court case

[murdock]

i have been requested to give evidance in court i dont want to waste my time...so the lawyer is gona summons me...i was told i could request to reimbused...but the joke i live with 5 km of the court so i can claim...i dont need to sleep in a hotel so i cant claim and i cant claim for my time they will waste in court...so where does this leave me...the other joke is the lawyer gets between 5 and 10000 rand for his time in court...but i am gona loose 2 days in court who gona pay me for my lost time...as a one man operation when i stop working the money stops...all i have to do is say yes it is my invoice and yes i did do the work.

from previous experience in court... i was almost shot by a security gaurd who was negligant with a firearm in a shop...so i was requested to go to court as a witness but after 2 years of the case being moved 3 months...3 months ...3 months...i attended court each time and was told to appear again in 3 months each time...each time i appeared i had to get dressed go to court waste approx. 2/3 hours hours then get told no the case will not happen today i must come back...so it got to a point were i decided to hell with them and decided not to go...the next thing i get a warrent for my arrest issued so i go to court waste another 5 hours to be told sorry the case has been chucked out...thats why i dont see no evil or hear no evil...if i am aprouched by the police i just say i didnt see anything anymore.

there must be a way for me to claim for my time wasted or a way to get out of it without getting a warrent issued again...any ideas?

why is the witness the fool who looses out...we should get paid what we loose for the time spent in court...if a lawyer can claim R5000 for a day in court maybe the client should have to pay the witness...

[Dave A]

You're not being called as an expert witness, then?

[murdock]

as an expert witness you can claim up to R1500...but you need to first prove you have lost the money due to time spent in court? i think that could be the tricky part.

i have decided to meet with a lawyer before i give my physical address...so that they can issue a subpoena...hopefully i will be able to send the attorney firm the bill for the visit and any other costs incured...this is going to be interesting because in the past i have wasted hours in court and never been able to claim anything due to ignorance.

i had a lawyer send me a warning letter a couple of weeks ago because i demaded my deposit back from the landlord from the last house i rented...i got on the phone and told him exactly how i felt...he said he was rather suprised because normally when people get lawyer letters they duck...i ended up getting back exactly what i requested in cash.

i have found if you feel you are being ripped off you need to voice your grievance and if you back down people will walk all over you...now and in the future...be honest and fair and you will win in the end.

[Yvonne]

Probably a very "Stupid" question, can you not give your evidence in the form of a sworn statement - testified by the S.A.P.?
Heard of a witness in the same predicament, who was permitted to give their "evidence" as a sworn testified statement as their testomony was straight forward and not open to questioning!
They were advised that should the court require they could still be called to testify.

Yvonne

[wynn]

If it will take you 10 minutes toi get to court get them to call you 15 minutes before your case is led!!

[murdock]

i was advised by a lawyer that this would be the route they could take...a simple call an hour before i was required...well i have sent all my details but still not heard anything yet.

[Dave A]

Not unusual. If it is a civil case, quite often there is a last minute settlement and it doesn't go to trial.

Something else that happens from time to time is the little shred of evidence you're supposed to give either isn't contested or a decision is made not to lead it.