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  1. #1
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    The Stella Awards

    STELLA AWARDS These are just scary and crazy! Talk about the “dumbing down” of society or is that the “dumbing down” of juries and the legal systems that allows these things to happen!

    It's time again for the annual Stella Awards! For those unfamiliar with these awards, they are named after 81-year-old Stella Liebeck, who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued the McDonald's in New Mexico where she purchased the coffee. You remember, she took the lid off the coffee and put it between her knees while she was driving. Who would ever think one could get burned doing that, right?

    So, these are awards for the most outlandish lawsuits and verdicts in the U.S. You know, the kinds of cases that make you scratch your head.

    OK get your head scratcher ready!

    Here are the Stella's for the past year:

    7th PLACE:

    Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas was awarded $80,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The store owners were understandably surprised by the verdict, considering the running toddler was her own son.

    6th PLACE:

    Carl Truman, 19, of Los Angeles, California won $74,000 plus medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor's hubcaps.

    Go ahead, grab your head scratcher.

    5th PLACE:

    Terrence Dickson, of Bristol, Pennsylvania was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut. Forced to eat for eight, count 'em, EIGHT, days on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner's insurance company claiming undue mental anguish. Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish.

    We should all have this kind of anguish. Keep scratching. There are more.

    4th PLACE:

    Jerry Williams, of Little Rock, Arkansas, garnered 4th place in the Stella's when he was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the butt by his next door neighbor's beagle - even though the beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. Williams did not get as much as he asked for because the jury believed the beagle might have been provoked at the time of the butt bite because Williams had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly shot the dog with a pellet gun.

    Grrrrr .. Scratch, scratch.

    3rd PLACE:

    A jury ordered a Philadelphia restaurant to pay Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania $113,500 after she slipped on a spilled soft drink and broke her tailbone. The reason the soft drink was on the floor: Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument. Whatever happened to people being responsible for their own actions?

    Scratch, scratch, scratch. Hang in there. There are only two more Stella's to go.

    2nd PLACE :

    Kara Walton of Claymont, Delaware sued the owner of a nightclub in a nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor, knocking out her two front teeth. Even though Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the ladies' room window to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge, the jury said the nightclub had to pay her $12,000, oh, yeah, plus dental expenses.

    Go figure.

    1st PLACE: (May we have a fanfare played on 50 kazoos, please.)

    This year's runaway First Place Stella Award winner was Mrs. Merv Grazinski of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma who purchased a new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, from an OU football game, having driven on to the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver's seat to go to the back of the Winnebago to make herself a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Also not surprisingly, Mrs. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually leave the driver's seat while the cruise control was set. The Oklahoma jury awarded her, are you sitting down, $1,750,000 PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs.Grazinski has any relatives who might also buy a motor home.

    Are we, as a society, getting more stupid? Or is it just the juries that the lawyers select?
    "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect,"

  2. #2
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    Marmite the Dog's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norton
    Are we, as a society, getting more stupid?
    Yes, you Americans are getting more stupid.

  3. #3
    Thailand Expat lom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norton
    Are we, as a society, getting more stupid? Or is it just the juries that the lawyers select?
    Definitely both.
    Stoopid people , stoopid laws.

  4. #4
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog
    Yes, you Americans are getting more stupid.
    Yes, yes we have much to learn from Her Majesty's jurisprudence system.

    "A senior judge earlier signed papers authorising the release of Abu Qatada, previously described as Osama Bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe."

    BBC NEWS | UK | Abu Qatada released from prison

  5. #5
    សុខសប្បាយ
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    It's strange how they infrequently publicise ludicrous decisions by courts with defendants on criminal charges.

    I guess it's just not funny when someone gets sentenced to 12 years in jail for a petty crime or a crime he didn't commit.

  6. #6
    Thailand Expat jandajoy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by EmperorTud
    I guess it's just not funny when someone gets sentenced to 12 years in jail for a petty crime or a crime he didn't commit.
    Well, no, it's not funny. Though the above raise a chuckle of astonishment it's really pretty sick. Priorities and common sense seem to sinking fast.

