Hazing and Fraternity Abuse Guide for Bevil Oaks, Texas Families: Understanding Your Rights and Options

If Your Child Was Hazed at College, You’re Not Alone

For parents in Bevil Oaks, the pride of sending your child off to Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas A&M in College Station, or any of Texas’s major universities can quickly turn to panic when you realize something is wrong. That familiar confusion—the unexplained injuries, the sudden secrecy, the late-night calls that don’t make sense—is the first sign that the college experience you envisioned has become a parent’s worst nightmare. Right now, in our own state, we are fighting one of the most serious hazing cases in recent memory, representing Leonel Bermudez in his lawsuit against the University of Houston and the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. While this case is unfolding in Harris County, it proves a critical truth for every family in Jefferson County, including here in Bevil Oaks: no community is immune, and the institutions we trust can fail our children.

This comprehensive guide is written specifically for parents and families in Bevil Oaks, Texas, who need to understand what modern hazing really looks like, how Texas law protects victims, and what legal options exist when a fraternity, sorority, athletic team, or other campus group causes harm. We will connect national patterns of abuse to the universities where Bevil Oaks students often enroll, explain the legal framework that governs these cases, and provide you with immediate, actionable steps to protect your child and pursue accountability.

Immediate Help for a Hazing Crisis

If you are reading this because you suspect or know your child is being hazed, time is critical. Evidence disappears quickly, and institutions move to protect themselves.

In the First 48 Hours:

• Medical Safety First: If your child is injured or intoxicated, seek emergency medical care immediately. Tell the medical staff the injuries are from hazing so it is documented.
• Preserve Digital Evidence: Do not let your child delete anything. Screenshot group chats (GroupMe, WhatsApp, iMessage), social media posts, and text messages. Photograph all visible injuries.
• Document Everything: Write down everything your child tells you—dates, times, locations, names of individuals involved—while memories are fresh.
• Secure Legal Guidance: Contact our firm at 1-888-ATTY-911 for an immediate, confidential consultation. We can guide you through evidence preservation before it’s too late.

What NOT to Do:

• Do not confront the fraternity, sorority, or university directly.
• Do not sign any documents from the university or any insurance company.
• Do not allow your child to discuss the incident on social media.
• Do not assume the university’s internal process will deliver justice or adequate compensation.

The Reality of Hazing in 2025: Beyond the Stereotypes

Hazing is no longer just about “harmless pranks” or “boys being boys.” It is a calculated pattern of abuse designed to assert power, create loyalty through trauma, and maintain secrecy. For families in Bevil Oaks, understanding the modern forms of hazing is the first step in recognizing it.

A Modern Definition of Coercion and Harm

Hazing, under Texas law and in practice, is any intentional, knowing, or reckless act—occurring on or off campus—directed against a student for the purpose of joining, maintaining membership in, or gaining status within a group, that endangers the student’s physical health or safety or mental health and safety.

The critical element parents must understand is that a child’s “consent” is not a defense in Texas. The power imbalance between eager pledges and established members, combined with the fear of social exclusion, means true voluntary consent often does not exist. The law recognizes this coercion.

The Evolution of Abuse: From Physical Brutality to Digital Control

Hazing tactics have evolved to avoid detection, often disguised as “team building,” “tradition,” or “voluntary challenges.”

1. Substance Hazing – The Most Common and Deadly:

• Forced Consumption: Coerced drinking of alcohol to dangerous levels during “Big/Little” nights, “bid acceptance” parties, or drinking games like “Bible study” where wrong answers mandate drinks.
• Ingestion of Harmful Substances: Forced consumption of excessive amounts of milk, hot sauce, raw eggs, or other substances to induce vomiting and distress.

2. Physical and Psychological Torture:

• Extreme Exercise as Punishment: “Smokings” involving hundreds of push-ups, squats, or wall-sits until collapse, often in extreme weather. This can lead to rhabdomyolysis—a deadly muscle breakdown—as seen in the University of Houston Pi Kappa Phi case.
• Sleep Deprivation & Control: Mandatory late-night and early-morning “meetings,” overnight driving duties, or being “on call” 24/7 via group chat.
• Humiliation Rituals: Wearing degrading costumes or “pledge fanny packs” with humiliating items, public shaming, and being subjected to simulated waterboarding or other acts of torment.

