Theater of the absud

[resqgeek]

Have you heard about the lawsuit going on here in DC? The one where the DC Administrative Judge is suing a dry cleaner for $54 million over a pair of pants? I'm sorry, I just don't understand how a dry cleaner misplacing your pants is worth anything even remotely close to that kind of damages. According to an article in the NY Times, the cleaners offered a $12,000 (!!) settlement, which the plaintiff declined. You could buy a lot of very nice pants with $12,000, so it seems to me that this isn't really about the pants, is it?

Of course, the owners of the dry cleaners are apparently not particularly likable people, but if they lose this case, I'm sure it puts them out of business. Which seems like a harsh penalty to pay for losing a single pair of pants. Honestly, I have trouble understanding how this case even made it to trial. Shouldn't the judge be able to throw a case like this out as being a extravagant waste of time and court resources?

And what's up with the crying on the stand? Over a pair of pants? I'm sorry, I'm just not that attached to my clothing...

Comments

[sirroy.livejournal.com]

As I understand it you can sure for any amount you want in America. What you end up with though is an entirely different question.

A question of paper never refusing ink.

[resqgeek]

>>A question of paper never refusing ink.<<

Hmm...If only we could figure out how to make paper that could selectively refuse ink!

[buffra.livejournal.com]

If the people aren't likable -- get a different dry cleaner! It's not as if there's only one in all of DC.

Or, buy pants you can wash yourself.

Personally, after *I* read about it, I didn't find the complete waste that is the judge doing the suing very likable either!

:P

When someone who should KNOW BETTER and a servant of our court system winds up making our litigious society even worse, it pisses me off.

[miketroll.livejournal.com]

Reminds me of the recent British case of a 6-figure salary boss in a London corporation giving his secretary a hard time after she spilled ketchup on his suit. He aggressively demanded payment of some trivial sum like £4 for cleaning.

She replied to this by e-mail, apologising for her delay in dealing with this important issue, as she had been tied up with lesser matters like her mother's terminal illness and funeral.

This e-mail exchange was leaked to the press and the boss lost his job.

Maybe this is a pointer for your case!

[loopy1.livejournal.com]

That sounds to me like someone who's had a really bad day (or a whole collection of them!) and is kicking out at the cat. I hope this case shows people what he is really like and he loses any control over the judicial system. Ridiculous!

[thebiblioholic.livejournal.com]

Neither the suing judge nor the presiding judge deserve to remain on the bench.

Color me suspicious...

[kf-in-georgia.livejournal.com]

The key question, for me, would be: What size are the "cheap" pants? If they're the same size as the others, then the odds are that the judge tried to pull a fast one, bringing in cheap pants in place of expensive ones he'd lost or ruined, and hoping to get a free suit out of the deal (and hassle people he'd had trouble with before). If the pants are a different size, then it's likely that the shop owners really did lose his pants. I'd order them to buy him a brand new Hickey Freeman suit (could run them $1,600) and I'd order him to pay court costs.

Case dismissed.

[elhamisabel.livejournal.com]

Every time I read about such cases in the USA, I am grateful for the German system where in no way you could claim huge sums for nothing.
It's only the cost of the destroyed item you get and maybe, in case you can show proof, that you were going to sell it for more, that amount of money as well.

CYA

[skyring.livejournal.com]

There's a saying, "The law is an ass!"

[thebiblioholic.livejournal.com]

Looks like the trial judge finally came to his senses: http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/06/25/trouser.trial/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

[resqgeek]

Not only did was the plaintiff not awarded any money, he has to pay the defendants' court costs (and they're asking for their lawyer's fees as well), which I think is only fair considering the egregious nature of this case. This may not be over yet, though...the plaintiff can still appeal the decision.