Day 228 June 26, 2002

The...wheels...of...justice...continue...to...creep...along...at...a...snails...pace. So I went to court today. After waiting for all the other cases to plead guilty, my case was finally called. The judge called me and the defendant's attorney into his chambers to determine if there is indeed merit in the case. There is. The judge first asked the attorney if I had paid the $2000 to the defendant and if in fact I had not received a well in return. The attorney (a judge in the town of Thompson) conceded those points. He said the matter is complicated because the defendant has a receipt from a local garage for $1100 for what he called "repairs" to the defendant's water truck that I was using as my water source while laying blocks. The defendant is claiming that he had to make these "repairs" because I may have damaged his truck (I didn't). The receipt for the "repairs" is suspect as is the amount charged to the defendant (and so, indirectly to me). The judge was so unconvinced that the receipt is valid that he demanded the mechanic to appear before him to explain the charges. So now I am forced to go back to court on July 17, and I am now working on my case as you read this. I will win. As we were walking out, I said to the attorney "can't we settle this today, I don't want to come back again." He said he would talk to his client. They conferred and then called me in. They offered me a $1000 settlement, to which I said "forget it" and walked away.