Attorney Sues After Spending Almost $19,000 at Florida Strip Club

belimom

Speak the truth even if your voice shakes~M.Kuhn
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Oh please... If a judge rules in his favor, then it will set a precedent that anyone can claim they were too intoxicated to use their credit card and therefore aren't responsible for what they spend. :rolleyes:

An attorney who specializes in drunken-driving offenses is suing a Florida strip club, claiming it got him so drunk he spent almost $19,000 on his credit card, