There's a reason everyone enjoys a bit of courtroom drama. It's got everything: Cheating spouses, vengeful lawyers, devious loopholes, and some jaw-dropping, last-minute courtroom revelations.
1. What A Heel!
One morning, an accused man showed up in court wearing a pair of extremely rare red cowboy boots. These particular boots were reported stolen from the very house he was on trial for burglarizing. Incredibly, he had the audacity to put them on and step up in court, pleading not guilty. The sight of this was so ludicrous that the prosecuting attorney couldn't help but chuckle.
2. The Prescription Writing on the Wall
Another case I worked on involved a custody squabble. The father made claims that the mother was involved in different unsavory conducts, making it clear he should be awarded custody of their child. As part of his evidence, the father's lawyer displayed texts sent from the mother, showing her attempts to sell prescription medications. Even though she denied it, the father's attorney had a devious trick up his sleeve.
His last question was, "Where did you get the pills you were selling?" Caught off guard, the mother frankly answered, "Oh, my doctor prescribed them".
3. Ableism In Effect
In a personal tribunal, I was fighting against unfair dismissal. My attorney asked my employer, "So, you terminated his contract because he was sick?" My employer replied, "Yes". The follow-up question was, "And his sickness is due to his disability, correct?" Once again, my employer confirmed with a "Yes". Upon hearing this, my representative concluded with, "So, essentially, you sacked him for being disabled?" My employer, shockingly, still responded with, "Yes".
4. Justice McServed
At one point, a woman approached me seeking representation for a case against McDonald's. Her claim? Their employees harmed her son. The real kicker is her son was the one attempting to hold up the restaurant.
Wikimedia Commons, Michael Rivera
5. Snapshots Fired
Once upon a time, I had a client who thought he could handle his divorce case on his own, only to realize he needed my help. When I took the case over, I reviewed the documents he'd submitted to court. He passed me an envelope...I wish I had never opened it. Inside were explicit photos of his overweight wife in compromising positions. He'd found these photos while she was sharing them online with other men. And, yes, the judge had seen them, causing a significant fuss.
6. The Customer Is Always Right
A woman was involved in a minor car accident in a casino parking lot. According to my client, the woman didn't seem hurt and even went inside the casino for a few hours after the collision. However, during her deposition, she claimed she was severely injured, immediately went home and visited a hospital. I asked her about her casino visits and whether she had a member card.
Proudly showing off her gold status card turned out to be a huge mistake. I decided to subpoena her gambling records which showed she played slot machines for hours after the accident.
7. I Haven’t Got You, Babe
In my days as a caseworker in what we informally referred to as "baby daddy" court, I met a man who vehemently denied being the father of a particular child. He made sure to voice his claims to anyone who would listen, including me and the child's mother. Ultimately, a DNA test in court proved him right. Then he did something that blew the entire courtroom's minds.
He was so prepared for the result that he unveiled an undershirt he wore that day reading "NOT THE FATHER"!
8. Spoiler Alert Will
Two brothers, sons of a wealthy couple, visited their family lawyer to review their parents' will following their parents' passing. The lawyer, who had known them since their childhood, was apprehensive—as he was about to reveal a deep family secret. As per the will, one brother inherited everything, while the other got nothing.
The explanation given was that the inheritance should be passed on to biological relatives only. That's how one brother found out he was adopted.
9. Well, I Guess He Walked Right Into That One...
My dad is a lawyer and he once dealt with an individual who claimed he was severely injured at work so he couldn't walk. Unsure of his sincerity, Dad hired a psychologist to evaluate the man. She felt there might be something off, but couldn't quite tell what. By the following week, something surprising landed in my dad's hands – a video of the man walking confidently down his driveway carrying out the trash.
Busted! Without delay, my dad called him up, telling him, "Hey, we've had a breakthrough in your case that may get you some compensation. Drop by when you can." The man showed up at the office but had to endure about an hour in the waiting room—dad's indirect way of getting back at him for trying to swindle an unjust payout.
Then, Dad introduced him into a meeting room and played the video. The man left instantly.
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10. No Parting Gift Like One Last Miff
As a lawyer, I clearly remember a particularly harsh, yet clever last will I reviewed. Its wording was staggering, "I bequeath to my wife her lover and the knowledge that I was never the fool she assumed I was. To my son goes the joy of earning a living—it seems for 25 years, he thought the joy was all mine." Talk about a parting shot!
11. A Love-Hate Relationship
I represented a client accused of pestering a woman who just wanted him to leave her alone. He insisted they were dating and that she'd only report him when she was upset. She claimed the exact opposite. To prove he was incessantly invading her space, she presented a photo of him on her porch.
Getting the judge's go-ahead, I sifted through her phone gallery. To my surprise, it revealed a rather different story. She had hundreds of pictures of him - dining with her, lounging on her sofa, and even wearing her underwear! It made for a triumphant moment in court.
12. Salt Of The Earth
As a lawyer, I recall one peculiar instance where I had to amend a will for a doctor who wished to disinherit his son. Instead of leaving his fortune, he chose to bequeath a manure spreader. I didn’t ask why, since amending a will is straightforward. But someday, the doctor will pass away, and his son will receive an unusual piece of inheritance, along with an unsavory metaphor.
13. Surprises Comes In Twos
My law professor once shared a fascinating story about a guy who secretly juggled two families. Neither family became aware of the other until the man's will was read following his passing. Just for clarity, this wasn't a secret lover or illegitimate child situation - we're talking two full-fledged families with kids. You can only imagine the awkwardness and shock when both families turned up at the will reading.
As to how this man managed to maintain two separate households without detection? Apparently, he frequently excused himself on "business" trips.
14. That’s Just Wrong
An incredible narrative comes from my ex's brother. He ended up assisting his friend (initially a mutual friend of a couple, but later sided with the man) to hide assets and money during the six months that preceded an unexpected divorce announcement. But situation gets even more tragic: The friend's wife had recently received a cancer diagnosis, and her survival prognosis was poor.
The friend refused to use "his money" for his wife's treatment because, as he cruelly put it, she was "going to die in a few years anyway".
15. Feeling Bad For The Children
I'm a combined package of a foster parent and a lawyer. Here's a funny anecdote: My wife prefers to keep her distance when we make court appearances for our foster children. She's aware that I'm often critiquing the lawyers' performance in a running commentary, which the judge overseeing our cases finds amusing.
One memorable day in court, a much-loathed attorney showed up for the case ahead of ours. This attorney was everybody's least favorite for her clueless, loud, and incapable demeanor. She made the appalling argument that her client, previously found guilty of child endangerment in another county, shouldn't have this fact held against him when it came to the question of his children's custody. Needless to say, the presiding judge didn't share this sentiment.
16. Caught Red-Handed
I was going through the transcript of a child's interview containing statements implicating my client. During the conversation, the child used a peculiar term which I didn't pay much attention to at first. Later, when I was watching a video of the child with his grandmother—a clear adversary of my client—I heard the grandmother use this same unusual term in a conversation about a week prior to the interview.
Suddenly, it was like a light bulb went on in my head. The child had been influenced or coached to place my client in a negative light. This realization had a profound impact on me, marking the first significant "aha" moment in my career.
17. Mother Doesn’t Know Best
I'm a 15-year-old guy and my family is extremely religious. I respect that, but let's face it, I'm a teenage boy with hormone surges. I simply can't seem to focus unless I, well, indulge in some personal solitary time. Then, if a good-looking girl happens to catch my eye, everything in my head spins out of control. It's like trying to stay awake without sleep--if I don't do it, I basically can't function. I'm honestly unsure whether this is normal or not, but I'm sure ashamed of it.
All that aside, I'm telling the truth here, but my mum won't believe me. My dad isn't around so I really don't have anyone to ask about this 'guy thing'. My mom has tried various strategies to discourage my self-induced distractions, to the point that she even removed my bedroom door. She has grounded me, I've tried to hide it, but now she has a shocking plan.
She brought up the idea of getting a device that would prevent me from touching myself. What's alarming is that she appeared entirely serious about it, and it's not totally out of character for her to do something like this. In addition, she imposes strange religious practices like fasting every Friday because of our faith. I try to respect it, but being a growing boy, I sometimes sneak off on a bike ride to buy food because I'm hungry. What happened next was really unexpected.
I confided in my math teacher about my mother's methods—and she ultimately ended up in trouble with the authorities. After school, I picked up my 13-year-old brother and we met my math teacher. While I didn't go into all the details, I mentioned the device my mother wanted to use on me. Initially, he wanted to call our mother, but my brother broke down in fear. I convinced him I'd run away if that happened, and we agreed to call the authorities instead.
In about an hour, a crowd of individuals, inclusive of law enforcement officers, arrived. It turned out that there had already been suspicions surrounding our neighborhood. Our family life was blown wide open. Astonishingly, we discovered that my mother had been practicing harsh disciplinary actions, like burning us as punishment, which even I considered inappropriate and extreme. Furthermore, law enforcement officials discovered forbidden substances in our home, which they suspected belonged to my mother and our priest.
When law enforcement arrived, my mother wasn't around but all six of my homeschooled siblings were. The authorities then approached where my mother and our priest were, and unexpectedly, my mother was taken into custody, suspected for drug possession and child endangerment.
We were taken to a temporary shelter and are currently waiting for further steps. Looking back, I wish I had spoken up sooner to prevent my siblings from experiencing undue hardship. I'm not sure what's going to happen next, but our current place is much cleaner, we have food and clothes, and a break from constantly watching the toddlers at home. However, the scenario painted by our living conditions, our burns, and my sisters' inability to read was a cause for concern.
Overall, I hope we don't have to go back to our old house.
18. Doggone It
I once had a client who came to me in heavy distress over her two dogs. In the midst of her divorce proceedings, she was adamant that she should have custody of both pets. She explained through her tears that the dogs were inseparable and couldn't be parted. Normally, I'm able to handle such emotional moments, but the intensity of her grief was something else.
To make her understand the situation, I used the Socratic method. Firstly, I sympathized with her love for the dogs, then I posed her a question: "If you were a judge, and two people were claiming ownership of two dogs, how would you divide them fairly?" This made her face the inevitable possibility of having to separate the dogs.
She then suggested that she could sell the dogs before the court orders to prevent dividing them. This was not an acceptable solution, and I told her straight away that we couldn't deceive the court in such a way.
Sure enough, she ended up firing me before the trial and decided to represent herself. Fortunately, the judge saw right through her lie regarding the dogs and demanded information on the dogs' alleged buyers. Naturally, the dogs hadn't actually been sold and she had to come clean. The dogs were then given to her ex-spouse. Thankfully, the dogs got to stay together.
19. Nickel And Dime
I once represented myself in a small claims court case. As per my lease agreement, I paid two months' rent in advance with the understanding that they would attempt to find another tenant, and I'd be refunded any unused portion. I was reassured that finding a new tenant would be a breeze. In the end, it turned out to be a high-priced mistake.
