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Whether lawyers share surprising things they read in someone’s will, petty ways spouses made each other miserable, or their "oh hold on" moments in court, people are obsessed with hearing about ludicrous courtroom drama.
We may not get to peek behind the curtain, but luckily, there are plenty of attorneys who witnessed a thing or two and are ready to share it with the whole world. So when user thecptnswagg posed a question to fellow members of Ask Reddit, "What’s the worst way you’ve seen a person screw over someone else in court whether it be criminal, civil, or divorce proceedings?" thousands of comments flooded in.
In this thread, they told plenty of stories about the terrible ways people throw each other (and sometimes even themselves!) under the bus, and Bored Panda has selected some of the most interesting ones. So scroll down, upvote your favorites, and let us know what you think about them in the comments!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
So my father-in-law had arrested someone for breaking and entering. During his arraignment, the judge stopped for a moment and asked the defendant where he got his suit from. It turns out that the defendant was also responsible for a previously unsolved break-in at the judge's home and had shown up wearing one of the judge's stolen suits.
Paula McNeely 3 years ago
A judge's wife, while leaving Walmart, had her purse snatched. Totally by coincidence there was an off duty probation officer going into the store. He tackled the guy & had him arrested. When thief went to court it happened to be in front of the judge who's purse he snatched. I have posted this before & was told that was BS. This is very true & yes, the judge recused himself.
advice5cents 3 years ago
Guy committing B&E for a living prob doesn't own a closetful of suits and prob didn't know he robbed a judge.
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An Co 3 years ago
As a man, I am shocked anyone could recognize their own suit on someone else. They are so generic.
Paula McNeely 3 years ago
Not everyone buys cheap off the rack generic suits.
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RELATED:
#2
I'm not a lawyer, but my dad is a physician and is sometimes called as a professional witness in cases of malpractice. In one memorable case, a family was suing a doctor for something fairly frivolous, and my dad was a witness for the defense.
The lawyer representing the family was cross-examining my dad and brought up a chapter in a medical textbook and asked my dad to read a highlighted paragraph. He did, and the lawyer said something to the effect of, 'So, what you just read means...' My dad confidently replied, 'No, it does not mean that.'
Lawyer: No, but if you read xyz, the author clearly states...
Dad: No, really, that's not what the author means.
Lawyer: How do you know that's not what the author meant?
Dad: Well, because I wrote it.
Judge basically facepalmed while the lawyer mimicked a goldfish and stared at the author name on the chapter. Basically the best moment of my dad's professional life. (Yes, ruling was in the defendant's favor.)
creative user name 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 3 years ago
i can hear the "OOOOOOOHHH" and cheering meme, just by reading this.
We reached out to one of the Redditors who shared their story in this thread. They preferred to stay anonymous but were kind enough to share their thoughts. According to the user, there's quite a number of cases where people try to screw someone over in court only to see it backfire in the best possible way.
"I think it happens a decent amount, if not always so spectacularly as listed out in that thread," they told Bored Panda. We were interested to hear the user's take on why some people decide to act this way. "In my experience, people try to pull shenanigans because they think they’re the smartest person in the room and that everyone will just accept what they say at face value."
#3
Well, not my story, but a prior boss's story:
They had a drunk-driver-kills-a-car-worth-of-people case at the time when they were a general practitioner. My boss was representing the family that got hit (one where the two kids and the wife had died, but the father had not) and wanted the college guy's drunk-driving skin to be mounted on a wall.
This was back before Facebook was commonly used in Court proceedings and before tons of people realized that s**t is too great for any attorney worth their weight in salt to pass up.
So, the kid (drunk driving college kid) had managed to get the judge's sympathy during the first part of the hearing by saying he was sorry, haunted, never going to drink again, this was going to ruin his life, etc. The judge seemed to really be eating it up.
Then comes my boss and immediately burns this kid's remorse to the ground by showing numerous Facebook statuses and photos of them binge drinking, partying, and even joking about driving drunk from the date of the accident up until a night ago. The kid looked like he was being forced to swallow hot coals and the judge was absolutely livid.
Needless to say, the kid had to do way more than just apologize and be remorseful after that.
Kat O. 3 years ago
Absolutely disgusting that some of these rich little snot nosed pr!cks actually do get away with this.
Anna Tribe 3 years ago
Years ago my cousin, her fiance and their two tiny babies plus her 8 year old son were hit head on by a drunk driver. Only the 8 year survived by being thrown out of the car. Guy who murdered them only got 7 years jail time and was out in 4 years. 1 year for each life he took. The 8 year old went to live with her parents. He has had an awful time. Depression, survivors guilt, anxiety and it hasn't been helped by the fact that the drunk driver has been in the local news quite often for drug offences and driving drunk again but he only has gets a couple of months in jail and then is back out doing the same stuff. My cousin was only 26. They had just gotten engaged and were driving to her fiancé's parents house about an hour away from where they lived. It's just totally wrong that he didn't get life in jail
Marnie 3 years ago
I've heard this one reason for the higher sentencing of young black men in the US - because they are less likely to show remorse or regret, whether they ARE remorseful or regretful or faking it, than their white counterparts. It's really sad that something cultural like that would have such a huge impact.
Anne Edwards 3 years ago
They are always sorry, haunted and promising to repent. A great many just keep on drinking and driving and destroying other people's lives. The justice system is sorely lacking when it comes to drunk, careless and dangerous people that choose to kill with their cars.
tirebiter 3 years ago
Afluenza is a real disease and rich kids should not be held accountable for not caring about others. /s
Mim Sörensson 3 years ago (edited)
I can’t figure out if this is some slightly strange form of sarcasm, or if it’s a little troll doing a weird trolling. “Afluenza” was a bad and tragic joke from the start and surely no thinking human have been tricked into believing anything else…? I’ll just assume it’s sarcasm. Yeah.
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#4
I represented a guy who stole three trucks from his work. Only two were recovered before trial. He showed up to a motion hearing in the third one.
That tired person 5 months ago
Im so sorry, I dont mean to be annoying but its pissing me off: Sympathy. Make sure you spell it right next time!
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Julian McCallum 3 years ago
If that truck in the photo was one of the stolen trucks, I wouldn't blame him.
Pernille Dyre 3 years ago (edited)
Theres dumb and there is stupid... This is pure dumb and funny. The kid that killed a family IS TO FÅCKING STUPID!!
#5
Not a lawyer but this story always gets me. My biological grandmother died 20 years ago of ovarian cancer, she left all her money, trusts, bonds to my grandfather to use (while alive) and disperse (after death). My grandfather remarried something like 15 years ago to my step-grandma. My grandfather ended up dying first a few years back.
My step aunt is a greedy b***h who lives on the opposite side of the country, she's lived off of her mother and my grandfather for all of her life. She'd come over and take them on "vacation" where she'd use their money to buy herself things and get a free skiing trip about 8x a year.
After my grandfather passed, my step-grandma had to move where her children live to get care for dementia. My step-aunt has access to not only her own mother's estate but my grandfather's as well to take care of her needs.
That wasn't enough.
She decided to try and sue my dad and uncle for their dead biological mother's estate.
My dad is bilaterally paralyzed and in a wheelchair.
My uncle is a triple bypass survivor with a pacemaker and multiple stints. Both are on fixed disability income.
The court date came and I literally wheeled my dad in while my uncle walked with a cane.
My step-aunt is entirely able bodied and rolling in the millions my step grandma and grandfather worked their whole lives to earn.
The judge took one look at the whole picture and she was absolutely denied access to my biological grandmothers estate. We were there for less than an hour.
bob bruce 3 years ago
It was probably the law that prevailed, because it's not unusual for people to become the lawful owner of an estate by marrying a widow(er) who subsequently dies. If it's theirs, it's their to do with as they please. I had a hard time following the details that were included, but the important ones were left out, so I'm *assuming* that the woman never gained lawful control.
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Oopsydaisy 3 years ago
That makes no sense. There must be something missing from this story. No lawyer would advise her to do this.
Paula McNeely 3 years ago
Happened in my family. In my uncle's will he left everything to "my wife". His wife died, he remarried. Guess who got everything? Not the kids. Not even anything of their mother's.
The user added that there’s also an aspect of control involved in such behavior "as a lot of people think they can manipulate the proceedings or the judge to steer it in some absurd direction. It’s a weird, misguided hyper-self-confidence."
However, they explained that such efforts usually don’t work. "The judge and the attorneys in the room have heard it all before, and can generally see right through it. People forget that what is a huge deal for them as a litigant is often just business as usual for the judges and attorneys, even if it is very important business," the Redditor explained.
#6
IANAL but this case got pretty big when I was serving in the US Navy. Largely because it involved a sailor.
So, this Submariner gets divorced from his Wife. Ex-wife originally gets custody of their son, due to the nature of the Submariner's operation schedule. Ex-wife later looses custody due to being convicted of Child Abuse/Neglect. The ex-wife wasn't having this, because now there was no more free money for her.
The Submariner gets a GF, and gives her guardian rights over his son while on deployment. They live in California due to orders, and the ex-wife lives in Michigan (if I recall). The ex-wife waits until Submariner goes on deployment and "serves" him papers for a custody battle, again on the grounds of his schedule. The trial is set for the next month in Michigan.
The problem with being stationed onboard a sub, you only surface every couple months and almost never have comms off-ship. Sub guys give family or SO's Power of Attorney all the time because of this. The court papers were sent and the trial occured when he had no communication. The female judge who presided over the case sympathized with the ex-wife, decided that children belonged with their mother and not in the care of random women, and that the Abuse conviction was likely false. Ex-wife was granted custody by default, and the judge tried to get the Submariner on Contemt of Court for not showing up. Until his Chain of Command heard about it.
See, it's illegal in the US to punish a service member for missing a court date due to military operations or deployments.
The Submariner's Chain of Command called a JAG, who assigned the Submariner a lawyer. His lawyer took the appeal to the Michigan State Supreme Court. The original judge isn't a judge anymore, and the ex-wife is now permanently labeled unfit to care for children.
Joseph Grimmett 3 years ago
In order for papers to be considered properly served they have to show proof that the recipient has actually received the papers. This wouldn't have happened like this. Once the judge found out about the deployment the process server would have been fire and the proceedings would have been changed to a different date.
Joseph Grimmett 3 years ago
I just looked it up and when the court date came the judge moved the date, because he was legally required to. The judge was not fired and the ex-wife was never granted custody.
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The Armegaddon 3 years ago
Seems like a sad story if it turns out that abuse conviction was indeed bogus, though.
#7
Nasty custody fight
The ex-wife was a lawyer and represented herself. The ex-husband had a pretty s**ty lawyer. She kept hauling things back to court trying to get more benefits from him and his lawyer just let it keep happening and it was destroying his life - allegations of child abuse, was taking so much money that he could barely afford a s**t apartment and couldn't afford a car which both figured in later for custody.
Finally the ex-wife's father (also a lawyer) asked to meet with the judge and mentioned a few things that he knew were going on...
One of the children was manic-depressive and the ex-wife would take him off his meds before it was the ex-husband's turn for custody. The child abuse allegations were from the ex-husband trying to restrain the child during a manic episode because he wasn't medicated.
The ex-wife had intentionally timed the child abuse allegation to fall just before the holidays so the ex-husband couldn't see the kids for Halloween - Thanksgiving - Christmas. She bragged to family that it would do the maximum emotional damage possible doing it then.
