Meanwhile, at the White House, The Tort-Reformer-In-Chief Is Mulling Legislation That Would Make All Small-Claims Actions Automatically Removable to Federal Court

For four days, good-hearted citizens across the land have been expressing shock and outrage about the two girls who were sued by a neighbor for delivering cookies as a gift--and lost, to the tune of nine hundred big ones.

But today, the country can rest easy: as a result of their unfathomable loss in a Denver small-claims court, not only are the girls receiving offers to appear on TV, but people across the country are sending them money to show their support.

I know I'll be sleeping better.

Comments

[Mike]

But today, the country can rest easy: as a result of their unfathomable loss in a Denver small-claims court...

Let's not minimize this issue. If one of the girls applies to law school, she may be required to disclose this adverse judgment. And if one of them applies to the bar, they will certainly be required to disclose it. Maybe it's only an annoyance, but it's one they should not have had to deal with.

Also, when I was 18, I'd have a hard time coming up with $900 bucks -- and I worked!

[david giacalone]

Mike, If total lack of common sense is a bar to bar membership (and it should be), having to disclose this episode to the Fitness Committee might be very good for the public and the Republic.

p.s. Their mommies and daddies will apparently pay -- although, all the publicity and media appearances, plus the donations flowing in, will surely leave the cookie cuties with a surplus.

p.p.s. Evan, judging from the traffic my piece decrying the outrage has received, you might want to do a follow-up for Internet Sweeps Month in May.

[Evan]

David: Your post--the one you linked to--was the inspiration for my post. Yours was very good. Of course, it's too bad that the only guy with common sense in the country is someone from the East Coast, but hey, I've got to call it like I see it.

Mike: Perhaps I'm not being sensitive enough to the plight of the young cooks, but there's a larger issue: why are any of us talking about something that happened in small-claims court? I don't know the answer, but I saw a lot of weblog posts, newspaper quotes, and Op-Eds today using the cookie-gift episode as evidence that the country's legal system is screwed up--and, by extension, that what we all need is a good dose of tort reform. Maybe it is, but the argument shouldn't rest on this silly little neighborhood dispute from Colorado. It's like saying the low production standards on The Apprentice prove that movies just aren't what they used to be.

[david giacalone]

Thanks, Evan, I appreciate your lone voice crying out in the (midwest) desert. I must confess that Mama Giacalone used to tell me, back when I was in high school, "I don't care how smart they say you are, you've got no common sense." Maybe there's hope for the Bakin' Babes. I'm not as optimistic about their cheerleaders.

[Mike]

Evan: Gotcha. There's no way I think that the case means we need tort reform.

dI'm sure all of us can remember the old grouch who shooed kids away from her door when they asked her to buy candy bars for a fundraiser. Thus, most of us can identify with the girls whom this woman sue.

By the way, David, do you leave your porch lights on for the trick or treaters? :)