The leasing company didn't return any of my money. I even spoke to the new tenant who confirmed they moved in a week after I left. Turns out the leasing office employee thought they could blatantly lie to me in court, claiming they had been unable to lease the unit for two months after my departure. The judge sighted on their side until I presented a signed statement from the new tenant indicating the exact move-in date. I won the case and the judge awarded me twice the amount they owed me. Always remember to protect yourselves! Landlords can be unscrupulously cunning.
20. Power Trip
I live in a small town in Wisconsin where everyone pretty much knows everybody. There's one law enforcement officer who persistently cites minor reasons to halt me, such as being too near to a curb or not halting appropriately at a stop sign. With the both of us being young and relatively attractive, I began suspecting his actions were flirty advances.
Nevertheless, his continuous pulling me over and his condescending attitude during our encounters seemed like a deliberate attempt to provoke me. His latest reason for stopping me was for speeding slightly over the limit, despite the fact he claimed my car smelled 'funny'. Despite the unusual scent allegation, he insisted on searching me, not the vehicle. To do so legally, he'd have had a female officer present, but he threatened to detain me if I didn't comply.
Thus, I gave in. He started frisking me, which felt uncomfortably intimate. He seemed to linger over my thighs, lower back, and was borderline inappropriate near my chest. It would have been plainly obvious to him, or any observer, that I had no hidden items given my skin-tight outfit.
I'm writing this shortly after the incident, feeling angry, violated, and in need of a way to report him and hold him accountable for his actions. I may possibly have video evidence from a GoPro in my car but haven't had a chance to review it yet.
21. On The Record
During my third month in family law, I was standing up for a mother seeking a restraining order against her ex-partner. There were wider issues, like child custody and support, but this hearing focused on the restraining order. Based on testimonies, we had a solid case and my client made a genuine witness.
We were backstage, anticipating the court hearing with confidence, when my client arrived. I gave her last-minute advice, to which she replied gratefully, stating her relief at this turning point. She then mentioned a disturbing voicemail she recently received from her ex. Intrigued, we listened to the voicemail together – a horrifying couple of minutes full of shocking threats from the ex.
Before I could even process this, we were called into the courtroom. When the judge asked if there was any new evidence, I asked to play the voicemail. The ex didn't contest, so his unpleasant outburst was clearly exposed for the court to hear. After this, the judge recessed and suggested informal negotiations. The ex knew he was cornered, and we quickly reached an agreement, with the mother gaining favorable terms on custody, visitation, child support, and the coveted restraining order.
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22. Family Means Love
Lately, I've been going through a rough patch. Sadly, my father and stepmother recently lost their lives in a car accident. My stepmother had a daughter, who is like a little sister to me. She's 8 and doesn't have any immediate family around, except her biological father, who is not a pleasant person.
He was abusive to my stepmother, and this got worse after my stepsister was born, since he never wanted a child. He's never shown any affection or care for her, but lately, he's begun to stir things up.
Just recently, he confronted me about my stepsister's future. I told him I want to be a part of her life, since she’s family to me. I couldn't believe what he said back to me: Let's just say, it was a shocking discriminatory comment about my mixed-race heritage. While distressed, I promptly began searching for professional help, and found an incredibly supportive family attorney.
My lawyer and I worked diligently, filling out loads of papers and meeting numerous officials. During this process, we learned that my stepsister's biological father's lack of contact could be viewed as abandonment and could jeopardize his chances of gaining custody. After hearing about our pursuit for custody, he hastily gave up his claim.
Eventually, I was awarded full custody of my loving stepsister, a joyous moment tinged by the painful circumstances that brought it about. Since then, we've been supporting each other through our shared grief. She's more than family to me, and I am grateful that she is a part of my life.
23. Time Confusion
Not being a lawyer didn't deter me from defending myself against a past employer who wrongfully fired me. I prepared thoroughly, bringing together a heap of evidence including emails and recorded calls. On the day, dressed in my suit, I was riddled with nerves as I prepared to present my case. Little did I realize, I had no reason to be worried.
They claimed I was fired for coming in late, but discrepancies in their own statement and evidence undermined their accusation. Safe to say, I won my case.
24. A Bird Of A Different Feather
I'm a late 20-something living in Oregon, who rekindled an old goth phase by befriending a flock of crows. Initially, it was just five crows, but now, 15 crows pretty much follow me everywhere. At first, my elderly neighbors found it amusing. However, this story soon took a dark turn: The crows began fiercely protecting me.
So much so, that they would attack anyone approaching me, including my neighbors. They haven't hurt anyone yet, but their behavior could potentially escalate. I'm concerned about my liability— could I be held responsible if their protective actions lead to any injuries? It's a tricky situation, since they act cordially most of the time, only resorting to aggression when someone approaches me or my property.
25. Strings Attached
For several years, I was the head bartender at a local restaurant, and a regular patron was quite attached to me. This customer often tipped me in scratch-off lottery tickets and went out of their way to know my working schedule and often asked me out, even though he was around 40 years older than me.
Once, I hit the jackpot with one of the tickets. After taxes, I ended up with a sum equivalent to three months of my salary, which was pretty decent. I chose not to tell this customer about my win, not because I was afraid of his reaction, but because I did not want him feeling like I owed him something or that I needed to be grateful.
However, the news slipped out through a coworker, and the customer found out. On my next shift, he congratulated me and then coldly asked me how I planned to split the money. I firmly told him it was my tip. He responded by complaining to my manager, who sided with him. This situation made me decide to quit my job sooner than I planned, I was finishing up my studies anyway.
The drama did not end there - my manager actually gave the customer my email address, and he used it. The customer emailed me, implying that he might take me to court if I did not agree to give him half of my winnings. I'm wondering if his threats are serious? Should I do something to protect myself? I'm presuming he's bluffing, but I want to be ready just in case.
26. Rebutting In
I represented a client who, despite being a large man, fell victim to domestic mistreatment from his much smaller wife. Following the divorce, she inflicted her wrath on their son, who eventually fled to live with his father. We filed a request to limit her visitation rights and requested a permanent change in their custody agreement.
In the final hearing, she denied ever hurting the child or my client in the child's presence. She also stated she had never threatened anyone or insulted my client in front of their son. However, she was unaware of an important piece of evidence. My client had recorded several occasions of her engaging in such behaviour.
After her testimony, I brought my client back to the stand and played an audio recording of her screaming violently at my client while their terrified child pleaded with her in the background. As we played the recording, the opposing lawyer buried her face in her hands knowing her case was lost. We emerged victorious.
27. Sleepaway Camp
I'm a teenager, 16 years and two months old, who is wrongly judged as "disobedient" by my parents. From my perspective, both my parents, especially my mother who has bipolar disorder and irregularly takes her prescribed medication, live in denial of their own mental health issues. They are intent on sending me away to a teenage rehabilitation camp.
The day the camp representatives arrived at my home to take me away, I was clueless. Frightened, I assumed I was being kidnapped, which prompted a strong reaction from my sibling at home who used our father's firearm to display dominance. It was amidst this chaos that the reps revealed their identity and intentions. We contacted the authorities, who ignored the situation after speaking with our parents. Their action, or lack thereof, provoked me to lose trust in my parents.I now aim to pursue autonomy, expecting no objections from my "happy-to-be-rid-of-me" parents.
28. The Wrong Place, The Right Time
I was tasked to prosecute a convenience store owner who was accused of luring a young female customer to an unsupervised store area to engage in inappropriate behaviour. They were out of the camera's sight for approximately two minutes and 17 seconds according to video timestamps.
One of the defense's key arguments was the insufficiency of time for anything significant to happen. But I had the perfect defense: To counter this, during my closing statements, I asked the jury to imagine the activities possible within that timeframe, while simulating a 2 minute and 17-second silence.
About halfway through the silence, two jurors became visibly emotional. That was when I knew the verdict would be guilty.
29. Money Back Guaranteed
A long while back, I had to visit an outlet mall located in an unattractive neighborhood. After a quick trip that lasted about 20 minutes, I found out that my car had been towed away. To reach the impound yard, I hitched an Uber ride, only to be greeted with a massive "cash only" sign at the towing yard. Left with no choice, I had to hail another Uber, head to the nearest ATM, withdraw some money, and then make my way back to the yard to pay a whopping $300. All I got for it was a poorly scribbled receipt that oddly contained an itemized bill.
After coming back home dissatisfied, I researched online and deduced that the towing company had breached three separate regulations: they had inappropriately towed my car, declined to accept credit card payments contrary to the law, and had posted multiple expenses that were judged to be "excessive" by accepted jurisdictional norms. Feeling wronged, I decided to fight back the only way I knew how: I dragged them to a small claims court.
As the court proceedings began, the judge put the owner of the towing yard under the spotlight, questioning about his connection with the mall's property owner and why they chose to tow my car. "Oh," the grumpy towing company owner retorted, "My cousin works at the mall. Whenever he points out a vehicle for towing, I act accordingly - all above board and within the rules!" However, as he continued to falsely claim that he accepted credit cards and accused me of being a dishonest person without a credit card, it was clear he was stepping on thin ice.
Feeling vindicated, I was eager to present my evidence, and the judge noticed my excitement. On being asked by the judge about my credit or debit cards, I gladly presented my wallet. Then it was time to seal the deal: I produced a time-stamped photograph of the "cash only" sign at the towing yard, taken on the day of the incident and on the day of the hearing.
The tow truck owner admitted defeat with a remorseful, "Okay, you got me there," and when questioned about the legality of each "unreasonable" itemized charge, he could only muster, "Huh, I didn't know that." Each instance of rule-breaking obliged him to pay two times the initial towing price - handing me a gratifying payback of $1,800 from my first investment of $300.
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30. An Underdog Victory
In an unexpected change of pace at my place of work, I ended up handling an insurance claim for a minor traffic accident. The plaintiff, a gentleman in his mid-70s, claimed damage worth about $4,000 to his car after a woman sideswiped him. Interestingly, the woman had a notable past, with a grim incident of life-taking attributed to her name. The incident had occurred months ago, and my partner at the firm had already communicated with the elderly man and even sent him a letter regarding his case.
With the court trial just around the corner, I began preparing – collecting car pictures, issuing a subpoena to the officer present at the accident scene, and trying to contact our client. After hitting a snag due to a busy phone line, I was taken aback when the officer informed me she wouldn't be able to testify in court due to unforeseen circumstances.
When I asked for her availability, she distanced herself from the case, claiming that her testimony was unnecessary as her report was just hearsay. This was an absolute disaster. Reluctantly agreeing, I rescheduled the trial to accommodate the officer...but my problems were just beginning. Turns out, I discovered next that our client had sadly departed the month before.
Breaking the news to my insurance adjuster and partner, we hatched a plan to carry on with the lawsuit. We decided to pretend everything was normal, relying on evidence from the accident scene, the officer's report, and damaged car pictures, with the adjuster testifying the damage costs.
