An American Judge Who Sued Cleaner For $67 Million Over Pants,Wants Now Just $54 Million

WASHINGTON,USA - Roy L. Pearson,an American judge,who was seeking $67 million from a dry cleaners that lost his pants wants now just $54 million, according to a court filing in D.C. Superior Court.

A District of Columbia administrative law judge,Roy L. Pearson,first sued Custom Cleaners over a pair of pants that went missing two years ago. He was seeking about $65 million under the D.C. consumer protection act and almost $2 million in common law claims.

Pearson asked the cleaners for the full price of the suit: more than $1,000.But a week later, the Chungs said the pants had been found and refused to pay. That's when Pearson decided to sue.

Pearson is now focusing his claims on signs in the shop that have since been removed. The suit alleges that Jin Nam Chung, Soo Chung and Ki Chung committed fraud and misled consumers with signs that claimed "Satisfaction Guaranteed" and "Same Day Service."

But the Chungs' attorney Chris Manning, says that can be considered fraud only if the signs misled a "reasonable" person. No reasonable person, he says, would interpret them to be an unconditional promise of satisfaction. This kind of suit makes the American justice system look bad.

Manning says he doesn't expect Pearson to win any compensation when the trial starts June 11.

"I'm still baffled,unless it's simply to harass and annoy my clients",he said.

But the bulk of the $54 million comes from Pearson's strict interpretation of D.C.'s consumer protection law, which fines violators $1,500 per violation, per day. According to court papers, Pearson added up 12 violations over 1,200 days, and then multiplied that by three defendants.

Also,because Pearson is representing himself, the litigation has cost him nothing. "But what he's tried to do, it appears as a trial strategy, is to keep up his aggressive stance so he keeps costing the Chungs money," Chungs' attorney said.

Pearson said that the focus of the case, from the start, was based on the "false, misleading and fraudulent advertisements displayed by the Chungs."

The Chungs, immigrants from South Korea, are facing tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees.A donation website the Chungs set up for help,Custom Cleaners Defense Fund,has barely collected enough to pay a tenth of their costs, Chungs' attorney Chris Manning said.

If you wish to contribute to this fund, please visit the following website: http://www.customcleanersdefensefund.com