My trials and travails with litigious former employee.

[vetusvates]

This is and has been stressing me out for four years now, and is approaching another, hopefully final(?), climax on Monday the 24th.
These that follow are copied and pasted from various fragmented accounts I'd alluded to over the last few months, so they may read in a fragmentary way.

Well, this INFP found out when I walked into work today why I had been upset and depressed and feeling full of dread all weekend.
On Friday, June 10, 2005, when I was not Director yet, but Assistant Director, my boss at the time fired a psycho driver who had texted me a profane angry text on a blackberry. After turning in his keys and blackberry on Monday, June 13, 2005, he came to my apartment and proceeded to attack me at the door of my apartment.
Police Report.
Court Papers delivered to me.
Court date : Friday, Dec 9, 2005....He pled guilty Assault & Battery, got anger management classes.
On Monday, Dec 12, 2005, he goes and files A&B charges against me. (WTF???)
So more Court Papers.
Next court date (early 2006) : I pleaded Not Guilty....trial date set.
Next court date (later 2006) : I am the defendant in my own trial for Assault & Battery. I am found Not Guilty. (*rolls eyes*) The kind judge helps me clear my name, and has the bailiff escort me to my car because the psycho is waiting for me outside the court room. I think I have seen it all. Seen the end of it.
More Court Papers delivered (late 2006). I have been named as a defendant in a Civil Case. Also served with Interrogatories". I cry, I throw up, I cry, I throw up.
I hire a lawyer. For $200 an hour. Good man, thorough, makes me feel in safe hands. (He is now too sick with complications of diabetes to practice law.)
Next Court Date : Jan 17, 2007. Lawyer in tow. In hearing for Civil Case, Judge decides that entire thing is not worth hearing, i.e., sending to trial. Psycho-shade-tree-lawyer has made himself famous around the Court House, litigating against anything that walks, crawls, flies, burrows, slithers, swims, etc. (That judge is now no longer a city court judge but district judge.) I think I have seen it all. Seen the end of it.
My lawyer walks me to my car because the psycho is waiting outside the court room for me.

Today, new Court Papers. Received in mail today, 01 Jun 2009. My Trial Date. W.T.F...???!!! August 24, 2009. I go on trial. First threw up, then cried. I do not know what I am to be tried for. I would guess for 2006/2007 Civil Suit, that he manoeuvred (after everyone has supposedly forgotten it was deemed a non-issue on 17 Jan 2007) a chummy idiot law clerk in fake hair and nails to type up. I talked to about ten of these phone-answerers today, whose best help peaked in putting me on hold and transferring me.
Finally I got the judge's (in this new trial) secretary, who knew who the guy was, and knew of his litigious courthouse-prowling ways. (He is still homeless and living out of his van.)
She talked to the judge, who was also quick to assess the ups and downs and history of this situation. She called me back to tell me that since the papers were filed,...all I would have to do is show up for my trial date of 24 Aug 2009, explain/remind to the judge that this guy had been legally stalking me since 2005, and that would likely be the end of it.
Yay! So now I have all summer long to bleed to death from an ulcer from the inside out.
This had been an awful weekend. And I was not sure why.
My intuition is non-specific, but has never failed me.

Moral of the story: Anyone can file any charges against anyone. You can take a plea, or declare yourself Not Guilty. At which time you go to trial. I know. I've been there.

I've told you everything I know. Except who my new lawyer will be, and how much he/she'll be charging an hour.
I got the impression that he (the psycho) bullied his way up like he knew what he was doing (and muchly did) to a novice law clerk who knew less...and she ended up completing a filing of papers that a more seasoned clerk would 1) have questioned who he was and by whose authority, and 2) have been about herself and not just typed up a "You've Got A Trial Date" letter.

He is very bitter, psycho, and has lost his last four (as of 2005) jobs because of verbal or attempted-strangulation attacks, or the like, on co-workers. So he has anger issues that he nurses and cherishes, obviously for years.
My, boss at the time, hired him with no background check. And my boss fired him. He blames me for forwarding the profane abusive text to my boss who promptly fired him.
He is one of those hateful, bitter, maladjusted "the world is out to fn3k with me" individuals....so "I'm going to inflict all the collateral damage I can on this planet". Almost like in a movie.