The ex-wife had forged documents to overstate the ex-husband's income when alimony was being determined
Oh... and the ex-wife was sleeping with the ex-husband's lawyer.
The ex-husband's lawyer was reported to the bar (not sure what happened there). The Judge order a review of everything and arranged for a new lawyer for the ex-husband. It was looking like the alimoney would be vastly reduced and the ex-husband was going to get custody. But then the ex-husband died (blood clot) two months later. Years of being screwed over, finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel, but ended up being the wrong light at the end of the wrong tunnel.
Huddo's sister 3 years ago
I hope the mother got an abuse charge for purposely not giving the son his meds.
MysteriousLegBruise 🇺🇦️ 3 years ago
Abusing your children just to spite the ex is horrifically disgusting.
Vasana Phong 3 years ago
I can’t stand when separated parents use their kids as a ploy for their own benefit, selfish
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
Did they investigate the cause of death? The timing is really suspect.
Izzy Curer 3 years ago (edited)
Even if she didn't poison him, there's no way the custody battle didn't contribute to his poor health
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Cidalia Martins 3 years ago
“… it would do the maximum emotional damage possible doing it then.” To whom? Her son? Pathetic excuse for a parent and human being.
#8
My wife is the lawyer.
Info: When children reach the age of majority if they do not continue studying and start working, it is not necessary to pay alimony.
Info: My wife's client found a new lover, which unleashed the wrath of the ex-wife, who started asking for more alimony for her children.
Well to win the case, it was necessary to prove that the children were working, but they could not get any proof of it.
There was not much chance of winning, but they still went to court hoping that with the interrogations they could find information that would put them in evidence.
On the day of the trial the children did not go, only the mother and her lawyer were present.
Judge: Madam, tell me why your children could not come.
Mom: they could not get permission at work.
Judge:...
Lawyer:...
Mom: ...
Another few seconds of silence.
Judge: well, that was fast.
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
There should be financial and criminal consequences for people who abuse the legal system with fraudulent or absurde claims.
Michelle A 3 years ago
They meant child support and not alimony right? Mom tried to get more child support and needed evidance that the children didnt have a jobs im assuming?
juice 3 years ago
here (i tried...): My wife is a lawyer. Her client had found a new lover. This unleashed the wrath of the client’s ex-wife, who started asking for more alimony for her children. To win the case, it was necessary to prove that the children were working. (note: when children reach the age of majority, if they do not continue studying and start working then it is not necessary to pay alimony) However, they could not get any proof. There was not much chance of winning, but they still went to court hoping that the interrogations might provide evidence. On the day of the trial the children did not go, only the ex-wife and her lawyer were present. The judge asked why her children could not come. She replied “They could not get permission at work.” She was met with silence. Then the judge said “Well, that was fast.”
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Seabeast 3 years ago
Alimony is not child support. I'm surprised that the spouse of a lawyer doesn't know that.
Anne Mitchell 3 years ago
I think the writer means child support not alimony. The two are entirely different
Connie Bonneville 3 years ago
Alimony & child support are 2 separate issues. None of this narrative makes sense.
Memere 3 years ago (edited)
Nope, in legal terms it's majority. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/age_of_majority Maturity is a completely different concept. I've known people who were well over legal adult status but were as mature as a 3 year old.
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I work in criminal law, and once saw a defendant who was charged with simple theft of mail matter. He was a porch pirate and had stolen a package that was worth less than $100. When he was initially arraigned he was offered a 30 day jail sentence to plead guilty. He refused and insisted upon going to trial.
When his case reached my office, he was again given a reasonable offer of 2 years. Because he had a lengthy criminal history he was considered a persistent offender, so the offer was more than what a package thief would typically get, but reasonable nonetheless.
It’s important to note that he was caught on security camera actually stealing the package, and getting into a car that was registered to him. Basically we had him dead to rights. But, he still insisted on trial. So we tried the case. The jury found him guilty and imposed the statutory maximum sentence given his criminal record—20 years.
That’s the story of the man who turned a 30 day sentence into 20 years.
Huddo's sister 3 years ago
He believed he was a really good con man so would fool jury, when he was just a really bad theif.
J Adams 3 years ago
What kind of justice system thinks a 30 day sentence and a 20 year sentence are both ok for the same crime?
C.Douglas 3 years ago
The same one that fines companies 10s of thousands for actions that netted them millions in profits
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Nadine Bamberger 3 years ago
He got 20 years for stealing small items. It's not right and it must've been inconvenient for those he stole from, he deserved to be punished. But then I look at all the rapists, abusers, dui killers who walk after a couple months and ask myself why damage to property and money counts so much more than damage done to human lifes.
Zofia Owsiak 3 years ago
I don't understand how if you were previously convicted it can screw you up so much to get 20 years for stealing a package? Can someone explain?
C.Douglas 3 years ago
Must have had multiple felonies, possibly some violent crimes. Its what happens when the justice system is designed to punish rather than rehabilitate
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Flash Henry 3 years ago
We had a similar criminal case where the client was being offered a VERY GENEROUS plea, but he didn't want to take it. He fired us and got a new attorney, new attorney pissed off the prosecutor and the judge so the plea offer was withdrawn and the guy was sentenced to 5 years in jail instead of the six months of probation offered. Now he's trying to sue us for malpractice.
Naesil 3 years ago
Yeah... here you wont have to be in prison that long even if you horribly murder someone. I mean you get life sentence but on average that actually means about 14 years.
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advice5cents 3 years ago
If someone got 20 years for stealing a package off my porch, I would orchestrate the prison-break myself.
Anne Edwards 3 years ago
In reality he has stolen more than $100, far more. That's how he made his living, probably on a daily basis so pardon me for being a cold hearted b!tch but I'm not giving him an ounce of sympathy.
Needless to say, most people find going to court a stressful situation. For many of us, it is often an unfamiliar and even scary ground, but that does not mean we should let our emotions get out of control. Misleading your attorney, providing false information, or thinking you can trick and outsmart everyone else in court can come back to bite you. After all, the truth almost always finds its way out.
"Once the court sees that you are trying to do something shady or act in bad faith, they are much less likely to do you any favors or give you the benefit of the doubt moving forward," the user added.
#10
Not the worst, but one sticks out that they did to themselves. Woman shows up to court in a 'It's party time, b***hes! Drink up!' T-shirt. She was there for her first appearance on a third DUI charge. Judge was not in a humorous mood that day.
Debra Robinson 3 years ago (edited)
"Oh, hey, Judge, wanna party tonight? Then we can drag race!"
#11
Kind of a self-screw, but the MPA (Motion Picture Association), as part of their lawsuit, entered [hacker] DVD Jon's code for breaking DVD copy protection into their evidence, which then became public record. The code that breaks DVD copy protection was now available to the entire world, defeating the entire purpose of their lawsuit.
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
DVD copy protection never worked and pirates wouldn't want exact copies anyway because people bought the illegal copies to avoid having to see the unskippable anti-piracy messages.
John C 3 years ago
no idea what you're trying to say here?? the copy protection circumvention allowed you to reauthor the DVD, and you could then leave out the anti-piracy message, or any/all chapters that you wanted (or so I hear).
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#12
Am lawyer, saw someone screw himself.
I work as a public servant in a criminal law judge's office, and since I have a law degree I don't normally do administrative work, though I get to be with the judge in some of the hearings.
Last month we had a huge drug trafficking case (I'm talking about 20 or more people involved, months of investigation, undercover agents, videos, audio, the whole ordeal). Hearing lasted three days.
Anyway when it was time for one of the defendants to be on the stand so the prosecutor could read the charges he was accusing him of (He was pleading not guilty, as he very loudly stated from the majority of the hearing, up until my boss -the judge- told him to shut up or he would be admonished, to which he replied "what are you gonna do, arrest me?" which, to be honest, was actually a bit funny), the prosecutor, as part of the facts of his case, told him that "he was being accussed of selling, traficking and carrying x amount of x drugs, with the base of his operation being his house, where he lived with his partner" (Mind you, said partner wasn't even in the hearing, she wasn't arrested or anything as there was nothing tying her to the case) he said "wait up, I was the one selling the drugs, she didn't do anything".
His lawyer (a state assigned public lawyer) facepalmed so hard it's actually recorded in the audio of the hearing.
He still pleaded not guilty.
Joanne Lawrence 3 years ago
The writer is definitely a lawyer. (I'm a court reporter, and dear Lord have I been copied on some atrocious lawyer emails.)
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#13
I'm not a lawyer, but a friend kept meticulous records of how much time his estranged wife spent with their daughter. He used pink highlighter for the mom and blue highlighter for himself. Mom sailed into arbitration demanding full custody and handsome child support and the house. Dad pulled out three years' worth of yearlong calendars. Mom had spent less than a full month with the child in three years. Mom was not happy with the outcome.
Joanne Lawrence 3 years ago
The people who want full - or even, in some cases, equal - custody without apparently ever thinking about the time commitment required blows my mind. I do 100% believe that a child has the right to have equal time with both parents(the law where I live is it's the child's rights to have a relationship with their parents - the parents don't actually have a reciprocal right). But like, I've seen cases where the dad is making bank in the oilfield working like 3 weeks on, one week off, flying in and out and adamant that he can somehow share physical custody with that kind of schedule, or he swears he'll find a new job. I do absolutely sympathize with these fathers to some extent because they work hard to support their lifestyle and that of their children, but on the other hand, actions speak louder than words, and the time to make changes and prove that you can handle shared access is long before it gets in front of a judge.
Seabeast 3 years ago
Sometimes they only demand that to get out of paying child support themselves, and to get child support from the other party. Then they dump the kid on grandma or some other relative if they succeed in getting it.
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Tom Murphy 3 years ago
I did a similar thing. The pre-court mediator and judge both looked at the 1st page and tossed it aside. Judge said I was being hostile. Mind you, that's exactly what the child support agency recommends to do. Document, document, document.
Brenda 3 years ago
BFF was suing grandson's father for custody (her daughter, my goddaughter passed away suddenly at 26 while pregnant). The father in question hadn't seen his son in over 3.5 years (boy was 6 ar the time). He lived out of state, never completed court ordered anger & parenting classes etc. But he wanted custody. BFF & I kept a calendar of when father called, or kid called and when he showed for visitation. Long story short, no visitation was ever made, in 8 months he called (initiated the call) only 18x, son called 52x but only talked to father 24x. That calendar was a major factor in BFF getting full custody. This was vital since BFF passed away just a year later. Boy is with the only family he's ever known
But when it comes to hearing or reading about such situations online, our fascination with the law seems to be stronger than ever. These elements of surprise glue our eyes to the screens, grab our attention and don’t let go. "I think people like those stories because we don’t all have to be in court that often so it’s something new. Plus there’s something satisfying in reading about someone else doing something bad only to have it backfire," they concluded.
#14
I’m currently representing a sweet old lady on a case. I’ll be sparse in the details in case anyone figures out who I am.
Long story short, this lady’s neighbour convinces her that her house is basically unsellable, that her house requires all sorts of repairs, the repairs to the house would bankrupt her, and that she should just sell the house. To him.
He shows up at her house the next day with documents to sign. She has no idea what’s going on. Doesn’t read anything (actually has an eye condition) and signs everything.
