petruchio

I won a lawsuit today and immediately collected the settlement from the defendant. Yet, I'm still frustrated and don't have a feeling of satisfaction that I'd expect -- partially due to the fact that I'm dead tired today, having spent several hours yesterday and last night brushing up on some little-used sections of California law.

The worst part was (apart from having to stay off SG for the evening!) that the Superior Court judge wouldn't listen to a word I had to say (I couldn't even verbally present the evidence of the case, and was merely restricted to handing over the documents to the bailiff!) while the defendant raked me over the coals, calling me a liar and a jerk and he hoped that my "karma would bite me in the ass!" The judge simultaneously allowed this abusive tyrade and kept my mouth zippered by direct order. All this after the defendant had agreed to settle, and then changed his mind a half an hour later when court was back in session. The judge seemed really pissed off about that, yet I still wasn't allowed to speak. I think the judge's mind was more on the preparations being made for the 500-million-dollar case that directly followed ours and she just wanted us gone.

A bittersweet victory, indeed...