You Be the Judge

by H. Clark Adams

H. Clark Adams let you be the judge on 60 cases that he's already made his decisions on in the legal arena of small claims court. It's enough to put you off wedded bliss forever, but if you did harbour strong opinions on how the case Smith v Brown a couple on the brink of matrimony, interfering relatives notwithstanding should unfold, H. Clark Adams welcomes you to the legal arena of small claims court. Here feuding former lovers, despondent homeowners, and singed shopkeepers bring their grievances against their erstwhile partners in love and business for a ruling that could end the troubled relationship and maybe even offer them material or monetary comfort. In a tone that's distinctly light-hearted, the retired deputy judge offers readers a fictionalized sampling of the cases presented at small claims court, and the chance for them to pit their best instincts and powers of judgment against his. Part I of the book is a collection of cases from the gripping to the ridiculous, whilePart II features Adams's decisions on the cases presented. If your view on these 60 cases differs from the learned judge, be warned: no appeal to his decision has ever been successful.

Genres: Law

278 pages, Paperback

First published December 3, 2011

Reviews

[Conner Lowes]

This was an awesome book overall, and I am very satisfied with it. It was not written in the usual way books are written, so, as such, I will not be judging it in the usual way.

This book was essentially 54 cases and 54 decisions from a Judge who served in small claims court for 15 years in Dufferin County. I read through each case, wrote down my decision and reasoning, and then checked to see how it faired against the reasoning of the Judge who wrote it. I must say, I am impressed with my results.

It was fantastic to read how small claims court proceedings worked. It's actually something I would recommend for everyone. Consider it as precedent for everything you do in your life. Before you would have to ask yourself "should I consult a lawyer", you'll be able to remember a case you read in this book and say "I definitely need to contact a lawyer, and here are the steps I will need to take in the meantime".

This book has helped me understand basic principles in contract law. For example, if there is a waiver on a parking garage ticket which says "we are not liable for any lost, stolen, or damaged cars", is this enough to escape liability?

Don't you want to be confident about whether you would win in court if any disagreement you may have happened to escalate that far? Read this book. Don't you want to introduce yourself to basic legal principles and understand how they apply to cases in small claims court? Read this book. Don't you want to know what steps you ought to take to protect yourself when forming a contract? Read this book.

Read this book? Read this book.

*Special thank you to the lovely Honour for lending me this book and supporting me in my pursuit of ultimate judgedom*

[Monica Willyard Moen]

What a neat way to learn about how small claims court works!