No he hasn't come near me, which would have justified a restraining order or something.
But he has like 30 hours in criminal justice from Southern University, here in Baton Rouge, from the mid 1990's (he never completed anything). And in 2007, my lawyer and I discovered at least half a dozen individuals and/or institutions he had tried to litigate against. From car auto-body mechanics on up. He hangs out at the courthouse all day every day chumming with the real clerks and clerics. Learning how things work from the inside. He is a real certified lunatic, who knows how to function somewhat normally (outwardly) in the real world.

So here I am going into my weekend to stew, before my court date, Monday, 24 Aug 2009, 1:30 pm, Rm 309.
This man is homeless, lives in his van, has taken a few hours in criminal justice, and court records indicate he had filed and pursued upwards of a dozen frivolous cases against every one from me to auto repairmen. I have been told that he cannot be banned from the courthouse, and he cannot be barred from filing lawsuits. It has also been intimated to me, in unspoken words, that since he is black, "special care" has to be taken so that the courthouse, as a legal institution, does in no way appear to be discriminating. And I have been told that if I fail to appear, that I will be ruled against (lose) and have to pay his maxxed-out civil suit of $3000. To him.

So,.......if anyone on the forum, in one of those "political" threads, feels they hear angst, annoyance, or resentment, in my tone, against losers who will not get a real job....take advantage of the system....make litigious nuisances of themslves........and strive to live off of money extorted from hard-working businesspeople like me........yes, you are doggone right about what you sense or hear in my tone.
In fact, I will even extend that statement to include that I am peeved-off at a socio-political system that in any way sets a tone that allows or encourages this sort of behaviour. Yes, I will even extend this to say I resent the socio-political system that does not go on the offensive to stop idiots like these from harassing hard-working, law-abiding, tax-payers like me.

 

[danielle]

I'm so sorry Eric you don't deserve this at all

 

[vetusvates]

Thanks, Danielle. And to think, I had been planning until this came up on June 1st, to slip off to a little Daytona vacation trip THIS WEEKEND,.....just really yanks me all the way around.

 

[starsevol]

Oh crap Eric, I'm sorry.
Shame our 2 nuts can't meet and take each other out.....

 

[vetusvates]

LOL. And I know you're not talking about a date.......

NOTE : That's why on your thread about the bicycle guy, I kind of lol'd about you knowing the date, day, and time....LOL......
I just hate awkward situations like this.
Could that be a phobia?
Awkwardsituationaphobia.

 

[starsevol]

LOL. And I know you're not talking about a date.......

NOTE : That's why on your thread about the bicycle guy, I kind of lol'd about you knowing the date, day, and time....LOL......
I just hate awkward situations like this.
Could that be a phobia?
Awkwardsituationaphobia.

Well, I know the date and time because that's the date (the 3rd of any given month) and the time he's ALWAYS paid his bills with us (when he did pay) for the last 18 or so years.....but also because he's called us at least 5 times to tell us the date and time he would be there and how much money he's bringing.....
he tends to forget things he's already told us 2 or 3 or 10 times before....

 

[Susielea]

Oh Eric, I can not imagine the stress you must be feeling, but I must say you seem to be dealing with it remarkably well!

Will you promise that you won't withdraw into yourself this weekend and make yourself ill, we are here for you (well those that are not in DAYTONA!) <---*sarcasm* so make use of us to get you through if you need to

I truly hope Monday turns out to be better than you anticipate and this will bring a complete and final end to the matter!

((((Eric))))

 

[vetusvates]

Oh Eric, I can not imagine the stress you must be feeling, but I must say you seem to be dealing with it remarkably well!

Will you promise that you won't withdraw into yourself this weekend and make yourself ill, we are here for you (well those that are not in DAYTONA!) <---*sarcasm* so make use of us to get you through if you need to

I truly hope Monday turns out to be better than you anticipate and this will bring a complete and final end to the matter!

((((Eric))))

Thank you, Sue. You sound like you know me rather well. LOL. You are so sweet.
I have promised myself not to fritter away this weekend, fretting about that crap. Only as the years go by do I mellow from that exact person that would have let it ruin the weekend,...at least the Sunday.
That's one reason I just went ahead and started a thread about it....to get it off my chest and out of my system. So I wouldn't be the buzz kill on other threads.
Sincere thanks, again.

