Quote Originally Posted by allodial View Post
Splitting hairs or paying attention to detail? Perhaps you've not read a legal style manual? With USA or USSR or UK such are so well known they can be expanded out to "United States of America" or "United Kingdom". "John H. Doe" becomes "John Doe" since the "H." is indeterminate. That is..it contracts rather than expands. If one wishes to 'presume' oneself into a trap, they might welcome one with handcuffs, fines, fees or the like. Experience shows that avoiding being specific or precise in referring to the name on the Birth Certificate is intentional. Failure to pay attention to detail is why many get themselves into trouble. They are fully aware that John H Doe and John Henry Doe are two different names and two different persons.

If a sign says John Doe please report to 5th and Pine....how many John Henry' s or John Henry Doe's will merely ****presume **** (i.e. read into the sign what isn't tthere?) and show up at 5th and Pine? Initials are meaningless they do not expand in legal interpretation. The only thing subject to 'interpretation' in "John H. Doe" is the H and it drops out as meaningless. It DOES NOT expand into ANYTHING according to legal style manuals or legal interpretation rules that I've come across.

Furthermore: "John H. Doe" has a 'full stop' before "Doe".

John H.
Doe

H drops out as if an error or typo. Done. Finished. GONE.

You're left with "John. Doe." or "John Doe".
So what does this mean in terms of everyday reality encounters?
Where the rubber meets the road, what's the meaning of using a middle name, versus a middle initial, versus FIRST LAST only?
Would you give us a descriptive example please?
It always helps my comprehension when I can form a picture in my head, even if it's only a hypothetical scenario.
Thank you.