Etc.

Trial put off because of game

Barring another delay, a plaintiff's lawsuit against the Imperial Casualty Insurance Co. of Opelousas, La., will open sometime after next Monday. My, you say, that sounds awfully tentative. Well, yes, it does, and there's a reason: a football game. More to the point, the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, in which Louisiana State (LSU) will play Ohio State for the national championship in the highest classification in the collegiate ranks. The suit, to be heard in state court, involves an automobile accident, and the trial originally was scheduled for last month in Baton Rouge, the home of LSU. Now, trial postponements are common. Even postponements due to football games aren't without precedent in Louisiana, where a case was rescheduled last January because of a pro playoff between the New Orleans Saints and the Chicago Bears. But in this case, Stephen Babcock, an attorney for Imperial, requested the delay because he has tickets to the Sugar Bowl. In fact, he and other LSU fans have rented space in New Orleans for a pregame party. And, in his own words, he was unable "to think of a better reason" to seek a new date. Happily for him, the attorneys for the plaintiff also have tickets to the game, so the judge agreed to reschedule the trial. He just didn't say when. Meanwhile, all sides in the case are hoping that justice delayed isn't justice denied.