When she finally sees a lawyer to close the deal, he says wtf you can’t do this. You see, the price of the transaction was about 36% of what the house is actually worth and there weren’t any repairs that needed to be done that would justify the price. Not kidding, it was stuff like fixing a faucet in the bathroom.
Also she didn’t understand that she would have nowhere to live afterwards. Old lady thought she could just stay in the house until she died.
To make matters worse, she’s living off a modest pension and the other side is suing for the house. They’re essentially trying to get her to cave because her legal fees are getting exorbitant.
I hate people.
Chich 3 years ago
With hundreds of serial killers on the loose in the US, stories like this make you kind of wish they took requests.
Kimi Tomminello 3 years ago
Please check in on your elderly relatives and family friends. I feel so bad for this woman.
Atopher Bot 3 years ago
Same thing happened to my neighbor 3 doors down. Creeper came in offering a reverse mortgage and would maintain the house for them. 6 months after the deal went down he kicked them out, renovated the place (shoddily of course), and sold it.
Suzi Q 3 years ago
There's a special place in hëll for people who scam seniors. I'm a caregiver to my demented mother. Every day people call and try to scam her. Seniors get hit the worst of it. The "grandma" scam is the worst! I answer the phone for her now. She worked hard all her life and people who are too lazy to work try almost daily to try to take what little she has. AARP has a podcast about scams. It's appalling what people can do! It's totally worth the listen if you have a senior in your life.
Alex Boyd 3 years ago
Note that there *is* a way to sell a house where you you retain possession for life, so it's not unreasonable for the old lady to have believed she was making that type of arrangement, especially if the buyer deliberately misled her. (I have no idea how it works to sell a house that way, but one of my senior relatives did it a few years ago.)
#15
A wife filed for a restraining order because she wanted the house during divorce. Husband had a good job, making like $200,000 per year. Employer finds out about the restraining order and the husband is fired. He was a very specialized employee, so the only job he can find close to his house, ex-wife, and daughter pays $50,000. Ultimately, the house gets foreclosed. Child support lowers to less than $500 per month. Wife has to get a job as a waitress. Four cars get repossessed.
Moezzzz 3 years ago
Idiot. I hate stories where women try to screw their ex out of everything, just out of spite, esp when kids are involved. My ex and I shared a lawyer and I didn't ask for anything but my car (kids were going to go between the two of us, alternating weekends and years until they were old enough to decide where they wanted to live all the time). I couldn't see forcing my ex to sell the house they grew up in (we were in his hometown and I moved back to my family for a bit), sell the "toys" (boat, jet skis, etc) Bc then I'd be taking it away from my sons. Why don't people take a second to breathe and think about what they're taking from their kids? I'd like to think that Bc there was no animosity or hate between us that they did so well in school (one is in college and the other headed there in the fall).
ERIKA H. 3 years ago (edited)
I think more context is needed for this one. A restraining order wouldn't have been granted without good cause. I know from experience. It's harder to get a restraining order than people realize. I couldn't even get one against the guy who had SA me and was showing up at my HS (was told he would have to try something first - as if SA wasn't enough!)
advice5cents 3 years ago (edited)
Seriously. Gross how quick everyone is to jump to gold digger. I've heard far more stores about restraining orders that should have been granted than ones that were granted frivolously. And if he was a valuable employee, his company would have found a way to keep him. Apparently, nothing is this guy's own fault tho. And when women rescind accusations for this very reason, people say they deserve their abuse for being greedy or trashy. It's unwinnable.
Load More Replies... Anton Kider 3 years ago
In what country does anybody get fired because of their private life ? This is crazy.
#16
I had a client who was trying to get away from an abusive ex and filed for a restraining order. He shows up to the final hearing and is making a big fuss about a truck that they bought during their marriage. He said it was just his, and she had no rights to it because their marriage was void.
I asked him on cross examination what he meant by that, and he said that he had already been married in another state when he married my client. He said that my client had no idea, but that it means their marriage is invalid and the truck was all his.
Not only is that legally inaccurate, the transcript of the hearing was promptly turned over to the police, who were actively investigating him for bigamy.
Oh, and the judge gave my client the truck along with a two year no-contact order.
Final score:
115points
KC Nordquist 3 years ago
I hope the restraining order actually worked for her, they don't in so many cases.
The Armegaddon 3 years ago
Took me some time to figure out if 'he' was the client or the abusive ex
Suzi Q 3 years ago
He says at the start that his client was trying to get away from the abusive ex!
Load More Replies... #17
This person screwed the selves and their company. Used to practice employment law and had a guy who was terminated, in part allegedly due to his race. His former boss was on the stand and was under direct questioning from his attorney. His attorney asked if there was a reason that he singled out our client in his treatment (assumingly to get to the fact that our guy had disciplinary issues and had been been put on a performance improvement plan). Instead he went off and talked about how just have to “ treat those people differently” and “you can’t talk to them the same way you do others.” Our cross examination was very very short. Employee was black and boss was Asian if it matters (people always seem to ask when I tell the story).
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
People do ask because it's common knowledge that only white people can be racist... [Sarcasm: Off]
The Armegaddon 3 years ago
Saying white people are the only people capable of racism is quite racist. [Sarcasm: Also Off] It feels the same as saying it's only racism if you're discriminating against people with a black/brown skin tone
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Sidtheslothisveryhot 3 years ago
Yeah thanks for mentioning the races because some people like to deny it but poc can be racist to other poc (Just not to yt people)
NsG 3 years ago (edited)
Racism is literally treating any race as inferior to another. White people have a monopoly on a lot of things; racism isn't one of them.
Load More Replies... Sportsgal 3 years ago (edited)
Had an employee (black) file a complaint against me (white) saying I was racist, sexist, even age-ist (he was 50, I was 47 at the time) because he didn't get a job. Truth was, he's just an idiot that couldn't do the work. I was exonerated after a year, but it still leaves a mark.
Adrian Hare 3 years ago
Ha! I've spent most of my life working overseas, and I be seen racism between all races.
L.a. Williams 3 years ago
They think that only white people do that type of discrimination. People of all races are guilty of discrimination. Not white just seen it.
#18
Not court but it is legal adjacent.
My dad is an executive safety officer at the company he works at, and one of the company's truck drivers got into an accident. The driver wasn't at fault but it is company policy anytime a driver gets into an accident they drug test them same day, and when the results came back the guy failed the test.
The guy disputed the results so they had him retake it. When he finishes up in the testing facilities bathroom, the sample he gives them isn't warm at all, clearly hadn't just come out of person. And in the bathroom, which they meticulously clean between each test, they find a strip of tape and like a little vile and cap thing that would have went onto a small vile kind of container.
So my dad has to be on a conference call with the driver and his manager and some other relevant parties and the guy maintains is innocence, and they can't like conclusively prove the tape or cap means he cheated the test, so they're kind of at an impasse.
As they're getting off the call my father just kind of takes a shot and asks the driver really nonchalantly and in passing "Say, doesn't taping the vile to your leg hurt? Like how do you get it off?" and the f**king guy replies without missing a beat "Oh no, it was just painters tape, comes off easy didn't hurt at all"
There was like 5 seconds of dead air after that before the guy scrambled and tried to put the tooth paste back in the tube. The company was able to fire him without any trouble.
Bill Walker 3 years ago
The driver was not at fault but still got fired for what he does on his own time? I am not a fan of type of reasoning. The main caveat is "the driver was not at fault." Dude lost his job for someone else's f**k up.
Bubs623 3 years ago
I agree with you. The company just wanted a reason to fire the guy to protect themselves and save money (it's always about money).
Load More Replies... Doug the Special one 3 years ago
No you are quite right to correct sloppy spelling. Well done.
Paula McNeely 3 years ago
Oh give it a break. Spell check is always misspelling words even if typing the right word. Because vile/ vial were both used it's easy to see that spell check scored again.
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JLBigboote 3 years ago
Look, I'm all for the legalization of certain scheduled drugs, but UA's are there for a reason - especially when operating a multi-dozen ton 18 wheeler that's capable of killing many people in an accident.
Load More Replies... #19
This one time, a pro se litigant was suing a wonderful surgeon who had done nothing wrong. One of the attempted arguments was that the surgeon's physician assistant wasn't competent to assist with procedures and follow-ups.
So the guy asks the surgeon if he HONESTLY thinks physician assistants know what they're doing and if the surgeon knows what's reasonable to expect of one. The surgeon, who was patient and humble up until this point, kindly replied that he founded the entire practice of having physician assistants in the US and that he came up with the idea while serving in combat, where he saw how helpful medics were to him while he was operating on an overwhelming number of casualties. And that, yes, he has a very good one at the hospital.
Moezzzz 3 years ago
PAs are awesome. Basically a step above a Nurse Practitioner (they're specialized in certain fields, like surgery, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, etc). In fact, my primary care provider is a Nurse Practitioner. I've found that they're more thorough, and listen to me more than my MD does (he's great, he's just always so damn busy). I'm an RN, so I may be biased
Annie Bieber 3 years ago
You are not so biased, I've had 29 surgeries in 44 years & have found PA's, FNP's and the Incredible Angels that are Registered Nurses to be your best Ally after such procedures. Thank YOU for your Service. 💖💖
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memyselfandI 3 years ago
In military terms, casualty just means unable to fight. So someone who lost a leg or something would be a casualty, because they would have to be taken out of deployment. I don’t know if people who were seriously injured but not discharged count as casualties, though. (It was confusing when I learned that, too, I always thought casualty meant dead. Apparently not.)
Load More Replies... #20
Not my case, but still my favorite story. Dude screwed himself over when he went to jury trial for a burglary charge and wore the same distinct sweatshirt he wore the night he committed the crime. Kind of hard to argue that the guy in the video isn't your client at that point. Needless to say, he was convicted and spent a few years in the Department of Correction.
Sensitive Issues 3 years ago
Stop having kids if you are stupid. That does help, even if it won't happen!
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Craig Reynolds 3 years ago
In order: "Stupid is as stupid does", "you can't fix stupid", "stupid gets what stupid deserves"
#21
Not a lawyer, legal assistant. My attorney is pretty old so he needs me to help him find papers in stuff in the courtroom so I go over for all domestic and criminal cases. We had a custody case where the mom was already screwed because she was literally picked up by a bounty hunter while the dad was there getting their daughter for visitation.
Anyway, dad’s new wife gets on stand and testifies that the mom, the defendant, threatened to blow their house up. Mom gets on stands and says, “I didn’t threaten to blow your house up. I threatened to blow you up.”
I remembered another one. Had a criminal client who choked his wife out. Told the investigator, ”I mean I knew what I was doing, I know how to choke someone out without killin’ ’em.”
Never change, Alabama.
Kimi Tomminello 3 years ago
When someone is out on bond, bail, parole or probation and they mess up (skip a court date, miss a parole or probation visit/ break the rules of their parole/ probation) they become wanted. Usually bounty hunters collect the bail/ bond refund as payment for bringing these people in.
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Seadog 3 years ago
Friend of mine was a lawyer. He had a case where girl was trying to get an RO on the ex (IDK if they were married) during the process he breaks into her house and shoots her cat, point blank, with a 44 Magnum, in front of her open closet. So she comes home to pureed cat all over her clothes. Next he burns her house to the ground. Needless to say RO hearing wasn't needed.
