Irvine, California

Chasing the Illusion of Justice

by Lawrence Agee, MD

My first experience in the courts occurred after a girl from Irvine, California, bilked me out of $8,300 in a scam. I filed a lawsuit. The attorney fees were $20,000. I was forced to fly to California, cross country, on about six different occasions for depositions, to attend trials, etc. I had to take time off from work. During the litigation, the opposing lawyer made threats against my career. During the trial, I witnessed six people take the stand and lie through their teeth. At the end of all this, I was told to pay the person who robbed me several thousand dollars. This was very unsatisfying. When I tried to report perjury to the proper public officials, they did little more than shrug their shoulders and quip "Perjury, ha! Happens all the time."

When I tried to hire an appellate lawyer, I was asked to pay $25,000 up front. I declined and did it myself. After one year of preparation, I found myself at the "appeals court" along with about 50 other cases that morning. I was given about one minute to argue my appeal and was then cut off. What a joke. $40,000 to recover $8,300? And I never got the $8,300 back.

This was my first experience with the courts. My second, third, fourth, and fifth experiences were much worse and left me unemployed and impoverished. Each time the criminal and liar "won."