Ministry Of Magic To Prosecute David Copperfield?

[Judge]

"Bloody hell!", said Ron Weasley. Argus Filch only lamented that he hoped this didn't involve Mrs. Norris, but chastised America's Muggles for no particular reason. Harry Potter remained unavailable for comment.

(Reuters) David Copperfield was forced to break the magicians code in court Tuesday, when a judge ordered him to explain one of his most famous tricks following a lawsuit from an injured participant.

David Copperfield Has Been Forced to Reveal His Famous 'Lucky 13' Magic Trick in Court

* Graham Chapman was also unavailable for comment (duh) but was anticipated to have referred to the court as "Yew bahstahds". - That is all.

 

[ZebraAutismo]

This was the best bit of today.

 

[Chance]

I hope all turns out well for Mr. Copperfield.
I just want to learn the Magician's code...
Forget the lucky 13 thing... Just need 1 chair for this trick and me in it... then poof, and gone... : )

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

I hope all turns out well for Mr. Copperfield.
I just want to learn the Magician's code...
Forget the lucky 13 thing... Just need 1 chair for this trick and me in it... then poof, and gone... : )

Try a car.

 

[Chance]

Try a car.

Too easy and can be traced through CC transactions. Plus,,, No magic in that. : )

 

[SusanLR]

Where would you like to 'poof' off to @Chance ?
If you're like me, it would be out of this world!
Need a Dr. Who Tardis or a flying cardboard box...

 

[pjcnet]

S**t can happen and thankfully it wasn't even more serious, but I'd be surprised if David Copperfield and his company aren't fully insured for 3rd party liability if something goes wrong like this and I'm also kind of surprised that he didn't just pay him an out of court settlement considering the money he's got, although perhaps it needs to go to court for the insurance to pay out assuming he is covered.

It wasn't a magic trick, but the worst ever accident I remember that involved a member of the public performing for a show was when Michael Lush died while rehearsing a stunt that involved bungee jumping high up from an exploding box. The stunt would have been performed live on a UK BBC TV programme hosted by Noel Edmunds called The Late, Late Breakfast Show in 1986, the BBC permanently cancelled the show after the tragic accident. Ordinary people would be chosen to perform dangerous stunts that would be performed live on the show the following week so the death could have just as easily happened on live television. What made it even worse was Noel Edmunds often used to make jokes on the show about the danger involved and about whether they'd survive the stunt, obviously he never thought that a death could truly ever happen and I remember seeing him at least looking truly devastated in a TV statement after the tragic death (he probably was extremely upset, but a while later he was back on other TV programmes as his old cheery self again). Obviously no amount of money can possibly compensate for the loss of a person.

For more on Michael Lush's tragic accident, please click here. Michael Lush RIP.

 

[Chance]

Where would you like to 'poof' off to @Chance ?
If you're like me, it would be out of this world!
Need a Dr. Who Tardis or a flying cardboard box...
View attachment 43644

Maybe Colorado in 1800's, or modern day Vancouver, BC. or some alternate universe where I might be seen as normal and I was surrounded by people with good morals, competence, laughter, common sense, and a desire to live with a purpose in life... Yep I'm asking for the impossible, but you asked... : )

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

Maybe Colorado in 1800's, or modern day Vancouver, BC

You've missed out the entire future.

How about Colorado 2200. One of the last human specimens kept alive.

As robots go about their business in complete silence, communicating through electro osmosis
So even chances sensibilities are not triggered.

 

[Chance]

You've missed out the entire future.

How about Colorado 2200. One of the last human specimens kept alive.

As robots go about their business in complete silence, communicating through electro osmosis
So even chances sensibilities are not triggered.

I guess A.I. will be our future... A future I fear may be really weird.
When all the human is drained from us... What is left?
People say ASD people have no emotions... Thats the biggest misguided symptom I can imagine unless I am a total freak of nature... Yet I see and read very deep emotions written on this forum constantly...

Thats where I get tripped up the most it seems... I have maybe too much emotion and I just suck at displaying any of it, so it turns to chaos inside me...

I don't think A I can fix that, even worse it might not tolerate humans like me in the future...
I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Judge]

David Copperfield's alleged net worth is reported to be around $800 million. With those kind of assets it's quite likely that he has the appropriate excess catastrophe coverage to handle such a lawsuit. It wouldn't surprise me if he's carrying ten million dollar limits. Which in terms of commercial liability isn't a huge amount of coverage.