3. Digital Hazing – The 24/7 Pressure Cooker:

• Group Chat Tyranny: Mandatory immediate responses to messages at all hours; punishment for non-compliance.
• Social Media Humiliation: Forced participation in embarrassing TikTok challenges or Instagram dares.
• Location Surveillance: Requiring pledges to share live location data via apps like Find My Friends.

4. Sexualized and Violent Hazing:

• Forced nudity, simulated sexual acts, paddling, beatings, and dangerous physical tests like blindfolded “trust” exercises that lead to injury.

This conduct doesn’t just happen in fraternity houses. It occurs in sororities, Corps of Cadets programs, athletic teams, spirit groups like the Texas Cowboys, and even marching bands. The common thread is the abuse of power under the guise of tradition.

Texas Hazing Law and Your Family’s Rights

For Bevil Oaks families, Texas law provides specific legal avenues for accountability. Understanding this framework is essential.

The Texas Education Code: Chapter 37, Subchapter F

Texas has one of the clearer anti-hazing statutes in the country. Key provisions include:

• Broad Definition (§37.151): Hazing includes any intentional, knowing, or reckless act that endangers physical or mental health for the purpose of initiation, affiliation, or membership.
• Criminal Penalties (§37.152):
  • Class B Misdemeanor: Basic hazing (up to 180 days jail, $2,000 fine).
  • Class A Misdemeanor: Hazing that causes bodily injury.
  • State Jail Felony: Hazing that causes serious bodily injury or death.
• No Consent Defense (§37.155): It is explicitly not a defense that the victim consented to the activity.
• Immunity for Reporting (§37.154): Individuals who in good faith report hazing or seek medical assistance are immune from civil or criminal liability for their own minor participation (like underage drinking).

Criminal vs. Civil Cases: Two Paths to Accountability

Criminal Prosecution:

• Brought by the State (DA’s office).
• Goal: Punishment (jail, fines, probation).
• Charges can include hazing, assault, furnishing alcohol to minors, and in fatal cases, manslaughter.
• For Bevil Oaks families: This process is largely out of your control but can provide leverage in parallel civil actions.

Civil Lawsuit:

• Brought by the victim and their family.
• Goal: Compensation for damages and institutional accountability.
• This is where families can recover medical costs, therapy expenses, compensation for pain and suffering, and, in wrongful death cases, for their unimaginable loss.
• A civil case is your family’s tool to demand answers, force change, and secure the resources needed for long-term recovery.

The Federal Overlay: Title IX, Clery, and the Stop Campus Hazing Act

• Title IX: If hazing involves sexual harassment or gender-based harassment, universities have specific, mandatory investigation duties.
• Clery Act: Requires universities to report certain campus crimes, which can include hazing-related assaults.
• Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024): A new federal law requiring increased transparency in hazing reporting and prevention programs at federally funded schools. This will soon make hazing data more publicly accessible.

The National Blueprint: How Major Cases Shape the Fight in Texas

The tragic hazing cases that make national headlines are not isolated incidents. They are part of a repeating script that plays out across the country, including in Texas. These cases provide the legal blueprint and, tragically, show the foreseeable risks that universities and national fraternities often ignore.

The Alcohol Poisoning Pattern: Foreseeable and Fatal

Stone Foltz – Bowling Green State University, Pi Kappa Alpha (2021):
A 20-year-old pledge died after being forced to drink an entire bottle of liquor during a “Big/Little” event. The subsequent investigation revealed a culture of coerced drinking. The outcome? A $10 million settlement with the Foltz family, including $7 million from Pi Kappa Alpha national headquarters. The chapter president was also held personally liable for $6.5 million. This case proves national organizations and their leaders can be held financially accountable.

Max Gruver – LSU, Phi Delta Theta (2017):
Pledge Max Gruver died with a 0.495% BAC after a “Bible study” drinking game where incorrect answers meant forced drinking. His death led to the Max Gruver Act in Louisiana, upgrading hazing to a felony. The civil resolution provided his family with compensation and spurred nationwide reform.