  7. #7
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    Good read but a hoax..........

    Stella Awards Hoax

  8. #8
    Thailand Expat Texpat's Avatar
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    d'oh!

    So, it seems the only real miscarriage of justice is in post #4.

  9. #9
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by buriramboy
    Good read but a hoax.......... Stella Awards Hoax
    Crap, I've been hoaxed by an email I was sent. My sincere apologies to all! Should have posted in Jokes forum.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norton View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog
    Yes, you Americans are getting more stupid.
    Yes, yes we have much to learn from Her Majesty's jurisprudence system.

    "A senior judge earlier signed papers authorising the release of Abu Qatada, previously described as Osama Bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe."

    BBC NEWS | UK | Abu Qatada released from prison
    That BBC report is the second one covering the same story - it is dated 17th June
    When it appeared in the online BBC news on the 16th June it also said that he is now entitled to 1000 GBP per WEEK in benefits and that he had 170,000 GBP in his bank when he was taken into custody !!! This seems to have been edited out !!!

    WTF !!
    Makes my UK pension of about 400 GBP a MONTH look a bit silly !

  11. #11
    Thailand Expat Texpat's Avatar
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    It's called tough love. They'll coddle him until he blows something up.

  12. #12
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Happyman
    That BBC report is the second one covering the same story - it is dated 17th June When it appeared in the online BBC news on the 16th June it also said that he is now entitled to 1000 GBP per WEEK in benefits and that he had 170,000 GBP in his bank when he was taken into custody !!! This seems to have been edited out !!! WTF !! Makes my UK pension of about 400 GBP a MONTH look a bit silly !
    This thread may turn out to have some merit after all.

  13. #13
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  14. #14
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    ^

    SHIT !

    The Telegraph said an extra 12000 GBP a year for his family support!!!

    I truly despair


  15. #15
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Happyman
    The Telegraph said an extra 12000 GBP a year for his family support!!!
    This is truly becoming a serious candidate for the number one spot in the Stella Awards.

  16. #16
    Thailand Expat jandajoy's Avatar
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    The country is fucked.
    Once my old man shuffles off I can see no reason for returning. None whatsoever.
    On top of that I'd say a good 75% of the people I know England want to get out too.

  17. #17
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    ^^
    Sorry - does not qualify


    Stella awards are reputedly a hoax and funny !

    This is real and NOT funny !!!

    PS
    Mr Norton
    Gotta kilo of clotted cream arriving this evening !!
    Did you manage to make any ??

  18. #18
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Happyman
    Did you manage to make any ??
    A vain attempt resulting in a rather nasty tasting concoction with the texture of curdled buttermilk. Being an unbridled optimist I shall get it right the next try.

  19. #19
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    If this is fake, it must have been created by rightwingers to make people angry.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norton View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Happyman
    Did you manage to make any ??
    A vain attempt resulting in a rather nasty tasting concoction with the texture of curdled buttermilk. Being an unbridled optimist I shall get it right the next try.
    Oh Dear !

    I'm making scones at the moment !
    Tell you what - how about I write and tell you what they taste like with a thick layer of cream topped with raspberry jam ?

    (Don't bother I "redded" myself !! That was unkind ! )

  21. #21
    The cold, wet one
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norton View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Happyman
    Did you manage to make any ??
    A vain attempt resulting in a rather nasty tasting concoction with the texture of curdled buttermilk. Being an unbridled optimist I shall get it right the next try.
    Can I just say, I'm sooooo glad you didn't bring me any in HH, after all, Norts?

  22. #22
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    ^Better talk to Happyman and invite to a tour of the doggie baan. Don't wait too long or the kilo he has will be history!

