Case Tossed When Lawyer Can’t Find Any Parking Near The Courthouse

// For anyone growing weary of recurring nightmares about showing up to the bar exam without studying, allow us to introduce some fresh nightmare fuel! An attorney representing an insurance company in a collection dispute saw the whole case kicked to the curb when he failed to make it to court in time after circling the area looking for parking.

That sound you hear is Judge Aileen Cannon saying, “you can do that?” while ordering “No Parking Any Time” signs erected in a ten-mile radius around her courthouse.

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From Business Insurance:

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Superior Court Judge Helen M. Toor said she gave counsel for Acuity Insurance Co. an extra 15 minutes, rather than the usual five minutes, to appear for the March 26 trial and had a serious issue with the excuse that no parking warranted the no-show.

He should’ve taken a cue from this lawyer, who famously abandoned a Ferrari on the side of the road so he could make it to a hearing. Do you really love your Tercel that much?

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“Normal incidents of life such as bad traffic, a child’s tantrum, snowy roads, spilled coffee, or challenging parking are reasons to allow extra time getting to court. They are not reasons to reschedule a trial that the lawyer missed due to a failure to allow appropriate time,” the judge wrote.

While 15 minutes might seem a tight window, that grace period needs to be added to the at least half hour prior when the lawyer should be arriving for a trial. When you look at it that way, it’s hard to forgive driving around in circles for 45 minutes. It’s also Montpelier, Vermont! The whole town is like a mile across. He could’ve parked on the other side of town and walked to the courthouse in 15 minutes.

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Next time, consider the bus.

Attorney’s trouble finding parking no reason for new trial [Business Insurance]

Earlier: Lawyer Abandons Ferrari to Get to Hearing on Time

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Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.

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Courts, Small Law Firms