Timothy Piazza – Penn State, Beta Theta Pi (2017):
After a night of forced drinking, Piazza suffered fatal falls documented on the fraternity’s own security cameras while brothers delayed calling for help for 12 hours. The case resulted in hundreds of criminal charges and the Timothy J. Piazza Anti-Hazing Law in Pennsylvania. It stands as the ultimate example of a cover-up culture.

The Physical Abuse Pattern: Brutality Disguised as Tradition

Chun “Michael” Deng – Baruch College, Pi Delta Psi (2013):
Deng died from traumatic brain injuries after being repeatedly tackled during a blindfolded “glass ceiling” ritual at a fraternity retreat. The national fraternity itself was criminally convicted of aggravated assault and involuntary manslaughter—a rare instance of organizational criminal liability. The fraternity was banned from Pennsylvania for 10 years.

Danny Santulli – University of Missouri, Phi Gamma Delta (2021):
Santulli suffered permanent, catastrophic brain damage after being forced to drink a lethal amount of alcohol during a “pledge dad reveal.” He is now blind, unable to speak or walk, and requires 24/7 care for life. His family has reached multi-million dollar settlements with 22 different defendants, showcasing the wide net of liability.

What These Cases Mean for Bevil Oaks Families

These national precedents matter because the same national fraternities—Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Phi Delta Theta—have active chapters at Texas universities. The “Big/Little” night that killed Stone Foltz is the same tradition practiced here. The forced drinking games are the same. The legal arguments that succeeded in Ohio, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania are the same ones we use in Texas courts. These cases prove that juries will hold organizations and individuals accountable with multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements. They show that what your child experienced was not an “unforeseeable accident,” but a known, repeated risk that the organization failed to prevent.

The Texas Frontline: Hazing Realities at Universities Bevil Oaks Families Trust

Bevil Oaks is part of Jefferson County, with deep ties to Lamar University in Beaumont. Our students also fan out across the state to flagship schools like Texas A&M, UT Austin, and others. Here is what parents need to know about the hazing landscape at these institutions.

Lamar University (Beaumont, TX – Jefferson County)

For Bevil Oaks families, Lamar is our local campus. Its proximity means the legal and personal repercussions of hazing incidents directly impact our community.

• Campus Snapshot: A mid-sized public university with a significant commuter population and active Greek life, including National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) and Interfraternity Council organizations.
• Hazing Policy & Reporting: Lamar prohibits hazing as defined by Texas law. Reports can be made to the Dean of Students’ Office, the Office of Student Conduct, or Lamar University Police.
• The Local Legal Landscape: A hazing case originating from a Lamar chapter would involve Jefferson County courts. Potential defendants could include individual students, the local chapter, the national fraternity/sorority headquarters, and, depending on the facts, the university itself. Our firm’s Beaumont office is strategically located to handle such cases locally.
• Action Steps for Lamar Families:
  1. Report immediately to both Lamar University Police (if on campus) and Beaumont Police (if off-campus).
  2. Request all prior disciplinary records for the involved organization from Lamar’s Student Conduct office. A history of violations strengthens a case dramatically.
  3. Consult with a law firm that understands both Jefferson County courts and the complex web of fraternity liability.

Texas A&M University (College Station, TX)

Many Bevil Oaks students pursue the tradition and opportunity at Texas A&M, including its prestigious Corps of Cadets.

• Campus Snapshot: A culture deeply rooted in tradition, with a massive Greek system and the nation’s largest Corps of Cadets—a breeding ground for both noble discipline and, at times, abusive tradition.
• Documented Incidents:
  • Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) Chemical Burns Case (2021): Pledges alleged they were doused with a mixture containing industrial-strength cleaner, raw eggs, and spit, causing severe chemical burns that required skin graft surgeries. The resulting lawsuit sought over $1 million, and the chapter was suspended.
  • Corps of Cadets “Roasted Pig” Lawsuit (2023): A cadet alleged horrific hazing, including being bound between beds in a simulated sexual position with an apple in his mouth. The lawsuit described a culture of physical and sexualized abuse.
• Why This Matters: These cases show hazing at A&M is not limited to fraternities; the Corps is a major risk vector. They also demonstrate the severe, life-altering injuries that can occur.
• Action Steps for A&M Families: The university’s response often involves its specialized Student Conduct office and the Corps chain of command. An external civil lawsuit is frequently necessary to bypass internal protectionism and access full compensation.

