The Case of the $67 Million Pants
Nick Griffith
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The Plaintiff: Administrative Law Judge Roy L. Pearson of Washington, D.C.
The Defendants: Korean immigrants Jin and Soo Chung, and their son, who own Custom Cleaners, a dry cleaning business in the Fort Lincoln section of Washington, D.C. 
Judge Pearson's story?
One day, back in 2005, he dropped off a prized $800 pair of trousers at Custom Cleaners. A $10 dry cleaning bill. When he returned to pick up his pants, he was informed that they had been lost.
Apparently, this isn't the beginning of the story. Unfortunately, Judge Pearson experienced the same trouble three years previous, back in 2002. In 2002, Custom Cleaner reportedly lost a pair of Judge Pearson's pants. This incident was settled when the Chung's wrote Pearson a $150 check for a new pair of pants.
Fast forward, back to 2005.
First, Pearson demanding $1,150 for the trousers lost this second time around. After getting some lawyers involved, the Chung's eventually offered Pearson $3,000 for the pants. Pearson declined. The Chung's came back with a $4,600 offer. Still no deal. Finally, the Chung's offered Pearson $12,000 for the $800 pair of pants, and Pearson once again declines.
And that gets us to the court case. Judge Pearson claims that, according to the District of Columbia's consumer protection laws, he is entitled to $1,500 per violation per day. In this case, Pearson claims the Chung's are twice in violation, for two signs. One claiming "Satisfaction Guaranteed," and the other claiming "Same Day Service."
And despite the 2002 incident having been handled in 2002, Pearson is suing for both incidents. A total of 1,200 days that the Chung's were in two violations. At $1,500 per violation per day, that alone totals $3.6 million.
On top of this, Pearson wants $500,000 for "emotional damages" (he claims to be experiencing "mental suffering, inconvenience, and discomfort"), and another $542,500 for legal fees. Pearson wants more than a half a million in legal fees, and he's representing himself?
Pearson also demands $15,000 for 10 years' worth of car rental fees so that he can take his dry cleaning to another business.
The Defendants: Korean immigrants Jin and Soo Chung, and their son, who own Custom Cleaners, a dry cleaning business in the Fort Lincoln section of Washington, D.C.
Judge Pearson's story?
One day, back in 2005, he dropped off a prized $800 pair of trousers at Custom Cleaners. A $10 dry cleaning bill. When he returned to pick up his pants, he was informed that they had been lost.
Apparently, this isn't the beginning of the story. Unfortunately, Judge Pearson experienced the same trouble three years previous, back in 2002. In 2002, Custom Cleaner reportedly lost a pair of Judge Pearson's pants. This incident was settled when the Chung's wrote Pearson a $150 check for a new pair of pants.
Fast forward, back to 2005.
First, Pearson demanding $1,150 for the trousers lost this second time around. After getting some lawyers involved, the Chung's eventually offered Pearson $3,000 for the pants. Pearson declined. The Chung's came back with a $4,600 offer. Still no deal. Finally, the Chung's offered Pearson $12,000 for the $800 pair of pants, and Pearson once again declines.
And that gets us to the court case. Judge Pearson claims that, according to the District of Columbia's consumer protection laws, he is entitled to $1,500 per violation per day. In this case, Pearson claims the Chung's are twice in violation, for two signs. One claiming "Satisfaction Guaranteed," and the other claiming "Same Day Service."
And despite the 2002 incident having been handled in 2002, Pearson is suing for both incidents. A total of 1,200 days that the Chung's were in two violations. At $1,500 per violation per day, that alone totals $3.6 million.
On top of this, Pearson wants $500,000 for "emotional damages" (he claims to be experiencing "mental suffering, inconvenience, and discomfort"), and another $542,500 for legal fees. Pearson wants more than a half a million in legal fees, and he's representing himself?
Pearson also demands $15,000 for 10 years' worth of car rental fees so that he can take his dry cleaning to another business.