SelkieBlackfysh 3 years ago
I just want to know the dude's life story that he learned the proper timing of a non lethal choke out?
#22
One time, I saw an indigent defendant who was in custody tell the judge his public defender wasn't working hard enough and he wanted the judge to appoint different counsel. The judge asked him what specifically was the problem and he said "I don't want a female lawyer. I need a man who can take charge and fight for me" or something very similar to that. The judge (also female) said that's not how it works, then he starting yelling and getting into specifics about his public defender, just mainly I don't like her, she won't visit me, etc. The judge is annoyed and looks at him and is like fine, I'll appoint another attorney for you, but because you are not satisfied with your attorney and I need time to appoint you new counsel I am not going to hear any other issues today and will reset your case.
A few days later the judge sends defendant notice of his new appointed attorney, who happens to also be female, and notice of the case reset for six weeks. The case was originally set for a bond hearing and the DA and his PD had agreed to release him on an unsecured bond meaning he would have gotten out that day, if he hadn't thrown his temper tantrum. Instead he waited another six weeks in jail just to have another female attorney represent.
#23
I was involved in a custody case where a wife cheated on her husband and had a child as a result. She let the husband believe the child was his until the child was about 5 years old and they were divorcing. To stop him from getting custody, she convinced the biological father to try to get custody, thinking that if he won, she would wind up with the child.
It became a huge three-way fight, with multiple sets of grandparents involved, and the attorneys' fees skyrocketed because the case would have been pretty quick otherwise. She couldn’t pay her attorney, tried to get the bio dad to, it got even messier, etc. Basically, there still isn’t an agreement all parties will follow. They are in and out of court every year or so. She screwed herself.
MsLou 3 years ago
I was going to say that. No one seems to be thinking about the child
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Hazy Egg 3 years ago
As crazy as it sounds, it happened to my husband. He had a daughter as a result of a one night stand, butt wasn't informed until the biological mother was in a custody battle with her ex. Long story short, bio mom has lost custody of all 6 kids with 3 different fathers(she's a meth addict), but daughter's ex-step father was no better. We established a relationship, fought for custody, got her the mental treatment she needed fort being raised in that environment(which was in itself as big a battle as fighting for custody), and she's a responsible, loving and happily adjusted young adult. I'm so damn proud of her!
Huddo's sister 3 years ago
People really need to leave their case to their lawyer, they rarely make things better by interfering.
An Co 3 years ago
This is very typical in bad divorces. People wait to long to get a divorce and the hate turns into a volcano that overpowers everything. Worst of all, they never admit they were partially responsible. Unless it was an arranged marriage, you picked the hate volcano to marry, and they typically stayed marriage to it for a long time.
SelkieBlackfysh 3 years ago (edited)
Poor kiddo. Life is a mess over the mother's greed and entitlement.
Cass Malone 3 years ago
People really need to think more about their children than themselves in these situations.
#24
I took my Ex to court because she had used my social security number to sign up for cable. I found out about it when she stopped paying for the service. She screwed herself over by just being herself. We show up to court, I turn in the contract from the cable company ,showing my social security number, and her own name signed on the contract. She didn't even try to forge my signiture, she signed her own name in and tried to deny that she had any part of it. The judge tore her apart and it was nice.
Courtney Lunsford 3 years ago
Ooof.. good for you for never getting in a abusive relationship. They lie lie lie until they have you emotionally, physically and financially invested... then the tables turn.. that's when the crazy comes out.
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Oopsydaisy 3 years ago
Yeah, this didn't happen. If a criminal offence occurred, the police would have charged her. But it's difficult to see what civil case this guy had.
#25
I spent a summer as an intern doing narcotics work. You’d be surprised how much information defendants and their friends/family share over prison telephone calls, even when the line informs you that the line is being monitored and recorded before the call begins."
That said, a defendant maintained he was an innocent Uber driver and was not in the business of selling drugs...meanwhile, he was telling his wife over the phone that they needed to figure out how to move 3 kilos of cocaine so they could afford the lawyer to represent him. Needless to say, he was shocked when the recording was played back in court.
Kira Okah 3 years ago
Probably hoping that it ends up like the guy who had to be exonerated with the help of a tv show - the police had a recording of the actual perp ordering the hit on a kid from a prison phone but left it sitting in the back of the detective's car for two years as 'unimportant'. With the police attitude being like that, it not surprising.
#26
Not someone else, but my client screwed them-self.
I’m doing landlord tenant stuff and my client was facing eviction over non-payment, but the client was withholding rent payments because of habitability issues in the apartment, no heat, high lead levels, vermin. This is gonna be an easy win for me.
Told my client continually to make sure they don’t spend the money, keep it but don’t spend it. Because if you show the judge you still have the money it looks real good for you in terms of making the judge believe that you’re withholding for good reasons.
We get up in front of the judge, landlord doesn’t have an attorney so I’m dancing inside, there’s no way I can lose.
I make my arguments and the landlord makes his.
Judge asks my client if they still have the money.
Client goes “nah I blew that s**t at the casino last week”
Anne Mitchell 3 years ago
I am sorry, but are you sure you are a lawyer? The grammar, for an tertiary educated person is abysmal.
#27
Someone I knew had a pro bono case where she had to defend a person who had been charged with a criminal offense (don't know what — confidential and whatnot). Even though the police and DA could pretty much link the crime to her client, there was no evidence to tie him to it; the case was circumstantial at best.
She had instructed him to shut up and let her do the talking during the trial, since she knew from experience that the client sometimes does not know how to answer a question properly. So she pleads and can show that the court has nothing on her client; she feels that for once, a pro bono case is going her way.
After her plea, the judge thanks her for her plea and turns to her client. He asks if the client has something to add to the plea. Client looks at her, then back at the judge; tears well up in his eyes and he blurts out, 'I'm so sorry, I'll never do it again!
She threw her notes and everything else she had in her hands at the client (now convict), apparently. She basically got screwed by her own client, who screwed himself even worse.
John C 3 years ago
How did we end up with a legal system where even when your lawyer knows you're guilty their job is still to get you set free?
Eva Bryson 3 years ago
A person is considered innocent unless they can be proven guilty. No proof - set free.
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Doug the Special one 3 years ago
That's what all lawyers/ barristers do for their clients. Its how the law is supposed to work
Brian Chirhart 3 years ago
So wait... Your friend knew he was guilty, even though it was circumstantial, and was going to defend him as innocent? Sounds like justice was served. However, in 5 years or whatever, he's going to be one of those that claims he was wrongly accused. You either did the crime or you didn't.
#28
Not a lawyer but a friend of mine was going through a divorce and his lawyer kept putting off the trial. He just wanted it over with but the lawyer said trust me this is going to be good. Turns out dudes wife was pregnant with another mans baby. When they went to court she had a big baby bump. The judge asked if all three kids were his and she replied" no just those two". Wish I could have seen the look on her lawyers face.
SelkieBlackfysh 3 years ago
Weird really. Honesty when it doesn't benefit them. Where was all that honesty earlier?
Thomas Mack 3 years ago
He put in some extra effort to ensure it happened..? ;)
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L.a. Williams 3 years ago
I don't know why but I'm always amazed at general stupidity of people. I always beg them not to have children. I'm truly worried that stupidity going to take the human race to extinction.
elSti 3 years ago
does that mean you think the cheating wife is the victim here?
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Mandy Delaforce (PC Girl) 3 years ago
What's her being pregnant got to do with the divorce, especially if it happened after the break up. This one is made up, because a lawyer wouldn't say that either.
Oopsydaisy 3 years ago (edited)
So? The courts going to s**t shame her? Does anyone seriously think this is ok? I mean, he could have got any number of women pregnant in that time.
JLBigboote 3 years ago
Being unfaithful to your SO is not s**t shaming, it's adultery.
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#29
My dad was a judge and had someone on trial for DUI. The guy would not stop running his mouth and was trash-talking everyone in the room. He instructed him to stop. Dude did not stop. Dad placed him in contempt of court for 90 days.
Dude gets out, goes back to trial. First thing, he starts running his mouth again. Boom. Another 90 days in jail for contempt. He does 180 days in jail, when a DUI in our state is only 60 days for his level of DUI.
Chich 3 years ago
Not to mention delightful roommates, room services, entertainment facilities, communal showers and caring staff :P
Load More Replies... Tweed Jefferson 3 years ago
Contempt of court? Lol, they should just call it fragile judge ego. Better than getting shot in the back for arguing, like the cops do, I suppose.
#30
Not a lawyer but when my FIL and MIL got divorced, she wanted to file jointly for the previous year because they were still married. They would have gotten a decent refund. He insisted on filing separately, despite the fact that he would owe 4k, because he wanted her to also owe the IRS. He did it to "frost her"
Craig Reynolds 3 years ago
Not really, as it was clearly worth it to him to spend $4k on revenge.
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Jarrod Nichols 3 years ago
Doesn't sound right. If he was the bigger liability (not paid enough in taxes) she would get MORE refund by filing married but separate.
Seadog 3 years ago
IF YOU HAVE TAXES TAKEN OUT AS A MARRIED PERSON ALL YEAR AND THEN FILE SINGLE THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT EACH WILL OWE DUE TO NOT ENOUGH TAXES FOR A SINGLE PERSON BUT TOGETHER THEY WOULD HAVE GOTTEN OTHER CREDITS AND BUT GET A RETURN. (sorry for the caps, answer was copy/pasted from a reply from a tax prop friend.)
Load More Replies... L.a. Williams 3 years ago
I did it because my two older daughters weren't his. I had been staying with my parents for almost a year. So my dad was taking them off his taxes. He was telling me he would give me half of the refund. He was a notorious for lying.
#31
Too many criminal client situations to count of them screwing themselves over. One of the very few family law cases I handled as a young atty sticks out to me though.
Young woman and Young man have Child. Young woman seeks divorce from young man because he enjoys the "thug life", he had recently been arrested and charged for possession w/ int to distribute meth (felony) and in possession of a firearm (unlawful carry). Young man doesn't like her leaving him. He hires a local big name top divorce atty (granted, very rural area). Gets temp divorce order entered saying she can not have overnight guests of the opposite sex (common in rural conservative areas, think it's mostly a thing of the past in more urban places).
Young woman starts seeing someone new. Young man is very upset about this. Has his fancy lawyer ask for a hearing accusing her of violating court order and seeking full custody, on top of atty fees. Young woman, on advice from a mutual friend, hires me for this hearing. I sit down with opposing counsel, and she basically tries to strong arm me w/ her experience and lays out egregious terms...mother must not only give up primary custody, but must have visitation with a supervisor and pay child support and atty fees. She knows I'm a new baby atty in town (fairly certain I had been licensed for less than a year). I balk and she says she'll see us in court.
I go into hearing with a copy of his probation arrangement on his Poss w/ Intent to sell & unlawful carry. He hasn't told his atty about this, and she is unaware. She calls him up establishes how my client had her new bf over on x,y,z nights. Judge is VERY conservative, not pleased.
Then, opposing counsel passes the witness. I ask him if he has a job. No. What do you do for money? Things here and there. Oh? Ms. opposing counsel is awfully expensive...Do you sell meth?","...What?", "Have you ever sold drugs to make ends meet?", "Uhhh no." Introduce a copy of his guilty plea and straight probation sentencing. Judge is now staring daggers at him. I lean over to my client sitting next to me, and whisper, "if you took a drug test today, be honest, would you be completely clean?" "Yes."
