Rapping Appeal Leads to Win for Pro Se Trombone Player
A litigant who filed his own appeals brief written partially in rap has won a Wisconsin appeals court ruling that he doesn’t have to pay legal fees for a lawsuit deemed frivolous by a circuit court judge.
Gregory Royal, a trombone player, argued he shouldn’t have to pay $3,750 in fees for filing a lawsuit against county officials in Wisconsin who recommended that his divorcing wife should have primary custody of the children, the Associated Press reports.
The AP story quotes this line from Royal’s brief: “A domestic relations exception, I was supposed to know. Appellee would know too, so why did he spend so much doe?” Another line: “Regarding frivolous filings, one thing is clear. Notice to show cause and proper service before you appear.”
Royal told AP he used rap in his six-page brief, rather than a lawyer, to help persuade the court.
“Imagine a real attorney who can actually capitalize and perfect that expression and throw some heavy stuff in there,” he said. “It’s like Einstein’s theory of relativity. It’s so short but so perfect there’s nothing you can say about it.”