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norton View Post
    ^Better talk to Happyman and invite to a tour of the doggie baan. Don't wait too long or the kilo he has will be history!
    Alas!! tiz already massivly reduced

  24. #24
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    There are the Stella awards and their are fake Stella awards. This is the website for the true Stella awards-

    The TRUE Stella Awards -- Exposing Lawsuit Abuse with Real Cases

    The winner of the 2007 True Stella Award: Roy L. Pearson Jr. The 57-year-old Administrative Law Judge from Washington DC claims that a dry cleaner lost a pair of his pants, so he sued the mom-and-pop business for $65,462,500. That's right: more than $65 million for one pair of pants. Representing himself, Judge Pearson cried in court over the loss of his pants, whining that there certainly isn't a more compelling case in the District archives. But the Superior Court judge wasn't moved: he called the case "vexatious litigation", scolded Judge Pearson for his "bad faith", and awarded damages to the dry cleaners. But Pearson didn't take no for an answer: he's appealing the decision. And he has plenty of time on his hands, since he was dismissed from his job. Last we heard, Pearson's appeal is still pending.

    And the winner of the 2006 True Stella Award: Allen Ray Heckard. Even though Heckard is 3 inches shorter, 25 pounds lighter, and 8 years older than former basketball star Michael Jordan, the Portland, Oregon, man says he looks a lot like Jordan, and is often confused for him -- and thus he deserves $52 million "for defamation and permanent injury" -- plus $364 million in "punitive damage for emotional pain and suffering", plus the SAME amount from Nike co-founder Phil Knight, for a grand total of $832 million. He dropped the suit after Nike's lawyers chatted with him, where they presumably explained how they'd counter-sue if he pressed on.

    And the winner of the 2005 True Stella Award: Christopher Roller of Burnsville, Minn. Roller is mystified by professional magicians, so he sued David Blaine and David Copperfield to demand they reveal their secrets to him -- or else pay him 10 percent of their lifelong earnings, which he figures amounts to $50 million for Copperfield and $2 million for Blaine. The basis for his suit: Roller claims that the magicians defy the laws of physics, and thus must be using "godly powers" -- and since Roller is god (according to him), they're "somehow" stealing that power from him.

    And the winner of the 2004 True Stella Award: Mary Ubaudi of Madison County, Ill. Ubaudi was a passenger in a car that got into a wreck. She put most of the blame on the deepest pocket available: Mazda Motors, who made the car she was riding in. Ubaudi demands "in excess of $150,000" from the automaker, claiming it "failed to provide instructions regarding the safe and proper use of a seatbelt." One hopes Mazda's attorneys make her swear in court that she has never before worn a seatbelt, has never flown on an airliner, and that she's too stupid to figure out how to fasten a seatbelt.

    And the winner of the 2003 True Stella Awards: The City of Madera, Calif. Madera police officer Marcy Noriega had the suspect from a minor disturbance handcuffed in the back of her patrol car. When the suspect started to kick at the car's windows, Officer Noriega decided to subdue him with her Taser. Incredibly, instead of pulling her stun gun from her belt, she pulled her service sidearm and shot the man in the chest, killing him instantly. The city, however, says the killing is not the officer's fault; it argues that "any reasonable police officer" could "mistakenly draw and fire a handgun instead of the Taser device" and has filed suit against Taser, arguing the company should pay for any award from the wrongful death lawsuit the man's family has filed. What a slur against every professionally trained police officer who knows the difference between a real gun and a stun gun! And what a cowardly attempt to escape responsibility for the actions of its own under-trained officer.

    And the winner of the 2002 True Stella Awards: sisters Janice Bird, Dayle Bird Edgmon and Kim Bird Moran sued their mother's doctors and a hospital after Janice accompanied her mother, Nita Bird, to a minor medical procedure. When something went wrong, Janice and Dayle witnessed doctors rushing their mother to emergency surgery. Rather than malpractice, their legal fight centered on the "negligent infliction of emotional distress" -- not for causing distress to their mother, but for causing distress to them for having to see the doctors rushing to help their mother. The case was fought all the way to the California Supreme Court, which finally ruled against the women. Which is a good thing, since if they had prevailed doctors and hospitals would have had no choice but to keep you from being anywhere near your family members during medical procedures just in case something goes wrong. In their greed, the Bird sisters risked everyone's right to have family members with them in emergencies.

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