I ask the Young man, "When was the last time you did meth", atty objects, but Judge overrules...I know this judge will drug test people on the spot as he is also the misdemeanor drug court judge. "It's been years, I'm clean.", "So, if you were tested, you'd be clean?" "Yes." Opposing counsel asks the same of my client, we agree. Judge has them both tested. He tests positive for meth. My client is clean.
Judge denies his motion, and asks me to send in new temp orders where young man is required to maintain employment and start paying child support and places him on supervised visits.
Icing on the cake, opposing counsel actually calls me and leaves me a voicemail congratulating me on, and I quote, "handing her a** to her for the first time in a long time."
Summer Mason 3 years ago
I had almost the same thing happen. Only my ex had two duis one public intoxication charge and attempted suicide by motor vehicle that cause bodly harm to passenger.
#32
This one is timeless, and I bet every criminal lawyer has seen it.
Us: We've gotten you an incredible result; just stand up and apologize and DON'T SAY ANYTHING ELSE.
Client: Okay.
Us: No, seriously, we mean it. DON'T MONOLOGUE, just say you're sorry, and we've convinced the judge to give you a lenient sentence.
Client: Okay.
Judge: Defendant, do you have anything to say?
Client: [Extended monologue about how unfairly he's been treated]
Judge: [HAMMER]
Us: You dumba**
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
It's still fun to watch the old Judge Judy shows. they are all lessons in stupidity, greed and insane logic. "Yeah, I saw how my kid scratched his new car, but he has a good job and can pay for the repairs himself. He ain't getting no money out of me..."
Memere 3 years ago
Yes, but I think the OP means the sound the gavel makes when the judge smacks it down on his desk.
Load More Replies... #33
This happened to me, but I was the client that passed.
Child custody hearing. My baby was 6 months old when we spent all of 20 mins in the court room for the judge to hand down standard visitation for temp orders; including 30 days in the summer. (what moron in their right mind sends a nursing baby to 30 days overnight with 1 weekend visitation for the mother is beyond me but I digress.)
Literally the day before 30 days is to go into effect, and my attorneys are throwing a hail Mary. I remember testifying in court. Ex was aggressive. He had never actually put his hands on me but throwing things, punching holes in the walls, throwing furniture. He had a temper, and he got agitated easily, especially when our infant wouldn't calm down effortlessly. Needless to say I was terrified of her spending 30 days there without him having a break. She hadn't even spent the night with him before this point. And the judge orders an immediate drug test for both of us (something neither of us were asking for) and orders that the test include testing for steroids.
Steroids? I don't use steroids? And here's the kicker- never in a million years did I suspect him of using them since they literally cost one of his closest friends their life. And what happens? Boom- he tests positive for steroids.
Reversed everything and he has supervised visitation for 3 hours every other Saturday. Went from expanded standard visitation to 6 hours supervised a month. Idiot.
Joanne Lawrence 3 years ago
Interesting. The judge must have heard the evidence, looked at him, and put 2 and 2 together that roid rage was a possibility.
Kimi Tomminello 3 years ago
No doubt she's seen it before, probably a an attorney as well.
Load More Replies... #34
Not a lawyer but this happened to my family. My husbands kids asked us to fight for full custody after years of systematic abuse from their mom.
My stepdaughter was sexually assaulted and mom decided to marry a guy who was best friends with the guy who assaulted her. Mom never told us what happened never got her counseling. Never reported it to the police.
In mediation she brought up a conversation I had with her which she denied ever happening until then. She started saying lie after lie and all my husband had to say was “my wife had that conversation with you to explain how uncomfortable my daughter is living with this man because he is connected to her sexual assault “
The mediator was not amused. She said “you have someone living in your house who is connected to your daughters assault. Your relationship with your children is broken”
She spent the rest of the session sobbing and signed away custody because this was just the tip of the iceberg that we had on her and she knew it.
Hearing her sobbing made me so happy after all she put these kids through. I had to walk my step daughter into the police station to report her sexual assault.
I usually don’t want people to suffer but after warning her this guy was coming between her and her kids and then her lying about the context of that conversation ill make an exception. I tried to stop her from the chain of events that lead us to court and she tried to use it against me.
KombatBunni 3 years ago
Good for you. Parents who let kids be abused don’t deserve to be parents.
#35
I am not a lawyer, but there was a case going on in my town between a father and son that was hilarious. The dad is a big time personal injury attorney around here who started his own firm under his name, George Sink and his son ended up joining the family business. Well they had a falling out so the son goes off to start his own firm.
He has his dad's name.
So the dad is suing the son for using the name he gave him to start his own law firm.
Pezor Zass 3 years ago
Apparently the dad won that case and the son can't advertise his law practice using his name
Pumpkin Spice 3 years ago
If the grandson starts a swimming class called Sink or Swim, I'll cry.
#36
Not someone else, but himself.
The guy and his lawyer missed court appearances, sometimes one of them, sometimes both, with little or no warning and with suspect excuses. It started getting ridiculous and we kept pointing out holes in his story, like he said he left for another country without knowing about the appearance, but his lawyer stood in court and said he told him beforehand. Or all of a sudden he was in a former Soviet Bloc country for fertility treatments and it would ruin everything if he came back now. Or when he was visiting dying relatives on another continent. Or he was going to the airport when he had to rush to the hospital and showed us an admitting form in another language that we translated - it showed he was there but also that he was discharged. He also tried firing his attorney and saying he needed more time to brief a new attorney - who at the next appearance would say he hasn't been able to talk to his client so he needs to adjourn. Or that he hasn't been paid and his client is basically an a** and he needs to be relieved.
We kept saying to the judge he was doing it to stall but the judge kept giving him the benefit of the doubt. We even showed him other cases where he skipped appearances and the judges threatened sanctions. Until finally he didn't show up for an appearance where the judge had specifically told him, I don't care if you're meeting with the Pope, I'm ordering you to be here. Boom, his answer was stricken, default judgment in full was granted to our side. Neither he nor his lawyer showed up for the hearing where the judge determined exactly how much of a judgment we should get, and then had the nerve to file a motion that the judgment was unfair because he didn't get a chance to dispute anything.
lara 3 years ago
A good friend of mine who is a writer wrote a book that caused the US government to try and throw him and his wife into jail. The government claimed that my friend "stole" evidence from a crash site, he did not, it was given to him by one of the investigators. The trial was held, the government prosecutors [PLURAL] refused to allow my friend to show that he was an investigative journalist. The trial lasted four weeks. The jury found them "guilty" after twenty minutes of "deliberation." The judge threw out the jury's "decision" saying that there was very, very little to NO evidence against the wife, or the government investigator and absolutely NO evidence against my friend. Now here is why the government will take you to court even over "nothing charges". First it costs YOU a lot of time and money and ruins your reputation even though the government knows you are "innocent." If you turn around and sue they, the government NEVER shows up to defend because Congress will not pay.
Darla Taylor 3 years ago
And that is why I never believe anything they say, bunch of liars!
Load More Replies... #37
Someone came to a civil hearing for a money damage claim on a rental unit. Claimed first that they could not have punched holes in the wall as those holes were left handed and he was right handed. He had pictures and video of him punching walls with both hands to show the difference (which looked oddly like the damage alleged). Second claimed he has never showered or used a toilet so the messy bathroom was a frame up job (admitted to using the toilet to dump oil/grease from his side job of selling fried food out of his apartment without a permit). Third declared he was a sovereign citizen and not subject to court jurisdiction. Then proceeds to read his list of criminal complaints against the landlord/city/court/judge. Finishes up by asking for the judge to order landlord to be subject to capital punishment, thereafter renounce his position/ turn himself in for arrest.
The judge asked if he was done and the man shouted that he was being illegally interrupted during his opening remarks which is a violation of his rights and freedom of religion. Pulled out a set of handcuffs he snuck into the hearing and walked to the bench yelling "You are under arrest under my birth right as a member of the free state for illegally enf... "He was cut off as six officers and a bailiff handcuffed him.
Joanne Lawrence 3 years ago
I sincerely hope the judge had the guy detained for a mental health evaluation.
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
WTF is up with these people, and WTF is all this “sovereign citizen” b******t? Oh yeah, MAGAts. Forgot about their b******t.
Ian Webling 3 years ago
I have a solution for sovereign citizens. Take them to their homes, barricade them inside, cut off their Internet, phones, electricity, water and sewage, and tell them to take care of themselves. Because that is what a sovereign nation does. If they wish to leave their homes, they will require a passport issued by their sovereign nation which may or may not be recognised by the country surrounding them. They will need special permission to work in that country too.
Kimi Tomminello 3 years ago
Nothing good usually comes from stories of "sovereign citizens" vs the law. It's almost always this ridiculousness.
#38
Not a lawyer but when I was in high school I had the opportunity to observe in a court room. I was behind the judge's bench, so I wasn't visible to the rest of the room but there was a defendant that got screwed over by her own KID (9 yr old).
The judge had just issued her ruling and told the mom "this is your last chance and final warning. If you are back in front of me for the same reason you will get the fine!"
Before she brings the gavel down the kid blurts out: "WOW mom the last judge you had said the same thing!"
The defendant pales and tries to get the kid to shut up but the damage was done. Since the judge hadn't brought the gavel down she was able to reverse her ruling and what do ya know the mom was in her courtroom for the same damn charge. She got the fine.
Judge and I left the court room and absolutely lost it.
Kimi Tomminello 3 years ago
I did that to my mom when I was around 8. I told the judge that my mom was lying and that my dad did pay child support as my mom was testifying. I suffered greatly but I told the truth. She has hated me completely and totally since then and I have not had much contact with her since I left home at 16. Hopefully this mother doesn't take it out on the kid.
Veronica Connelly 3 years ago (edited)
I'm so sorry you had to deal with that, but it sounds, to me, like you are better off without her being involved anyways... My heart goes out to you! You sound like a genuine person. ❤️
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#39
Not my case, but my dad's. He was the equivalent of a Public Defender decades ago. There was this guy that would get caught for being drunk in public, public lewdness, etc. EVERY weekend. He seemed to draw the same judges and was pretty well known to everyone in the courthouse as an absolute lost cause. One of the "regular" judges had him appear in his court again. The judge is ready to give him a prison sentence because he was driving a car this time, but the guy starts crying that he finally got a job out of town and was trying to turn his life around. Judge tells him as long as he never makes a mistake "in my town again" he would just drop the charges.
Well sure as hell the guy shows up the following Monday. Same judge. Driving drunk AGAIN. My dad now has his case. The judge tells him he gave him his final chance, to which the guy sobs and replies "I was leaving town, your Honor. But my friends decided to throw me a going-away party." The judge was not amused. My dad had to do everything he could to not laugh.
TL;DR- Perpetual drunk that drove drunk gets a chance to leave town and not face charges, gets drunk at a going-away party in his honor, drives, goes to jail. Faced the same judge both times.
Chich 3 years ago
I have attened too many MVAs caused by %$#! drunks. They should just be shot and left to rot in the ditch. No sympathy for these asshats whatsoever. Recall one where a drunk hit another car killing a young man and seriously injuring his wife. Drunk was banged up but not badly. Was sitting on the side of the road with the police crying that he was going to loose his license 'this time' while we were extracting the body of the young man.
