more from The Litigious Society

[Jack M]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5344884.stm

[bobdea]

is it possible that it's the example set by the corporations that litigate everything?

case in point, the RIAA picking on a twelve year old girl.

[Gecko]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5344884.stm

OK that is just STUPID...I can't beleive that anyone thinks that they can force a company to give their product away...you have no right for something for nothing...that woman ought to be locked up for just cluttering up the courts

[tex1230]

****ing lawyers - they all suck

[Jack M]

is it possible that it's the example set by the corporations that litigate everything?

case in point, the RIAA picking on a twelve year old girl.

No Bob, you see, stealing is illegal.

(whether or not downloading music for free is really stealing is a different discussion, but for now it is considered illegal)

Corporations, such as ski resorts, have to litigate everything now because individuals sue them for their own actions.

I believe it stems from the overal malaise in this country that is doing away with personal responsibility - it's easier to consider yourself a victim and demand a payout than it is to take ownership of your situation.

[D-Sub]

whoa now hang on a sec you guys are going way too far on this one.

coupon gets cancelled so a woman sues.

kill her. or at least banish her to, say, dunno...siberia.

[spcarves2]

whoa now hang on a sec you guys are going way too far on this one.

coupon gets cancelled so a woman sues.

kill her. or at least banish her to, say, dunno...siberia.

i think this will open up another can-o-worms.

[D-Sub]

ya think? ;)

I know, killing isnt an option, but whimsical unfounded lawsuits...the fact that people even get these ideas indicates that we are in deep, deep trouble.

[Sinecure]

I think we need a national frivolous lawsuit plaintiff database just like the national sex offender database. People need to register with their district court when they move to a new jurisdiction. It won't affect their standing in criminal court, but it would be permissible evidence in any civil litigation.

That's probably cheaper than kiling them as D-Sub suggested.

[D-Sub]

more beaurocracy, cheaper than a bullet?

[C5 Golfer]

How about if and when a lawyer wins a few lawsuits that his total take goes over 10 million dollars he is forced to retire and not litigate anymore or run for office. This would fix many problems in our legal society.

[D-Sub]

sorry...we posted at the same time, C5.

cant do that either. Capitalism, but capped?

complete contradiction. Profit caps go against our foundation. Unless we want to turn socialist (damn close already!)

the true fix is in ethics, properly taught. In a black and white ethical world, no one would ever think to sue for a rescinded coupon, too hot coffee, etc.

in an ethical world, the amount sued for would fit the infringement.

we do not live in an ethical society.

[Derf]

I think we need a national frivolous lawsuit plaintiff database just like the national sex offender database. People need to register with their district court when they move to a new jurisdiction. It won't affect their standing in criminal court, but it would be permissible evidence in any civil litigation.

That's probably cheaper than kiling them as D-Sub suggested.

I read a couple of weeks ago in the newspaper that there is such a list here (in Québec) for people who often file frivolous lawsuits.

[skatha]

There is such a list in the US, too.....

[C5 Golfer]

sorry...we posted at the same time, C5.

cant do that either. Capitalism, but capped?

complete contradiction. Profit caps go against our foundation. Unless we want to turn socialist (damn close already!)

the true fix is in ethics, properly taught. In a black and white ethical world, no one would ever think to sue for a rescinded coupon, too hot coffee, etc.

in an ethical world, the amount sued for would fit the infringement.

we do not live in an ethical society.

I love capitalism... I hate lawyers so lets just apply the limits to Lawyers.

Just think if there were only lawyers that understood "excess".

We workin folk could then afford to attend a Pro-Football game because a runningback is paid a mere 3 million $$ contract instead of a $40 million. Or the Point Guard was paid a few million instead of $70 million. But then we would not have the big guys get off with murder like OJ Simpson.

[D-Sub]

Al

I see your point, but...it's simply not the answer. More laws, more restrictions...

as for your team sports example...I think that professional sports (except MMA and golf, where you absolutely MUST perform to get paid) are a travesty, but its not the lawyers alone. Sure, they negotiate ridiculous salaries, but they negotiate them for people who are a huge draw, and the fans pay to see.

dont like it? Dont go! Imagine if for one season the fans of a sport boycotted? Vote with your dollars, not for more laws.

[C5 Golfer]

Al

I see your point, but...it's simply not the answer. More laws, more restrictions...

as for your team sports example...I think that professional sports (except MMA and golf, where you absolutely MUST perform to get paid) are a travesty, but its not the lawyers alone. Sure, they negotiate ridiculous salaries, but they negotiate them for people who are a huge draw, and the fans pay to see.

dont like it? Dont go! Imagine if for one season the fans of a sport boycotted? Vote with your dollars, not for more laws.

