Times reporter Hilary Costa talked with a man, John Trizuto, who - along with several other people - phoned police March 16 with news of a crime in progress after a road rage incident. That good deed earned him a court summons, and time in front of a judge and the alleged perpetrator.
Trizuto saw two men - one armed with a hammer - fighting in the middle of Lone Tree Way in Antioch and he pulled over to dial up 911. The guy who allegedly swung the hammer that day, Paul Roberson of Antioch, countered by suing Trizuto and each of the other witnesses for $7,500 in small claims court.
Roberson is claiming that Trizuto gave a false statement to police. He says he couldn't have swung the hammer as they say he did that day because he has an injury that would have physically prevented him from making a swinging motion.
He's seeking compensation for bail, along with the loss of his freedom and the effect on his mental and physical health, and plans to sue the Antioch Police Department for misconduct and racial profiling.
And, as if this sordid little yarn couldn't get any nuttier, the Judge Judy Show offered to arbitrate the case (excuse us, we just threw up a little there) - but Roberson turned her down.
Count the messages being sent here: don't get involved, don't assist police for fear of being named later in a lawsuit, use your town and local police department as a slot machine by flinging unfounded accusation and hot-button words.
Pretty sick of this stuff, and it's happening all the time... how about you?
4 comments:
You are right EBD - it IS ridiculous, but there are two edges to the law - and the other is named counter-suit. The vigilant citizen dragged into court can counter-sue the "hammer-guy" for false prosecution, and other matters totaling the maximum in small claims court (probably $7500 there) - and in this case, he might just win. If the "hammer-guy" loses and the vigilant citizen wins, justice will be $7500 ahead. The city can do the same.
The only ones who "win" are the lawyers who collect fees and love the convoluted way our system works to the financial betterment of those trained to see the "letter of the law" rather than the "spirit". A real shame. In addition to our financial deficits, we now have a serious deficit of morality.
It's pretty plain that criminals and no accounts know how to work the system better than most Ivy League barristers. This guy can't swing a hammer but he can DRIVE a car?
Get into trouble, live off the government, sue the municipality you live in when you can. Repeat. It's an old recipe and its costing our towns millions... isn't it Mr. Burris??
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