However, there was one final twist in store: The officer backed out again, leaving the adjuster and me to fend for ourselves in court. The situation seemed grim with our chances of winning the case extremely low, mainly due to lack of solid evidence against the defendant. Out of nowhere, the defense attorney called, offering to cover the damage claim – effectively letting us win the case without a fight. Little did they know, they had paid a handsome sum to a client who was no longer alive.
31. Skeletons In The Closet
I'm a 16-year-old teenager who believes that my supposed parents aren't my biological ones. I had an elder sister who took her own life when I was merely six years old and she was 26. My parents hardly talk about her, let alone her belongings, which have been kept in boxes in our basement. In the living area hangs a beautiful swamp painting painted by her, a piece I dearly admire.
Curiosity got the best of me one day, and I decided to go through her personal belongings in hopes of finding more photographs. As I sifted through several poetry-filled notebooks, one particular narrative shook me to the core: It was a metaphor-filled story about her baby being torn away from her. On mustering the courage to ask my mother about my sister's possible childbirth, she reacted unusually, denying everything and instructing me to stop prying.
Alarm bells started ringing, and I noticed how I bore stark resemblances to my sister but none with my parents. My request to see my birth certificate was met with another bout of my mother's anger, which left me more skeptical than ever.
32. Everyone Uses This Phone Number?
During a trip to a local sports store, the cashier asked me for my phone number while checking out my purchase. As I was not particularly keen to argue, I shared a generic number of directory assistance, with our local area code and 555-1212. Little did I know, that would earn me a multitude of loyalty points as many customers before me also used the generic directory assistance number.
I realized I had an amazing opportunity. I contacted the office the next day to change the registered address of the "account." Over the next few years, I managed to redeem these collective points on several occasions, basking in the glory of being one of their most loyal customers, and enjoying a fair share of free goodies.
33. Keep An Open Mind
My mom and stepdad are heavily into the new age scene - a belief system that I've always found hard to swallow. But recently, it seems like they've taken it a step further. They've joined a group, but they haven’t given me any of the details. I've tried researching "new age groups" but there's too much information to sift through. Last Monday, they sprung it on us kids - we're moving to a "stable" location as part of a spiritual community. But this was just the beginning. The next shock? They want to pull us out of our school and enroll us in their "enlightenment" school instead.
When I tried to confront them, they completely brushed me off telling me that I'm too young to understand and should just listen. Since then, they've become extremely stringent - monitoring us kids closely and cutting off our access to internet, phone, and TV at home.
I managed to sneak off to a friend's house, where I'm posting this from, but I’m more convinced than ever that my parents are involved in a cult. We had some group members visit us recently, and what they said was mind-blowing. One elderly man told me my mind was "shut" and with time, I would open it up with guidance from my parents and their "Leaders".
I need help. My dad, with whom my mom shares custody, hasn't responded since they told us about the move. Although my mom says he's in the full know of things, and that he supports it entirely, I haven’t been able to get a hold of him. My plan for the meantime is to get a burner phone and withdraw all my money from the bank.
34. Get It Off Your Chest
I fought against cancer specifically in my chest area about a year and a half ago. Fortunately, I didn't need chemotherapy or radiation because surgery successfully removed all the tumors. I still have occasional check-ups and screenings that require me to miss work. Sadly, a co-worker in another department is still undergoing treatment after surgery couldn't remove her cancer entirely.
I chose not to undergo reconstructive surgery, so I was able to return to work after about 3 1/2 weeks. On my left side, there's no tissue where my chest should have been, just a flat scar. On the right side, I have only a small amount of tissue, about 55% of what was originally present, due to a lumpectomy.
Recently, my co-workers and immediate supervisor have been discussing my cancer diagnosis as I had to miss a crucial meeting due to an MRI and bone scan. I had received approval from my manager and HR for the time off. However, my co-worker and supervisor are now spreading rumors, suggesting that I didn't really have cancer, particularly in the chest area, because I returned to work relatively quickly. When I found out, it felt like a punch in the gut.
To conceal the changes in my appearance, I wear a prosthetic at work. They argue that most people with cancer take extended leaves and I seem fine. They even mentioned seeing me at a store after an oncology appointment, assuming I looked perfectly healthy.
It's important to note that my appointments are not for chemotherapy but for check-ups and blood draws. While they can be emotionally draining, I feel physically well. The situation became so uncomfortable that I began to fear scheduling appointments because I knew returning to work would be challenging. My manager and HR have consistently been supportive, but the issue mainly lies with my supervisor and co-workers.
I have upcoming surgery to address some scarring and tidy up the remaining tissue now that I've been cancer-free for over a year. I mentioned this to my supervisor, who responded dismissively with, "The cancer thing again." Last week, I overheard my co-workers in the adjacent office talking about me, suggesting I was deceiving everyone and didn't deserve a raise due to my supposed lack of cancer.
I made a regrettable decision in my frustration. I walked over to their office, lifted my shirt and prosthetic bra, revealing the scars on my chest. I covered the remaining 55% of my chest with my hand but exposed the scars. I expressed my anger and returned to my desk. This happened on a Friday afternoon at 3:30 pm, and I left at 4:30 as usual. Since then, no one has mentioned it. Now it's Monday, and I'm concerned. Over the weekend, I realized it was a mistake. I should have gone to HR about the gossip. I've seen my manager, but they haven't said anything, and my supervisor remains silent. The co-workers who were gossiping haven't spoken either. Those who weren't involved are acting normally.
To resolve this situation, I'm unsure of my next steps. What should I do to address this mistake? What can I expect from my colleagues and supervisors?
35. Lies Don’t Pay
A lawyer friend advocated for a man who, even though he was sleeping in the backseat of his car in an inebriated state, encountered trouble with the law. An officer pulled him over and insisted he'd seen the car keys in the ignition. This claim was called out in court when my friend pointed out that his client drove a Toyota Prius, a keyless start car. Promptly, the case was dismissed.
Unfortunately, nothing happened to the officer. My friend suspects that the officer’s lies were motivated by potential promotions and overtime pay. Metrics like issuing tickets and making arrests are used to measure an officer's effectiveness. Plus, court appearances often mean overtime pay, providing a tempting incentive to give more tickets.
36. Famous For The Wrong Reasons
Here's an odd issue I've been wrestling with: Since 2012, there's been a location tag on Facebook named "My unusual spot" linked to my name. To add insult to injury, it's the first thing that pops up when you search my full name on Google. I've repeatedly reported it and asked for a page name change, but Facebook asserts it doesn't breach their terms. I've even attempted to claim it as a business, as the page states it was created out of interest, but to no avail. I'm at a loss here.
37. Let It Go
Five years ago, I endured a frightening six-month experience with a man I barely knew. We only went out for a short time before I ended the relationship, but he became obsessive and aggressive, frequently turning up at my house and issuing threats. Despite his insistence he deserved another opportunity, I had no intention of continuing the relationship. Regrettably, this resulted in him issuing severe threats, insisting that either he received a second chance or I would face grave harm. He explicitly proposed that either he would cause me harm or wished that I would harm myself.
Despite enduring six months of relentless threats, innumerable attempts to secure restraining orders, relocating, and even deleting my social media presence, none of these efforts deterred him from locating me and forcefully entering my residence one devastating midnight. Numerous pleas for assistance from the local law enforcement didn't halt his pursuits either. This is the moment when my life completely spiraled out of control. I was compelled to protect myself and fired upon him, which resulted in his detention and subsequent period of incarceration. I breathed a sigh of relief, beliving this nightmare was finally over, but I was mistaken.
Not long after he was released and put on parole, he immediately started tormenting me again with messages and comments, picking up right where he left off. When I reached out to the parole board, I discovered he had been released from supervision just days prior. I managed to secure a restraining order, but unfortunately, it hasn't been served yet.
Even though he uses his real identity and discusses previous events, the law enforcement authorities are unable to prove that the messages are from him. I am persevering and documenting every act of harassment, but it has left me feeling worn out and frustrated at the lack of resources and support for victims like me.
38. A Friend In Need
Last month, a risky decision by a former friend of mine led to a precarious situation. Despite having had a scary experience with a flooded causeway in the past, he foolishly attempted to cross a flooded river in his car with me onboard. Fearing for my safety, I jumped out of the car, escaping unharmed but leaving him to fend for himself. Regrettably, the car was washed away, and now I have received an official letter demanding recompense for the loss.
His name is Aaron, and this all began when we were en route to collect car parts he'd bought online. The weather that day was foreboding, with mild showers that quickly turned into heavy rain while we were loading up. As we approached a causeway that was clear just an hour ago, we found it now submerged in water.
I suggested we backtrack and take an alternative longer route as it was too risky to cross the causeway. But Aaron, stubborn as he was, ignored my advice and pressed on. Panicked, I jumped out of the car, still scarred from a similar incident where I almost lost my car and life to a flooded causeway. Aaron stubbornly continued and sadly, the rushing water swept his car away.
Despite the accident, he stubbornly blamed me, arguing that my weight could have helped him cross. We managed to call for help, and as the water receded, we crossed the causeway on foot. He's ignored me since, and recently, I received a letter from a lawyer in our town, claiming damages of $50,000 for the car and personal injuries, accusing me of causing the accident by jumping out of the car. Honestly, I think he's just a horrible guy.
39. Semantics In The Court
During a court case I once observed, a clever pathologist managed to discredit the defense's argument by exploiting their lack of understanding about chemistry. On numerous occasions, the defense queried the pathologist about whether symptoms of fatality could be attributed to "carbon dioxide" when they intended to say "carbon monoxide".
Becoming aware of their fundamental error, the pathologist let them continue their line of questioning, before accurately pointing out their chemical mistake to the jury. You could say that the defense dug their own grave with that one, due to their lack of due diligence.
40. You Get What You Give
I'm dealing with a tricky situation. Earlier, my neighbor came over, yelling about how my dog has destroyed his drone worth $900. He insisted on immediate compensation, which I refused, resulting in a law enforcement officer arriving later to retrieve the drone. The neighbor, it appears, misled the law enforcement officials by alleging that I had denied him access to my yard, when in truth he had never even requested.
But here's the thing that makes me furious: This isn't the first time my neighbor has teased my dog with his drone. I've repeatedly asked him to stop, which always falls on deaf ears. I've even reported him to the authorities for nearly hitting my dog during one of his drone fly-bys. Their advice to him was to stop using the drone in my yard to prevent conflict, which only seemed to encourage him. Now, I'm worrying that he may sue me or press charges for the damaged drone.
41. Too Close For Comfort
My mother was a long-term employee at a tiny local hospital and had a close relationship with my childhood doctor, who remained my primary care physician even after I moved away for college. This was convenient for me so I thought I was being smart. In hindsight, it was a horrible mistake. I regularly require blood tests for my liver function and medication level monitoring, details of which don't need to be kept secret. However, the clinic began troublingly calling my mom with my results, leaving me completely in the dark.
