J: Alright so I understand what you’re stating. The security guard situation about your seat. There was something to the effect of while you were at the Question and Answer. And at the time that you met the artist, you felt that she looked down upon you. Anything else that you’d like to add that would support these… It appears negligence. It also appears intentional affliction of emotional distress, and perhaps harassment. Any other facts that you’d like to add before Mr. Skordas so I can make a ruling on the case?
R: Absolutely. So I know Mr. Skordas is going to say…
J: Don’t worry about what Mr. Skordas is going to say. He’ll say what he wants to say. I want you to tell me what you’re going to say.
R: Two aggravating factors that help my case.
::missed a bit here::
So harm that usually wouldn’t matter that much to a regular person really screwed me up, and second of all there’s a section on emotional distress. I know in case law it says that mere insults aren’t enough for a claim of emotional distress. But innkeepers, common carriers… to allow business people who act in an insulting manner to have a claim of emotional distress. For instance, as I was researching this case, there was a really famous law professor who said that for instance, a passenger goes into a taxicab and the taxi driver says to them… In any other situation, the passenger wouldn’t have a claim, but since it’s a common carrier, that’s aggravating. There’s also another exception. It was repeated conduct. When conduct is repeated, mere insults is enough to state a claim of emotional distress.
J: And you would state that this was some sort of repeated conduct that happened to you?
R: Yes sir. With the hearts..,
J: Excuse me?
R: With the people that worked for her, yes.
J: :: I missed almost the entire thing. Asking some sort of clarifying question::
R: Yes
J: Alright very good. Why don’t you have a seat Mr. Greer. Mr. Skordas, I’ve given Mr. Greer as much latitude as I can to try to understand the cause of action upon which to act, as well as discussing jurisdictional criteria that are necessary and only if I get past those three considerations, some surface, factual matters, I would like you to, if you would please, reply to at least the responses that were included in your motion, the failure to state a claim and the lack of personal and subject matter jurisdiction.
S: I’d like to do one other thing your honor. I’d like the court to take a look at a post that Mr. Greer made seven days after the concert. And I’ll indicate that it says
Russell Greer, smiley face, whatever they’re called, emoticons. Feeling happy, dreams do come true, exclamation point, exclamation point, exclamation point, all caps. Smiley face, smiley face, smiley face. I met Ariana Grande. I gave her my flowers and my song. I’m just waiting for her to say yes.
And in the picture is the two of them together, with her smiling and him standing next to her. So for him to come in here today, your honor, and say that he felt threatened a week earlier, that he felt demeaned by her or anyone in her staff a week earlier is absolutely negated by his own writings one week later.
J: Mr. Greer, have you seen this? Do you know what this…
R; I have, and I …
J: OK have a seat sir. You had your time to talk. You won’t talk unless I ask you to. Thank you sir. Go ahead Mr. Skrodas.
S: I mean I don’t know what else to say. This case was brought in bad faith. There’s no truth to these allegations. There’s no substantiation to these allegations. He enjoyed the benefit of the concert. I’m sorry he has a perceived disability, and I’m sorry that he has suffered through that. I’m sure that that’s been difficult for him in life. But none of that has to do with our client. There’s been no claim here with respect to her agent even being in Utah. It appears that she gave him everything that he paid for, a backstage pass, a personal picture with him, a very good concert, an opportunity for him to, a week later, describe how absolutely overjoyed he was by the entire experience, and then coming in here months later and deciding that he somehow has a cause of action against her, I think, your honor, it’s just ridiculous.
J: Can you tell me, through Mr. Greer’s discussion, did you identify… did his discussion with us alleviate or answer your questions about what claim he’s making on relief he’d like? Were you able to glean that?
S: I don’t think that he’s articulated any claim.
J: He says something about negligence, that there was some duties that were perhaps breached.
S: He went on to the concert, he got everything he asked for. And he hasn’t described anything that relates to either of the clients here. He went to some pre-concert event, felt that he was somehow disrespected by that, but not by anyone that’s being sued today, or, and in fact, immediately after the concert he says what a great time he had. It’s just absurd to me your honor for him to come in here today and say that somehow something happened at that event that caused him distress.
J: Do you have any sort of speculation upon…What’s the reason for this thing? Any speculation on that? Why are we here?
S: So he can get some attention. So he can have his 15 minutes of fame.
J: Did he think these individuals were going to be here?
S: Oh of course. He thought that he would be able to…
