To be fair, Judge Roy Pearson had the good sense to drag the Chungs back into court over the Independence Day holiday. I'm a bit of a news nut, and this one would have slipped by me if an online friend hadn't brought Judge Pearson's 'jihad' to my attention.
I don't feel so bad, though, seeing that The $54 Million Pants Suit That Wouldn't Die is an item on the Washington Post's Metro section.
One aspect of the case that has been given, at best, scant attention is the issue of diversity. The Chung family, recent immigrants from Korea, are not only foreigners, but cannot blend into Washington D. C.'s ethnic majority (which made up 60% of the city's population in the 2000 census).
For anyone in business, especially those who aren't corporate giants, this is really bad news. The Chung family didn't have the sort of money it took to finance the first two-year court battle, let alone a second one. I understand that hundreds of Washington Post readers have contributed to a legal defense fund for the Chungs, but the besieged family is going to need more than that.
Much as I respect our legal system, I'm disturbed that an obviously deranged lawsuit like this can't be given a decent burial.
I've heard arguments, usually waving the Dred Scott v. Sanford flag, that courts must hear all cases, no matter how bizarre. The idea seems to be that contemporary mores may need to be changed, and that this change can only come through the courts making fools of themselves.
There's gotta be a better way, though.
And, somehow I doubt that "the best interests of all Washington residents" are being served by protecting them from what Pearson seems to regard as evil, pants-stealing Koreans.
(Lunatic lawsuits seem to be a recurring theme in this blog, so I'm starting a list of related posts.)
- Justice Goes Back on the Grill: $54 Million Pants Back in Play July 11, 2007
- Judge Roy Pearson's Pants-Stealing Koreans July 7, 2007
- Legal Jihad and the Pants-Stealing Koreans July 6, 2007
- Another Screwball Lawsuit? June 27, 2007
- Justice is Served (Medium-Well) June 25, 2007
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