Caught In The Act; But Thief’s Folks Sued City, Tavern

Dear Ann Landers: Thanks for cutting us in on all those crazy lawsuits. They made my day. Here’s another one I read about in the Hayward, Calif., Daily Review. I hope you will share it with your readers. It’s too good to keep to yourself. A San Leandro Reader

Dear San Leandro: You’re right about sharing. Here’s what happened:

According to the Hayward Daily Review, four robbers in ski masks, brandishing weapons, dashed into a local bar, hassled the patrons and robbed the place. When the robbers tried to escape in a van, two police officers shot at them, wounding one of the gunmen. One robber escaped, and the others ran back into the bar.

In attempting another escape, the robbers took hostages. One of the hostages stabbed the wounded robber with a pocket knife, hit an artery and killed him.

You’d think this would be the end of it, but apparently not. An attorney sued the bar on behalf of the dead robber’s family, alleging it didn’t provide a “safe environment.” He also sued the City of Hayward, saying the police were rough in their handling of the situation.

The lawyer eventually dropped the suit against the bar when he discovered it was a patron who stabbed the robber, but the bar’s insurance will still have to pay about $2,500 to cover the legal fees. And that doesn’t include the legal fees for defending the police department of Hayward - which are picked up by the taxpayer.

The lawsuit against the city was finally dropped when the assistant city attorney offered to show the lawyer the surveillance videotape of the robber actually robbing the bar and stuffing money into his pockets.

The city is considering asking the courts to make the lawyer pay the city’s legal costs.

Dear Ann Landers: The letter from the gay man whose partner’s sister was getting married touched me. The mother of the bride didn’t want her son’s partner to attend the wedding even though the bride had invited him. You advised him to go anyway and to be sure to ask the mother to dance.

I am a 61-year-old man who has had a same-sex partner for 11 years, a relationship I expect to last for the rest of my life.

My 90-year-old mother passed away last year after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s. Although she and my older unmarried sister were both “old-fashioned,” they accepted “Bob,” as did my former wife and my wonderful children. Bob loved my mother and insisted on paying for the blanket of roses atop the coffin. He was welcomed to the funeral, as was my ex-wife. No one raised any questions as to who he was, at least not in my presence.

Your advice was correct, and I thank you for it. - Texas

Dear Texas: Your support is especially appreciated. Not everyone agreed with me. Here’s another one who did:

Dear Ann: My hat is off to you for your immensely reasonable and humane suggestion to “Gay Son’s Partner.” After he finishes his dance with the bride’s mother, a lot of us gay men would be willing to cut in and show her we are decent, civilized people. We appreciate your courageous stand. - C.H., St. Paul, Minn.

Dear St. Paul: I received a lot of flak from the gay bashers, but I’m not taking back a word of it. Thanks for writing.