 

[WildCat]

If he doesn't get his way here, looks like he'll have a new trick up his sleeve - making money disappear.

Not that it's uncommon knowledge, you know - executives, big-shots, Hollywood, etc., and you know exactly where that money's going to go. It's a popular trick that's very easy to do.

 

[Chance]

It sort of seems like, that with the experience Mr. Copperfield has, this might be a fluke or worse... maybe not.

I tend to smell rats with 400 thousand dollar doctor bills from a simple fall, but of course I suppose it's not impossible. I would think the pathway was checked previously before the "magic" trick took place. Its just common sense. Was the man missing when they were revealed at the end of the trick? Was he hurting then? It doesn't seem to give any details other than giving away the trick to not be magic... which sort of takes all the fun out of the whole magic show...

If Mr. Copperfield is not in the wrong... I feel he should most certainly defend himself to the ends of the earth... and if his crew was in the wrong, well that is left to the court to decide it seems.

However it's not like the man fell down a well, AND HE DID VOLUNTEER... So that kind of smells a little wrong to be suing in the first place... It kind of sounds like the hot coffee McDonalds stupidity that awarded a lady millions in what I see as wrongly awarded... Coffee is HOT, and that's pretty simple to figure out unless a person is corrupt and seeking a fast way to big bucks... Not sure that is what this is... but it can be and thats just a part of what has everything so screwed up in our world today. Jus sayin, but probably shouldn't... : )

 

[Judge]

Unfortunately with so many civil suits, juries often render a verdict on the premise that a defendant is properly insured enough to properly indemnify a plaintiff. Just another consideration in why insurers try in vain behind closed doors to avoid a suit going to court. Though I've also personally witnessed exceptions, where the company arrogantly elected to allow the suit to go to trial, where they lost ten times the amount they could have settled for behind closed doors. That happens too.

The scary dynamic of civil law is that you don't require a unanimous vote by the jury. Just a simple majority. Made worse by a few states that only require six jurors rather than twelve.

Technically to prove negligence in court, you need to ascertain four things:

1. A duty owed the plaintiff
2. That the duty owed was breached by the defendant
3. That an injury and/or property damage occurred as a result of the breach
4. Being able to ascertain a causal relationship between the duty owed and the breach of that duty

Though despite all the mechanics in place it still allows a jury to do its own thing. Making many such lawsuits more of a crapshoot. I'd rather take my chances with the Ministry of Magic.

 

[pjcnet]

It sort of seems like, that with the experience Mr. Copperfield has, this might be a fluke or worse... maybe not.

I tend to smell rats with 400 thousand dollar doctor bills from a simple fall, but of course I suppose it's not impossible. I would think the pathway was checked previously before the "magic" trick took place. Its just common sense. Was the man missing when they were revealed at the end of the trick? Was he hurting then? It doesn't seem to give any details other than giving away the trick to not be magic... which sort of takes all the fun out of the whole magic show...

If Mr. Copperfield is not in the wrong... I feel he should most certainly defend himself to the ends of the earth... and if his crew was in the wrong, well that is left to the court to decide it seems.

However it's not like the man fell down a well, AND HE DID VOLUNTEER... So that kind of smells a little wrong to be suing in the first place... It kind of sounds like the hot coffee McDonalds stupidity that awarded a lady millions in what I see as wrongly awarded... Coffee is HOT, and that's pretty simple to figure out unless a person is corrupt and seeking a fast way to big bucks... Not sure that is what this is... but it can be and thats just a part of what has everything so screwed up in our world today. Jus sayin, but probably shouldn't... : )

Even if the man did volunteer, then unless he also signed a disclaimer stating that he knows what is he about to do is dangerous and that David Copperfield can't be held liable for any injuries caused which is extremely unlikely, then all standard health and safety standards must be in place to keep him safe and if he has an accident due to neglect of this duty he can rightfully sue for damages. There is a fair chance however that he's making the most of it to claim as many damages as possible, he is probably glad he had an accident now and who knows he could have even done it on purpose, but that is unlikely to ever be proven. Many claims companies even have their own dodgy doctors that will sign virtually anything to improve the chances of a greater claim, this is also very common with car accidents where the doctor often signs to say the client has whiplash for instance whether there's any evidence of this or not. I saw a TV documentary once where a client went undercover with hidden cameras and the doctor who worked for the claims company told him to say he had back and neck pain even when he clearly said he didn't, this is apparently all too common in the UK and it's bound to happen in other countries like the USA that has an even bigger compensation culture at the moment.

