Post Seventeen: Judges are pissing me off.

Anyone who wants to blame attorneys for the costs of lawsuits can go fuck themselves. By my experience, most attorneys want cases wrapped up quickly so they can move on to the next one. Even defense attorneys who bill by the hour. It is the rare client that is actually comforted by receiving huge monthly bills, providing evidence that their retained counsel is expending all of their energies representing their interests.

By my experience, you can blame gutless, indecisive judges. I am going to relate two examples. First: we are arguing a motion to exclude a plaintiff's expert witness, coupled with a motion for summary judgment. Plaintiff's attorney makes his spiel, and we prepare for our reply. Before word one is uttered, the judge turns to us and says (direct quote), "I never grant these things. I let the jury and the court of appeals sort it out." Gutless. You know, it is his job to make these decisions. That is what he is elected for, not to merely act like a fucking babysitter. But if you're just going to shirk your job duties, at least act like you're interested in doing your job. Humor me: take it "under advisement," and at least wait a day before you deny the fucking thing.

Second: another summary judgment. This time, both parties have filed motions seeking rulings on issues of law. Whichever way it goes will eliminate the case, in all likelihood. These motions were filed in MAY. Now, three and 1/2 months later, the parties are forced to go through the motions of preparing for trial, while this fucking judge sits on the motions, perhaps hoping the case will go away at mediation (it won't, especially without a ruling on the MSJs).

Lawsuits are stressful to the parties and the attorneys. And they're fucking expensive. And one of the biggest causes of this is lazy, gutless, do-nothing judges.