Litigating pro se
Mar. 27th, 2009 10:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
muck_a_luck1. Boss attempts to negotiate continuance of trial with pro se opposition.
2. Pro se opposition refuses to agree to continuance.
3. Boss attempts to arrange a Calendar Control date convenient to pro se litigant.
4. Pro se litigant says he is out of town for the next three Calendar Control days (trial is in 5 days), and that he cannot make himself available by phone for calendar control.
5. Boss schedules Calendar Control and notices pro se litigant.
6. Pro se opposing party does not appear at Calendar Control, either by person or by phone, despite being told by paralegal that the hearing had been scheduled and receiving notice at his notice address.
7. Pro se opposing party GETS HOME today (WTF, Mr. I'm Out Of Town?) and finds a letter from Boss informing him that at Calendar Control the judge moved the trial to a new trial date.
8. Pro se opposing party calls and attempts to arrange for a Calendar Control appearance 5 minutes from the time he called.
9. Pro se opposing party gets no call back (because paralegal had not yet picked up voice mail).
10. Pro se litigant calls again and asks when he can expect a call back.
11. Paralegal informs pro se litigant that she will relay the message to Boss as soon as he is out of Court.
Let that be a lesson to all you pro se parties out there. If you are going to represent yourself, be sure you don't try to play games with a professional who is trying to schedule with you. Parties are entitled to schedule. If you don't want to schedule, you'd better be damned well prepared to fight, not just putting your head down a hole. If you're really going to be on business travel all the time (which this guy was clearly exaggerating), then you can't represent yourself. Get a lawyer.
2. Pro se opposition refuses to agree to continuance.
3. Boss attempts to arrange a Calendar Control date convenient to pro se litigant.
4. Pro se litigant says he is out of town for the next three Calendar Control days (trial is in 5 days), and that he cannot make himself available by phone for calendar control.
5. Boss schedules Calendar Control and notices pro se litigant.
6. Pro se opposing party does not appear at Calendar Control, either by person or by phone, despite being told by paralegal that the hearing had been scheduled and receiving notice at his notice address.
7. Pro se opposing party GETS HOME today (WTF, Mr. I'm Out Of Town?) and finds a letter from Boss informing him that at Calendar Control the judge moved the trial to a new trial date.
8. Pro se opposing party calls and attempts to arrange for a Calendar Control appearance 5 minutes from the time he called.
9. Pro se opposing party gets no call back (because paralegal had not yet picked up voice mail).
10. Pro se litigant calls again and asks when he can expect a call back.
11. Paralegal informs pro se litigant that she will relay the message to Boss as soon as he is out of Court.
Let that be a lesson to all you pro se parties out there. If you are going to represent yourself, be sure you don't try to play games with a professional who is trying to schedule with you. Parties are entitled to schedule. If you don't want to schedule, you'd better be damned well prepared to fight, not just putting your head down a hole. If you're really going to be on business travel all the time (which this guy was clearly exaggerating), then you can't represent yourself. Get a lawyer.
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Date: 2009-03-27 02:18 pm (UTC)And yeah. "He who represents himself has a fool for a client." :-)
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Date: 2009-03-27 02:20 pm (UTC)Oi. I know people need to go to Court and often don't want to spend the cash for a lawyer, but jeez.
no subject
Date: 2009-03-27 02:27 pm (UTC)