Anonymously

General Law; Arrests and Interrogations; Searches and Seizures

Terry Frisk (Weapons Patdown) FAQ

A Beginners Guide To Drug Laws in N.S.W (AU)


AFTER AN ARREST

I've just been arrested or charged, what is going to happen to me?


TOPICS

Can I legally import a controlled substance into the United States?

Many Research Chem Companys raided, Customer Lists Taken, Now What?


MISCELLANEOUS

The Lie Behind the Lie Detector and How to Beat a Polygraph (external site)
The Memoirs of Eleusis: Autobiographical story about a chemist busted by the DEA (external site)
Tips on Going to County Jail by Phreex


A big THANK YOU to all those who helped write and edit these FAQs!
 
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FORUM OVERVIEW

This forum exists as a place for Bluelighters to ask questions on a variety of legal matters. Seeking help on a message board, however, is no replacement for the advice of an actual attorney. If you are in legal trouble, retain the services of a competent lawyer. THE PEOPLE WHO RESPOND TO YOUR QUESTIONS IN THIS FORUM MAY NOT BE LAWYERS. THEY ARE CERTAINLY NOT YOUR LAWYER, NOR ARE THEY ACTING AS YOUR LAWYER. THEY ARE MERELY EXPRESSING THEIR OPINIONS ABOUT THE LAW. THERE IS NO ATTORNEY-CLIENT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM AND YOURSELF. ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR OWN ATTORNEY REGARDING YOUR QUESTIONS.

FORUM GUIDELINES

(1) This forum is a general comment forum open to the public. In no manner whatsoever is an attorney/client relationship, actual or implied, created on this board. Someone seeking legal advise should always consult their own attorney.

(2) GENERAL - The rules set out in the Bluelight User Agreement apply at all times.

(3) ASKING A QUESTION - When asking a question or starting a thread, furnish as much detail as possible:
  • Include a general location, like state (for U.S. residents) or country.
  • Present your subject in a clear and concise manner.
  • Do not incriminate yourself or others when posting. No names.
  • Only post legal questions. Please use the Current Events & Politics or Philosophy & Spirituality forums for policy or philosophical topics.
  • Use the search function prior to posting to see if your topic has been already covered. Your post will be locked or deleted if it is obvious that you have not taken the time to search or if you post a question that easily could be answered with a Google search.
  • If you wish to post anonymously, please click here and post your question in Bluelight's Anonymous Posting forum. A staff member will move it to this forum.
(4) DO NOT INCRIMINATE YOURSELF - While it is important to provide as much information as you think relevant to asking a question, do not implicate yourself or others in illegal activity. Speak generally. Use hypotheticals. Do not name yourself or others. See also (5).

(5) PUBLIC FORUM - Bluelight is a public forum. Any communications expressed on Bluelight are available for viewing by anyone, including law enforcement. Again, it is important not to implicate yourself or others in criminal activity. See (4). In the best interests of everyone involved, do NOT personally identify yourself, police officers, law enforcement officials, witnesses, attorneys, judges, or other relevant parties in your post.

(6) WE ARE NOT HERE TO TELL YOU HOW TO BREAK THE LAW - Posts outside the realm of legal advice, including queries about committing present or future criminal acts, are not acceptable. They will be deleted. Discussion regarding ongoing and future criminals acts is not allowed. Posts asking about the "chances of getting caught" or likelihood of success in a criminal act are not allowed either. This is not a forum for finding ways to circumvent the law. Do NOT post information on how to smuggle, ship, or hide drugs. Additionally, this is NOT a forum for getting information on how to pass a drug test or obtaining prescrption drugs from other countries. These posts will be edited or deleted.

(7) DO NOT JUDGE - Please refrain from passing moral judgment on people who post in this forum. People may post about situations where you believe someone's conduct is morally reprehensible, like drunk driving or illegal drug use. HOWEVER, this is NOT the forum for telling people that their behavior is wrong, stupid, or immoral. People need to be able to ask about a legal situation without being chastised. Imagine that someone went to a criminal defense attorney, and the attorney unloaded on the client with a bunch of moral chastising. That would be highly inappopriate. Bottom line: Blaming people discourages them from seeking advice. It runs counter to the purpose of this forum.

As a corallary to this, in a disussion where someone is being offered a deal by a prosecutor to snitch, DO NOT belittle or criticize the poster for considering such an arrangement, regardless of your feelings on the matter. Again, imagine if you were a defense attorney, and this person was your client. It would be highly inappropriate for you to tell your client that he/she must take the fall in order to protect someone else. When someone posts here, they deserve to get replies that are in their best interests. They are asking for legal discussion, not moral discussion. Therefore, any admonitions against snitching will be deleted, unless you have a solid legal reason to believe it is not in their best interests or otherwise relevant in some non-moralizing way. It goes without saying that verbal threats or intimidation of any kind will not be tolerated.

(8) RESPECT - Be respectful of one another and courteous of those taking the time to answer your questions.

(9) QUALITY CONTROL - While this forum is not a substitute for competent legal counsel, it is no way a place to post advice which you cannot support with evidence or citation. No one is perfect, but we can substantiate our positions and we expect the same from people posting here. Accurate information from any perspective, including relevant personal experience, is always welcome.

(10) ACCEPTABLE CONTENT - Threads asking about the legal status of a drug are acceptable, but rather than posting here, search the FAQs of Bluelight, Erowid, or Google first, as you can probably find a faster answer there. For drug testing queries check Erowid. [On Erowid, click on the "Plants & Drugs" section. Then, under "Basics", you'll find "Drug Testing."]

(11) UNACCEPTABLE CONTENT - No posts on obtaining prescription drugs legally in or from other countries. If it's not legal in your country, there is no need to ask a question about it. (Read the Drug Importation FAQ for some basic information on this topic.) No threads asking for help beating prescription drug regulations or pharmacy procedures either. See also (6). Finally, this is not a social forum. Posts of a social nature will be removed.

(12) CONTACT - Please PM the forum mod(s) with any specific or personal issues. If you have an issue with how the forum is being operated or you feel a post has been deleted unfairly, take it up with a forum moderator via email or PM. Members of the media, parents, or law enforcement should direct general inquiries to appropriate contacts found here.

(13) ALWAYS ACCEPTING MODERATOR APPLICATIONS - If you would like to be a moderator for this forum, please send a private message or email expressing your interest to at least one of the current moderators. There is no minimum level of knowledge or biography disclosure required, however, candidates who have demonstrated legal familiarity have the greatest chance of being invited to help.

Thanks to the following for contributing to these guidelines: Mahan Atma, mariaposa420, Dr. J, Catch-22, PottedMeat, forgotten, Jase, and Banquo.
 
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