Presumed Ignorant!: Over 400 Cases of Legal Looniness, Daffy Defendants, and Bloopers from the Bench

by Leland Gregory

Oyez! Oyez! Here comes a hilarious expose of the most bizarre, outrageous, and hilarious acts ever perpetrated in the halls of justice. From the dumbest defenses ever dreamed up to the silliest law suits ever filed, it's an open and shut case of the law at its most lunatic.A Connecticut law forbids the sale of pickles which break or squish when dropped from one foot above the ground. "They should remain whole and even bounce." A defendant accused of theft showed up in court wearing his best suit in order to make a good impression. His dapper duds impressed the plaintiff most--the custom-made suit had been stolen from him! It is illegal for any driver of an automobile to be blindfolded while operating the vehicle in Birmingham, Alabama. A New York City inmate sued the correctional system for $8.5 million in damages because he smuggled a gun into prison--and then accidentally shot himself. And much, much more...Presumed Ignorant will make you laugh out loud at hundreds of the zaniest examples of our legal system in action.

Genres: Humor

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Jimyanni · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an entertaining collection of odd court cases, (a Utah prisoner filed a $1 million lawsuit against the state for suspending a program which provided hair transplants for prisoners. He claimed "emotional suffering") odd rulings, (Gilbert Franklin Rhodes, convicted of first-degree murder, was sentenced to serve the rest of his natural life in New Mexico's Department of Corrections -- followed by two years of parole) and odd laws. (It is illegal in Chicago, Illinois, to take a French Poodle to the opera.) I dock it a star for getting a touch overly cutesy in its commentary on some of the entries. (I'd offer an example, but most of the entries fitting this description were longer, full-page entries.) The entries that were left unadorned with authorial sarcasm were far more interesting and entertaining.

[Abraham Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice book of dumb defendants & criminals in general!

[Amber-Laine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decently amusing. Good bathroom fare. I'd like it better if the cases/laws were cited instead of just a bibliography at the end.

[Kellum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, but kind of goofy, dive into the silliest corners of the legal system. Crazy court cases and insane lawsuits, bizarre laws, and so much more. His writing is a bit too zany at times (particularly when he's writing about something like assault, murder, or animal cruelty), but the overall book is fun.

A good "bathroom reader" type book.

[Karen Cowgill · Rating 4 out of 5]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Another book of, mostly, funny TRUE stories! Again, people and LAWS, are just so strange! Some of these stories are outrageous! A good way to while away a few hours.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Book. Love You.