Legal Humour News - May 26, 2008

Hi and welcome to this week's newsletter. If it's in the news and it's got a legal slant, we'll do a blawg on it.

Last week was not a good week for Martin Mustapha. The Supreme Court of Canada tossed out his nervous shock case arising out of his seeing a dead fly floating around in his kitchen water cooler.  Marcel however has ideas how future claimants in similar circumstances could successfully pursue such claims.  Read his blawg, Mustapha v Culligan - Is the case as dead as the fly?
 
And keeping on the topic of emotional damage,  have you noticed that plaintiff oriented and insurance oriented psychiatrists usually each write a medical legal report about the same accident victim,but with slightly different comments. Why not have the lawyer write both reports. After all we know what each shrink will say.  Read all about it in, A Tale of Two Experts.
 
Legalhumour news also features this week's serving of recent real weird news stories with a legal slant.  Find out more about the action of Gokhan Mutlu, who is suing Jet Blue Airways after they summarily change his seat from coach class to the toilet.  And some of us have problems with fuel surcharges!

Odd or Amusing Legal Stories from the Past Week:

^{_{Note - No implied endorsement of, or affiliation with, any linked sites. We assume no responsibility for the content of such Web sites and your use of such Web sites is at your own risk.}}

1 - See You In Court!

Top Court Quashes Damages For Fly In Bottle
A man who became depressed, anxious, and phobic about flies after finding a dead insect in his bottled water has lost a claim for over $300,000 in compensation from the bottling company. The plaintiff never drank any of the water, but said he became obsessed with thoughts of dead flies, couldn't sleep, and was constantly on edge - to the point where his business and even his sex life suffered.
Read Marcel’s Blawg:
http://www.legalhumour.com/Blog/Legal_Commentaries/Mustapha.html
News coverage:
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2008/05/21/5631081-cp.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSPAT35416820080523

Man Sues Airline Over Flight Spent In Toilet
A New York man who says he was denied a seat on a five-hour JetBlue flight and was instead told to "hang out" in the plane's bathroom has sued the airline for $2 million, saying he suffered "extreme humiliation." At one point, the airplane experienced turbulence and the plaintiff sat on the toilet seat without a seat belt, causing him "tremendous fear," the lawsuit said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSN1232739420080513

Judge Cancels Hearing Over Gas Prices
Gas prices seem to be affecting everyone’s wheels — even the wheels of justice. A hearing that had been scheduled in a lawsuit over Texas’ presidential primary and caucus system was cancelled by a federal judge who mentioned high gasoline prices as one reason for his order.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2008/05/20/5618846-ap.html

U.S. Money Ruled Discriminatory
The United States discriminates against the blind by printing paper money that makes it impossible for them to distinguish among the bills' varying values, a U.S. federal appeals court has ruled. The ruling upholds a decision by a lower court in 2006. It could force the U.S. Treasury Department to redesign its money. Suggested changes have ranged from making bills different sizes to printing them with raised markings.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2008/05/20/5617376-ap.html

2 - Crime and Punishment

Man Jailed When Daughter Fails To Get Diploma
A man ordered by a judge in Ohio to make sure his daughter hit the books has found himself in jail because she failed to earn a high school equivalency diploma.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2008/05/13/5552521-ap.html

Driver Fined For Buckling Beer But Not Child
An Australian driver who secured a carton of beer in his car with a seat belt but left a five-year-old child unrestrained was fined $710.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2008/05/13/5547441-ap.html

Student Charged With Tossing M&Ms At Cops
A college student whose friend was being questioned in a hit and run in Iowa found himself charged with assaulting an officer with a curious choice of weapons: M&Ms.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,355071,00.html

3 - Politics, Law, and Governance

Japan Uses Copyright Law To Crack Down On Computer Viruses
A student who allegedly spread a computer virus has been convicted of copyright infringement in a case that has highlighted the lack of laws in Japan to police cyberspace. Police considered other charges, including damage to property and obstructing business, before deciding that copyright violation charges would hold up best in court.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/MediaNews/2008/05/22/5658491-ap.html

Hello Kitty Named Japan Tourism Ambassador
Hello Kitty, Japan's ubiquitous ambassador of cute, has built up an impressive resume over the years. Global marketing phenom. Fashion diva. Pop culture icon. Now the moonfaced feline can add "government envoy" to the list. Japan's tourism ministry has named Hello Kitty as its choice to represent the country in China and Hong Kong, two places where she is wildly popular among kids and young women.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/05/20/hello.kitty.ap/index.html

Mich. City Spends $5.21 To Mail 51-Cent Tax Bill
A doctor in Brighton, Michigan is getting a laugh out of a 51-cent property tax bill. It isn’t just that his bill is so low. It’s that it cost the city $5.21 to send it to him by certified mail. The city’s finance director says the doctor paid $158 on a bill for $158.48. The city penalized him 3 cents and sent him the new tab.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2008/05/14/5563161-ap.html

4 - And Now for Something Completely Different

Cop Parked Car In Handicapped Spot Of Doughnut Shop
Is there any good reason a cop would have parked his cruiser in a clearly marked disabled parking spot outside of a Mississauga, Ontario Tim Hortons’ lot? The double-leg amputee who wanted that designated space was wondering just that -- as were Peel Regional Police whose brass were searching around for an officer who did this on Victoria Day Monday.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNews/2008/05/24/5658436-sun.html

Law(yers) can be funny, too:

For one night only in The DC Improv Comedy Lounge "Law(yers) can be funny, too: Tipping the scales of justice, one joke at a time."

From the center of the free world, where the rule of law reigns supreme, a group of lawyers will band together and lead the way towards helping the citizens of this great city (Washington DC) in their pursuit of life, liberty, and a sense of humor.

A standup comedy show featuring several lawyers and the author of a joke book for lawyers. You are invited to join us in a night of comedy to see whether "Law(yers) can be funny, too."

Performers include:

*Martin Dennis
*James Dechard
*Rishi Nangia
*Giovanni Diviacchi
*Phillip J. Mause

Standup Comedy Show @ DC Improv Comedy Lounge

1140 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Reservations: (202) 296-7008
Friday, June 13th @ 8:00pm, $8 a ticket
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
 
Special sponsor: LegalHumour.com

To receive your own free personal copy of Legal Humour News, to change your address, or to unsubscribe, please click here.