Opinion ID: 2548554
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Challenged Closing Argument

Text: For this factually complicated case, the closing arguments of counsel comprise several hundred pages in the trial record. During the final argument, Ian Herzog, the Cassims' counsel, addressed whether Allstate had adequately shown that the Cassims had engaged in intentional misrepresentation by presenting reconstructed receipts for their alternative living expenses following the fire in their home. He said: Now, let's talk about intentional misrepresentation for a second. I think we have a direct analogy to what goes on in this case. Let's think of this for a second if you would. Just think, you're at a job. You have worked at it real hard. You're a good employee. And then a new boss comes along. He doesn't like you. Maybe it's because of your sex, your race or whatever. And he discharges you. And he wrongfully discharges you. And you go get a lawyer and you sue for wrongful discharge. And your employer does what Allstate has done here is they look under every rock you were ever under. Look for every skeleton, everything in your life that they can use. And they go and they do a check and they say, oh, you were on jury duty in a case called Cassim. Okay. And they say you were supposed to be on jury duty but there's a couple days in which there wasn't court, but you said you were on jury duty and we paid you. That's a misrepresentation. [Defense Counsel Pollak]: Your Honor, I'm going to object. This is improper argument. Mr. Herzog: I don't think so. The Court: No, overruled. Mr. Herzog: And they will take something, like Allstate has done here, the mortgage file or whatever, it's even worse, what they've done here and say we have grounds now to fire you because you misrepresented about you being on jury duty on certain days and you got paid when you really weren't.  And you say but, but, but Judge Cherness said it was okay. He says what I was doing was appropriate. And he says, no, you intentionally misrepresented. I didn't misrepresent anything. I thought that was the right thing to do. She said I didn't [mis]represent anything. I was relying on Tony Thompson [the public adjustor]. I thought it was the right thing to do. I didn't intend to fool anybody. And your whole career, bang you're out. Isn't that what they've done here? They want to put an artificial standard on what is meant by intentional misrepresentation, a standard that would apply in a courtroom setting like this that we would never apply to ourselves. That we would not think that anything was intentional or wrong in that regard. But in trying to carry their burden of proof when they have this kind of flimsy . . . evidence, when they haven't done what they should have done and they're doing the lawyers' thing. They will have you now crucify these people with an extraordinary artificial interpretation of what is intentional misrepresentation and that is not fair.  (Italics added.)