Sunday, January 14, 2007

Old lady is not a drug dealer, does not get evicted.

This was an especially funny case. Someone saw the landlord's lawyer screaming at this lady in the hallway of the court building, and decided to talk to her.

They were evicting her implying there's support for it in a law that facilitates evicting drug dealers. So they accused grandma of being a drug dealer. They get six witnesses, somehow, and video evidence.

But the actual legal argument was that she was a nuisance - there was no police involved, no police report, no drug complaints from the neighbors - only the landlord and his lawyers accusing this old lady and her grandchildren of being drug dealers.

So they call their witnesses. One of them doesn't show up. The other is there, but doesn't want to testify. Finally one takes the stand. He apparently operated the video surveillance equipment of the building. They have there a bag full of tapes, one DVD, and a video recording unit of some kind.

While answering some very simple questions, he is fidgeting in his seat, looking at the prosecution lawyer, making hand signals to communicate with his lawyer, mumbling and saying incoherent things, and the judge warns him to stop looking and making hand signals to his lawyer, and just answer the questions. He lies to the judge, challenging the judge's observation, saying he is not looking at his lawyer.

Finally, the guy says he doesn't feel well, and needs to leave. He goes home, in the middle of testimony. The next day, the case continues, and the judge just decides he's seen enough of this circus - the lady is staying in the apt, and the landlord has no case against her.

This landlord and his lawyers put on a good standup comedy though!

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