I responded, thinking my phone number might not be in the system, by personally updating my contact information. Unfortunately, the issue persisted. The seriousness of the situation escalated when I had a pregnancy test during a routine visit and the results were again told to my mom, despite me explicitly requesting that the results be given only to me.
This led to a bit of a family kerfuffle and I ended up arguing with my mom about privacy laws. I switched clinics and haven't encountered any problems since, but I'm still concerned about the potential for other patients' privacy being similarly breached.
42. The Foster Sister
Our family was involved in foster care for a few years and we became deeply attached to the last girl we fostered, who now is my younger sister. Because of her birth mother's abusive nature, all of their interactions reduced my sister's self-confidence. As a result of the loving and supportive environment that my parents provided, my sister began to shine. When the state attempted to return her to her birth mom, my parents battled in court for her custody to prevent her from sliding back into despair.
The court case was unbearably tense: However, the birth mother's own behavior in court was her downfall. She seemed to not grasp basic courtroom etiquette and even went as far as to admit to attacks on her daughter. We ended up winning custody, meaning my sister can now choose whether to ever see her biological mother again.
43. Everything Has A Price
As a child in a committed Mormon family, I found myself the subject of a tithing-related dispute. My parents had been expecting me to pay tithing, which I disagreed with. After a heated discussion, my mother, a co-owner of my bank account, decided to withdraw the required amount, causing me to exhaustively withdraw my money incrementally over time.
This family financial drama only escalated from there. Fed up with my mom's overspending, my dad stopped paying his tithing and switched my mom's credit card to a debit card. Despite this, my mom used my money to pay her tithing, returning only a fraction to me and promising to give back the rest. Their financial struggle was hitting hard, and my dad was trying to scale back. I'm doing my best to keep my money out of their reach.
44. You Can Always Do More
I'm a 16-year-old high schooler that also works part-time at a local gym, usually opening it up alone early in the mornings. One day, a situation made my routine far from ordinary. Another member informed me about a woman in the locker room experiencing what seemed to be a seizure. Without wasting time, I immediately dialed 9-1-1.
While waiting for the emergency team, the dispatcher instructed me not to give first aid or CPR, but to ensure she didn't fall off the bench. The paramedics managed to stabilize her after a difficult twenty-minute argument with the stubborn lady. I later filled out an incident report as we'd had earlier concerns about her health issues.
To my surprise, the woman later threatened to sue the gym for her seizure. This left me anxiously questioning if the responsibility could fall on me as I didn't know how long she'd been suffering before I was alerted to help.
45. Fighting Like Cats And Dogs
I live in Raleigh, North Carolina within Wake County's city limits, where strict leash laws are in place. About six months ago, some new neighbors moved in next door who have two large Labradors. They frequently allow their dogs to roam the open yards day and night. One of their dogs is pretty gentle and well-behaved, but the other one can get pretty belligerent, often charging at people and other dogs.
We've pleaded with them multiple times to keep their dogs on leashes, as it's a city rule here in Raleigh, in addition to our county regulation; but to no avail. Once, one of the Labradors ran at me and my little beagle. I still get so mad when I remember what the owner did: They just looked on as I was struggling to fend off her dog while scooping up my beagle.
In the struggle, the dog bit me, causing a slight bleed, so I had to kick the dog away to protect us. The owner was furious at my actions, and the next day, lodged a complaint against me. But they didn't realize they were making a big mistake: Instead of penalizing me, the authorities contacted me to hear my side of the story and ended up fining the neighbor $250. I didn't report this to animal control because I thought the fine would act as a deterrent.
Sadly, that wasn't the case, as the dogs continued to roam freely, leading to another unpleasant incident six days ago. I was awoken by the agonizing cries of one of my dogs. The neighbor's dog was being aggressive towards my sister and one of my beagles. My sister was encircled by the dog, receiving multiple bites. I had to act fast and put the dog down forcefully.
The outcome was horrifying: My dog had multiple wounds and broken bones. My sister ended up with 38 stitches from the bites she received, and I had 29. Despite all this, the neighbor refuses to pay any bills and even considers filing a lawsuit against us because she believes I broke her dog's ribs in self-defence.
Now, left with no other option, we've submitted a report to law enforcement. We also spoke to our homeowners’ insurance company, as suggested by the official who handled our case.
Moving on, we've decided to gather more evidence of the dog's aggressive behavior by installing cameras in our house. Some of our neighbors are willing to share their experiences with the neighbor's dog in written statements. In addition, we learned that a family living behind us has a video on the attack.
46. A Friend In Need
My client was hit by a car while riding his motorcycle on a quiet street. The driver, who was exiting his garage without checking for oncoming vehicles, brought a witness to the deposition who consistently asserted that my client was speeding, and hence they couldn't stop in time.
After questioning the witness about their account of the incident several times, he inadvertently confessed that he didn't see the actual accident. There was no recovering from that mistake, providing a win for my client.
47. Squatter’s Rights
Recently, while moving houses, I left some stuff, including a family heirloom of a couch beside a moving truck on the street while moving heavier items. When I returned about 15 minutes later, I found a man loading the couch into his truck.
He claimed that as the couch was on the street corner, it was up for grabs. I informed the local law enforcement office about this, but they didn't seem hopeful since the stuff was indeed on the curb.
48. Sometimes, Urine Need Of A Lawyer
I had a client who was caught with an untested substance that could have been urine. He was freed as the prosecutors couldn't prove it was human urine. The substance was intended for gaming a drug screening test, which my client hadn't done yet at the time of the arrest. I argued that since it wasn’t proven to be human urine, and he hadn’t actually done anything with it, he had to be let go. Winning that case was undoubtedly a highlight of my career.
49. Soup Surprise
Right now, I'm soaking up a much-needed vacation with my family over the festive Christmas period. Just to give you a bit of background, I'm a dedicated vegan, not only by choice but also because of a pretty severe allergy to red meat thanks to a 'lone star tick' bite. My family tends to have their fun with my dietary habits, yet apart from preparing my own meals, I don't draw much attention to it. I suppose my distant relatives didn't realize how serious my allergy was, since one of my younger cousins thought it'd be funny to sneak small pieces of steak into my butternut squash soup.
As soon as I finished my soup, a terrifying sensation came over me. I was gasping for air with hives springing up all over. My mother found me, face swollen, and on Christmas Day, I came to in a hospital after an ambulance ride. My cousin seemed to find the whole episode hilarious, even texted me a picture of a butchered cow saying I was overreacting and needed protein. Despite their less-than-stellar financial situation, his actions make me want to take him to court.
50. Hold Please
At my property, an ex-Air BnB guest somehow managed to put a hold on all mail deliveries to my address for the past two months. This inventive retaliation has mainly affected my new tenants, creating more problems than we'd like. One tenant with thyroid issues had to shell out $500 for his medication, while others had to deal with missed paychecks or delayed credit cards. A lady even missed receiving a Certificate of Decease.
Initially, it looked like our mail was getting stolen since the mailman was passing our house every day without stopping, and any test mail we sent out didn't move. Contacting USPS over the phone didn't do much, so it boiled down to a direct visit. Turned out, this spiteful act was the work of a previous disgruntled guest we've had to throw out due to poor hygiene and destructive behavior. Thankfully, the post office was quite understanding, returned us our piled-up mail, and handed over evidence of her hold requests. Still, we're puzzled and shocked by the audacity. It surely can't be lawful.
51. A Dog Eat Dog World
I launched a lawsuit last January and between then and now, we've been exchanging discovery materials. In preparation for filing a motion for summary judgment - where I request the court to let me win the without a jury given the clear-cut case - I decided to reevaluate the discovery material. To my surprise, I found a serious blunder they'd made. I suddenly realized that I'd just won the entire case.
This was a dog bite case, with their denial about their dog's involvement being the bone of contention until I came across their question 4 admittance, where they acknowledged their unleashed dog was the one that bit my client. Despite their attempt to renege during the hearing and claim it was an oversight, the judge held them accountable. The other evidence supported us, making it clear it was indeed their dog.
52. The Surprise Admission
I am an attorney tasked with defending states against personal injury claims. In one such case, we had a disagreement about the monetary equivalent of a state worker's injury and took it to court. The plaintiff was visibly nervous when asked basic questions about her name and address while on the stand. As proceedings continued, she let slip that she was a convicted felon who used her sister's identity to secure her state job.
This stunning revelation left the judge and courtroom in shock. However, her lawyer seemed completely oblivious and continued, unfazed. Thankfully, the court reporter repeated her damning testimony, leading to her dropping her case and resigning from her position, as advised by the judge. What an eventful afternoon in court that turned out to be.
53. Clear Out
My husband came home from work last night and stunned me with some unexpected news - he wants a divorce. While this isn't completely unexpected, considering the tension that's been brewing ever since our daughter was born two years ago, his sudden decision blindsided me. I became a full-time mom when our daughter arrived, it made no sense to work only to spend most of my income on daycare. But what unfolded next was even more shocking.
As he was packing up, he casually told me he had taken all the money out of our joint bank account, cancelled my credit card, and wished me luck with the house and bills. It wasn't surprising, his meanness often flares up in anger and he has always been distant with our daughter, disappointed she wasn't a boy. I swiftly logged into our bank account, to find it drained down to $5. With no money to defend myself, I need to find a lawyer.
54. Airing The Dirty Laundry
In January, I moved into my new apartment. However, not long after, I noticed my underwear disappearing from the communal laundry room. Since moving in, nearly a dozen clothing items have vanished. There’s nowhere to wait inside the tiny laundry room, so I couldn’t keep an eye out.
A couple of weeks ago I bought some new clothes. Post-wash, I realized some of my new clothes were missing which led me to immediately speak to the landlord. She informed me that only the son of my neighbors had entered the laundry room during the washing cycle.
Furious, I confronted the parents, who dismissively called me a liar. Despite their denial, my clothes stopped disappearing for a while. However, recently I caught the boy rifling through my clothes in the dryer. I approached the parents once more, but they shouted at me, accusing me of "targeting" their son, and even suggested they might pursue a lawsuit for harassment and defamation.
55. Ring The Alarm
Last Friday, our whole apartment building was evacuated at night due to a gas leak, caused by an intruder. Amazingly, my boyfriend and I slept through the whole episode. The next night at work, my co-worker filled me on what had happened – everyone standing outside, fire trucks, the whole shebang.
Afterwards, a fire marshal checked our apartment's connected alarm and declared it faulty. We still don't have a replacement. When my boyfriend approached our landlady about this, she dismissed our concerns and brushed off our request to see the order for the replacement alarm. She blamed us for not waking up and even offered to make arrangements for us to move out if we didn't feel safe.
Neither us nor our cats were harmed, but it could've turned dire. My boyfriend's father, a real estate agent, has pointed out that the law requires landlords to provide an evacuation plan for all tenants. My father suggests we report our landlady to the tenant tribunal or fire department.