#40
There’s a lawyer in my town who has a reputation for being a real jerk. He left a very successful firm to go off on his own. He and the firm negotiated which clients he would take, and how eventual fees from those clients would be divided. All seemed fine and dandy.
As soon as he’s out the door, he sues his old firm saying the deal is unenforceable and that he should 100% of the fees from the clients who came with him. He lost, and appealed, lost again and appealed to the state Supreme Court where they shut his a** down and, in extremely diplomatic language, pretty much called him a jerk.
#41
I charged a woman with reckless driving, when she ran someone off the road. She claimed it was accidental and they were both road raging at each other. I asked her specifically what she did, and she said and demonstrated that she was aggressively pointing at the other car.
As she demonstrated it she pointed with her right hand and pretended to have her left and on the steering wheel. As she jabbed at the air with her right hand, she a also was jerking the pretended steering wheel to the left toward where the other car would have been.
She took the case to trial, and did the same motions when the prosecutor asked her about it.
Judge found her guilty.
#42
I'm a paralegal.
The best situations are when we get a Sovereign Citizen (someone in the USA who thinks that the US laws do not apply to them for a vast variety of reasons) hire us but won't let us do anything on their case. We've had to actually fire a bunch of clients because they have gone against our 'rules' like - don't send a letter to the judge, don't write your own motions, don't announce that you're not Mark Smith because Mark Smith has capital letters and you were born with lower case letters, etc. Honestly, a whole thread on these people wouldn't be enough.
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
Sovereign Citizens are at an unbelievable level of stupidity. They will argue that the law says that everyone has the right to travel and at the same they will fight the law that says that you have to have drivers license to drive a car. So they just pick and choose which laws apply to them and which laws don't. It may come as no surprise that they are exempt from laws which dictate them to pay taxes and do other unpleasant stuff.
Joanne Lawrence 3 years ago
Yeah, the thing I really don't get is they insist laws don't apply to them, but they usually have no problem showing up for court and giving the law legitimacy in that way. Like, how does that work in their heads?
Load More Replies... #43
This wasn’t my case but followed it closely because it was an acquaintance’s divorce proceedings. He and his now ex wife shared some commercial property that was worth some dough. They were both on the paperwork/ha access to the same info. Well some s**t hit the fan and the property was in arrears and I think some lien was filed. The husband would try to talk to his then wife about the whole thing and she would blow him off. Not only would she ignore him and the finances, she started cheating on him.
Fast forward to divorce. It’s contentious and they get down to fighting for the primary residence whose market value (unemcumbered) is much less than the commercial building. She demanded the house and the husband effectively offered to give her the commercial building if he could keep the residence. She never paid attention to how bad off the commercial building was and for some strange reason her lawyer didn’t do any due diligence so they took the deal.
I don’t know if the asset allocation included any saving conditions or caveats for the ex wife, but I did like to see that her own disinterest may have led to bargaining for an under water property instead of a paid off house.
#44
Knew a guy going through a divorce who’s wife had cheated on him. During the proceedings he liquidated his 401k and sold the house which was in his name. It was more than a million dollars.
He was a dual US/Romanian citizen, he just left for Romania a few days before their divorce was final with the money.
All she got was her BMW lease.
Scarlett 3 years ago
Don’t cheat. I don’t get why people cheat, just end the relationship if you’re so unhappy.
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#45
I can’t remember the specifics of the story, but my mom is a lay magistrate but was working for a domestic violence service at one stage and had a client who was terminally ill and she advised them to change their will so their (possibly separated) abusive partner wouldn’t be entitled to anything when they passed away. Client passed away, abusive partner stormed into the law firm dealing with the will demanding to know where their share of the finances etc were and was simply told they’d been written out of the will and the case couldn’t be discussed with them.
ETA: best way to screw someone over rather than the worst, but hey
Hugh Cookson 3 years ago
In parts of the World, writing a person out of the will can be challenged, in which case the only people who win are the lawyers ; a much better way is to leave the person the lowest possible amount (ie $1 or £1), therefore, you've left something, just not a huge chunk of your estate.
Joanne Lawrence 3 years ago
Ehh, that probably won't work. It'll still be challenged. Incidentally, I've been working on an estate litigation where a father wrote his adult daughters out of his will, and the daughters are making the case that dad (who was worth many millions) felt that the boys get his property and business, and the girls get dowries in order to marry into a good family. Now, that's distasteful to start with, to literally pay someone to take your(in this case financially independent) adult daughters "off your hands," but as I found out, in my country, it's actually illegal to write someone out of a will on protected human rights grounds (age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, or religion). I had never heard that before and I found it fascinating that the government could declare that a will is in breach of public policy.
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#46
This won't be the worst, but maybe it is from the guy's POV.
I am in Court for one of the first times after passing the bar exam and handling a routine child support case. The events that transpire do not involve my client from that day.
When one party is unrepresented in Family Court (in Massachusetts) there is a pre-trial meeting with the Probation Officers so they can assist the judge in framing the case. These Probation Officers are trained Social Workers who act as mediators in these instances, so nothing like criminal Probation Officers.
So these two parties are meeting. You can see the guy is just angry over everything but they are making progress working out the divorce. Then all of sudden he stands up and throws his chair over and yells "You took my house, you took my kids, you even took my f**king dog. I will kill you if you think you are keeping my name too you w***e!"
Within seconds he is restrained by court guards and escorted to a private room. He ended up being arrested for threatening to kill her. All because she wanted to keep his last name instead of going back to her maiden name to make it easier on the kids.
EDIT: For those wondering, the judge ended up moving forward that day with their case and she got everything she wanted. Him being arrested for Disorderly Conduct during the pre-trial meeting was held to be his fault for missing the Pre-Trial Conference, which means in Mass the judge can dissolve the marriage that day if one party is present and the other is not.
#47
Not a lawyer but happened to me and some buddies in college.
So a group of friends and I rented a 5 bedroom house in college. And being the group of guys we were partied pretty hard and were really rough on the house. We knew going in we were not getting out deposit back.
Well part way though living there the septic started to have some problems whenever someone used the downstairs shower it would drain slowly, ie slowly fill as you used it. Also one of the rooms carpet would get wet. So we emailed the property service company to fix it. 2 weeks later they send out a plumber to snake the line and leave.
Well that didn't fix it, so we emailed again. 2-3 weeks, plumber, snake, leave. Still not fixed, email and 2-3 weeks and they scope the line. Turns out roots had grown into the line so they had to do a big ol process to completely remove all the roots. Now it's fixed.
Well we all move out, go or separate ways. One of my buddies goes to Australia for 9 months. When he gets back he comes home to a bunch of voicemails. Turns out the property company is coming after us for like 5 thousand on top of the deposit. They tried to pressure him into either paying the money or he would be taken to court. He told them he would see them in court.
For the couple months leading up to the court date he would get calls telling him to pay and it would all go away. Day before the first day of court they call him and tell him to pay 2k and give them info for one of the other people on the original lease. He says go to hell and see you in court.
First day of court is just to make sure everyone shows and to schedule the actual case. Lawyer for the property company shows up, is scrambling to figure out what is going on. Had no records beyond the original lease, which changed a couple times as people moved in and out. My buddy helps him out by giving him copies of the multiple emails that we sent to get them to fix the septic and the damage it did to the house. Told my buddy he would let us know how they wanted to proceed, never heard from the company again.
#48
A witness for the plaintiff in a civil suit, who was a co-worker of the plaintiff testified very strongly against the company and in favor of the plaintiff. I questioned her about bias toward the plaintiff, if they knew eachother well, were friends, etc. She said, no just friendly co-workers, "work friends" at best. I pinned her to it.
When I got a chance to cross-examine the plaintiff, she had no choice but to burn her witnesses credibility, because no only were they very close friends, but they had become sisters in law just a few years before. (no, they did not have the same last name or anything, but I had done my homework).
I still don't get why people want to fight small bias, by destroying their credibility, but ... it happens more than you'd think.
Kimi Tomminello 3 years ago (edited)
People don't think far enough into the future to get away with lying. Usually they're nervous and blurt out whatever sounds best when they're on the spot. To some people these lies come to them quicker than the truth.
#49
Sitting waiting for my client and the judge is giving a mass colloquy for an alternative program on a DUI. Basically probation.
Question - Has anyone consumed alcohol or taken drugs in the last 24 hours?
Obvious answer aside, one dude proudly raises his hand - "I smoked some dope last night..."
He did not get probation.
#50
I remember when I was a kid my dad got a ticket for running a stop sign. He decided to fight it because the stop sign was buried in a bush and wasn't visible from the road.
He and the police officer that had issued the ticket both arrived to court at the appointed time but the judge wasn't there. After they waited for about 20 minutes the bailiff finally apologized and told them they could go home and things would be rescheduled.
Just after they had left the judge finally arrived and found both my dad AND the police officer in contempt for leaving and 'wasting her time'.
One $80 traffic ticket became two $500 contempt of court fines.
About five years later a friend of mine pulled the same judge for a DUI (prescription not booze, he didn't realize he shouldn't be driving on them). He just went without any council. He said that she said if he was stupid enough to try to represent himself he could sit there and not say anything so he ended up just sitting there and not saying anything and lost his license for a first offense DUI.
There were more than one news article and letters to the editor about what a disaster of a judge she was so I'm sure a lot of other people had similar issues with her.
TheElementalGod️️ 2 years ago
Would the judge who was late acually be ALLOWED to fine people for leaving when the judge didnt show up
#51
Child Protective investigator, I had a client who wanted to emancipate herself from her family. She was an entitled brat. Wanted to live with her drug dealing boyfriend. Judge began asking her for her pay stubs, plans, documents for said plans, assess to transportation. The brat had none of that figured out. Court ordered to give up her phone to prevent access to the drug dealers and court ordered to get a job, make plans to rent an apartment on her own. Everything she wanted......if not, she would be house in DJJ as her parent could no longer take care of her after she beat and attempted to hurt them multiple times. She didn't last 5 minutes under her court order after telling the judge he didn't understand and he was being mean. Upon her release from DJJ, she was still court ordered to do everything in order to emancipate herself. The judge was not a having it that day.
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
There was an episode of one of those real live court shows where a girl sued her parents for money for tuition, rent and cost of living because the parents wouldn't pay for her deadbeat drug addicted boy friend. Her lawyer even said that it was the child's right to do whatever she wanted. The judge told her that she was delusional and that the parents couldn't be forced to help their child to destroy her future. After this the girl ditched the boyfriend and went back to live with her parents.
Kimi Tomminello 3 years ago
As someone who HAD to emancipate I am so glad this dumba** had to feel what it is like, even for just a second, to have that much pressure on your shoulders. I'm not super salty over this anymore but it still rubs me the wrong way. I used to cringe every time someone it my high school weird comment on "how cool it must be to live on your own". No, it's exhausting. I had to work 3 jobs, maintain good standing on my bills, maintain a 'C' or above average in all classes, attend therapy and have a social worker in my business all the time. Don't abuse the system cuz you had a,fight with your parents.
Douglas Mock 3 years ago
"I don't understand." is code for "How did I lose that? I am better than you."