University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX)

UT Austin boasts one of the most transparent hazing reporting systems in the country, which both reveals the problem and provides evidence for victims.

• Campus Snapshot: A flagship institution with a vast array of Greek chapters, spirit groups, and athletic teams.
• Public Transparency: UT maintains a public online log of Hazing Violations. A quick review reveals recurring issues:
  • Pi Kappa Alpha (2023): Sanctioned for forcing new members to consume excessive milk and perform strenuous calisthenics.
  • Texas Wranglers (Spirit Group): Repeated sanctions for alcohol-related hazing and forced physical activities.
• Legal Advantage: This public record is a goldmine for proving a defendant organization’s prior knowledge and pattern of misconduct, which is essential for establishing negligence and seeking punitive damages.
• Action Steps for UT Families: Before even filing a lawsuit, our investigators pull every prior violation for the involved group from UT’s public database. This pattern evidence is crucial for settlement leverage.

Southern Methodist University (Dallas, TX) & Baylor University (Waco, TX)

These private, prominent universities have their own fraught histories with institutional control and abuse scandals.

• SMU’s Affluent Greek Culture: Incidents like the 2017 Kappa Alpha Order suspension for paddling and forced drinking highlight that hazing pervades even elite campuses.
• Baylor’s Cultural Reckoning: Following its massive Title IX sexual assault scandal, Baylor remains under scrutiny. Hazing incidents within its athletic programs, like the 2020 baseball team hazing that led to 14 player suspensions, occur within this challenging context.
• Key Difference for Private Schools: While public universities like UT and A&M have some sovereign immunity protections, private institutions like SMU and Baylor do not. This can alter legal strategy and the potential defendants in a lawsuit.

The Organizations Behind the Letters: National Histories That Matter in Texas

When a Bevil Oaks student is hazed at a Lamar University fraternity, you are not just dealing with a group of college students. You are facing a national organization with a history, an insurance policy, and a legal playbook. This is where our investigative advantage becomes critical.

The Texas Hazing Intelligence Engine: Mapping the Accountability Web

Our firm maintains a proprietary data engine built from public records to identify every potentially liable entity in a Texas hazing case. This includes:

• IRS B83 Filings: Over 125 Texas-registered Greek organizations (alumni chapters, housing corporations, honor societies) with Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) and official addresses.
• Cause IQ Metro Analysis: Tracking of 1,423 Greek-related organizations across 25 Texas metro areas.
• University Chapter Rosters: Verified lists of active chapters at UH, Texas A&M, UT, SMU, and Baylor.

Why This Matters for Your Case:
If your child was hazed by the “XYZ Fraternity” at Lamar, we don’t start from zero. We immediately identify:

1. The local chapter’s officers and members.
2. The Texas-based housing corporation that owns the chapter house (EIN, registered agent).
3. The alumni chapter that may fund and influence the undergraduates.
4. The national headquarters’ insurance carrier and legal team.

This data turns into leverage. We know who to sue and where to find their assets.

National Patterns = Foreseeable Risk

Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE): Dubbed the “deadliest fraternity” by some publications, SAE has been involved in numerous hazing deaths and injuries nationwide, including the chemical burns case at Texas A&M. This national pattern makes it impossible for SAE headquarters to claim any chapter’s brutality is “unforeseeable.”

Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike): The fraternity involved in Stone Foltz’s death has a documented history of “Big/Little” alcohol hazing. When a Pike chapter at UT or Texas A&M engages in the same ritual, the national organization is on clear notice of the danger.

Pi Kappa Phi: The national fraternity we are currently suing in the Leonel Bermudez case has its own history, including the death of Andrew Coffey at Florida State University in 2017 from alcohol poisoning during a “Big Brother” event.

In court, we use this historical data to prove negligent supervision. We argue the national organization had a duty to prevent known, dangerous traditions and failed miserably.

Building a Hazing Case: Evidence, Strategy, and the Attorney911 Advantage

Pursuing a hazing case against a national fraternity and a major university is complex litigation. It requires a specific skill set that our firm has honed over decades.

