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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2416 ~ e Dis~olvs to vif~'s attorn~y teatifyi~q. (Hot• to Script l~pprovnl tell Leqal Departaant ~ kno~ la~+?yara o~nly taks ths atand in movies and T1/ but our reaearch ~an aqys tho court reaord shows it actually ha~ppened here. j "We settled the divorce case and the husband agreed to p~y the Secret Sarvice aa amount not to exceed the $2,646.00 they.billed. But my client (camera s~rinqs to Teresa in a~edium shot ~ aoaminq to portrait she beains smile fn beat toothpaete ad tra- dition caa?era auta baak to attorney~ is entitled to get her $550.00 bacr. alr. Castorina aaid if we_ qot this qood-loa~kiaq wanan frad Mii9mi, Mr. Case ~rould aever suspoct that ahe was a detea- tive. So we paid our money aad qot billed for t~rentq-four houzs a da4y of Mrs. Castorina instead." (Cowctroam lauqhter sound of gavel camera swings to empty chair by husband's oounsel d~rell on chair while backqround music emphasizes mystery of his absenoe fro~s the trial cut to titles for Intermissfon. j - It is difficult to consider this case ~rithout. a touch of humor even though the determination of liability and damages in any aircuit court trial is a serious matter. It is obvious that the plaintiff detective aqency did sc~ne w~ork a,nd is entitled to same recovery. ~ It is also obvious that the husband has agreed to pay the ieasonable t : ~ ; cost of these services and that he should save the wife harmless on ~ ' this-obligation to the plaintiffs. Finally, the question of fact ~ regardinq the $550.00 is resolved by the court in the wife's favor ~ and she should be refunded this sum, ~ ~ ~ In determiainq the amount due to the plaintiffs, the contract ~ the wife signed limits the plaintiffs' recovery. Since there is no ~ = provision for expenses in addition to the hourly fee and since the ~ ~ court finds that there was no later agreement to cover ezpenses, the ~ ~ award will be based on time alone. ~ Mr. Castorina's testimony that he personally performed a surveil- ~ ~ lance of the husband for nine hours a day duriaq ten days is uncon- ~ ~ tradicted. The couzt finds that $7.00 aa hour for 90 hours or the ~ s~ of $630.00 is xeaaonable for thia service. ~ -2- ~ ~ r . ~ ~ Cirr,~it Ct. tl~,ir~. 58 ~ c?c7 ~ % ' " ' 4.~w 1 ! ~ , ~'r~ 5's - IG-..=~ .,-t~ " ^~i?x+' ~ ~`~`.FLLnr.a'+ia~~+~-`~i`~'3c e4 , 'f.a2r~Y T~ .-.rc..- ~SS}-~ n .