 

[Chance]

Even if the man did volunteer, then unless he also signed a disclaimer stating that he knows what is he about to do is dangerous and that David Copperfield can't be held liable for any injuries caused which is extremely unlikely, then all standard health and safety standards must be in place to keep him safe and if he has an accident due to neglect of this duty he can rightfully sue for damages. There is a fair chance however that he's making the most of it to claim as many damages as possible, he is probably glad he had an accident now and who knows he could have even done it on purpose, but that is unlikely to ever be proven. Many claims companies even have their own dodgy doctors that will sign virtually anything to improve the chances of a greater claim, this is also very common with car accidents where the doctor often signs to say the client has whiplash for instance whether there's any evidence of this or not. I saw a TV documentary once where a client went undercover with hidden cameras and the doctor who worked for the claims company told him to say he had back and neck pain even when he clearly said he didn't, this is apparently all too common in the UK and it's bound to happen in other countries like the USA that has an even bigger compensation culture at the moment.

If this turns out to be a sham.... Its just one more sick example of how low humanity has sunk to such slimy ways to get a free pass in LIFE. It seems to be turning into a game of cat and mouse, where the cheese is always someone else's money...

Maybe I am just in the wrong place at the wrong time, because this type stuff is everywhere, to the point we have to be careful what we say, and even how we say it... I want to say I wish I understood it, but the fact is I just want no part of the direction in which humanity seems to be headed.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

I want to say I wish I understood it, but the fact is I just want no part of the direction in which humanity seems to be headed

Ok. Lets kill everybody.

You start.

Bit busy over here. Got a cup of tea that can't be rushed.

 

[Chance]

Ok. Lets kill everybody.

You start.

Bit busy over here. Got a cup of tea that can't be rushed.

Nah... I just want to go off on my own and let each one handle it themselves... They are already doing a great job at destroying what is left of the real us...

I just don't get it... I have a huge gash in my right leg right now, happened at work... Could have raised huge issues over it, and be off on workmans comp and tons of other stuff... but we bandaged up and I kept working... I have fallen off a building at work and didn't make a claim, tons of stuff like that...

I stumble and fall a lot but whos fault is that? Its mine, even if I can't help it, I own it...
Sure, if turns out someone was TRULY negligent then its fair that people should be paid for their losses, but this is where it always gets shady and dirty deals, and false statements are most often made...

Maybe there is a judge and a jury left with a spine and maybe only the true facts will be presented here...
but that is about as likely as me having a Unicorn out back, that poops golden bricks and sneezes fairy dust...

 

[pjcnet]

If this turns out to be a sham.... Its just one more sick example of how low humanity has sunk to such slimy ways to get a free pass in LIFE. It seems to be turning into a game of cat and mouse, where the cheese is always someone else's money...

Maybe I am just in the wrong place at the wrong time, because this type stuff is everywhere, to the point we have to be careful what we say, and even how we say it... I want to say I wish I understood it, but the fact is I just want no part of the direction in which humanity seems to be headed.

Well it shows the compensation culture has totally got out of hand when a burglar sues the home owner for damages because they were attacked and injured by their dog and even worse if the dog is destroyed because it's then classed as a dangerous animal. Obviously in that situation the dog should be praised and the burglar got his just deserves, a good guard dog is meant to attack burglars, but things really are getting that ridiculous these days.

 

[Chance]

Well it shows the compensation culture has totally got out of hand when a burglar sues the home owner for damages because they were attacked and injured by their dog and even worse if the dog is destroyed because it's then classed as a dangerous animal. Obviously in that situation the dog should be praised and the burglar got his just deserves, a good guard dog is meant to attack burglars, but things really are getting that ridiculous these days.

One way we could influence the insanity is all ASD based jurors... Logical minds would make mahem in the dirty games people play... But we might be on trial for corruption of a corrupt system soon...

Where does this end? What does it take to make a "legal" system truly a legal system once more?
It takes deep honesty and that seems to be as rare as the unicorn I mentioned above.