The Evidence That Wins Cases

1. Digital Forensics (The Most Critical Evidence):

• Group Chats: We subpoena and use forensic tools to recover deleted messages from GroupMe, WhatsApp, and iMessage that show planning, bragging, and cover-ups. In the UH Pi Kappa Phi case, these chats were invaluable.
• Social Media: Photos and videos posted on Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok that depict the hazing, even if later deleted.
• Location Data: Phone records and app data that place perpetrators and victims at the scene.

2. Institutional Records:

• University Disciplinary Files: We compel the production of the accused organization’s complete history of complaints, warnings, and sanctions.
• National Fraternity Risk Management Files: Internal communications between the chapter and headquarters about “problems” or “traditions.”
• Campus Police & Medical Reports.

3. Testimonial Evidence:

• Other pledges who witnessed or endured the same abuse.
• Former members with guilty consciences.
• Roommates, RAs, and bystanders.

The Damages We Fight to Recover

A hazing lawsuit seeks to make the victim and family whole and punish the wrongdoers. Recoverable damages include:

• All Medical Expenses: Past and future ER care, hospitalization, surgery, therapy, medication, and lifelong care for catastrophic injuries like brain damage.
• Lost Wages & Earning Capacity: If injuries prevent the victim from completing their degree or working in their chosen field.
• Pain and Suffering: Compensation for physical pain, trauma, anxiety, PTSD, and the loss of enjoyment of life.
• Wrongful Death Damages (in fatal cases): Funeral costs, loss of financial support, and the profound loss of companionship for the family.
• Punitive Damages: In cases of extreme recklessness or cover-up, to punish the defendants and deter future conduct.

Why Attorney911 is Built for This Fight

1. Insurance Insider Knowledge – Mr. Lupe Peña’s Defense Background:
Mr. Peña (he/him) spent years as an attorney for a national insurance defense firm. He knows exactly how fraternity and university insurers operate: how they deny claims, lowball settlements, and use delay tactics. We don’t negotiate against ourselves; we negotiate from a position of power, knowing their strategies before they deploy them.

2. Complex Institutional Litigation Experience – Ralph Manginello’s Track Record:

• BP Texas City Explosion Litigation: Our firm was one of the few in Texas involved in suing BP after the catastrophic 2005 refinery explosion. Taking on a billion-dollar corporation taught us how to manage massive discovery, fight expert-versus-expert battles, and persist against limitless defense budgets. National fraternities and universities use the same playbook.
• Federal Court Admitted: We are admitted to practice in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, where complex civil rights and Title IX claims may be filed.

3. Dual Civil & Criminal Capability:
Ralph Manginello is a member of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association (HCCLA). This means we understand the criminal exposure hazing participants face and can advise clients on navigating parallel criminal and civil proceedings. We can also effectively communicate with district attorneys handling the criminal side of a case.

4. Investigative Depth and Expert Network:
We have a network of medical experts, life-care planners, economists, digital forensic specialists, and Greek-life culture experts. We build a case not just on emotion, but on irrefutable, expert-supported evidence of liability and damages.

Practical Guide for Bevil Oaks Parents and Students

For Parents: Warning Signs and First Steps

Red Flags Your Child May Be Being Hazed:

• Unexplained bruises, burns, or injuries with inconsistent stories.
• Extreme fatigue, appearing “broken down” or chronically sleep-deprived.
• Sudden personality changes: anxiety, depression, withdrawal, or defensiveness about the group.
• Constant, anxious phone use related to group chats.
• Financial strain from unexplained “fines,” dues, or mandatory purchases.

The “Must-Do” Checklist:

1. Prioritize Health: Get medical attention and a psychological evaluation. Documentation starts here.
2. Preserve Evidence: Help your child screenshot EVERYTHING. Photograph injuries. Secure any physical objects (paddles, bottles).
3. Document a Timeline: Write down everything they tell you, with names and dates.
4. Consult a Lawyer BEFORE Reporting: We can advise on how to report to maximize protection and evidence collection. Call 1-888-ATTY-911.
5. Do Not Engage the Enemy: Do not call the fraternity president. Do not post on social media. Let your attorney manage all communication.