#52
IANAL but my ex screwed herself over pretty good in our divorce proceeding.
Right after we had separated, we both had to move in with family. School wasn't in session and we didn't have any custody agreement yet, so we had been swapping the kids every week. Then one day while the kids were with her, she emails me and tells me that she had enrolled the kids in a school near her. As soon as I got that email from her, I went to my attorney. He filed a motion with the court to get a temporary custody order until we finished the divorce. When he got the date for the hearing, he sent my ex the proper notification, filed it with the court, etc. The day of the hearing, we're waiting in court for her to show up, and she never does. So the judge gave me temporary custody of my kids. Which eventually became full custody once our divorce was finalized.
I later found out that the reason she didn't show up was that she had the idea that somehow my attorney was trying to trick her. So she called the court about the hearing date, but says she was told a different, later day. The date of which fell on a Sunday.
It still boggles my mind. I mean, if you're going to trick someone into going to court on the wrong date (ignoring the fact that an attorney would probably get disbarred for intentionally doing so), why would you pick an earlier date than the actual date? And why would you not just show up anyway? If the date was fake, she still could've made the real date. And if it was real, she wouldn't miss it. And don't you write important appointments on a calendar so you don't forget? How do you not see that it's on a Sunday and say "hmm....that's not right."
Oh, and the kicker? She never actually tried to enroll my kids in a school near her. Turns out, she just said it because she was pissed about something I'd said (I don't even remember what).
#53
Not a specific person but I work family law and get a lot of cases that involve domestic violence. I have listened to women describe the most awful, horrifying things that have been inflicted on them and their children, and have on more than one occasion just sat and cried once they’ve left my office.
Now first let me say these are few and far between and we should take women seriously when they allege they’ve been abused. But nothing makes me more mad than when a woman lies about abuse to keep a good husband and father from his kids.
I have one where I represent the dad and there is enough evidence to prove she’s lying pretty conclusively, she has even suggested strongly to her MiL that he didn’t touch her, but she can’t actually redact it because there are pending criminal charges and I think she’s dug herself too deep to get out of the lie. And he hasn’t seen his kids in months while we try and arrange supervised visits.
#54
I had a client who was accused of a very nasty sexual offence. He had an alibi--he was at work, where he was the boss. He had an employee who could absolutely vouch for his being there. I talked to the employee, employee confirmed this.
It gets closer to the trial, and around the time when I need to send in an "alibi notice", which is advance notice to the Crown so that they can investigate the alibi and determine whether or not it's true. But, I am being careful, so I call the employee up again.
Turns out my client fired him in the interim, and so the employee quite candidly tells me, "Oh, yeah, he was definitely at work. But that's not what I'll say in court. F**k that guy, he is going down."
I did not call him as a witness, or file the alibi notice.
Still won the trial, but if I hadn't thought to call the guy, or if he'd been less candid, my client would have been f**ked hard. Sex offender registry, jail time, the works. Completely innocent.
An Co 3 years ago
What total moron fires the guy that is his alibi before he testifies? If that happened in a movie, I would walk out in disbelief.
kews 3 years ago
What total moron literally tells a lawyer he's going to commit perjury on the stand if he testifies?!? If that lawyer recorded his phone calls, as he should, he should have let the guy testify, and then unleash the recording.
Load More Replies... #55
In a case where a semitruck driver ran over and killed a grandma and her daughter (leaving 2 kids without any family), the defense attorney said: “really, the semitruck driver is the victim here because he has to live with what he is done.”
Hugh Cookson 3 years ago
It's never that black and white .... did they run out in front of him, did he have to swerve to miss a car load of people, did his truck have a catastrophic tyre blow out or an engine seizure , what ? Full disclosure is needed before making sweeping statements like this.
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
Some people.... Here's one that happened in 2010: https://nypost.com/2010/11/14/driver-who-mowed-down-kid-blames-the-parents-sues/
#56
I'm not a lawyer, but I was a jury foreman on a case about five years back. Guy was accused of attempting to kill his girlfriend. Various charges about the severity were filed. However, victim's testimony wasn't terribly convincing, especially after cross, and there was only evidence that something had happened in the house that night, but not necessarily that the boyfriend had done it.
Anyway, it's defense's turn to present, and they unexpectedly recess for the day. We come back the next day, and the defendant testifies. He puts himself at the scene and admits to hitting her. We ended up convicting him of everything but attempted murder, if I remember right.
Afterward, the judge came into the jury room and told us that the unexpected recess the previous day was because the defendant insisted on testifying against his lawyer and the judge's advice. If he hadn't testified, basically no chance we would have convicted him.
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago (edited)
A judge acts as an independent and impartial party in the legal process. They help to protect the rights of all individuals before the court and they make sure that all parties get a fair trail. So it is their duty to warn parties if they are about to screw up their case.
Load More Replies... #57
Lady brought a frivolous case to get out of a contract she signed. She lost, then sued the attorney and the witnesses for conspiring against her. They got her case dismissed and an award of attorneys fees which she refused to pay. Lawyer recorded it as a lien on her house and scheduled a foreclosure sale, which caused her mortgage lender to declare a default and accelerate entire mortgage balance. Lawyer made a side deal with lender to pay them all proceeds of the sale and then sold her house on courthouse steps to highest bidder and then arranged for sheriff to forcibly eject her onto the street with her s**t. She's homeless now.
Short story: honor your contracts and don't sue your lawyer when you don't.
Cold Contagious 3 years ago
I know she didn't use the best judgment and makes bad decisions, but dâmn she's homeless now, I guess he showed her.../s
#58
Paralegal here- we had a client show up to court ordered mediation several hours late... straight from a lake trip.
Part of my job is to call clients a day or two before these kinds of things to remind them of the importance of the hearing. I told her specifically "It is vital that you show up on time, dressed appropriately".
When she did show up my boss took one look at her and said "you understand we have to take whatever offer they give us, right? Because there is no way I'm taking you to trial."
#59
Now a lawyer, but a friend properly screwed over his ex wife. He thought things were not going well. She seemed off. He did a little digging, and saw enough to prove she was cheating. He hired a private detective. The detective got pics of her kissing a dude, going to his house, plus the cell phone call log, credit card statements, etc. Then...SHE asks for a divorce and claims he is being unfaithful. She claims she has been nothing but a loving wife, yet provides no proof he is cheating. He pulls out a 3 inch binder with a couple month log, photos of her going into restaurants with her boyfriend, pictures kissing him in the parking lot, pictures of her car at his place, text log, etc, etc, etc.
Both married people had equally high paying jobs. She wanted to take him to the ringer. He threw out some offer like 25K cash, and nothing else, no retirement funds, no house, to child support, etc, plus he wanted the kids. Basically take 25K and walk b***h! Her lawyer told her she better take it, and she did.
Joanne Lawrence 3 years ago
This is interesting to me. I'd like to know where the law comes down on adultery wherever this happened. Where I live, a claim of adultery is only relevant to expediting a divorce, as we have what I'd call true no-fault divorce. So if they just filed for divorce and cited irreconcilable differences, they have to live apart for 6 months before the divorce is finalized. If there's adultery or abuse involved, there is no such time requirement, but there's no other punitive consequences to the a-hole party.
Cold Contagious 3 years ago
Alabama still has the penalties against adulterers, I think TN does still. KY is a no fault state though, unfortunately.
Load More Replies... #60
I have been in dispute with British Gas for around 10 years, every now and again they take me to court, every time I win and we go away for another few years.
The last time I lawyered up, it's in a Magistrates even though it's a civil matter. My solicitor waited for the British Gas guy to swear his oath to tell the truth the whole truth etc. then asked him what he knew of the previous court cases. When the guy said he didn't know anything about them my solicitor ripped into him saying he'd just claimed to tell the whole truth so clearly nothing he says can be trusted, it went on for a few minutes, it was kind of brutal. The Magistrates agreed and we walked away with £600 in costs.
It was a joy to watch this bloke who was all, "we're coming to make entry to your house and the police will help" before we went in be told to sit down and not say anything else unless he was asked a question.
To fend off some of the questions, it's to do with a disconnected meter at my house (for electric to a closed shop) - I have written to the CEO, I've had my MP involved and been to court four times. British Gas don't change, don't listen so I've given up. I'll just go to court every now and again and claim my £600.
EDIT - I just remembered, they had to transfer the money electronically as we were going to send the bailiffs in as they took 27 days to pay! TBH I was a little disappointed when they paid up.
Robert Trebor 3 years ago
Back in the 90's I had cable tv, and because I wasn't watching much (still don't), and because they raised the rate, I called and told them to cut me off. They didn't, so I disconnected their cable from my house the simple way: scissors. Called them to tell them to get their cable off my property. They didn't. Weeks later the guy driving their sniffer truck sees me in my yard and accuses me of theft of service. I told him to look and see that their cable was hanging free, not connected. I told him to get the cable off my property NOW. He did. I went around to the cable office to ask why they had such morons working for them. Got a formal letter of apology.
Seadog 3 years ago
It was the other way around for me. Want cable internet. They said they don't have service in my area. I asked why their trucks did $1500 damage to my yard hanging cable if they don't have service in my area? I had internet the following week.
Load More Replies... #61
Basically all custody battles where neither parent is a legitimately horrible person/parent everyone is better off* without.
The kids always get screwed.
#62
Used to work in children's court representing parents. When I first started, I witnessed another attorney destroy any chance of their client getting their kids back. At a review hearing assessing whether the court should terminate parental rights, the attorney was so confused about what was happening that they requested unmonitored visits for their client, but didn't even address termination of rights. Needless to say the court terminated the client's parental rights. The worst part was that earlier that day, the court took up a petition for more time, but denied it after the attorney failed to make any argument. Based on the facts (parent was doing really well), they probably would have won. The second worst part was overhearing the attorney tell her client to come back for the next review hearing (finalizing the adoption). Not only would there be nothing the parent could do at that hearing, but terminated parents aren't even allowed to be there.
#63
Not court, but Live PD traffic stop I was watching and the guy told the officer “I have caffeine pills in my back pocket” gets them out puts them on the hood, everyone’s chill... dude then comes clean and says it’s Molly and the officers look at each other and go “do we even have a test kit for that?” other officer says “no” dudes face just shows he should have kept his mouth shut.
Astrobloom (they/them) 2 months ago
I'm about 2 years late, so sorry lol, but from what google says it's MDMA or ecstásy
Load More Replies... #64
Had a criminal jury trial for misdemeanor Criminal Mischief over 4 years ago. State filed charges and kept amending the Information to the point where they left the ACTUAL VICTIM out of the trial and proceeded with the two eyewitnesses. Well, one of the witnesses was my client's ex and the other witness was the ex's new GF. They claimed my client vandalized the ACTUAL VICTIM's car. Client denied everything.
Well, apparently, the State and both Witnesses had no idea that the Ex had a outstanding warrant for not paying child support to MY CLIENT which created a motive for him to lie. Asked him if he was aware that he had a warrant out for his arrest on the stand. He didn't know. The Judge excused the jurors. The bailiffs arrested the Ex on the stand. State rested. Judge granted our Motion for Judgment of Acquittal because we had good case law for the victim not being there. Client walked away free and the Ex went to jail.
Guy MacGregor 3 years ago
Unrelated, but the picture show Montreal (Québec, Canada) police officers circa 2015. If anyone were wondering.
