How do I figure out what the law is so I can follow it?

Question

Everyone follows laws that they have only heard of through word of mouth. For example, I have never seen the official document that says a 30 year old cannot have sex with a 14 year old, but I know that this is illegal. I know that it's illegal to drive drunk, but only because other people say it is. Suppose I want to be a responsible citizen and actually look up the laws for my city, state, and country (I'm in the U.S.). How do I do that?

If you're going to give me a website, how would I do it *without* your website?

Answer 1

Laws are all a matter of public record. You can try a larger public library. Many cities have court libraries with lots of law books that are open to the public.

If you have specific questions, you can also call the police department or the appropriate administrative agency. Regional Offices of the Federal Trade Commission and SEC, for example, have attorneys assigned to answer questions on the phone each day.

Answer 2

Ok, here's the deal. Go to the local book store, if there is no law library in your proximity, and order a copy of Black's Law Dictionary. Earlier editions 1 - 6 are more preferable. You may be able to find one on eBay. Then go to a used book store or eBay again, and pick up a copy of an old New Century or Websters 1939 vintage +/- dictionary. Read and study God's Ten Commandments (the moral laws), found in Exodus Chapter 20.

All competent civilizations, down thru the ages, have used the Ten Commandments as their basis of law. Those who violate these laws, don't last, and collapse under the weight of their own sin and disobedience to God. Now you have a foundation for a study of the law.

Just start flipping thru the Black's looking up legal terms that you wanted to know the definition of. Expand on each if you don't understand the words used in the defintion. Look those words up as well. Keep a notepad handy and write the definitions down and the page number you found it on.

Look up the different types of courts (Apellent, Federal, Municipal, Administrative, Supreme, County, etc. etc.) that run this country and in what jurisdiction they operate in. Learn who is tried in these different courts; learn what crime or criminal actions lands a person in what court. Learn what is the Supreme court of the land vs. the Supreme court in your county, and which has jurisdiction over you.

Pick up a good book on what constitutes a competent Jury. Take an afternoon off and go sit in a courtroom and watch what happens; who takes the oath, where does everyone sit in the room, procedures that are followed, demeanor of the presiding judge, how many people are spectators, friends of the family, other lawyers, officers of the law present in the room, etc. Take notes and look up in your Black's words, or phrases you don't understand. What you can't figure out on your own, ask someone.

Go to the state house and get a copy of "Constitution of the State of _________what ever state you live in. This will give you other words to look up in your Black's. When President Chavez of Venezuela took office a few years back, he made it the FIRST ORDER of business that every citizen within the country - adults and children - read, study and know what the Venezuelan Constitution says so that they would know what is expected of them. Nothing less should be expected of each American citizen, but where is the leadership to compel such a study or desire? Along these same lines, be sure to pick up a copy of the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, The Preamble and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, along with Thomas Paine's Common Sense; the first declaration of independence written on American soil in 1776, Jan. 10 declaring that We the People don't need a king....and the document that got the American Revolution in to full swing.

Know what the word JURISDICTION means, and understand its limits. All courts, police, armies and laws operate within specific jurisdictions.

Learn the difference between substance and equity - two more key words to know when dealing in financial issues. Learn what colored law is; ie words of color; words of art. Learn what constitutes a "colored" man. Hint: it has NOTHING to do with the color of his skin. Study some on procedural law - filing papers, depositions, format of the paper work, etc.

There that should keep you busy the rest of the year,....and hopefully out of trouble. LOL

Answer 3

All of the laws of your state are available for the public to read.

Most states post them on the state website. But you can go down to any court (or most public or college libraries) and read the laws in books. There's generally an index to look up specific topics.

Answer 4

Yup ... Courthouses, Attorney's office, libraries or websites all have the laws listed for public viewing.

Answer 5

What, do you want someone to beam the information directly into your head?

If you want to learn without a website, pay a lawyer to answer your questions. Otherwise, go to a site like http://www.findlaw.com/ and look up the topic you are interested in.