You Be the Judge

It's enough to put you off wedded bliss forever, but if you did harbour strong opinions on how the case Smith v Brown — a couple on the brink of matrimony, interfering relatives notwithstanding — should unfold, H. Clark Adams welcomes you to the legal arena of small claims court. Here feuding former lovers, despondent homeowners, and singed shopkeepers bring their grievances against their erstwhile partners in love and business for a ruling that could end the troubled relationship and maybe even offer them material or monetary comfort.

In a tone that's distinctly light-hearted, the retired deputy judge offers readers a fictionalized sampling of the cases presented at small claims court, and the chance for them to pit their best instincts and powers of judgment against his. Part I of the book is a collection of cases from the gripping to the ridiculous, while Part II features Adams's decisions on the cases presented. If your view on these 60 cases differs from the learned judge, be warned: no appeal to his decision has ever been successful.