What’s the Most Outlandish Claim You’ve Seen Filed in Court?

B. McLeod
Dec 30, 2008 1:28 AM CST

It is difficult to identify any one as the most outrageous.  The top category, though, is pro se suits, state and federal, filed by persons with mental issues.  These are often incomprehensible, and I have seen prayers for relief ranging from a few thousand dollars and fees to “a million, trillion dollars.”  It is not uncommon for the pleadings to contain terms and expressions that do not lend themselves to detailed description or repetition on this site.  Also, the opening pleading often signals that the plaintiff may be willing to accept a substantially discounted sum to spare the defense the dire peril of facing them at trial.  I often wonder if some of them may have been “plaintiffs’ class counsel” in Big Law firms, prior to their breakdowns.

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Allen Sheketovits
Dec 30, 2008 7:58 AM CST

I once defended a formal complaint from a woman who sued because management “forced [her] to remove the 16”  color TV she had brought in and kept under her desk (and watched) each day between 10am and 4:00 pm—taking time out, of course for lunch. 

The woman was not even disciplined for watching TV 5 hours a day under her desk, but felt the agency discriminated against her by forcing her to bring the TV home. 

Now she had to figure out what happened on all of the soap operas!  Terrible…and it took 3 years for her to get the TV out after the first complaint came in to the OGC’s office. 

I think the lazy woman “retired” by now.  Oy’!

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Attorney
Dec 30, 2008 9:04 AM CST

Montgomery Blair Sibley, the now-suspended attorney from Florida who also represented the now-deceased Washington Madam, sued 7 members of the U.S. Supreme Court for some made up cause of action for refusing to grant Cert in his divorce case.  The Supreme Court denied Cert, citing the U.S. Statute, in that there was no quorum since most members were disqualified from ruling, as they were mostly all Defendants.

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Attorney
Dec 30, 2008 10:27 AM CST

Any lawsuit filed by pro se plaintiff, Amanda Ajuluchuku…

For a small sample of her work, this was excerpted from a North Carolina District Court’s denial of her motion to proceed in forma pauperis:

Plaintiff alleged a disability she suffered when she “fell down a flight of stairs, I injured my brain in the process. My head was split into two parts.  As a consequence, I lack motor skills. Playing the piano at the age of four rewired my brain and accorded me minimal motor skills. Seizures and fainting spells are
symptoms of my disability.”

To add insult to injury, after successfully defending the lawsuit filed against my client, she sued me personally in Federal Court for $9 trillion dollars - alleging that I flew to her home in Texas, stole her mail, rang her doorbell, and ran away - all in violation of the ADA.  What?!?  Fortunately, the district court prohibited her from proceeding and withdrew the lawsuit from the docket.

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Anne Golden
Dec 30, 2008 11:24 AM CST

It seems to be very popular to talk about meritless lawsuits, but I’ve never seen a list of meritless defenses raised by defendants.  The frequent lists of ludicrous complaints are, in my opinion, just another weapon from the right-wing “tort reform” lobby.  Ultimately, the anti-plaintiff fallout harms many people who have real, meritorious claims.

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Daniel Reitman
Dec 30, 2008 11:31 AM CST

In a fraud case, the defendants filed to remove to federal court on the grounds the agreement was entered into across state lines and therefore implicated interstate commerce.  Unfortunately, they did not have diversity.

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Former CA5 Clerk
Dec 30, 2008 1:04 PM CST

While clerking at the 5th Cir. many years ago, I saw an appeal by an inmate who sued prison officials for removing valuable coins from his head.  As “proof,” he submitted hand sketches of the inside of his head “showing” the coins that had been there and removed against his will.  His appeal was of course rejected, and he was invited not to file any more appeals without prior court approval.

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K
Dec 30, 2008 2:46 PM CST

Several years ago I was back in court with a divorce client seeking to cancel his alimony obligation.  His divorce decree provided that his obligation would cease if his ex entered into a relationship with another adult “akin to marriage.”  My client was smart, he waited until boyfriend resided with his ex for over a year before filing his motion to modify. 

The ex’s attorney agrued that because his client and her boyfriend were “swingers” and were not “mutually exclusive” their relationship wasn’t akin to marriage.  Sharing of household chores and expenses didn’t count.  The attorney even brought in other male friends of his client to testify to their various activities the preceding year.

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Doris K.G.
Dec 30, 2008 7:11 PM CST

Bush v. Gore

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Angry Taxpayer
Dec 31, 2008 7:54 AM CST

Tie between Bush v. Gore (obvious Constitutional resolution Rehnquist was completely unfamiliar with) and Lehman Bros. filing for bankruptcy.

Appoint a Special Prosecutor now.

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Charles Schwartz
Dec 31, 2008 10:36 AM CST

To Comment #20 - Well…how else do you propose resolving a claim of an irregularity?  I guess we could use pistols at dawn from 10 paces, but that seems kind of antiquated…

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J.D.
Dec 31, 2008 4:29 PM CST

Good point, 21. Maybe the left’s effort to destroy the 2nd Amend. is part of their election-stealing agenda…. I think you’re onto something.

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B. McLeod
Dec 31, 2008 11:49 PM CST

A judge?  But, without his pants, his suit was just a coat and vest.  The lesson here - keep a kilt in reserve.

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anothergoodone
Jan 1, 2009 11:34 AM CST

LOL at #15.  Attorneys and their clients can be such w.h.o.r.e.s

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J.D. Nevaire
Jan 1, 2009 8:16 PM CST

Whoever the heck is in charge of everything, thank you.

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