Geoff Berg Is Litigious

Just Answer the Question Already

If a politician is asked whether they voted yes or no on a bill and starts rambling about what an honor it is to be there and how a middle class kid from the Midwest never imagined they’d be in this position, there’s not much a reporter can do except ask the question again. But if a witness gives an answer like that, the judge will point his or her finger and order the witness to answer it with the threat of contempt (and, theoretically, anyway, jail time) backing up the order. All of life should be this way.

The Supreme Court Has Roundly(?) Rejected Prior Restraint

Every four years, Donald Trump whines about what people are “allowed” to say. But even Walter Sobchak knows prior restraint is unconstitutional. General rules, though, are made to be broken. A court could, for example, order a competitor to stop publishing ads saying the queso at Mar-A-Lago is made with greasy used bronzer and Aqua Net particulates (unless it’s true, and the makers of this podcast have no reason to believe it is, though it certainly sounds right). Business disparagement is a real and sometimes very damaging thing. Commercial speech is speech, but it isn’t exactly free. We handle many of these cases at bergpc.com.

Compelling a Psych Exam; Crypto Scam Recovery Update

Donald Trump thinks Kamala Harris’ huge Detroit rally was AI and nobody was really there, which is something a person says out loud in public if they’re not not mentally ill. If this was a lawsuit, Trump’s lawyers would be in front of a judge begging that he not be required to submit to a psychiatric evaluation - a fight they would lose. Plus, we hit a big milestone this week in the fight to recover stolen crypto for our clients at bergpc.com. A judge in Harris County, Texas entered an injunction freezing the wallets we identified – one more critical hurdle cleared before we find out whether we can get victims their money back.

Democracy and Jury Trials Inside the Guardrails

Saying Trump "does things outside the guardrails" is understated at best. But what does that actually mean? Why does it matter when a candidate concedes and why does lying about an election harm customs and norms? You’d think the answer would be obvious – and you’re probably right, but what does that have to do with jury trials? A lot, actually. Let's discuss how democratic norms translate to courtroom conduct and respect for the rule of law as it relates to the case you’re going to email me about at gberg@bergplummer.com. 
 

Weird Politicians, Weird Lawyers, and Racist Liberals

Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz’s observation that “these guys are just weird” is making Trump act even weirder, which seemed impossible just two weeks ago. Is demeaning and humiliating your opponent through pithy and dismissive observations as effective in court as it is in politics? Well, yeah unless it turns out you're the weirdo completely lacking in self-awareness. But Trump and Vance aren’t the only freaks. Self-righteous leftwing aholes are on the attack against potential Democratic VP candidate Josh Shapiro because a lot of the people who say they’re interested in equality and justice for everyone actually hate Jews.

Irony: Donald Trump Continues to Misunderstand Fraud; Crypto Wallets Frozen

When the president exited the race, Trump argued Republicans should be reimbursed because Biden defrauded them into spending millions of dollars running against him. This, of course, is imbecilic but it raises the question: How do you prove fraud in court? Glad you asked! We also have a crypto update. This week, my team and I got a court order freezing wallets containing assets belonging to victims of "pig butchering." And radio legend Scott Braddock joins to hear me complain that Evan is more popular than I am.
 
bergpc.com
 
Cybertrooper [the better version] by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/12240-cybertrooper-the-better-version
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Crowdstrike Makes Computers Sad, Plaintiffs’ Lawyers Happy

After a worldwide IT outage blamed on Crowdstrike, the company’s CEO says it was a problem “we’ve caused,” which is an admission that makes lawsuits against the company that much easier. So how to deal with trying those cases? As in any trial, an attorney should address your worst evidence in your own case. That's something Geoff’s brother and sister liberals would be well advised to keep in mind when they start spouting hippie nonsense in response to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Don’t just make up things because there are facts you’d rather not face. And you'll hear from legendary trial lawyer David Berg (yes relation) on why trial lawyers should speak up in defense of democracy.
 
bergplummer.com
 
Music:
Cybertrooper [the better version] by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/12240-cybertrooper-the-better-version
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Hurricane Beryl Damage? Get Ready for Insurance Litigation. Plus: Stop Listening to the Loudest Talker

Now that Beryl has passed, insurance companies are going to be sending armies of adjusters to Houston eager to write checks. Paying you everything you’re owed makes them no money, so that’s not why they’re coming. They’re there to pay you as little as you’re willing to take while you’re desperate, which is going to lead to a metric ton of Beryl-related litigation. How and when to sue your chintzy insurer – discussion from an expert. And speaking of expertise: How expert testimony is admitted in court vs. how random loudmouths opine via their rectums in society at large.
 
bergplummer.com
 
Cybertrooper [the better version] by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/12240-cybertrooper-the-better-version
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
 

Recovering Stolen Crypto

When crypto scammers con you out of your money, it’s almost always gone and never coming back. Working with a team of extremely sophisticated investigators using technology understood only by indoor people, Geoff may have found some and is filing suit to find out. How (maybe) to get your stolen money back. And, in honor of the 4th, Geoff explains how we didn’t throw the baby out with the British bathwater.
 
 
Music:
Cybertrooper [the better version] by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/12240-cybertrooper-the-better-version
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
 

Hawk Tuah Yourself Out of a Job

If the 'Hawk Tuah' girl lived in Texas, could she be fired for her enthusiastic endorsement of thang spitting upon? Geoff explains how free speech could cost you a steady paycheck. Plus, Geoff talks about what might happen if the City of Galveston tried to ban the kind of comments NBA legend Charles Barkley made about "America's Greatest Resort Destination" and illustrates the fundamental problem with Texas' attempt to curb online porn. Check Geoff out at bergplummer.com