NWhen people think about laws, they typically think of carefully crafted rules meant to keep people safe or in line. While most laws could safely fit into that category, not all of them do. Lawmakers are people just like everyone else, which means they are prone to bad ideas just as much as everyone else is. This is how crazy and weird laws end up in existence.

It is no secret that the state of California has its fair share of odd laws. After all, who would think guaranteeing sunshine to the masses or forbidding wild animals from mating in certain areas would be a good idea. Still, the state of California is not the only one with strange laws. Every single state in the Union has its own odd laws that make people scratch their heads.

States and Their Odd Laws

No matter which state a person...

Being a parent is not an easy task. Children, especially babies, require a lot of attention and work. Any parent will tell you that taking care of a baby is a full time job. It is hard enough to deal with on its own, but then parents inevitably have to go back to work. This can be rough on parents who then have to choose between making enough money to pay for bills or spending some much needed quality time with their newborn.

Well, some Californians may no longer need to make that very tough decision. State lawmakers are currently examining and considering a new bill that could change the way some working parents go to work. Their goal is to try and make those first few months of child rearing easier on the parent.

State Assembly Bill 372

California State Assembly Bill (AB) 372 seeks to g...

When it comes to solving crimes, everyone trusts that the local law enforcement agencies will take care of it. After all, that is their job. They find the clues to track down the criminals and keep everyone safe. They do this on a daily basis. In fact, they do their jobs so well that many people often forget that sometimes police officers need help.

Even with all of the tools and training at their disposal, sometimes police officers miss something. This is usually due to the fact that they simply weren’t there to witness it. This is when they turn to the general public for help.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people out there who are uncomfortable with the idea of giving information to police officers...

With the holidays finally here, everyone will be out and about doing a bit of holiday shopping in an attempt to find the perfect gifts for their loved ones. Now, finding the right gift for someone can be difficult, but it is possible. However, hiding a gift can be even more difficult. This is especially true when you live with the person that the gift is for.

Some people get really creative when it comes to hiding their gifts for others. Some of these places may truly be clever, while others really aren’t. A perfect example of a bad hiding spot for presents is leaving it in the car overnight instead of bringing it inside. Doing this can increase the chances of the gift being stolen by a thief. That is something that nobody wants, especially around the holidays.

That’s Not the Best Hidin...

When it comes to owning animals, people are supposed to treat the animal with the same respect that they would a human. If a person does not take care of an animal, then they can face animal abuse charges. Animal abuse on its own is pretty bad, but forcing an animal to fight another animal for personal amusement is another thing entirely.

Here in California, the state has its own separate law regarding dogfights. California Penal Code 597.5 for a person to own a dog with the intent of having it engage in a fight. This law also makes it illegal to be a spectator of a dog fight.

The penalties for California’s dogfighting laws vary between misdemeanor and felony depending on the actual crime the person is accused of...

When people do something fun or amazing, they like to document it in some way. For most people in this day and age that means taking the perfect selfie of the moment. For those unaware, a selfie is a picture that you take of yourself. For the most part, the action of taking a selfie is harmless. However, there an instance when it can become dangerous, or even deadly.

Posting a cool selfie on social media sites is a surefire way to get a lot of attention, which is why selfies are so popular. The problem is, some people don’t pay enough attention to their surroundings when taking the picture. People have fallen from cliffs or been attacked by wild animals while attempting to get the “perfect” shot.

Perhaps what is worse than simply not paying attention to their surroundings, are the ...

Owning a rental property is a great way to earn extra money, but it also means a great deal of responsibility. One of the issues many landlords and tenants argue about is who is responsible when the tenant is injured.

The simple truth is that the issue doesn’t have a black and white answer. Each situation is different and triggers different results.

Landlord Negligence

Often, when a landlord is deemed responsible for paying a tenant’s medical bills it’s because the landlord was negligent. They failed to make repairs that were needed to keep the tenant safe. In this case, the burden of proof falls on the tenant. They have to be able to prove that not only was there a safety hazard on the property, but also that the landlord knew about the issue and failed to correct it...

If someone you either employ or who you decide not to hire believes that you’re discriminating against them based on race, gender, religion, or some other characteristic, you will find yourself in some serious legal trouble.

In the state of California, you’re not allowed to hold these characteristics against any of your current or prospective employees:

• Advancing age
• Birth country
• Disability
• Sex
• Race
• Genetic traits
• Religion
• Ancestry
• Medical conditions
• If they’ve been a victim of a crime such as domestic abuse, stalking, assault
• Political affiliations
• Sexual orientation
• Veteran status
• AIDS/HIV
• Marital status

It’s important to understand that it’s not unusual for a city like San Francisco, where you can’t use a person’s height or weight against them when they’re employ...

With the summer heat in full swing once again, it is important for everyone to do their best to stay cool this season. While looking out for ourselves in this sort of weather is one thing, we can’t forget about the lives that are in our care. Children and pets cannot take care of themselves the way adults can.

Young children can’t be expected to take care of themselves. They don’t know the warning signs of when a place is too hot, nor do they have the ability to deal with the heat. Due to these facts, a child should never be left unattended in a car when temperatures approach 70 degrees. If they are left alone in a car in warm conditions, they could face serious bodily harm or worse.

Even at a comfortable temperature like 75 degrees, the inside of a car can become unbearable...

California, as well as several other states, have what is referred to as “stand-your-ground-laws.” The purpose of these laws is to allow you to use deadly force when placed in a situation where you need to defend yourself. One of the most famous cases where stand-your-ground laws were a factor in getting someone off a second-degree murder charge was in the Florida trial of George Zimmerman.

If you’re looking through a list of California’s laws, you won’t find anything listed as stand your ground laws, what you will find is the Castle Doctrine, which is formally called PC Section 198.5...