# Lawyers aren’t supposed to ask legal questions in IMHO? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 18, 2020, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047 "2020-05-18T16:44:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/1 "2020-05-18T16:44:11Z")
In the thread **Ultra Vires** started asking about [laws on transporting a corpse](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=896406), he’s taking flak for not researching it himself, as a lawyer, on sources like Findlaw. Seems to me that is contrary to a few rules here. I reported it, but nothing happened, so I thought I’d raise it here. First, it seems to me to be contrary to the “Here. Let meGoogle that for you” rule. This is a Board where people are invited to come ask questions. Criticising them for asking a question that could be answered by other types of research undercuts the purpose of the Boards, which is to allow discussion on interesting issues. Personally, I found the question and discussion interesting, even though I can’t contribute anything to it. Second, it seems to me to be saying that posters shouldn’t ask questions about matters in their personal areas of knowledge. But that’s never been the position here, so far as I know. I’ve asked questions from time to time about legal issues. Sure, I’be got some legal research tools and skills, including US and UK law, but that’s not stopped me from asking legal questions. The US especially has a huge framework of laws (federal and 50 states), and sometimes the quickest way to get a legal answer is to ask here. Third, it seems to be another example of “criticising the poster not the post”. Even if you don’t like a poster, that shouldn’t give you carte blanche to criticise their posting interesting questions, even if you think there might be other ways to research the issue. That shuts down debate, which is contrary to what these boards are supposed to be about. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/2 "2020-05-18T16:46:35Z")
It’s also possible that **UV** is trying to skirt the board’s “no homework” policy. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/3 "2020-05-18T16:50:57Z")
I agree, and would go further: if someone has a dislike for a poster because of bad threads they start, then when they start an interesting thread, for god’s sake you should be encouraging that behavior, not mocking them for it. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/4 "2020-05-18T17:08:31Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > It’s also possible that **UV** is trying to skirt the board’s “no homework” policy. He said right in his OP that he didn’t take the retainer. So are you now accusing him of lying? That’s also contrary to the rules, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/5 "2020-05-18T17:09:33Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > It’s also possible that **UV** is trying to skirt the board’s “no homework” policy. We haven’t had a “no homework” policy for some years, and in any case that wouldn’t qualify. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/6 "2020-05-18T17:32:03Z")
The mob has to have a target. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/7 "2020-05-18T17:37:10Z")
I saw two posts giving him flak. One of those was by Czarcasm, who appeared to withdraw his objection after receiving clarification from another poster. The other, from Telperion, was definitely more flakky. And I suppose you could count Guinastaisa’s link to Findlaw as a third one, though that was only posted \*\*after \*\*a germane response to the OP. The majority of the posts were answered in the spirit of the OP, and several more directly refuted Telperion’s post. \*\*This OP \*\*makes it sound like there’s a pile-on happening over there. That is not remotely the case. > [@bucketybuck](#): > > The mob has to have a target. ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA! ATTICA! ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/8 "2020-05-18T17:43:55Z")
I agree that any poster should be allowed to ask any (allowed) question in the appropriate forum. I don’t know what most of you do for a living – how am I supposed to even call out a, say, real estate agent asking about broker fees or something? Also, since this particular case involved crossing state lines, why would he even be expected to know the laws in the various states? I learned that it’s OK in some states and not in NY, for example. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/9 "2020-05-18T17:47:38Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > I saw two posts giving him flak. One of those was by Czarcasm, who appeared to withdraw his objection after receiving clarification from another poster. The other, from Telperion, was definitely more flakky. And I suppose you could count Guinastaisa’s link to Findlaw as a third one, though that was only posted \*\*after \*\*a germane response to the OP. > > The majority of the posts were answered in the spirit of the OP, and several more directly refuted Telperion’s post. So three posts criticising the OP personally are an acceptable level in a thread with 21 replies? I didn’t realise the Board had a 14% tolerance for attacking the poster, not the post. Could you point me to the spot in the rules that set out the acceptable percentage of posts attacking the poster in any given thread? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/10 "2020-05-18T17:54:03Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Could you point me to the spot in the rules that set out the acceptable percentage of posts attacking the poster in any given thread? Yes, right under the rule setting out the unacceptable percentage. :rolleyes: Keep mountaining that molehill! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/11 "2020-05-18T17:59:03Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I agree, and would go further: if someone has a dislike for a poster because of bad threads they start, then when they start an interesting thread, for god’s sake you should be encouraging that behavior, not mocking them for it. That would require the thread to be interesting Those responding in such a way obviously do not believe that is one. I am one of them. The answer to the question asked is trivial for me to answer, and I’m not even a lawyer. All arrests require at least probable cause, which the people did not have–they just suspected he was up to no good due to his race being different than those they normally encountered. Furthermore, in most jurisdictions, a citizen’s arrest requires even more than a police arrest would, such as actually witnessing the crime in question. As I can answer that question without being a lawyer, it seems odd that the criminal lawyer OP does not also know that answer. Hence it is relevant to try and find out why the OP seemingly did not know the answer. People in the thread are wary because this touches on a very heavy subject–racist crime and police involvement in permitting it. They are understandably wary of any attempts to try and create some sort of narrative