56. The Cat’s Out Of The Bag
I spent five days out of town, during which a colleague offered to look after my four cats. Upon my return, I found that the cats hadn't been fed or watered, and their litter box was a mess. My oldest cat was the worst off, she couldn't move her back legs. Initially, I thought she fell down the stairs and injured herself.
A trip to the ICU and plenty of tests later revealed a heartbreaking truth. She was severely dehydrated, which triggered her undiagnosed diabetic condition and sent her into shock. She spent two painful days in the ICU, and eventually, I had to make the decision to put her out of her misery.
Three days have passed, and I'm heartbroken and furious. I have extensive text conversations where the colleague tried to shift the blame onto me. Due to their neglect, my cat suffered and I had to say goodbye to her. I'm thinking of taking this to court.
57. Nuts To That
It's been a constant struggle with my son's school regarding his peanut allergy. From the second day of school, they’ve been giving him peanut butter crackers—troubling, since we'd informed the school about his allergy before the year even began. We offered to buy alternative snacks, but they said it wasn't necessary.
Although his allergy isn't severe, it’s not pleasant and could potentially become dangerous. We rationalized it initially, thinking it was a new school year with new teachers who hadn't got the hang of things. But a few weeks later, it happened again. They blamed him, saying he'd stolen another student's snack. This left us torn between believing our son and the school, especially when we had another similar incident.
We decided it was time to involve the principal, not to accuse anyone, but to get things under control. However, despite assurances, the peanut incident happened yet again. According to the school, our six-year-old had managed to snatch an unopened package of crackers, evade teachers, and eat everything before they caught him. But something didn't add up.
After numerous incidents, we started trusting our son's adamant denial of their story. Despite another assurance from the principal, another episode occurred, and the very next school day, he was served peanut butter crackers again—this time asked if it contains nuts and was given an alternative. It felt disconcerting that our child had to be the responsible one in this.
We informed the principal that if there's another episode of neglect, we'd approach the school board. The response was that as his teachers, they're not responsible for reminding him. We blamed his teachers partly and realized school lunches never had this issue—they always gave him foods free of nuts.
58. Check The Footage
My dad’s a lawyer and impresses me all the time with his uncompromising dedication to his clients. He pours over evidence in detail, even if it means watching 50+ hours of video footage. His meticulousness even led to a multimillion-dollar settlement against a prominent casino, spotting a minute instance of video tampering. Once he found proof of misconduct in a car case from a recording the opponent presented. The defendants were left speechless when he played it in court.
In short, my dad is amazing.
59. Absent Mom
Life has been tough recently. I have a 13-year-old daughter with an ex who was absent from her life. Having her in my early 20s meant that my ex wasn't ready to be a mom. I remarried, and my wife has been a wonderful stepmom to my daughter, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2016.
Despite keeping my ex updated about my daughter’s failing health condition, her response was cold and detached. Following my daughter’s demise in January and her funeral, my ex declined the offer of my daughter's ashes. We divided the ashes among ourselves. Some were kept as memories and others were scattered in our daughter’s favorite places.
In an unexpected turn, my ex changed her mind and wanted some of the ashes. We didn't have any left apart from the necklace my wife suggested giving her, but she refused. Recently, she slapped a lawsuit for emotional damage against me for not offering her our daughter's ashes. I'm overwhelmed and find myself not having the emotional strength to fight back. I may use money to deal with this case.
60. Tree Confusion
When I was around five, an incident happened that my parents explained to me later. A man claimed to have tripped over a branch on the tree in front of our house and demanded money for his injuries using a plethora of evidence. Our lawyer was convinced that we were at risk—until the day of the court hearing, when everything change. That's when it was comically revealed that the tree in the photographic evidence wasn't ours after all.
The opposing lawyer was fooled by his client, leading to a swift dismissal of the case. We returned home, and I was rewarded with an ice cream—quite a surreal but happy ending indeed.
61. One Weird Morning
This has been quite an odd morning. During the weekends, I take care of my five-year-old son. He typically sleeps through the night, apart from the occasional bad dream. We put our Christmas tree up last night, which excited him a lot. After tucking him into bed at about 9 pm, I joined my fiancée to watch some movies.
Feeling tired, I decided to go to bed at 3 am. Not long afterwards, my partner woke up at 4:30 am to get ready for work and left at 5 am. A thumping noise jolted me awake around 6:30 am. I stumbled out of bed, assuming that my son had decided to start his day with a round of jumping on the bed. However, I was met with a shocking sight: four law enforcement officers expecting me in the hallway.
Groggy and disoriented, I was hardly quick to piece together what was happening. Was I meant to offer them some coffee or something? An officer asked about my identity, and I offered my full name. Wondering aloud as to what was the purpose of their visit, I explained that I lived here with my girlfriend. The same officer then asked me about my son - where was he?
I noticed the door to my apartment forcefully opened. My mind raced to horrifying thoughts: could my fiancée have been harmed and my son taken away? Walking swiftly yet cautiously towards my son's room, I slowly pushed the door open, prepared for the worst. To my relief, I found my son lying in bed, calm and seemingly undisturbed.
I hurried back to the officers. "He's in bed, why are you here? What's going on?" I demanded. They instructed me to sit in the dining room, whereupon an officer continued their questioning while another stood on guard. A glance at the doorway revealed the building's security and a woman I didn't recognize peering in curiously.
The interrogating officer explained that they received a call about a crying child in the wee hours of the morning. He mentioned that they had tried knocking on my door from 5 am until 6:30 am when they heard a loud noise and decided to storm in. They never thought to call me from outside my window, which would have woken me.
I conceded that I may have been in deep sleep, as I cannot hear noises from the living room in my bedroom due to its unusual acoustic configuration. By the end, the officer handed me a case number and advised me to contact building administration to repair the door before they left.
Outside, I overheard one of the ladies insisting that the child's cries were excessively loud to be ignored, but the cop explained that they found no proof of any harm. Once they left, I questioned my son about his crying, his response was absolutely bizarre: "The fan stopped working..."
I was left sitting with my son in a room with a smashed-in front door, dreading what the neighbors might be assuming about me. I endeavored to mentally reconstruct the sequence of events; if the law enforcement officers showed up at 5 am as they stated, the call would have to have transpired between 3 am and 4:30 am, at the exact moment I turned in for the night and my fiancée headed out for work.
My son would have stopped crying by the time my fiancée woke up and remained silent all night. The law enforcement officers arrive at 5 am and stay until 6:30 am when they hear a loud noise, not a crying child. Throughout their interrogation, my child was by my side, showing no signs of having cried. What on earth had happened?
62. Lovely Landlord
My parents had a lawful disagreement with their landlord. After finding a suitable house for rent while moving across the country, they walked through, loved it and agreed to pay the deposit, which included a pet fee because we had a dog and two cats.
My mom flew in two days before the move-in date to sign the lease and pick up the keys - all was well. However, upon arrival on the move-in day, they found the house in disarray. The landlord's clutter filled the rooms, the bathroom was unclean, garbage was scattered, and there were even used condoms on the ground. It looked like a set from a horror movie.
Facing this mess, my mom called the landlord to address this issue. The landlord responded by offering to cover the cost of the first gas bill and told her to clean up the mess or risk losing their deposit for contract non-compliance. Court day approached and we came prepared with photo proof, texts, and the contract. The landlord presented his version of the contract which, unbeknownst to my parents, included a terms stating that he had access to the house for his storage needs and that the tenants were responsible for all clean-up after key collection.
The court session went awry for the landlord when the judge noticed a discrepancy in the date of the contract's signature indicating some malpractice. Long story short, justice prevailed, but the landlord declared bankruptcy and emerged under a new business name to avoid financial obligation.
63. It’s My House Now
My ex-girlfriend and I moved in together rather haphazardly and within two weeks realized that our arrangement wasn't working out. She agreed to move out by February end, but now she's refusing to leave my one-bedroom apartment. I'm fed up of sleeping on the couch.
Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, she started locking me out of my own apartment using the deadbolt. Frustrated, I called the authorities for help. Upon talking to her, they advised me to find another place to stay for the night. So, I slept in my car.
I woke up the next day to more surprise guests who, at my ex’s invitation, had decided to make themselves at home in my apartment, snoozing on my couch and in my own bed. I kicked them out, only to be told by my ex that I have no right to evict her guests. The subsequent call to the authorities was met with a disheartened response - it was a civil issue they wouldn’t involved in. It seems like history is about to repeat itself tonight.
64. The Letter Of The Law
I was the client in the coming scenario where my ex-wife attempted to paint a horrible picture of me during our divorce trial. She confidently went on to elaborate about my supposed grave wrongdoings in court, greatly contradicting the love letter she had snuck into my house to leave for me six months prior - a message praising me for being a loving father, a dutiful provider, and for my contributions to the community amongst other things.
Our challenge was to make her admit to writing this letter. My lawyer presented her with the printout of this letter and had her read it out loud. The sight of her breaking down in tears and admitting to it was the turning point of our case. The judge took immediate action upon understanding that she had intended to lie. This revelation turned the court proceedings in my favor, and I won full custody of my children. Talk about a made-for-TV moment.
65. Lady Luck Failed To Testify That Day
Once upon a time, a lady accidentally reversed her car into a truck in a casino's parking area. Thankfully it was just a minor scrape. The truck's owner, who happens to be my client, mentioned she left her vehicle behind and spent several hours at the casino. During her court statements, she made it sound as if she was deeply injured and immediately left for the hospital. Curious about her frequent visits to the casino, I inquired about her player's card.
With a great deal of pride, she revealed that she was not just an ordinary cardholder but a gold member. For further investigation, I requested her card activity records. Lo and behold, she was happily playing slots for hours after the alleged accident.
66. Back To The Wall
A few nights ago, I had a major argument with my deeply religious parents because of the direction of my personal attractions. I identify with attraction to both men and women. Under unfortunate circumstances, I was compelled to spill my secret. Their reaction was to throw me out of the house. Luckily, I was able to take my dogs, grab my car keys, and leave.
A recent relocation means I don't know anyone locally. My siblings share my parents' beliefs. My extended family is too far away to offer help. To make matters worse, my parents canceled my phone service and removed me from their insurance plan. So here I am, with my two large dogs, an American bulldog and a pit bull, sleeping in my car.
Last week, my parents made me quit my job to concentrate more on my studies. To add to my troubles, after checking my bank account last night, I found out my parents had drained all my savings. My account is bone-dry. Although terrified, my primary concern is for my dogs. I can't bear the thought of giving them up but fear I might not have much choice soon.
67. It’s Easier To Ask For Forgiveness Than Permission
I was overseeing a complicated and slightly bitter divorce in Virginia. The case involved a wealthy man whose wife was unfaithful to him. Upon discovering the infidelity, he started the divorce process. With the adulterous act against her, the wife was ineligible for spousal support. However, she discovered a clever twist in the law.