I do not go - your are right. Unfornuatley most of the seats are taken by corporate and then handed out to favored few. It is sad that most lower income can not afford to see major sport event.

[D-Sub]

there are a LOT of things that lower income people can't do that are far more sad than not being able to see a football game

I dont disagree with you on this one necessarily...greed is an unfortunate aspect of society, but just like with a large part of "bad" behavior, laws are not the answer.

[gdboytyler]

I do not go - your are right. Unfornuatley most of the seats are taken by corporate and then handed out to favored few. It is sad that most lower income can not afford to see major sport event.

Many lower income folk buy team jerseys, and other paraphanelia. Plus the marketing power of the athletes. Clothes, shoes, atheletic gear, cars etc. that people buy just because athletes advertise it. If people stopped buying all that extra stuff (in addition to not buying tickets), then the players wouldn't get paid so much.

But since football, basketball, etc. generate so much money, the players should get the HUUUGE paycheck.

[C5 Golfer]

there are a LOT of things that lower income people can't do that are far more sad than not being able to see a football game

I dont disagree with you on this one necessarily...greed is an unfortunate aspect of society, but just like with a large part of "bad" behavior, laws are not the answer.

I am not proposing new laws D-Sub -- I guess we would be ok if we enforced the ones we have and had a few judges with some backbone and prosecuting attorneys that helped get these guys off the street. I have talked with several cops and one of the most fruistrating things for them is to keep arresting the same guys each weekend.

[D-Sub]

yeah, that would be frustrating for them. I can certainly see that.

tell you what...end the "Drug War" and there'd be a LOT of room in the prisons for real criminals.

youre right though...if something is stated, it should be enforced as long as it is ethical and logical.

you did, however, indirectly state a desire for more laws. Limiting the income of Attorneys would require many, many laws, no?

gd has a point about swag purchases...

[D.T.]

The problem is not the "stupid" people who want to sue, the problem is the lame-assed, let’s make a buck plaintiff attorneys who agree to take such stupid cases.

PS - not all plaintiff attorneys are scum, only most of them. Any attorney who advertises on the TV should be condemned to a life of ridicule by Judge Judy!

[C5 Golfer]

Hey D-Sub here is a list you might enjoy

These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts, and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters who had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place.

ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?

WITNESS: No, I just lie there.

________________________________

ATTORNEY: What is your date of birth?

WITNESS: July 18th.

ATTORNEY: What year?

WITNESS: Every year.

_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?

WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.

______________________________________

ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?

WITNESS: I forget.

ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?

_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: How old is your son, the one living with you?

WITNESS: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which.

ATTORNEY: How long has he lived with you?

WITNESS: Forty-five years.

_____________________________________

ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?

WITNESS: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"

ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?

WITNESS: My name is Susan.

______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?

WITNESS: We both do.

ATTORNEY: Voodoo?

WITNESS: We do.

ATTORNEY: You do?

WITNESS: Yes, voodoo.

______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?

WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

____________________________________

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?

WITNESS: Uh, he's twenty-one.

________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?

WITNESS: Would you repeat the question?

______________________________________

ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?

WITNESS: Uh....

______________________________________

ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: How many were boys?

WITNESS: None.

ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?

______________________________________

ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?

WITNESS: By death.

ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?

______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?

WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.

ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?

______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?

WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.

______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?

WITNESS: All my autopsies are performed on dead people.

______________________________________

ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?

WITNESS: Oral.

______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?

WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.

ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?

WITNESS: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on him!

____________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?

WITNESS: Huh?

____________________________________________

And the best for last

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?

WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.

ATTORNEY: But could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?

WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

[D-Sub]

I've seen that before. Some of those are absolutely hilarious except for the fact that the people that said them...some of them...well...not funny. Im sure some were just slips and misunderstandings, but there really are a lot of very, very stupid people on this earth.

what we should do is write a law that prohibits stupid people from reproducing. Better yet, from existing.

how's that for a law? ::)

[C5 Golfer]

I've seen that before. Some of those are absolutely hilarious except for the fact that the people that said them...some of them...well...not funny. Im sure some were just slips and misunderstandings, but there really are a lot of very, very stupid people on this earth.

what we should do is write a law that prohibits stupid people from reproducing. Better yet, from existing.

how's that for a law? ::)

SO EVEN YOU WANT MORE LAWS. :lol:

Sorry D-Sub -- had to say it!