Dry Cleaner Wins In $54M Pants Case
A judge ruled Monday in favor of a South Korean dry cleaner who was sued for $54 million over a missing pair of pants in a case that garnered international attention and renewed calls for litigation reform.
The owners of Custom Cleaners did not violate the city's consumer protection act by failing to live up to Roy L. Pearson's expectations of the "Satisfaction Guaranteed" sign that was once placed in the store window, District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff ruled.
Bartnoff ordered Pearson to pay the court costs of defendants Soo Chung, Jin Nam Chung and Ki Y. Chung. Those costs came to just over $1,000, according to the Chungs' attorney. A motion to recover the tens of thousands of dollars they spent in attorney fees will be considered later.
Pearson, an administrative law judge, originally sought $67 million from the Chungs after he claimed they lost a pair of trousers from a blue and maroon suit, then later tried to return a pair of charcoal gray pants that he said were not his. He arrived at the amount by adding up years of law violations and almost $2 million in common law claims for fraud.
Pearson later dropped demands for damages related to the pants and focused his claims on signs in the shop, which have since been removed.
The two-day trial earlier this month drew a standing-room-only crowd, including many Korean and international media outlets covering the story.
In issuing her ruling Monday, the judge wrote that Pearson failed to prove that the pants the dry cleaner tried to return were not the pants he brought in for alterations.
"A reasonable consumer would not interpret 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' to mean that a merchant is required to satisfy a customer's unreasonable demands or to accede to demands that the merchant has reasonable grounds to dispute," the judge wrote.
Chris Manning, the Chungs' attorney, praised the ruling.
"Judge Bartnoff has spoken loudly in suggesting that, while consumers should be protected, abusive lawsuits like this will not be tolerated," Manning said in a statement. "Judge Bartnoff has chosen commonsense and reasonableness over irrationality and unbridled venom."
The Chungs have said the trial exacted an enormous financial and emotional toll on them and exposed them to widespread ridicule.
Pearson did not immediately respond to a call and an e-mail seeking comment. Manning said he expected Pearson to appeal.
During the trial, Pearson testified that he wanted only $2 million in damages for himself — for his mental anguish and inconvenience — plus $500,000 in attorney's fees for representing himself. Any additional money that the judge might award would go into a fund "to educate people of their rights under the consumer protection act," he said.
The case garnered international attention and renewed calls for litigation reform.
"This case was giving American justice a black eye around the world, and it was all the more upsetting because it was a judge and lawyer who was bringing the suit," said Paul Rothstein, a Georgetown University law professor.
Rothstein said Monday's ruling "restores one's confidence in the legal system."
© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The owners of Custom Cleaners did not violate the city's consumer protection act by failing to live up to Roy L. Pearson's expectations of the "Satisfaction Guaranteed" sign that was once placed in the store window, District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff ruled.
Bartnoff ordered Pearson to pay the court costs of defendants Soo Chung, Jin Nam Chung and Ki Y. Chung. Those costs came to just over $1,000, according to the Chungs' attorney. A motion to recover the tens of thousands of dollars they spent in attorney fees will be considered later.
Pearson, an administrative law judge, originally sought $67 million from the Chungs after he claimed they lost a pair of trousers from a blue and maroon suit, then later tried to return a pair of charcoal gray pants that he said were not his. He arrived at the amount by adding up years of law violations and almost $2 million in common law claims for fraud.
Pearson later dropped demands for damages related to the pants and focused his claims on signs in the shop, which have since been removed.
The two-day trial earlier this month drew a standing-room-only crowd, including many Korean and international media outlets covering the story.
In issuing her ruling Monday, the judge wrote that Pearson failed to prove that the pants the dry cleaner tried to return were not the pants he brought in for alterations.
"A reasonable consumer would not interpret 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' to mean that a merchant is required to satisfy a customer's unreasonable demands or to accede to demands that the merchant has reasonable grounds to dispute," the judge wrote.
Chris Manning, the Chungs' attorney, praised the ruling.
"Judge Bartnoff has spoken loudly in suggesting that, while consumers should be protected, abusive lawsuits like this will not be tolerated," Manning said in a statement. "Judge Bartnoff has chosen commonsense and reasonableness over irrationality and unbridled venom."
The Chungs have said the trial exacted an enormous financial and emotional toll on them and exposed them to widespread ridicule.
Pearson did not immediately respond to a call and an e-mail seeking comment. Manning said he expected Pearson to appeal.
During the trial, Pearson testified that he wanted only $2 million in damages for himself — for his mental anguish and inconvenience — plus $500,000 in attorney's fees for representing himself. Any additional money that the judge might award would go into a fund "to educate people of their rights under the consumer protection act," he said.
The case garnered international attention and renewed calls for litigation reform.
"This case was giving American justice a black eye around the world, and it was all the more upsetting because it was a judge and lawyer who was bringing the suit," said Paul Rothstein, a Georgetown University law professor.
Rothstein said Monday's ruling "restores one's confidence in the legal system."
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Only $2M?! Shesh! Oh boy! Oh boy! Pearson is really nuts and trully has no common sense and unreasonable. Its a good thing the judge make the right move and favored the owners of the dry cleaner.
Posted by cryonbrian at 07:17 PM : Jun 25, 2007
Hmmm... it doesn't..but Meriam, his sister, was struck dumb for critizing his marrying a black woman. Maybe he was Asian...or Hispanic...there is always someone willing to use the Bible as grounds for arguing.
It is sad that we have NUTS like the one quoted above that scream tort reform every time there is a silly case like 'missing pants' or 'spilled hot coffee.' The reason these cases MAKE the news is because they seem absurd. So what is the answer? Throw away the legal system? Try fighting a case where your child had his bowels sucked down a faulty water intake in a swimming pool and tell us if you think litigation reform is necessary! No income from the child so you don't need punitive damages for a faulty product do you? Child didn't live long enough to have a big hospital bill so the parents don't need to be reimbursed anything except minor expenses, RIGHT? Caps on everything?
No one needs legal remedy except YOU maybe when you sue for something that happens to you or yours?
This whole case sounds like a lie gone really bad...an opportunistic lawyer sees a sign..'Satisfaction Guaranteed', thinks to self..hmmm 'watch this' and tries to scam money, I agree the Chung's deserve the court costs, attorney fees, and perhaps a little more. The headline makes it appear they are getting 54M...that in itself would raise the 'litigation reform' red flag.
These poor people should be compensated for more than they have had to put out, they should be counter sueing for mental and emotional damages.
They have not exposed themselves to widespread ridicule, Pearson is the one who has exposed himself to not only widespread ridicule but to the world thinking he is totally insane and should be locked up for the protection of the people. I live in Australia and am thrilled that Jin Nam and Ki Y. Chung have won and feel so sorry for them for what this fool has put them through..
Mr and Mrs Chung, sue this madman for what he has done to you, I dont know if you would win as he is obviously totally and uttly insane...what a fool he wanted millions for a so called lost pair of pants, he has to be nuts..and I bet he had them at home all the time...
Don't how the Bible got into this thread, but I'll weigh in...Moses had a black wife.
So Moses wife was Black. Now where in the bible does it say Moses was a white man?
It has nothing to do with pants. I was correcting what 3 other posters said! Strange you did not say anything about their comments that had nothing to do with pants?
Now for the intent of the board...'bout d...am..n time something stupid in the first place got the smack down! That judge and lawyer who represented him need to lose all license in any field of law. Both need to be on lithium drips for life!!!