Tuesday, June 23, 2009

4 Inches

That's right. Or you could say, I received 101.6 millimeters of paper.

Yesterday afternoon, in response to a motion, I was hit with 4 inches of declarations. That's in response to my 1.5 inches. (Yes I did measure all this). This does not take into account all the other paper filed, served, and faxed that went before it. Now, before I went out on my own and was doing contract work, I'd seen some pretty heft declarations. Usually they were expert declarations in highly, highly technical matters (like what the composition of a defective widget was when it melted). In those case, they would almost make sense.

But this case is over something relatively discrete. Something that is so small, that I cannot fathom the amount of paper that has been flung, without resolving the matter. What started as a simple request has become the closest thing to trench warfare I have yet been apart of in litigation.

And I've been a part of some really frelling stupid pissing matches (I don't start them, honestly!).

Let's in my recent cases:

  • Fought an unlawful detainer case for just short of nine months which included multiple motions for summary judgment, as well as separate motions summary adjudication.
  • Fought a breach of contract case for a year and a half (before finally having to answer the complaint)
  • Defended a disabled tenant in an unlawful detainer that lasted six months where we had multiple summary judgment motions, motions to compel
And yet this stupid, small case, has become the destroyer of forests. It is almost a certainty that no matter what happens at the hearing tomorrow, this case will not be fully resolved and will continue on.

About the only good thing I can say is, at least ist not a pro bono case.

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