You win some...you lose some...

But not this time!

After much anticipation on my part...I received the opinion back from the court on my first trial. For background, please read my post from May 15. Needless to say, I was terrified as I saw the papers sitting in my incoming mail that my secretary so noiselessly placed on my desk, whispering, "The Anderson decision came back today..." and backing out of my office.

I never really wrote much about the trial after it happened...but needless to say, the trial went about as badly as it really could have. I didn't do anything wrong, I didn't screw up the procedure, but the two men I was so terrified of going against were horribly unprepared for the trial and wanted to argue between themselves instead of argue the merits of the case. I kept my mouth closed. Then, my co-defense counsel pulled me aside during a break and told me that he didn't want to engage in too much "finger-pointing" which was the basis of my entire defense. I laughed that off until my first cross-examination when he began objecting to every single question I asked. I was becoming extremely flustered and nervous until the judge stepped in and told my co-defense counsel that she was issuing a blanket overrule to all his subsequent objections. (I think she may have been on my side and may have sensed my frustration and flustered-ness)...Then, about a week after trial, my associates and I are sitting outside at lunch one day on Nicollett when the plaintiff's lawyer walks by, approaches me, and tells me that after the decision is issued, his client would like me to know he's available and would like to take me to dinner.

So, needless to say, I think the deck may have been stacked in my favor.

But, the opinion came back today, dismissing my client from the suit with prejudice. As far as legal opinions and decisions go, this is about as good as it gets for an attorney. It's as if the claim against my client never existed.

For a brief period of time at least, I can claim that I'm undefeated.

And, in the words of my mother, success is the best revenge.