Story Highlights • Judge sues dry cleaner over favorite pair of pants, which were lost • Suit seeks $65 million in damages • Cleaners have offered to settle for up to $12,000 • Judge pressing on; trial set for June 11 WASHINGTON (AP) -- A missing pair of pants has led to one big suit. A customer got so steamed when a dry cleaner lost his trousers that he sued for $65 million. Two years later, he is still pressing his suit. The case has demoralized the South Korean immigrant owners of the mom-and-pop business and brought demands that the customer -- an administrative law judge in Washington -- be disbarred and removed from office for pursuing a frivolous and abusive claim. (Watch people shake their heads over the case of the missing pants ) Jin Nam Chung, Ki Chung and their son, Soo Chung, are considering moving back to Seoul, seven years after they opened their dry-cleaning business in the nation's capital, said their lawyer, Chris Manning. "They're out a lot of money, but more importantly, incredibly disenchanted with the system," Manning said. "This has destroyed their lives." The customer, Roy L. Pearson Jr., who has been representing himself, declined to comment. According to court documents, the problem began in May 2005 when Pearson became a judge and brought several suits for alterations to Custom Cleaners in Washington. A pair of pants from one suit was missing when he requested it two days later. Pearson asked the cleaners for the full price of the suit: more than $1,000. But a week later, the Chungs said the pants had been found and refused to pay. Pearson said those were not his pants, and decided to take the Chungs to the cleaners and sue. Manning said the cleaners have made three settlement offers to Pearson: $3,000, then $4,600, then $12,000. But Pearson was not satisfied and expanded his calculations beyond one pair of pants. Because Pearson no longer wanted to use his neighborhood dry cleaner, he asked in his lawsuit for $15,000 -- the cost of renting a car every weekend for 10 years to go to another business. Manning said Pearson somehow thinks he has the right to a dry cleaner within four blocks of his apartment. The bulk of the $65 million demand comes from Pearson's strict interpretation of Washington consumer protection law, which imposes fines of $1,500 per violation, per day. Pearson counted 12 violations over 1,200 days, then multiplied that by three defendants. Much of Pearson's case rests on two signs Custom Cleaners once had on its walls: "Satisfaction Guaranteed" and "Same Day Service." He claims the signs amount to fraud. The case is set for trial June 11. Sherman Joyce, president of the American Tort Reform Association, has asked that Pearson be denied a renewal this week of his 10-year appointment. The association, which fights what it considers abusive lawsuits against small businesses, has also offered to buy Pearson the suit of his choice. Chief Administrative Judge Tyrone Butler had no comment on Pearson's reappointment prospects. Melvin Welles, former chief administrative law judge with the National Labor Relations Board, wrote to The Washington Post to say that if he were the judge in the case, he would throw out the lawsuit and order Pearson to pay the Chungs for their legal expenses and their mental suffering. He also called for Pearson's ouster and disbarment. "The manifest absurdity of it is too obvious to require explanation," Welles wrote. To the Chungs and their attorney, one of the most frustrating aspects of the case is their claim that Pearson's gray pants were found almost right away, and have been hanging in Manning's office for more than a year. Pearson claims in court documents that his pants had blue and red pinstripes. But Manning said: "They match his inseam measurements. The ticket on the pants matches his receipt." -------------------------------------- I thought this was hilarious, it's a little bit old news but still classic. If a dry cleaners lost your pants what would you do? I'd probably just ask for them to be replaced, not 65 Million Dollars! lol :blink:
I heard that he lost his job as a Judge because of the suit, he obviously doesn't know right from wrong. lol
I think it's either pay or jail time. Speaking of which, the other day I spilled a cup of cheap gas station coffee. Burnt my arm a bit. Think I may just sue. 15 million sound reasonable for my pain and suffering? It was my favorite forearm for Christ's sake! (Christ... people will sue for anything in this country)
thats messed up and not funny, it cost the family who owned the business money, and they are pretty much bankrupped and now will probably move to where they came from cause they got their lifes ruined
He's a JUDGE... and as a judge, he should know how far a law suit can be taken.... even being reasonable... but wow... that guy is just an ------.
But he had every right! But a week later, the Chungs said the pants had been found and refused to pay. That is a completely reasonable reason to take people to court! oh, wait.
Yeah, it's messed up all right. He won't come close to getting even a million with something like this. A couple thousand tops, if even that.
I love how the association defending the Chungs has offered to buy the judge "A suit of his choice", which is the only thing he could possibly have grounds to sue over, and he refuses to take it. Jack#$%
I heard about it some times ago. What will happen to the familly that own the shop ? they will have to pay ?
That's what he did, at first. They refused, so he sued them. After they saw what was going to happen, they offered settlements. Pearson refused, as he thought it was a breach of their promise: "Satisfaction Guaranteed." If it were me, I would've dropped the lawsuit after the $3000 settlement offer, but that's not my decision.
