Judge Orders 2 Lawyers to Settle Dispute by Playing a Round of Rock, Paper, Scissors Game

When defense attourney and attorney for the plaintiff could not resolva a relatively simple scheduling dispute, on June 6, 2006 a Florida federal Judge Judge Presnell, 63, of Orlando ordered the two to meet on the steps of the federal courthouse and resolve their latest quarrel by playing "one (1) game of 'rock, paper, scissors.'

Characterizing the disagreement as "the latest in a series of Gordian knots that the parties have been unable to untangle without enlisting the assistance of the federal courts," Judge Presnell ordered each attorney, "accompanied by one paralegal who shall act as an attendant and witness," to play the dispositive round of RPS on June 30.

Defense attorney D. Lee Craig, of Butler Pappas Weihmuller Katz Craig, argued for holding the deposition in his office, while the plaintiffs' attorney David J. Pettinato of Merlin Law Group wanted it to take place at the court reporter's office down the street.

The Solomonic ruling comes in an insurance dispute filed September, 2006 by Avista Management against Wausau Underwriters Insurance Co.

"The winner of this engagement shall be entitled to select the location of the . . . deposition," he ruled, so long as it was within Hillsborough County.