TV show judge rules for freak show impresario
Boo, hiss and three thumbs down to TV Judge Jeanine Pirro.
The one-time real judge, loser in her race for New York attorney general and a regular on the TV talking head circuit has ruled that freak show owner John Strong was wronged when a North Carolina man pulled out of an agreement to sell Strong a five-legged dog.
A contract is a contract, the heartless TV judge ruled.
Fortunately, being a TV judge, her ruling has no real impact — other than provide some network bucks to Strong, whose Coney Island freak show features 27 odd animals, including a two-headed turtle named Pete and Repeat, a six-legged cow and an eight-legged pig.
Calvin Owensby of Gastonia, N.C. had agreed to sell the five-legged puppy formerly known as Precious to Strong on June 29. Strong sent Owensby $1,000, with a promise of $2,000 more when Precious got to New York.
Owensby, an unemployed electrician, researched Strong, and learned he makes his living displaying freaks. When he received a call from Allyson Siegel of Charlotte, N.C., offering $4,000 in an attempt to save the pup from growing up on public display, he accepted her offer, and returned Strong’s $1,000.
Siegel renamed the dog Lilly and quickly had the extra leg removed.
Strong sued for breach of contract.
“We’ve got a contract, and the defendant broke it, pure and simple,” Pirro ruled. Strong will receive $4,000 in damages, paid off by the TV show, the Charlotte Observer reports.
Strong said after the taping that he’s thrilled with the decision, and that after the show airs Sept. 8 he plans to sue Siegel to reclaim the dog — even though she only has four legs now. Siegel did not take part in the TV show.
In 1993, Pirro was the first woman elected district attorney in Westchester County, N.Y., a position she held through 2005. In 1997, the well-coiffed DA was voted one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People.” A Republican, she lost the state attorney general election to Andrew Cuomo in November.
Posted by jwoestendiek August 13th, 2009 under Muttsblog.
Tags: allyson siegel, calvin owensby, coney island, contract, court, dog, five, five-legged, five-legged dog, freak show, freakshow, jeanine, john strong, judge, lilly, north carolina, pirro, precious, puppy, ruling, sideshow, television, tv
Comment from kim
Time September 8, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Judge Pirro is making a mockery of the justice system. On the very same episode she ruled against a women based on an accusation of her mental status made by a docter that had never seen her. This freakshow lord is taking advantage of the man from north carolina, who is obviously out of work and scared, obviously taken advantgage of. judge pirro is encouraging negative publicity. her rulings are made on hearsay. facts are not proven by either party. Judge Pirro the animal lover should be ashamed of herself for taken advantage of the publicity of this puppy to increase the publicity of her own TV show. I hope she gets taken off the air. I’m embarressed for her. She makes women illogical. Besides anyone who would state animals can not feel embarrasemnet or shame is obvioulsy not very intuitive about animals. I question his capability to provide a nurturing environment for anything including a dog.