that excuses the racism and reluctance to prosecute. It’s not personally about **UltraVires** himself–it would apply to any other poster who would be expected to already know the answer to a question they asked, particularly on asubject that touches on racial issues or similar contentious issues. And questioning the OP’s motivesof bad faith has been allowed in IMHO for a long time. It’s basically in every single advice thread. Someone doesn’t follow advice they disagree with, or argues against that advice, and they are accused of not actually wanting advice and having made up their minds anyways. Such has never been moderated. It’s even allowed in GQ. If you don’t explain why you want to know something, people will ask why. So why should it not be allowed to ask the OP why they are asking the question in IMHO. This thread honestly seems to be missing the point. No one is arguing that you should have to look things up before asking. You can’t look at what people say without the full context. The thread topic itself is relevant in the purpose of every single post in that thread. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/12 "2020-05-18T18:01:48Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Also, since this particular case involved crossing state lines, why would he even be expected to know the laws in the various states? I learned that it’s OK in some states and not in NY, for example. Exactly! I have enough trouble keeping up with the law in my one province in Canada, let alone the other nine provinces. It’s not reasonable to expect your average lawyer in the US to know the law on an arcance matter like dead body transport, at the federal level (is there any?) and all 50 states. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/13 "2020-05-18T18:06:37Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > That would require the thread to be interesting Those responding in such a way obviously do not believe that is one. > > I am one of them. The answer to the question asked is trivial for me to answer, and I’m not even a lawyer. All arrests require at least probable cause, which the people did not have–they just suspected he was up to no good due to his race being different than those they normally encountered. Furthermore, in most jurisdictions, a citizen’s arrest requires even more than a police arrest would, such as actually witnessing the crime in question. I’m pretty sure you are talking about a different thread, not the one being discussed here. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/14 "2020-05-18T18:09:39Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > That would require the thread to be interesting Those responding in such a way obviously do not believe that is one. That sounds to me like a textbook example of threadshitting. If you don’t think a thread is interesting, you don’t critique the OP’s question, you just stay out of the thread. > [@](#): > > I am one of them. The answer to the question asked is trivial for me to answer, and I’m not even a lawyer. All arrests require at least probable cause, which the people did not have–they just suspected he was up to no good due to his race being different than those they normally encountered. Furthermore, in most jurisdictions, a citizen’s arrest requires even more than a police arrest would, such as actually witnessing the crime in question. > > As I can answer that question without being a lawyer, it seems odd that the criminal lawyer OP does not also know that answer. Hence it is relevant to try and find out why the OP seemingly did not know the answer. You know the law on transporting dead bodies in all 50 states, and it was trivial for you to answer? And it involves probable cause and the race of the dead body? Fascinating. Care to share your knowledge with us? Here’s a hint: it’s a good idea to read an OP and maybe click on the linked thread before you start pontificating, completely off-topic. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/15 "2020-05-18T18:10:40Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > It’s even allowed in GQ. If you don’t explain why you want to know something, people will ask why. And you may be moderated for asking such questions if it appears to be irrelevant to answering the question. You can ask in order to clarify what the OP is asking, but their motivations are irrelevant in GQ. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/16 "2020-05-18T18:14:03Z")
Lawyers like to kick things around with others. A question like this one, involving the interstate transport and potential disposal of a corpse, could produce relevant responses from people with personal experience–whether with a friend or family member, or perhaps professionally in the legal, funeral, transport, or even law enforcement industries. I see it as the sort of odd, quirky little thing that used to be more common around this board. Right up there with the most excellent thread contemplating the various issues involved in (theoretically!) launching a goat via catapult. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/17 "2020-05-18T18:14:38Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > …at the federal level (is there any?) … Aren’t you a lawyer? How dare you ask about whether or not a law exists, even though it’s in another country. HOW DARE YOU! ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/18 "2020-05-18T18:16:14Z")
I think it’s similar to a doctor asking this message board what the best types of sutures are, or a cop asking this message board how he should approach a car during a stop at night. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/19 "2020-05-18T18:21:12Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > I think it’s similar to a doctor asking this message board what the best types of sutures are, or a cop asking this message board how he should approach a car during a stop at night. First, do you think if that happened, the asker should be questioned on his/her motives? Second, since this was an out of state situation, isn’t it more like a neurosurgeon asking about foot problem (or, insert appropriately disparate questions and questioner, if that’s not a good example)? ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2020, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047/20 "2020-05-18T18:25:33Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > First, do you think if that happened, the asker should be questioned on his/her motives? > > Second, since this was an out of state situation, isn’t it more like a neurosurgeon asking about foot problem (or, insert appropriately disparate questions and questioner, if that’s not a good example)? I would be leary of any sort of doctor asking any sort of medical questions to an anonymous message board. I would imagine that a doctor would have actual real-life colleagues, who are also doctors, who would be in a better position to answer any sort of medical questions. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lawyers-aren-t-supposed-to-ask-legal-questions-in-imho/854047.md?page=2)