 

[Suzy]

*hugs* Eric, I didn't realize that it's already coming up on Monday. I am keeping you in my thoughts. I hate that you have to go through this - especially on the weekend of Daytona when you could be hanging out with people from CS.com. ((((Eric))))

 

[Susielea]

Ha ha, I've learnt a lot about the members on this site, by just sitting back and reading, it's amazing what you pick up if you "listen" hard enough and I like what I've heard about you I consider you a friend Eric, albeit an interweb friend and I don't like to see my friends suffering in any way, shape or form, so I'll be rooting for you on Monday and sending as many good thoughts your way as I can

 

[tsst]

My friend I wish I could offer more support than mere words here. This kind of quagmire makes my blood boil when it is a total stranger let alone someone I consider a friend. I hope Monday goes as we all know it should with his losing and your triumph. And I hope it is the terminus of his frivolous litigation.

 

[ZoologyGirl]

Eric, I hope this does come to a final, uneventful climax in your favor on Monday. You certainly don't deserve this mess.

 

[The_Thunderer]

Gee, Eric. I certainly hope that this is the LAST time you even have to look at the guy. Finality would certainly be a gift and blessing.

I wonder if Tort reforms would be beneficial in cases like yours??? Seems to me that it would only help in big company issues and not individual vs. individual issues.

 

[Hypancistrus]

Eric, so sorry to hear this is happening to you, and yeah, I hear you!!!

It has been strongly reccomended to me that I purchase insurance for myself to cover parents suing me for their kids not passing state tests... clearly if Little Johnny, who never studies, doesn't pay attention in class and spends doesn't complete assignments fails the state tests it must be MY fault.....

This litigious society we live in is BS... I hate it and it needs to change... it is the core reason why insurance premiums for all manner of things are so damn high.

I wish you luck on Monday-- don't worry about Daytona... next year will be better for you and better for me and Tara, and we are so looking forward to meeting you!!!! Hell, maybe we'll fly down to Lousiana for Mardis Gras.

 

[vetusvates]

You know, there is a big movement now (yes, national level) for substance abuse counselors, and related fields, to have 'mal-practice' insurance. (Yes, many paradoxes to consider there, I know. LOL.)
I haven't known any co-professionals that that has touched yet, but funny that you brought it up.

Thanks for the sentiment, Lauren. I hate making long convoluted posts, like this, knowing human nature, attention spans, etc.,....so I really appreciate anyone who takes the time to swing by this thread.
I rarely have much to complain about....but when I do...LOL...it's a BBIIGG pain in the @$$....!!!!

 

[ceduke]

YEESH, what a load of...well, you know. I hope everything comes to a swift and reasonable conclusion so you don't have to worry about it anymore.

 

[dionythicus]

Can you file a counter suit or have him charged with harrassment? It is sad that someone is allowed to get away with BS like this. In some areas there are laws against nuisance lawsuits, but those don't seem to be very effective. I hope all goes well for you.

 

[vetusvates]

Can you file a counter suit or have him charged with harrassment? It is sad that someone is allowed to get away with BS like this. In some areas there are laws against nuisance lawsuits, but those don't seem to be very effective. I hope all goes well for you.

I'm going to bring that spectre up clearly and succinctly.

 

[alan]

Unfair, and I'll be with you in mind on Monday. Sucks that this must disrupt your life and cause you grief. I bet that guy has accepted his ulcers and hate as a way of life.

 

[MinLynn]

Dang,Eric! I'm so sorry! This is just awful for you! I never been through exactly what you are going through,I do know the pain and frustration of being in and out of court due to the same person for years at a time. Matt's ex has sued us for custody of their kids numerous numerous times and the last time she even had her mother sue us for custody. She signed away her rights a long time ago but needs money and the only way she knows how to get money(because she's never held down a job for longer than 5 months) is to work the system. Having the kids got her A LOT of money! Now that she no longer has any rights,she no longer has money. It's something we've grown to learn will be never ending until the day Ariel turns 18. So like I said, not exactly your situation but I know how heartbreaking and sickening it is to get never-ending court papers and hoping this is finally it and learning it probably isn't. And of course we always go through the same judge and you'd like to think by now he'd know that all of this is nonsense but there's nothing they can do about it.

Good Luck, Eric! You'll be in my thoughts!