Monday, September 27, 2010

Stogie in Court: Did My Best!

I just returned from a court hearing over my unemployment benefits.  My last employer was just plain crazy and fired me in a fit of anger over a disagreement.  Then she falsely told the EDD (Employment Development Department) that she had "disciplined" me and I quit.  I read her comments in the file before the hearing and she lied her ass off.

My former employer didn't show up at the hearing but participated via telephone.  She was evasive and side-stepped the judge's questions.  When I cross-examined her about the facts surrounding my termination, she refused to provide any details.  In other words, she just made the whole thing up.

Will I win?  If I do, I will gain a healthy chunk of cash from the EDD, and perhaps can catch up some mortgage payments.

This is not my first time to represent myself in a court hearing.  I once defended a lawsuit against me in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco...and won.  My opponent was trying to use the court system to ruin me, so I had to take over my own case.  Now that was a very scary undertaking.  However, there is an old poem that goes:
Have you come to that Red Sea time in your life
When in spite of all you can do,
There is no way out, there is no way back,
There is no other way but through.
UPDATE:  The judge's decision arrived by mail today (Thursday, 9/30/2010).  I WON!!!!

10 comments:

AmPowerBlog said...

Good for you, Stogie!

Bartender Cabbie said...

Good Luck.

Always On Watch said...

I read her comments in the file before the hearing and she lied her ass off.

Same thing happened to Mr. AOW back in 1993. He didn't have to go to court, though. He actually won at the unemployment-benefits-office level.

Good luck, Stogie! You deserve to win this case.

Old Rebel said...

Non illegitimi carborundum.

Pastorius said...

Wow.

You are DA MAN!

You won at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals?!? Many full-time, accomplished attorneys WISH they could say that.

Stogie said...

Thanks guys. The 9th Circuit thing happened in 1989. I couldn't afford my attorney anymore so fired her and took over my own defense.

Thanks OR, I had to look up that latin phrase but it's a good one: "Don't let the bastards grind you down."

kate said...

Bonsoir Stogie , je souhaite de tout coeur que vous gagnez !

Stogie said...

Kate says she hopes I win!

Thanks Kate! Luv ya!

Anonymous said...

Whatever happens, you stood up for yourself and did your best to fight for yourself instead of whining and looking for excuses to do nothing - kuddos to you, Stogie!

Atikva

Stogie said...

Atikva,

Yes, I decided if I lose, I will not lose by default!

Your comment reminded me of a famous quote by Teddy Roosevelt. I will have to post that!