There's this principle known as "condonation," typically associated with law. Basically, if you become intimate with your spouse after learning about their infidelity, you could be seen as having forgiven them, so spousal support might still be on the table. Some text messages and pictures later, the wife managed to secure a generous settlement with this waiver in mind.
68. Always Grieving
Where my mother is employed, in the HR department, her assistant discovered a flaw in the overtime report system. Oddly, it didn’t tag bereavement hours as ‘overtime' no matter how many were logged. This provided her with an opportunity to illicitly acquire a staggering half a million dollars over a period of three years. Despite her part-time status and an $18 hourly wage, she felt invincible. However, she couldn't go unnoticed forever. Eventually, my mother picked up on an offhand comment she made and saw through her scheme.
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69. Ensured To Be Screwed Over
My client's home tragically caught on fire due to an explosion from a fuel oil tank. The mishap was clearly a misstep by the oil maintenance company. Despite this, the homeowner’s insurance company refused to cover the loss, taking advantage of a barely relevant loophole. In essence, they argued that while the policy covered damage triggered by the oil heater, the fact that a storage tank exploded exempted them from payment.
During a questioning session with the insurance claims adjuster, I inquired about her reasoning behind excluding the tank as a part of, or closely tied to, the heater. Her reply was that she depended on the knowledge of her "expert witness," who was supposedly an engineer. Interestingly enough, my research found that this individual had no engineering experience whatsoever.
As many know, attorney's fees aren't often covered, but we receive them when an insurance firm unfairly rejects a claim. The adjuster's error landed the company with a hefty bill of about $500K in fees, on top of my client's original claim of $1.2 million. Take that, insurance company.
70. No Visitors Allowed
My sister and I have a rocky relationship with our mother; we haven't communicated with her for quite some time now. Unexpectedly, our mom decided to visit my niece at her school to have lunch and even offered her a slushy to enjoy. All of this happened without my sister's consent or knowledge. When my niece recounted the day's events to my sister, she was quick to contact the school only to discover that our mom wasn't allowed access whatsoever.
Alarmingly, the school permitted an unknown individual, in this case, our mother, to enter and even serve a drink to a five-year-old without verifying it with my sister. The principal is due to call my sister, and so far, they're downplaying the incident. However, we view this differently. We believe the next logical step is reaching out to the school board. They must acknowledge the risk posed to my niece's safety and understand the seriousness of this incident.
71. Pet Chickens
Although I'm not a lawyer, I did undertake an internship at the city attorney's office, which, ironically, dissuaded me from pursuing law as a profession. I recall a man taking the city to court because he had been evicted from public housing. His claim revolved around the difficulty of understanding English, forcing the city to hire an interpreter for the case. The city's argument was straightforward - he was evicted for raising chickens in his apartment.
His attorney contended that the accusation was absurd. They demanded proof that the chickens were indeed his client's, which the judge found unconvincing. Things took a turn when discussion shifted to the chickens, which had been taken to a farm to be slaughtered. Suddenly, the man lost his composure, shouting, "Give me back my chickens!" in fluent English. Laughter filled the room, from the judge and the lawyers. In the end, the case was dismissed.
72. Bait And Switch
A few weeks ago, I decided to purchase a gaming computer from Walmart on a layaway plan to spread the payments instead of shelling out $1,000+ all at once. After completing the payment and eagerly bringing it home, I discovered the motherboard was damaged. I returned the computer, hoping to get a gift card of the same value so I could promptly procure a new one. However, I was told the refunded amount exceeded the limit for a gift card. Fortunately, my mom has a Walmart debit card. They assured us the refund would reflect immediately.
Rather unexpectedly, this resulted in her account being flagged for fraudulent activity. We reached out to Walmart's financial department, and we were instructed to submit the receipt as due proof, which we did. Notably, each receipt showed different balances due to the layaway plan. However, after following up, we were informed that the receipt was inadequate proof. This left my mother's account potentially locked indefinitely due to "insufficient evidence." To say I'm frustrated is an understatement; I'm a college student. I don't have a lot of financial flexibility, and this computer was something I had diligently saved up for.
73. V For Vendetta
Even though I'm not a lawyer, being a deeply involved girlfriend has put me at the forefront of several jurisdictional obstacles, from which I've gained considerable knowledge. Here's an episode that happened a while back:
My boyfriend's car was involved in an accident while parked in a restricted parking area near a steel plant. The trouble was, a young woman had accidentally bumped into his Ford Fusion. It seems she was acquainted with the law enforcement officer summoned to the location, based on their discussion using first names. As a result, my boyfriend received a parking ticket.
The insurance claim process was lengthy because the woman refused to admit fault, arguing that my boyfriend's car was illegally parked. However, her argument didn't absolve her, so she ended up paying for his deductible. After that hiccup, we received a notice from the local magistrate saying my boyfriend had failed to pay the ticket. Only problem - the car details cited were incorrect: they got the vehicle model and date wrong. They mentioned a Toyota Tundra, which we had traded in for the Ford Fusion before the ticket was even issued.
Incensed, we gathered all necessary evidence, went before the magistrate, laid out the facts, and the judge dismissed the case. Interestingly, the judge reprimanded the officer, saying we shouldn’t have had to go through all this and they could have settled it differently.
That episode is long past us now.
74. The Overachiever
During my university years, I worked out a loophole that allowed me enroll more than the normal number of yearly credits. I realized I could overload more than the typical one extra credit allowed to those in good standing. I found a workaround: first, getting permission from the Dean of Science to overload, then getting similar permit again from the Dean of Socials. This loophole helped me earn an extra standalone BA degree along with my initial HBA and BSc. Eventually, the university administration caught on and tried to charge me for the extra credits, but I hadn’t done anything contrary to the course calendar or rules. They changed the rules thereafter.
75. You’re Not In Good Hands
A couple of years after my daughter's birth, I decided to go back to work. The second day after enrolling her at a daycare, I got the biggest scare of my entire life: I saw her walking down the street with an unknown woman, several blocks away from the daycare. The woman had found my daughter wandering in the middle of the road and was escorting her to a nearby law enforcement station.
Returning to the daycare, I was shocked to find out that the caregivers were oblivious of her absence. Deeply disturbed, I documented all the details of the incident and emailed it to the owner of the daycare, outlining the urgency and seriousness of the situation – we were officially withdrawing her. Still waiting for their response, I pondered on whether I could legally hold them accountable and alert other parents without risking slander charges.
76. Think Of The Children
Every other weekend, my daughter comes to stay with me. Her mother bought her a cell phone, I suspect, mostly to monitor her. One of those weekends, while watching a movie with her, I got a delayed text message from my ex-wife – she wanted to speak to my daughter. By the time my daughter was ready to turn in for the night and had settled into bed, she was in the middle of a heated phone conversation with her mom.
There were accusations about not letting my daughter use her phone. I intervened, encouraging my ex-wife to hash out issues with me, not our daughter. Moving on, when I walked past her bedroom later, my daughter was apologizing on the phone with her mom - an uncalled-for emotional ordeal. We had a heart-to-heart thereafter, trying to adapt to the challenges of co-parenting better, bearing in mind the impact on our daughter.
77. A Work Of Art
Several months ago, I found myself in a tough situation. My boyfriend's sister-in-law was badly neglecting her autistic child, overmedicating him and disregarding his needs. Ultimately, I felt the need to report her to the Child Protective Services. I lived close to this family at the time, and around the same time, I took a short trip home for the holiday season. This visit was intended to be brief; however, things spiraled out of control back at my boyfriend's place, and he soon followed me, hastily packing up all our belongings to join me.
But in the hurry, he abandoned a cherished family painting, more than 100 years old, that my grandfather had gifted me fourteen years prior, shortly before his life came to an end. Then my sister-in-law and her husband sent me a video that made my blood boil. It showed them setting the painting on fire, tauntingly dedicating the act to me as retribution for alerting Child Protective Services. They clearly stated the pricelessness of the painting in the video. This painting was my most cherished possession, and I'm devastated to have lost it. Honestly, I would give everything I own just to have it back.
78. Fight Fire With Fire
I've been unfairly accused by my neighbor for being a corrupt influence, simply based on my clothing style. She's so firm in her beliefs that I've started to worry. About a month ago, I moved into a house with my sister and her boyfriend, which is located in a predominantly family neighborhood. I never anticipated any issues until I met my neighbor, who I'll refer to as “Karen".
On the first week here, I was checking the mail in casual home attire - a loose t-shirt and basketball shorts - no bra included. Karen is the type to spend all day pretending to garden while spying on neighbors. Upon seeing me, she approached me, supposedly for a friendly chat. However, instead, she chose to lecture me about my lack of a bra. Her remarks about considering the thoughts of her children and the ever-watchful Jesus, and suggesting my parents raised me better, were bizarre. I didn’t want to cause any problems, so I assured her I'd be more cautious.
However, she wasn't satisfied. Karen had issues with even regular shorts and form-fitting bottoms. She once threatened to report me for indecent exposure in front of her children, accusing me of inappropriate intentions towards her teenage boys, all because I was wearing jean shorts. I usually love going for walks in our beautiful neighborhood, but Karen's incessant snide remarks have turned it into a nightmare.
So I decided to get revenge. I wore a very revealing outfit just to provoke her and her reaction was priceless. When I subtly suggested that Karen might actually be attracted to me, she quickly excused herself and returned to her house, blushing furiously.
79. The Crooked Lawyer
My boyfriend, a lawyer, had an extraordinary encounter with a notorious scammer a few years ago in New York City. We'll refer to this individual as “The Crooked Lawyer". This man targeted vulnerable victims, falsified their information, took out loans in their names, and made off with their money, while managing to evade justice… until my boyfriend intervened.
Fresh out of law school and burdened with student loans, my boyfriend moved in with a hardworking Latina named Julie, whom he met on Craigslist. Over time, they became close friends. Around the same time, Julie met and fell in love with a server named Luis. My boyfriend quickly hit it off with Luis, and they formed a close trio of friends.
Both Julie and Luis, along with their families, were undocumented immigrants, which made their run-ins with "The Crooked Lawyer" even more precarious. When Luis's father, who had recently suffered a serious workplace injury, was scammed out of a $100k settlement by this corrupt lawyer, my boyfriend took action. The proof was assembled, formal grievances were registered, and following a demanding trial, "The Crooked Lawyer" was finally assigned seven years of incarceration and was banned from practicing law. In the end, everyone scammed by The Crooked Lawyer received their money back, and my boyfriend continues to maintain his close friendship with Julie and Luis.
80. Friends In High Places
As a family lawyer, I once represented a mother in a custody case involving her two young children. The kids had been staying with their grandmother while the mother finished her college education. During this period, the self-represented father and grandmother began to question this arrangement - despite the dad’s disability, which hindered him from caring for the children.
