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June 25, 2007

The Judge Gets Taken To The Cleaners

And he has to pay the costs

WASHINGTON - A judge ruled Monday in favor of a dry cleaner that was sued for $54 million over a missing pair of pants.

The owners of Custom Cleaners did not violate the city's Consumer Protection Act by failing to live up to Roy L. Pearson's expectations of the "Satisfaction Guaranteed" sign once displayed in the store window, District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff ruled.

Bartnoff ordered Pearson to pay the court costs of defendants Soo Chung, Jin Nam Chung and Ki Y. Chung.

Pearson, an administrative law judge, originally sought $67 million from the Chungs, claiming they lost a pair of suit trousers and later tried to give him a pair that he said was not his. He arrived at the amount by adding up years of alleged law violations and almost $2 million in common law claims.

Looks like he lost his suit twice...

I hope there is some sort of disciplinary action taken against this judge. He's the poster boy for tort reform.

"It was the trousers..."

Posted by Mr. Bingley at June 25, 2007 12:49 PM

Comments

Well, we were all panting for that verdict. Hopefully the trial judge awards the Chungs their attorney fees also.

Posted by: Dave E. at June 25, 2007 03:17 PM

BUAWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Pearson is the one who got taken to the cleaners. Cool! That judge just belted him! Hopefully, Soo Chung, Jin Nam Chung and Ki Y. Chung can pocket the money and not have their own lawyers sock it to them.

Mayhaps the media will button Pearson with all sorts of questions that exposes his idiocy.

Posted by: The_Real_JeffS at June 25, 2007 03:42 PM

I hope Pearson loses his shirt over this fiasco. Next time he should just keep things close to the cuff instead of going on so publicly.

Posted by: Gunslinger at June 25, 2007 03:54 PM

Sort of took the starch out of him, didn't it?

Posted by: Mr. Bingley at June 26, 2007 06:45 AM

Glad to see the judge cuffed him around a little. Now if they would just collar him for abusing the legal system.

Posted by: Ken S, Fifth String on the Banjo of Life at June 26, 2007 08:32 AM

Dave - the judge did order Pearson to pay the Chung's fees and court costs.

Posted by: nightfly at June 26, 2007 12:42 PM

nightfly-Yes, those were court costs, not their defense attorney fees. Last I heard she was considering a motion to make Pearson also pay all or part of the $100K in defense fees. I hope she nails him.

Posted by: Dave E. at June 26, 2007 09:53 PM

If he appeals, he should be sanctioned severely. If he's an attorney (not all ALJ's are), he should be looking at being suspended if not outright disbarred. And if I were the Chungs, I'd look into a countersuit for all he's put them through.

Posted by: Dave J at June 26, 2007 10:57 PM

Ooop - I misread that. Sorry Dave.

Posted by: nightfly at June 27, 2007 10:06 AM