The Washington DC lawyer suing the drycleaner for $65 million faces an ethics complaint filed by the American Association of Justice. AAJ, the national association of trial lawyers committed to civil justice, filed the complaint this week, asking the Washington DC bar to look at this outrageous behavior.
And while there's no telling about the specifics, it appears that the Magic Pants guy is something of a frequent flier. News reports indicate that this isn't his first time. In divorce proceedings, a court apparently awarded legal fees against him for taking unreasonable positions in litigation.
All of this is provides a nice window into the civil justice system. It works because there are systems in place that come down hard on the few who abuse it.
That's a nice thing.
David F. Sugerman
Paul & Sugerman, PC
www.pspc.com
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Sunday, May 13, 2007
The Case of the Magic Pants
Readers get the gist of this blog. Too often, corporate interests engage in half-truths (or worse) in a calculated effort to poison jurors. That's bad because our civil justice system is essential to a healthy democracy and safe republic.
But it would be wrong to claim that there aren't legitimate concerns with abuse of the civil justice system.
And that takes us to the curious case of the magic pants. In Washington DC, an administrative law judge, one Roy Pearson, Jr., sought $65 million in a lawsuit against a drycleaner. Why? The drycleaner lost his pants.
They must have been magic pants. That's the only way anyone could ever claim to have suffered such a profound injury. According to various news reports, the drycleaner offered to settle the matter for many times the value of the lost pants, and the gentleman declined. After all, magic pants aren't worth ten thousand dollars, they're worth $65 million.
The guy is a nut, and that's apparent on the face of things. But the bigger problem is that the Chamber of Commerce and other groups hellbent on shutting the courthouse will use this nut's magic pants as fodder for their cries of lawsuit abuse.
Well, I have to agree with the Chamber in this case. This is in fact lawsuit abuse. One can only hope that the Washington DC bar takes disciplinary action against the magic pants guy. While we're at it, let's hope that the Washington DC courts quickly dismisss Judge Magic Pants' lawsuit. It would seem that the courts have more important business that needs attention.
David F. Sugerman
Paul & Sugerman, PC
www.pspc.com
But it would be wrong to claim that there aren't legitimate concerns with abuse of the civil justice system.
And that takes us to the curious case of the magic pants. In Washington DC, an administrative law judge, one Roy Pearson, Jr., sought $65 million in a lawsuit against a drycleaner. Why? The drycleaner lost his pants.
They must have been magic pants. That's the only way anyone could ever claim to have suffered such a profound injury. According to various news reports, the drycleaner offered to settle the matter for many times the value of the lost pants, and the gentleman declined. After all, magic pants aren't worth ten thousand dollars, they're worth $65 million.
The guy is a nut, and that's apparent on the face of things. But the bigger problem is that the Chamber of Commerce and other groups hellbent on shutting the courthouse will use this nut's magic pants as fodder for their cries of lawsuit abuse.
Well, I have to agree with the Chamber in this case. This is in fact lawsuit abuse. One can only hope that the Washington DC bar takes disciplinary action against the magic pants guy. While we're at it, let's hope that the Washington DC courts quickly dismisss Judge Magic Pants' lawsuit. It would seem that the courts have more important business that needs attention.
David F. Sugerman
Paul & Sugerman, PC
www.pspc.com
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