Comment by happyopossum
4 years ago
The reference to $7k isn’t to prosecute a CP case, it was to sue google to reinstate his account so he could get his digital life back.
4 years ago
The reference to $7k isn’t to prosecute a CP case, it was to sue google to reinstate his account so he could get his digital life back.
Which to be fair, the guy lives in San Francisco. It isn't that hard to file a small claims case. I understand that there may be some legal nuisances involved, but just getting the attention of the legal review team that will have to show up to defend the case is usually enough to get them to evaluate a matter beyond the algorithms. I don't think it is fair, but is much quicker and cheaper $7,000.
Maybe CA is different, but in most states small claims can't order equitable remedies (reinstating his account) and can only award money damages.
What would be sought is return of property which small claims courts do have the power to enforce. A case trying to change the laws to force a company to provide services to you against their choice, with some exceptions for discrimination due to protected classes, would easily cost millions and is pretty much dead in the water from the get go. If the property value is assessed to be more than $10,000 then by all means seek relief in another court but note Google wouldn't be able to have a lawyer represent them in small claims..
If Google has to choose between sending an executive to small claims to defend the company without representation or try to resolve a dispute via settlement, they are likely to try to resolve it via settlement which is the type of relief this individual appears to be seeking.
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He could probably find a lawyer willing to take the case on contingency. A jury might decide that he deserves millions in punitive damages and courts are probably the only way to force a human at google to provide support.
Which would involve defending his case. The defense's budget has to be in 5he same league as the prosecution.
You've got that switched around. No charges were filed against him. So he would have to commence a suit against Google. Google would be the defendant and he would be the plaintiff prosecuting a claim.