Pants plaintiff

Back in June, a Korean emmigrant couple and their son made a lot of news in the Korea Herald. A Washington, DC administrative judge had sued them for $67 million under a consumer protection law, he claims, because they lost his pants and didn’t follow through on their satisfaction guarantee.

The outrageousness of the claim and the plaintiff’s eccentric actions attracted attention from a wide range of people, including tort reformists and the National Labor Relations Board. While questioning himself on the stand (as a lawyer, he represents himself), plaintiff Roy L. Pearson became so emotional about his “experience” that he asked to take a break to calm down.

Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff ruled in favor of defendants, though Pearson later appealed.

It gets more interesting. Because of his actions and the scrutiny he faces in the media, Pearson’s job as a judge is now at risk. The evaluation board that would make a recommendation on whether to retain him or not will issue a decision soon, and it looks like they’re going to say no. [Short version] [Longer version]

In Korea, of course, people are paying attention because it involves a Korean couple. This week, they announced that they are going to close one of their stores because of all the stress. [Source]

What a shame.