Student sues lawyer for renegging on $1m offer

Mark Latimour · #1 07-10-2009, 05:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rollonfriday.co.uk

A law student is suing a defence lawyer in the US, claiming that his promise of $1million on TV amounted to an offer capable of acceptance by a viewer.

US lawyer James Cheney Mason was defending a client accused of murder. He claimed that the prosecution's case relied on his client being able to get from the airport to his hotel, where he was seen on a CCTV camera, in just 28 minutes. Mason claimed that this was absolutely impossible and that therefore, the prosecution had no case against his client. And he was so sure of this that he offered $1million on national TV to anyone who could prove him wrong.

Which is exactly what law student Dustin Kolodziej did - managing to retrace the journey within 28 minutes. When he tried to claim the prize Mason refused to pay up, and warned that he would consider any further attempts to obtain the money as attempted extortion.

Kolodiziej has now filed a claim for breach of contract against Mason and is suing him for the $1million. Mason has reportedly described the action as "stupid" and "ridiculous". He is also thought not to believe in carbolic smoke balls.

Source: http://www.rollonfriday.co.uk/ThisWe...6/Default.aspx

Hehe, I want to know if the student affected his client's chance of winning!

burk48237 · #2 07-10-2009, 06:39 AM

ANT time a lawyer gets sued in this country it's a good thing.

jojobean39 · #3 07-10-2009, 07:03 AM

That's pretty funny. I don't think I really agree with that case, as that's more just a figure of speech. But, that's funny that the guy took the time to prove him wrong.

Jim Nazium · #4 07-10-2009, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by burk48237

ANT time a lawyer gets sued in this country it's a good thing.

I have this fantasy in which I go to law school, pass the bar exam, and then file a class action suit against the trial lawyers' association on behalf of every business that has had to defend itself against a frivolous lawsuit. What's good for the goose ...

JmJ · #5 07-10-2009, 08:37 AM

Pay up or shut up. A public statement, by an attorney, should be worth something. Oh wait a minute this is lawyers we 're talking about. Forget I said anything.

rustynuts · #6 07-10-2009, 09:22 AM

Max Reede: My dad? He's... a liar.
Teacher: A liar? I'm sure you don't mean a liar.
Max Reede: Well, he wears a suit and goes to court and talks to the judge.
Teacher: Oh, you mean he's a lawyer.

MatticusMania · #7 07-10-2009, 12:40 PM

I hope that young lad gets his $1million, the lawyer was just pissed because now he has to try harder to defend his client.

rustynuts · #8 07-10-2009, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

I hope that young lad gets his $1million, the lawyer was just pissed because now he has to try harder to defend his client.

Too late for that, the guy has been sentenced to death four times over. His only chance of not dying in prison is if Ecuador succeeds in withdrawing the extradition that brought him back to the US.