Ex-judge appeals ruling against him on compensation for lost trousers By Hwang Doo-hyong

WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 (Yonhap) -- A former judge recently appealed a court ruling that dismissed his claim for US$54 million in compensation for a pair of trousers lost by a dry cleaner.

Roy L. Pearson filed the appeal to a local court, which has agreed to deliberate
it, said Chung Jin-nam, owner of the dry cleaner, adding he was told by the court
to appear Sept. 22.

"I am going to attend the hearing to make a statement on the 22nd," he
said. "I am not worried, but I cannot understand what Pearson is trying to
do as the lower court ruled Pearson's claim as absurd."

Pearson was fired by the city administration last year, just months after he lost
his suit against the Korean-American owner of the dry cleaning business amid
media criticism for the exorbitant compensation claim.

Chung said after winning the case last year that he will forgive Pearson, though
the former judge brought him a nightmare for two years.

Pearson accused Chung of failing to meet the store policy of "Satisfaction
Guaranteed" as reflected in a sign and sought daily fines of $1,500 under
the city's consumer protection law.

"A reasonable consumer would not interpret 'Satisfaction Guaranteed' to mean
that a merchant is required to satisfy a customer's unreasonable demands or to
accede to demands that the merchant has reasonable grounds to dispute," a
court ruling said at that time.

The court said Chung need not pay the plaintiff and ordered Pearson to pay Chung
US$1,000 for court costs.

Chung had sought tens of thousands of dollars in attorney fees, but later withdrew.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Legal Reform (ILR), which had
launched a fundraising campaign for Chung, lauded the lower court's ruling as
having "proved the system worked, and justice was served," but also
lamented, "This case only proves that the system is truly broken and in bad
need of repair."