For Students: Getting Out and Protecting Yourself

• Your “Consent” is Not a Defense: Texas law protects you even if you felt pressured to go along.
• Exiting Safely: You have the right to quit. Send a clear, written resignation (text/email is fine) to the chapter president. Inform your RA, a dean, or a trusted professor as well, creating a record.
• Reporting Channels: You can report to campus police, the Dean of Students, or anonymously through university hotlines. In an emergency, call 911 first.
• Good Samaritan/Amnesty Protections: Most Texas schools have policies protecting those who call for help in an alcohol or medical emergency from minor conduct violations.

Critical Mistakes That Can Destroy a Case

1. Deleting Evidence: The instinct to “make it go away” destroys your leverage. Preserve all messages.
2. Confronting the Fraternity: This triggers their legal defense, leading to evidence destruction and witness coaching.
3. Signing University Paperwork: Universities may offer quick “resolutions” that require you to waive your right to sue. Do not sign anything.
4. Waiting Too Long: Texas has a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury. Memories fade, witnesses graduate, and evidence disappears.

About Attorney911: Your Texas Hazing Litigation Firm

We are The Manginello Law Firm, PLLC, operating as Attorney911, the Legal Emergency Lawyers™. We are a Texas-based personal injury and complex litigation firm with offices in Houston, Austin, and Beaumont. Our Beaumont office, located in Jefferson County, allows us to serve families in Bevil Oaks, Port Arthur, Orange, and throughout the Golden Triangle with local knowledge and immediate accessibility.

Our mission in hazing cases is threefold: to secure full and fair compensation for the devastating injuries our clients suffer, to force institutional change that prevents future tragedies, and to provide a path to justice and closure for families who have been betrayed by the organizations they trusted.

We are currently leading the litigation in the high-profile case of Leonel Bermudez v. University of Houston et al., a $10 million lawsuit alleging horrific physical hazing that caused rhabdomyolysis and acute kidney failure. We are not commentators on hazing law; we are active, frontline litigators.

If Hazing Has Impacted Your Bevil Oaks Family, Contact Us Today

You do not have to navigate this crisis alone. The institutions involved have teams of lawyers. You deserve dedicated, experienced advocates on your side.

We offer a free, confidential, no-obligation consultation. In this meeting, we will:

• Listen carefully to your story.
• Review any evidence you have gathered.
• Explain your legal rights and options under Texas law.
• Outline our investigative strategy.
• Discuss our contingency fee structure—you pay no attorney fees unless we win your case.

For Bevil Oaks and All Texas Families:
Call us 24/7 at 1-888-ATTY-911 (1-888-288-9911).
Direct Line: (713) 528-9070 | Cell: (713) 443-4781
Se habla Español: Contact Mr. Lupe Peña at lupe@atty911.com
Visit our website: https://attorney911.com

Let us help you turn this moment of crisis into a pursuit of accountability, healing, and change.

Plain Text Links to Key Resources

News Coverage of the Leonel Bermudez / UH Pi Kappa Phi Hazing Lawsuit:

• Click2Houston (KPRC 2) Investigation: https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/11/21/only-on-2-lawsuit-alleges-severe-hazing-at-university-of-houstons-pi-kappa-phi-chapter-fraternity/
• ABC13 (KTRK) Coverage: https://abc13.com/post/waterboarding-forced-eating-physical-punishment-lawsuit-alleges-abuse-faced-injured-pledge-uhs-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity/18186418/
• Hoodline Summary: https://hoodline.com/2025/11/university-of-houston-and-pi-kappa-phi-fraternity-face-10m-lawsuit-over-alleged-hazing-and-abuse/

Attorney911 Educational Videos:

• Using Your Phone to Document Evidence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLbpzrmogTs
• Texas Statutes of Limitations Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRHwg8tV02c
• Client Mistakes That Can Ruin a Case: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3IYsoxOSxY
• How Contingency Fees Work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upcI_j6F7Nc

Attorney911 Main Website & Contact:

• Main Website: https://attorney911.com

Legal Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this does not create an attorney-client relationship. The outcome of any legal matter depends on the specific facts and circumstances. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly.