Ongoing History Daily: The litigious states of America

Being in a band can be a lot more complicated than you might realize. One thing all successful groups have is a good lawyer to get them out of jams. 

Take the Cure, for example.  In 1996, a fan claimed that he was just trying to get an autograph after a show in California when he was stopped by a bodyguard.  This bodyguard, allegedly an employee of the Cure, then proceeded to beat the guy up.  This being America, the land of the lawsuit, this fan dragged the whole matter into court.  And surprise, surprise, a judge agreed with him. 

He ruled against the band and ordered them to pay up.  Here’s the weird part: the Cure didn’t even know they were on trial until after the case had wrapped up.  They weren’t even in court to defend themselves and were tried in absentia like some war criminal. 

Naturally, they appealed–and this time, they won.