Last season, a judge agreed to continue a trial date after counsel pointed out that the date would impair the parties' ability to watch the New Orleans Saints play for the NFC championship. Now a judge in Baton Rouge has granted a similar motion, this time based on a college bowl game.
Specifically, the national championship game, to be played this year in the Superdome between LSU and Ohio State. Steven Babcock, who is defending an insurance company in the lawsuit, and who has tickets to the game, moved to continue the trial's start date because of the conflict. The motion was unopposed.
"All counsel to this matter unequivocally agree that the presence of LSU in the aforementioned contest of pigskin skill unquestionably constitutes good grounds [for the continuance]," Babcock stated in his motion. This unequivocal agreement may have been in part because plaintiff's counsel also have tickets to the game.
"We might disagree on the merits of the case," Babcock told reporters, "but everyone was in agreement on this, for sure."
Babcock said he didn't know if the judge who granted the motion, Judge Alvin Batiste of West Baton Rouge Parish, was an LSU fan. "[M]ost people around here are," though, he said. Even if he isn't, it seems unlikely there are many Ohio State fans in the area.
Link: CBS News
Link: Motion to Continue (and order granting same)