At the first hearing, we agreed to a suggestion made by the judge. As the only attorney present, I drafted an order according to our agreement and sent it to both the father and grandmother for approval. This triggered the father, who started making wild allegations about his human rights being violated by my draft order. He threatened to engage the Human Rights Commission to combat this alleged infraction, a claim that was both confusing and unfounded.
Instead of arguing with him, I sent a letter to the court to keep them informed about this progression. While the letter was diplomatically worded, it essentially sought the court's assistance, given the unreasonable behavior I was facing from the father. The court responded promptly, asking me to forward the draft order. During another court appearance shortly after, the presiding judge signed the order and simply stated that the father could appeal if he found it unsatisfactory. That was a mic drop moment indeed.
81. The Roofer
I used to work as an Insurance Investigator and one time, we had a hearing set up at the Workers' Compensation Board. Our case involved a lot of video evidence - somewhere around 18 hours recorded over two weeks - showing a claimant doing roofing work. The kicker was, we never managed to secure a clear shot of his face on the footage. During investigations like this, it's ideal to have a clear face shot for certain identification.
The claimant had a distinctive appearance with his hat and beard, though he had neither at the hearing. We could only present footage of a man fitting his description exiting a truck registered under his name each morning.
The company's attorney gave me a heads up, pointing out that the claimant's attorney will likely contest that it's his client in the video. If the court dismissed our video evidence, we'd lose the case. To our astonishment, after only a couple of minutes into the hearing, the claimant's attorney conceded that the person in all of the videos was his client.
This didn't faze the claimant's attorney. On the contrary, he seemed quite smug. His strategy was to argue that his client wasn't professionally roofing because he was doing it wrong. Despite his persistent attempts to get me to discuss roofing techniques, I didn't budge, insisting it was beyond the scope of my job.
An hour of this tussle later, the judge concluded, "Counselor, whether your client is doing a good job or not doesn't matter. He has stated, under oath, multiple times, that he is unable to work. If he's doing the roofing work while receiving compensation benefits - regardless of whether it's without pay, for money, or for fun - it is irrelevant to the fact that he claimed he couldn't work." The claimant ended up having to repay a lot of benefits.
82. Water Under The Bridge
My girlfriend has Type-1 diabetes and suffers from a heart condition called dysautonomia, something that requires her to consume more than 120 ounces of water daily. Occasionally, she might experience dizziness and sometimes faint, but she's an unstoppable 16-year-old rocker who doesn't let her conditions hold her back. Unfortunately, her manager called her one day to hint that she might not keep her job.
Her manager insisted that being able to go without water for four hours is a requirement for her job. Subsequent to this incident, my girlfriend is looking into new job opportunities and is ready to quit her current job soon.
83. Know Thyself
One custody case I was prosecuting involved a father touting his transformation and success with the AA program. I asked him what step he was currently on, and he confidently declared, "Three." When I asked him what the third step constituted, he was clueless. The same happened when I inquired about the second step. His lack of knowledge resulted in the termination of his parental rights.
84. The Virtue Of Honesty
A custody dispute I represented involved a man who had denied access to his child from my client for weeks on end. Not only this, he continuously asked for postponements for court hearings. Finally, I requested a drug test, which the judge ordered him to do. But when he was directed to take the test, he stood over the toilet unable to urinate for a staggering two hours.
As the plaintiff's representative, the pressure was on me to prove his drug use. So I put several witnesses on the stand to testify about the defendant's drug habits. The defendant's attorney then called him to the stand and asked, "You don't consume any illicit substances, do you?" expecting him to deny it.
Unexpectedly, after a prolonged silence, the defendant admitted to engaging in substance use. I was shell-shocked and decided to refrain from asking further questions to avoid clouding this unexpected admission. Thankfully, we won the case and the child is now thriving.
85. Canceling Cancellation Policies
I'm always on the move, which often means last-minute hotel cancellations, possibly costing me a lot of money. To avoid these penalties, I found a simple workaround: I reschedule my reservation for three days later, wait a while, and then call back to cancel entirely. This way, I manage to avoid any extra charges.
86. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
There was this one late night when I was at a diner with my friends. Suddenly, the man in the next booth started chocking heavily. Thankfully, I knew how to perform the Heimlich maneuver, thanks to my workplace training. I quickly went over to help him. Thankfully he was okay, although he seemed really peeved, promptly payed his bill, and left. I felt pretty good about myself but didn't think much more about it until an unexpected turn of events.
Unexpectedly, I received a formal notice: I was being accused of battery! Apparently, the man had managed to find me and was alleging I had inflicted a rib injury. It was baffling since I had only intended to help by preventing him from choking.
87. Heart-Stopping Problem
This incident took place about a decade ago, so it's unlikely that it could be resolved now. When I was 16, while on our way to a friend's house, my mom’s defibrillator malfunctioned, delivering continuous shocks. Initially, mom thought it was simply doing its job, but then the shocks kept coming in quick succession, totaling over 40 shocks at 600 volts each.
This unfortunate event resulted in serious heart damage for my mom, requiring multiple heart surgeries to correct. It turns out that the wires of her defibrillator malfunctioned, triggering repeated shocks. Even today, the memories of my mom's close encounter with mortality spark severe stress for me.
Despite the hardships we went through, there was never any accountability or compensation. My parents tried to determine who was responsible - the defibrillator manufacturer, the wire company, etc. - but all the doctors and companies evaded responsibility. It's incredibly frustrating to know how much she suffered inconsequentially.
88. Buckle ‘Em If You’ve Got ‘Em
Here's an interesting case I dealt with in Hawaii which got dismissed due to a loophole. My client was pulled over for having more passengers in her vehicle than permitted, and additionally, she was impaired from consuming intoxicating substances. Now, you would think this was a clear-cut case, but Hawaii's laws begged to differ.
Hawaii has no laws specifying the maximum number of passengers in a private vehicle, so that charge fell flat. The charge that passengers were not wearing seatbelts was also negated since the law only states that all available seatbelts must be used. Hence, if a sixth passenger is unrestrained due to only five seatbelts, it's not considered against the law. Therefore, the judge was compelled to dismiss the case since there was no justifiable cause to pull over my client, despite her clear state of inebriation.
Ironically, Hawaii's unusual laws even allow people to ride unrestrained in the back of a pickup truck bed! As long as there is no seating installed, passengers can roam free, even in lawn chairs. Hence, always buckle up if there's a seat, if not you're free to enjoy the ride!
89. But Why Sue The Dentists?
So, during my time in law school, I found this unbelievably interesting case while doing a bit of research. In this unique case, a man decided to sue the College of Dental Surgeons and others, accusing them of making his life difficult as a "genetic Martian." He believed that he was a clone created from space debris that NASA rounded up in the 60s. No I am not joking.
Now, he claimed to have a genetic test to back his unusual claim, but he also claimed that the CIA had tampered with the results as part of a larger conspiracy against him. Of course, people initially thought the guy might be losing his mind, but no concrete evidence was found to back up these assumptions, other than his eccentric claims. In court, they dealt with this case in two ways. First, they deemed the case frivolously absurd and dismissed it. The second approach, though, truly made my jaw drop.
The presiding judge ruled that only a "person" can file a lawsuit in Ontario, defining a "person" as either a human or a corporation, according to the Rules of Civil Procedure. The whole crux of this man's case was that he was a Martian. If he wasn't a Martian, his case held no weight. And if he was, he had no rightful basis to file a lawsuit in Ontario!
To sum it up, it's now an established law that Martians have no right to sue in Ontario.
90. Sticky Situation
I currently have a restraining order placed on me by a girl who was recently employed by the same company where I also work. Here's how I found out - I ran into her in the company's lobby. She threatened to alert the authorities if I don't resign from the job. It's a bit of a tough spot since I have a background that makes finding another job difficult.
91. Me And My Big Mouth
Now, this one is really surprising. There was no concrete evidence that the woman who collided with my parked car at 85mph was intoxicated...until she openly admitted it during her deposition. She stormed into my deposition, itching to go first, accusing me of being a "lying witch." My attorney was paying close attention when she objected that the law enforcement report misunderstood her exit point—it wasn't the disclosed cinema, but rather her comrade's tavern.
My lawyer asked, "Did you consume any drinks at your friend's bar?" to which she replied, "Of course." When asked how many drinks she had, she responded with "I dunno, they just keep my glass full." To the further question "Did you take any medication that day?" she admitted having methadone and blood pressure medication. The officers on duty, familiar with her husband, a firefighter, had asked her to sober up at home before heading to the hospital, but never administered any sobriety tests. We finally had the evidence we needed because of her admission, and the case settled the same day.
92. The Burden Of Proof Is Heavy
There was this time when I had a client who was a truck driver. He accrued some hefty fines due to certain malfunctions with his truck. The prosecutor had lots of photos and a detailed report from the traffic officer to support the case. However, in order to find him guilty, the prosecutor needed to prove that the vehicle was indeed a "heavy vehicle."
According to the law, a "heavy vehicle" is defined as one weighing 4,500 kg or more. But the traffic officer did not note the vehicle's weight in his report. It was apparently an 18-wheeler, based on the pictures, but the exact weight was not mentioned. The prosecutor couldn't prove by this definition that it was a "heavy vehicle."
From the pictures alone, we can only infer its shape, not its actual weight. It could've been a mini 18-wheeler, who knows? Since all the penalties were for a "heavy vehicle" operator, the judge had no option but to acquit him as the prosecutor failed to show that the truck was, indeed, a "heavy vehicle."
93. Going Above And Beyond
My wife recently underwent a procedure to remove a kidney stone. During this surgery, the doctor noticed some leftover scar tissue from her recent childbirth. A gynecologist was promptly called in to take care of this. I was informed about it all once the operation was concluded and my wife was in the recovery room. But the situation wasn't as simple as getting rid of the scar tissue.
Our insurance, unfortunately, only covered the kidney stone removal and not the removal of the scar tissue. The scar tissue operation racked up a bill of $4,000 for us. We hadn't agreed to this procedure and it was obviously not needed at the time of the kidney stone surgery. So, does this mean we have a way to not pay this unexpected $4,000 charge?
94. Car Trouble
I recently returned from college and was unable to fetch a parking permit from my property manager's office since they were closed. However, I was able to get an online parking permit, which I purchased and is valid for a few more months. Yet, my car gets towed EVERY single time at 2 am and I find myself having to shell out $60 each morning to the driver, even though I display my parking permit prominently.
Despite showing him my permit, the head of the Homeowners Association (HOA), who is also my neighbor, insists on having my car towed away regularly. It is worth mentioning that I am the only Black person in my community and he has always shown a dislike for my family living here, even though we have been residents for 23 years and he only moved in three years ago.
I am unsure about how to reach out to the HOA or the property manager since my mother generally handles these issues. I plan on contacting them along with my mother. I also intend to confront my troublesome neighbor about his actions.
