Banking Law

From Bruce Carton, editor of Securities Docket, via a "tweet" on Twitter (don't ask, Google it), comes word of one lawyer's nightmare of a day in court. If you're going to sue AIG in Justice Ramos's court, you'd better either have a rock-solid case or you'd better be wearing asbestos underwear.

Justice Ramos saved his angriest words for Starr's counsel, Rebecca Fine of Schindler, Cohen & Hochman. "It costs, I think, $11,000 a day for this courtroom. I'm insulted," he said. "I have cases with real plaintiffs who have lost real money who have real cases. Between Starr Foundation, AIG, and the attorney general's office I must have decided already a hundred motions on these issues involving AIG. How much time do you think I have? Not enough. There isn't enough time in the day to write everything I have to write on these cases. I'd love to write a 50-page opinion on this, excoriating you for bringing this kind of lawsuit."

Fine declined comment to us.

It's difficult to comment when you're sobbing uncontrollably.

The judge didn't let the client off the hook, either. He dismissed the suit after the plaintiff foundation's president gave testimony that was refuted on cross examination and by contrary contemporaneous actions of the plaintiff. He then turned is baleful gaze on the poor president.and proceeded to take her breath away.

At one point, the judge warned Davis about criminal contempt charges, which prompted the foundation president to ask for a break to retrieve her asthma inhaler.

I wonder what Justice Ramos is like when he's feeling really cranky? Like Jack Bauer with a bad hangover, I imagine.