I have been thinking and talking a lot on here about suing, as Catnip is doing for personal injury, but as you know the lawyers say you have to be divorced first. So I started poking aroung small claims court website, just looking you know, because I thought at least I should be able to sue for emotional distress and for the counseling costs for my sons. Well, I finally logged onto Judge Judy's homepage, because I had wanted to check it out anyway because we watch her show twice every night. Anyway, there was a place were you could submit your own case to be considered to appear on Judge Judy's tv show. So, just screwing around, I filled in the bare details of my proposed case. Then I forgot all about it. Tonight, I'm in the shower and my h comes in and says, with a real funny look on his face, "There is somebody on the phone from Judge Judy's show that wants to talk to you." I think that he's fooling around until it hits me that I didn't tell him that i submitted the case proposal as a joke. So I answer the phone and it really is one of her program coordinators who thinks JJ would be interested in hearing my case on TV. Tells me to make a decision, and if I want to proceed I should file in small claims court here then call her asap with the docket no. Says she cant guarantee that they'll choose to do it, but that at this point they are very interested. How freaky is that? I only did it as a joke, really, but what do you all think? When you weigh the public humiliation vs. the chance for televised vengence on the ow...<BR>My h says he can always count on me to complicate things, ha,ha. And our poor old lawyer already thinks I am nuts. I'm half considering it.<BR>-cd<BR>PS. Either way, I will sign all requested autographs. Tee hee!

I say DO IT !!!!<P>Jtigger

That is one episode I wouldn't miss ! Go for it ! Even if nothing comes of it just getting a call from that show will probably shock ow out of her mind<P>------------------<BR>Deb<P>Hepatitis C, Please educate yourself ! <A HREF="http://www.hepatitis-central.com/<P>In" TARGET=_blank>http://www.hepatitis-central.com/<P>In</A> memory of a very dear friend <A HREF="http://fathom.org/teemingmillions/wally.adp" TARGET=_blank>http://fathom.org/teemingmillions/wally.adp</A>

cd:<P>Many revolutionaries and pioneers sacrificed their own personal privacy and comfort for justice and freedom from oppression.<P>I don't mean to come off as some kind of Crusader Rabbit or anything, but I have had to wrestle with this myself as my attorney wants to set a precedence that could cause some public controversy and unwanted notariety. <P>As you may know, this is problematic for me because we have not told our grown children and it is something I dread with all my heart. My mother, a very proper and private individual, would go green at the gills and wouldn't be able to face her Ladie's luncheons or "Bridge" at the Club. It is something to consider.<P>cd, sometimes it ain't so much about us than the people around us. Determine first if this is something your family would be supportive and whether or not you can stand the public scrutiny. I know I have been stalling this lawsuit for financial and personal reasons but time is running out and I know I have to take a stand and push forward-like it or not.<P>Chances are there will be millions of betrayed spouses out there watching your case and cheering you on and grateful you had the guts to bring an injustice to the forefront. There will be others out there to criticize your 'heartlessness' and mewl about "the welfare of the OC" and make a lot of noise about waht is best for the waif, ignoring your children and you.<P>I pledge today I will no longer drag my feet and pursue the lawsuit. <P>Go see Judge Judy...she may be sympathetic but be forced to judge under the constraints of the law. At any rate, we have to begin somewhere. <P>We watch Judge Judy all the time. I have often wondered about doing the very thing you are considering and have wondered how she would rule in the face of this blatant injustice. OK, Trailblazer, forge ahead.<P>Catnip =^^=

cd,<BR>if you want to, I wish you the best, but I personally couldn't do it. The show would be using you for entertainment more than you using them for justice. I'd be concerned about how I or my H would be treated (who cares about the XOW!). Also, I'd make sure your H is in joint agreement. My H is a very private person and I can barely imagine the shame&embarrassment H would feel if I told the whole nation what an idiot he's been.<P>Don't mean to be a downer but that's my 2cents. (I turned down an offer to appear on an affair documentary a year or two ago)<P>Blessings,<BR>J

Dear Jenny, catnip,jtigger, bozos_deb,<BR>I am struggling with the thought of subjecting my h to furthur humiliation. He says that it is my decision and he would support me either way, and would appear on show with me if I want to go ahead with it. Before I make any decision either way, though, I've got to talk to our lawyer and see how/if he thinks it would affect our standing in the visitation proceedings. The poor dear man will flip, probably. he already thinks I have a screw loose somewhere because I come up with so many hare-brained ideas. But hey, Edison didn't invent the lightbulb on the first try, either.<BR>As I said, I'm not sure what my decision will be. But I do agree with Catnip in that some of us will have to sacrifice personal comfort in order to get these laws changed and bring our cause to national attention. I really didn't think that JJ's people would ever call back, but now that they did and I see that the media may be interested, I took Calamity's idea and submitted a proposal to Oprah, too. I just have this nagging feeling that God allowed me to get stuck in this awful situation because He thinks I can do something about it. I was a bit of a child prodigy with an IQ of around 185, and was studied by two different university programs growing up, so there is the thought that i should be able to use some of my mental ability (which I don't use for much now except doing our taxes!) to help find a solution to all this. I'm just not sure eactly how to do it. I do know that I can't just quietly bend over and take it. My intention has always been to go to law school after all of our children are in school themselves, so sooner or later you will see me as a very outspoken legal activist for this cause. Maybe it will be sooner, if I decide to go on JJ. Right now I don't know anything except that God will not allow me to sit still on this.<BR>At any rate, it would be a better use of my brains than trying to plan the "perfect murder" of ow would be, ha ha. <BR>As for my family, they will be horrified probably but will get over it. They are quite accustomed to me taking the road less traveled.<BR>-cd

cd, I say go for it to I would love to see some justice done its time our side of this is heard. good luck with whatever you decide.with love flowerseed

cd, you little Mensa member with the Big Brain...I'm impressed. Combine that with your gutsy, radical, revolutionary persona, and we have a combination for leadership that would be taken seriously.<P>Honey, I think you have found your 'cause'...one you would never have entertained had you not found yourself in the eye of the storm. Sometimes I wonder if these things happen for a reason...as much as I wish I could have come to some of these conclusion without the devastating hardship attached to it, the book Bystander is going to write about my situation, the PI lawsuit and your militant passion to bring this injustice national attention could be the 'ripple' we need to bring on the tidal wave of reform.<P>I don't know about the rest of you here, but I'm charged up.<P>Bystander, what say you, oh Fearless Leader?<P>Catnip =^^=

cd:<P>Have you decided which way you are going with this Judge Judy thing?<P>Enquiring minds....<P>Catnip =^^=<p>[This message has been edited by catnip (edited February 12, 2001).]

No idea yet. Not sure if we can reach joint agreement on it. although h says he would go on if I wanted to, he visibly cringes now whenever JJ yells at somebody during a court case. Anyway, I'm going to pick up filing papers today to look over, see what all is involved. Will get back to you all on final decision.<BR>-cd