Memere 3 years ago
I saw the French wording & wondered about that, thanks for the info. The choice of stock photos is sometimes better than the subject matter!
Load More Replies... #65
I've seen a parent use non-existent discipline as a tool to win over their teenage child, so that the child will choose to live with said rubbish parent, and rubbish parent will receive child support from the other parent.
It boils my blood seeing someone allowing their 15 old child to drop out of school, get high everyday, buy them drugs, alcohol, just about every negative thing you could do to a kid, just so they don't have to pay $100 in child support a month.
edit: for everyone commenting on the fact that the child support payments were so cheap, child support amounts in my jurisdiction are relative based upon the paying parenting's situation, income, schooling, assets, etc. They were deadbeats, part time under the table seasonal employment and government welfare.
#66
I was a very new lawyer, with no bankruptcy experience. A partner sent me to bankruptcy court to try to make a claim as a creditor related to a $50 million building that was being sold.
Time and lack of knowledge will prevent me from accurately describing everything that went down but I will do my best.
The Court handled my client's claim very quickly and easily at first. The Court ruled we were not a creditor because our claim was against a tenant, which was correct. (Note, we had purchased the claim from someone merely to try to somehow wedge our way into buying the property - which was very transparent to the Court.)
So I could just set back for the remainder of the hearing and watch the 2 premier bankruptcy attorneys go at it. One represented the debtor and the owner of the building; the other represented a secured creditor with a lien against the building
They absolutely hated each other on a personal level, and were arguing with great venom about the plan to sell the real estate.
There was a small break in the action while the judge took care of another matter.
When we came back, the secured creditor attorney told the Court the following:
His client (the creditor) had purchased controlling interest in the debtor (the owner of the building).
He had been directed to fire the other attorney.
He had been directed to withdraw the motion to sell the real estate.
He then did both there in the Courtroom.
I have practiced for almost 3 decades. It was the most bad a** thing I had ever seen, and was particularly noteworthy because the courtroom was packed with other attorneys watching and those 2 attorneys absolutely hated each other.
#67
My best friend's dad. He left his mom when he was 50 for a 32yo. On a Christmas dinner my friend, his brother and the dad have a discussion and the girl decides she needs to be involved. Things heat up and she throws my friends phone through the windows, so he gets her laptop and does the same and then him and his brother leave the house. A week later he gets a court notice asking him to appear in front of the judge for assault on the girl. She told the police they beat her. His dad declared it was true. Luckily they had no evidence so they dismissed the case. His brother is getting married this week and his father won't be present.
Cold Contagious 3 years ago
Personally I think you're being sarcastic, but I think everyone doesn't recognize it. Someone had downvoted you because of it. I put you back positive. I see you here all the time, you're more dialed in than I am on here, lol. Some of us use (/s) at the end of our post if it's vague sarcasm, for the sake of the people that don't get it, but others don't. I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do. No offense meant. You do you.
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#68
Saw a guy with a good job (around 120K/year) adopt his new wife's FIVE children. Six months later she files for divorce and guess who is on the hook for child support for five?
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
He should go for custody and cut the gold digger loose. The timing is way too suspect. Also sounds like the plot of a little known movie (“Author, Author”).
#69
Wasn't there one where in a divorce case the husband asked to have custody of their pet cats and the wife had them put down out of spite?
Cold Contagious 3 years ago
May she start rotting and falling apart before she gets to hell.
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Wonderful 3 years ago
I worked at a veterinary clinic right out of high school and this one guy would always bring in his German Shepard for shots and anything else it needed. The dog was a sweetheart and would carry his leash in his mouth. Just a big sweet dog. One day we get called for a appt for euthanasia for the dog and the wife brings the dog in. The dog was fine. She said it was dying from cancer and yada yada but we knew this dog. The doctor called the husband and he freaked out and came to the clinic super quick. Verbal fight ensues and he gets the dog and leaves while she stares daggers at all of us. They were getting a divorce. I wanted to euthanize her, I think we all wanted to give her a big dose of the pink stuff (color of the med that’s used for euthanasia).
Seabeast 3 years ago
Urban legend. I've heard numerous versions of this, sometimes it's the ex husband who does it.
Kira Okah 3 years ago
https://medium.com/narrative/she-put-our-dogs-down-when-we-divorced-aa205e206673 - first hand account. Lawyers also have info pages about what to do in these situations because using pet's lives as leverage is not uncommon in divorces.
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Here in Missouri a Golden Corral is being sued for the death of a elderly man. He was choking and manager asked if anyone could help. An employee waved their hand and said they could. The manager stopped them and sent them away. The man died obviously. The stupid part here is the corporate lawyers defense to have case tossed is they didn’t owe that man any aid and he died from his own fault for not cutting his food up into smaller pieces. The case is tragic but the lawyers defense is just outright rude and will cost them if it goes to trial.
Cold Contagious 3 years ago
Truly, that manager and up the crooked chain from there, are absolutely vile and loathsome in their excuses as to why they didn't assist the gentleman with aid. The lawyers are doing their jobs, of course, but it's people like that manager, that make the world a little more hopeless, one day at a time. We should do better.
Load More Replies... #71
I am not a lawyer but I heard a story about a woman who had her soon to be ex-husband over during a custody battle and seduced him by getting him heavily intoxicated. She led him out to his car, sat him in the drivers seat and then called the police. He got a DWI and lost his parental rights.
Cold Contagious 3 years ago
He definitely needed to use better judgment. I would be very leary of my ex wanting to get together alone, even more so of having a drink with them, and to let my guard down and get drunk would be setting off alarm bells, but people are at different levels of vulnerability and it affects their judgment in negative ways. Unfortunately, one person's limit to what they'll tolerate in a relationship, is far beyond the capacity of another person. It's usually based on too many variables likely beginning with childhood development and familial dynamics forward. You can hardly call everyone a dûmbfûck. However, there are cases where you wonder if there was any thought given to the process at all.
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What do you think ?
A Strike 3 years ago
I went to court to pay a traffic ticket once and while I was there there was this dude outside sitting in a bush laughing his butt off at the police officer who patiently tried to convince him to come out so he wouldn’t be late to his court time. The guy started singing about how high he was and the cop goes “since you’re about to see a judge about the drug charges, maybe don’t mention that part.”
Seabeast 3 years ago
Some years ago, Canadian documentary show filmed people getting their driver's licenses taken away for DUI in court, then followed them out to the parking lot outside the court house and filmed them getting into their cars to drive away. The journalist walked up to one and asked him what he was doing driving with no license. He hemmed and hawed and finally called a taxi.
jk nbt 3 years ago
a drug dealer/con man/embezzler/thief was under multiple felony indictments... The man was well connected with others like him who helped him & used his stolen wealth to stay in hiding. The law simply could not find him. So they sent an email message to him announcing he had won some grand prize sweepstakes with overseas vacation, free money, etc etc. All he had to do was to report to a storefront in a strip mall to claim his prize. He did, and was promptly arrested by the police who staged the whole thing. He whined as they handcuffed him, "Hey fellas, can't I at least take my free prize vacation first before you take me to jail? Please???"
Mr Zipperface 3 years ago
I had the pleasure of watching the guy who assaulted my father in law conducting his own defence in court. He was claiming he had been the victim of the assault (my 60 yo FIL defended himself rather well). He claimed the powder that was all over his face at the time of his arrest was actually sugar from a donut and it was yellow because he also had a lemon ice pole, his opening question while cross examining the arresting officer was "Have you ever had an ice pole?" The look on the officer's face was priceless. He also claimed he hadn't been seen by the doctor in custody, the doctor testified he had attempted to examine the accused and had been told to f**k off. He also called the judge "a stupid cow" and tried to start a fight with me because I was openly laughing at him (I was told to behave by the bailiff). The guy got five months in jail and his ex girlfriend told us all about how he'd had a kicking earlier on that day and was trying to pass it on to someone else.
Octavia Hansen 3 years ago
Seated on a Grand Jury, our favorite comment to anyone was "What's on your alleged mind?"
rabbit 3 years ago
I was in local court for not having my license when I was stopped. I had misplaced it and couldn't find it. Judge took care of several cases. During this time it was noticeable that there was a bald child there with his dad. Dad is called before the judge for having his windows tinted a bit too dark. Dad says that they just got the van because they needed to .... lifts boy up.... deal with his cancer. It was obvious that the child was going through chemo and everyone, including the judge, thought it was a not a good idea to showcase his child like that. Instead of giving the man time to deal with the darkened windows, he fined him and charged court costs. Judge told me to apply for a replacement license and return. On return, case dismissed. It could have happened to the dad the same way.
A Strike 3 years ago
I went to court to pay a traffic ticket once and while I was there there was this dude outside sitting in a bush laughing his butt off at the police officer who patiently tried to convince him to come out so he wouldn’t be late to his court time. The guy started singing about how high he was and the cop goes “since you’re about to see a judge about the drug charges, maybe don’t mention that part.”
Seabeast 3 years ago
Some years ago, Canadian documentary show filmed people getting their driver's licenses taken away for DUI in court, then followed them out to the parking lot outside the court house and filmed them getting into their cars to drive away. The journalist walked up to one and asked him what he was doing driving with no license. He hemmed and hawed and finally called a taxi.
jk nbt 3 years ago
a drug dealer/con man/embezzler/thief was under multiple felony indictments... The man was well connected with others like him who helped him & used his stolen wealth to stay in hiding. The law simply could not find him. So they sent an email message to him announcing he had won some grand prize sweepstakes with overseas vacation, free money, etc etc. All he had to do was to report to a storefront in a strip mall to claim his prize. He did, and was promptly arrested by the police who staged the whole thing. He whined as they handcuffed him, "Hey fellas, can't I at least take my free prize vacation first before you take me to jail? Please???"
Mr Zipperface 3 years ago
I had the pleasure of watching the guy who assaulted my father in law conducting his own defence in court. He was claiming he had been the victim of the assault (my 60 yo FIL defended himself rather well). He claimed the powder that was all over his face at the time of his arrest was actually sugar from a donut and it was yellow because he also had a lemon ice pole, his opening question while cross examining the arresting officer was "Have you ever had an ice pole?" The look on the officer's face was priceless. He also claimed he hadn't been seen by the doctor in custody, the doctor testified he had attempted to examine the accused and had been told to f**k off. He also called the judge "a stupid cow" and tried to start a fight with me because I was openly laughing at him (I was told to behave by the bailiff). The guy got five months in jail and his ex girlfriend told us all about how he'd had a kicking earlier on that day and was trying to pass it on to someone else.
Octavia Hansen 3 years ago
Seated on a Grand Jury, our favorite comment to anyone was "What's on your alleged mind?"
rabbit 3 years ago
I was in local court for not having my license when I was stopped. I had misplaced it and couldn't find it. Judge took care of several cases. During this time it was noticeable that there was a bald child there with his dad. Dad is called before the judge for having his windows tinted a bit too dark. Dad says that they just got the van because they needed to .... lifts boy up.... deal with his cancer. It was obvious that the child was going through chemo and everyone, including the judge, thought it was a not a good idea to showcase his child like that. Instead of giving the man time to deal with the darkened windows, he fined him and charged court costs. Judge told me to apply for a replacement license and return. On return, case dismissed. It could have happened to the dad the same way.
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