Jeff Bergosh Blog: How Bogus, BS Lawsuits foster Disdain for Lawyers and the Law, Part I

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I am one member of a five person board. The opinions I express on this forum are mine only, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Escambia County Staff, Administrators, Employees, or anyone else associated with Escambia County Florida. I am interested in establishing this blog as a means of additional transparency to the public, outreach to the community, and information dissemination to all who choose to look. Feedback is welcome, but because public participation is equally encouraged, appropriate language and decorum is mandatory. Although this is not my campaign site for re-election--sometimes campaign related information will be discussed, therefore in an abundance of caution I add the following : Political Advertisement Paid for and Approved by Jeff Bergosh, Republican, for Escambia County Commissioner District 1

Sunday, December 9, 2018

How Bogus, BS Lawsuits foster Disdain for Lawyers and the Law, Part I

Bogus lawsuits fueled by greed lead to negative perceptions of lawyers

The County has recently been hit with a B.S., BOGUS Lawsuit. It is infuriating on several levels, and it gave me a moment of Deja-Vu as I read the complaint. I've seen these before. More on that in Part II.

These sorts of complaints, these baseless, bogus suits happen frequently and they create a negative perception of lawyers and the law. I have personal experience with these as a small business owner, a school board member, and now as a county commissioner. And I have discussed these sorts of things, at length, with my brother (who himself is a lawyer).

Because my brother is a lawyer and now he is a judge, I have had a long running "shtick" that I use on the unsuspecting and the ones that know me--when the subject of lawsuits, lawyers, and the law invariably comes up. "I HATE all lawyers, except for one." People that know my brother typically chuckle. Of course it isn't true, it is a gross exaggeration. But there is a tinge of truth there, no question about it....

My new "shtick" I use since my brother became a judge goes like this.... Someone says something, in passing, akin to---"Hey Jeff, I saw your brother the other day..."--which is not an infrequent comment I hear---to which I quickly reply with one of the following three variations "I hope the sentence he handed you was fair" or "I apologize for his horrible conduct" or "I hope you ended up on the right side of the verdict." [Insert sound of a rimshot]

It's all in good fun-----until it's not.

You see--when you are served papers--when you are sued personally or in your capacity as a business owner, when the allegations are bogus--It becomes serious very quickly. Most folks may never

experience this firsthand--good for them! But when and if it happens to you it becomes expensive and stressful very quickly. Then it takes a toll on your business, your finances, and your family. It stings, it is painful, and it is destructive. That is my experience.

I will go into depth on this issue in part II.