95. There’s Free Wi-Fi!
There's an airline I used to fly with that provided inflight Wi-Fi - although they charged an arm and a leg for it. Interestingly, if you used their entertainment system, which required their app, you wouldn't have to pay for Wi-Fi. I wasn't going to let them take advantage of me. They allowed Wi-Fi access to download that particular app which meant I could use it to browse anything online, without incurring any charges. Oh, the joy of unlimited high-speed inflight internet!
Sadly, it looks like they figured out this loophole. The last trip I made with them, this trick no longer worked. It was fun while it lasted.
96. A Little Dusty
There was an incident involving a woman with a posh fur coat who claimed that it was destroyed at the laundromat. Yes, the coat was a bit worse for wear, but the laundromat insisted that the stains were present when it arrived. The issue went to court and the judge ordered an expert examination. The findings caught everyone by surprise.
The coat testing positive for drug residue triggered a law enforcement raid at the woman's residence, where they discovered her husband's substantial narcotics stash. Looking back, she probably should've just been content with the soiled coat.
97. Joy Ride Gone Wrong
I brought my Subaru WRX to a third-party service center for maintenance. They phoned me to say the car was ready for collection. However, after waiting for nearly two hours for them to prep my car, I was told another customer had mistakenly been given my car. They loaned me a car temporarily until they can retrieve mine, which they promised would be in a few days. But things didn’t go as expected.
The staff rapidly became anxious when I informed the law enforcement officers, and it emerged that a manager had taken my car for a joyride and crashed it. They confessed to their wrongdoing. I am yet to evaluate the damage personally, but I am told it's extensive and that I would bear some repair costs. I'm on the verge of involving a lawyer.
They hold responsibility for their mishaps, so I don't see why I should be the one to pay. Although they are considering covering the fix, the car's value has dramatically dropped due to the accident, and there may be potential future hitches. They're wooing me not to involve attorneys, promising me a fair deal, but I'm not buying it. They kept deceiving me for endless hours.
I am suing them for theft and have lodged complaints with the Motor Vehicle Dealer Board and the Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection Section, and I am filing a lawsuit for an unrevealed but significant sum.
98. Get OUT
I suspect my boyfriend, a doctor, has been secretly drugging me and gaslighting me. I have struggled with memory gaps, which I initially brushed off as fatigue or stress. But when I noted similar patterns during our dates, I became alarmed.
With no recollection of preceding events, I often woke up to unsettling circumstances. I attempted to confront him about my memory issues, but bizarre occurrences would follow, pushing me to sever ties. However, I'd inexplicably find myself on a date with him every so often.
He also manipulated our future plans, frequently stating we had agreed on something I couldn't remember consenting to. This has impacted not just my personal life, but also my professional life, stoking fears of job insecurity. My friends voiced concerns about my changed demeanor, and my sleep got disrupted too. What on Earth can I do now?
99. The Art Of Misdirection
Anyone remember the reward scheme by McDonald’s where you collect the stickers from coffee purchases to earn a complimentary drink after every seven drinks? My dad would take full advantage of this by simply verbalizing he had a filled card while ordering.
After he paid for his other orders, the drive-thru staff would bid him goodbye without ever asking to verify the card. And on the rare occasion they did, he would hand it over. Plus, he would take the sticker from his free coffee and place it on another card. He had an assortment of such completed cards thanks to his daily routine.
By visiting McDonald’s every morning, my dad familiarized himself with all the staff and often engaged in casual chit-chat, which provided an additional distraction. I also had my fair share of chats with them. Thus, it's a testimony of how effective a little sidetracking can be.
100. Thinking Outside The Box
I was a family law practitioner in California for about two years before I realized I wanted a career change. In California, alimony obligations cease when the former spouse starts living with a new love interest. One day, a man approached us, highly disgruntled about splitting his income for alimony payments.
Aware of the cohabitation rule, he had a distinctive notion he yearned for me to present in court. According to him, his ex-wife was a narcissist who was in 'love' with herself, which meant she had effectively started cohabiting...with herself. It was as good as having a second person in her apartment he claimed! Despite his desperate pleas for me to represent him, I declined.
101. A Fatal Mistake
A while back, I worked on a tough case that still sticks with me. It involved a nurse, a sick baby, and a tragic mistake that none of us will forget. I want to share the story with you, as it unfolded in a small, under-resourced rural hospital years ago.
Picture this: It's late at night in a hospital that’s short on both staff and equipment. A very sick baby, who's been fighting gastroenteritis for weeks without improvement, is under the care of a dedicated nurse. The pediatric ward is doctor-less that night, as is the entire hospital.
A critical lab result comes in for the baby. The nurse gets the call and is told that if the baby doesn’t get immediate treatment, he’s not going to make it. So, she calls a doctor - exhausted from a day's work but on-call for situations just like this.
The doctor instructs a “sister” (a senior nurse) to administer potassium chloride to the baby. But there’s a deadly miscommunication. The doctor doesn’t specify that it should be given orally, which was intended. Since the instruction was for a sister to administer it, the nurse assumes it should be injected - something she couldn’t do but a sister could.
In a hurry, she calls a sister from the busy maternity ward, who comes and gives the injection, unaware of the mistake. Tragically, the baby dies immediately from cardiac arrest.
My group of attorneys was hesitant to take the case because it seemed unwinnable. However, I fought for the nursing sister, arguing that she did her absolute best with the instructions and resources she had in a critical situation. She was heartbroken and even thought about leaving her profession. Hopefully, she found strength after the case.
One glimmer of good did emerge from this heartbreaking situation, though. I talked to a local Rotary Club member about how desperately the hospital needed telemedicine equipment, as they were running a related project. Soon after, they donated essential equipment to the hospital. Years later, I randomly met the doctor involved, who was incredibly thankful for that donation, believing it helped prevent similar future tragedies at that hospital.
Pexels
102. Invasion of Privacy
So, I'm not a lawyer, but I had to step up for my brother-in-law and take his landlord to small claims court, even though he's on SSI and I'm his conservator. The landlord went off the rails, and we ended up suing her for over $4,000. Why? Well, one day she just decided she wasn’t a fan of him, switched the locks on his door, and tossed all his belongings into trash bags on the curb—all this right after she’d cashed his rent check.
The backstory here: she’d been sneaking into his apartment, rifling through his stuff without any warning while he was out. I found out, told him to confront her (politely), and when he did, boom - he’s suddenly homeless. At court, I came prepared, handed the judge a neat folder filled with photos, receipts, a timeline of everything, some short videos on a DVD, and sheriff call logs.
Plot twist: the landlord and her son decided to countersue us, asking for the exact amount we wanted from them! They claimed the apartment was wrecked, with holes in the walls, and needed repairs before renting it out again. The judge, not easily swayed, asked for proof of the supposed damage.
The son, thinking he’s onto a winner, shows a video from his phone as evidence, doing a walkthrough of the still-occupied (by my BIL's belongings) and conspicuously undamaged apartment. Sure, there were lots of posters and stuff on the walls, but nothing like what they were describing. The judge, puzzled, asks, “Where’s the damage?” The son, with misplaced confidence, responds, “Oh, it’s hidden behind the posters".
You could almost hear the facepalm as the judge double-checks, “Was he still living there when you filmed this?” Son: “Yes". The final nail in the coffin: “Did you get his permission to enter and film?” Silence... And that’s how we won the full amount.
103. Not A Lucky Divorce
A woman snagged $1.3 million in a lottery pool and then, just 11 days later, filed for divorce. She remained silent about the lottery windfall, not sharing a word of it with her soon-to-be ex-husband and also maintaining secrecy during the court proceedings. She nearly managed to keep it a secret, but fate had other plans.
More than two years post-divorce, a letter landed at the house they once shared. It was an offer to buy out her lottery annuity, providing a hefty lump sum upfront. Her ex-husband, spotting the letter, didn’t miss a beat and got a lawyer on the case. The family court, in a twist of irony, awarded him every penny of the lottery prize.
104. A Good Foundation
So, I do a lot of insurance work, and I try cases of all kinds, large and small. I had a small case, over about $2,600, from where a contractor drove into a retaining wall at this lady's house and damaged it. He wouldn't fix it, and, after like eight months, the homeowner allowed her insurance company—my client—to have it fixed and then sent the bill to the contractor.
Surprise surprise, the contractor wouldn't pay. There was lots of squabbling between my client and the contractor's insurance company, who offered less than $500 on a $2,600 bill. We had a trial to settle it. I brought our claims adjuster and the homeowner. The defense attorney brought the contractor and an adjuster from the contractor's insurance company.
Everything goes fine with questioning the homeowner, who was a sweet, middle-aged woman. She, like most people, knows nothing about the finer points of masonry. Then, we get to my claims adjuster. He says, "Well, we paid $2,600 to have this fixed, but I'm not an expert on masonry." However, he also discussed how estimates on masonry were made.
I close my proof. Next, the contractor gets up on the stand. They go over what exactly happened with the retaining wall. Then, he testifies that he "knows for a fact" that the $2,600 invoice includes overhead and profit and accuses my client of "running a scam." The judge strikes the answer. I look down at the estimate for repair and grin from ear to ear.
It says, in bold print, "This amount does not include overhead or profit." I look at the invoice. It's the same amount as the estimate. This guy is lying through his teeth—and I’m going to catch him. On cross examination, I show the contractor the invoice. "Sir, this is a $2,600 invoice for repair, correct." "Yes." Then I show him the estimate.
"Sir, this is a $2,600 estimate for the same repairs, correct?" "Yes." "They're the same amount, correct?" "Yes." "Does the estimate say it does not include profit or overhead?" "Uh..." "Does it?" "Yes." "Didn't you just testify that you knew for a fact that the estimate included overhead?" "I don't know." "What don't you know?"
At this point, the contractor is furious and beats his hand on the stand. "It doesn't include overhead and profit, does it?" "I guess not." "But you said it did, right?" I pass the witness. But I wasn’t done yet. Next, the defense attorney calls the contractor's insurance company's adjuster. He testifies about how much he thought it should cost, like $500.00.
I cross-examine him. "How did you make this estimate?" "I put the numbers into a computer program." "How do you know what numbers to put in?" "Uh..." "Are you a contractor?" "No." "Are you an expert in masonry?" "No." "Have you ever worked in construction?" "No." "And the computer programs spits out what you put in?" "Yes."
"And you can just put in whatever numbers you want?" "Yes." "And it makes an estimate based on the numbers you pick?" "Yes." "But you don't know anything about masonry?" "No." The adjuster just testified that he made up the estimate. Defense closes proof. And the judge takes the matter under advisement. So let’s recap all this glory.
The contractor lied and was discredited, and the adjuster for the contractor admitted he just made everything up. We got $1,000 out of the trial. Less than half of what we sought but double what the defendant argued it should be. It was a win in my book.
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This Authentic Courtroom Drama Outdoes Judge Judy
This Authentic Courtroom Drama Makes Judge Judy Look Tame
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