‘Pants Suit’ Judge Back in Court, Now Suing for Job and $1 Million

Legal Ethics

‘Pants Suit’ Judge Back in Court, Now Suing for Job and $1 Million

Posted May 6, 2008, 06:51 pm CDT
By Martha Neil

A former administrative law judge in Washington, D.C., who infamously filed suit against his dry cleaner for $67 million (he later reduced his claim to $54 million) is back in court again.

Now Roy Pearson is seeking reinstatement to the job he may have lost, at least in part, as a result of his notorious "pants suit" claiming the dry cleaner lost his trousers. He is also claiming at least $1 million in compensatory and punitive damages in the federal court job action, the Associated Press and the Examiner report.

"Pearson said in court documents that he was protected as a whistle-blower and that the city was using the fact that he was being 'vilified in the media' to cut him out of his $100,000 job," the Examiner writes.

Explains CNN, in an earlier article about the federal suit, "Pearson, again acting as his own attorney, relies on what he considers Washington's 'Whistle-blower Protection' law to try to establish illegal retaliation." Pearson's latest suit was filed May 1 in federal district court in Washington, D.C., according to CNN.

Related coverage:

DCist: "Roy Pearson Sues for $1 Million and His Job Back"

ABAJournal.com: "It’s Confirmed: Judge Who Sued Over Lost Pants Lost His Job"

ABAJournal.com: "$54M Pants Suit Takes Judge to the Cleaners"

ABAJournal.com: "Judge Knocks Pants Suit"

Hat tip: How Appealing.

Comments

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Posted by Dan - 3 months, 3 weeks, 2 hours, 8 minutes ago

And we wonder why there is so little respect for the legal profession…
Posted by JAF - 3 months, 3 weeks, 50 minutes ago

This guy is OFF HIS ROCKER! Oh how I wish we had a way to really punish people who bring the type of suit that doesn’t pass the old-fashioned smell test.
Posted by Jen - 3 months, 3 weeks, 47 minutes ago

Administrative Judge? Most states don’t require a law license. I wouldn’t be suprised if he never went to law school and knows just enough law to make him dangerous.
Posted by Jim - 3 months, 3 weeks, 35 minutes ago

Jen,
I thought the same thing, but he apparently went to Northwestern
Posted by Heather - 3 months, 2 weeks, 6 days, 23 hours, 9 minutes ago

Northwestern?! It’s a sad day for my alma mater :o(
Posted by R - 3 months, 2 weeks, 6 days, 22 hours, 35 minutes ago

He’s going to lose his pants. Twice.
Posted by dts - 3 months, 2 weeks, 6 days, 19 hours, 58 minutes ago

Whistle blower? On whom did he blow the whistle? More like “Hornblower’
Posted by Rob - 3 months, 2 weeks, 6 days, 17 hours, 3 minutes ago

Sadly, this is not that far off of many lawsuits that are filed every day. A good strategy for a paid vacation is to engage in outrageous behavior, then complain when you’re fired. This works especially well when the conduct was not during work hours. One would hope that with judges, even administrative judges, personal actions that demonstrate a complete lack of judgment would be sufficient to justify not allowing the judge to stay on the bench.

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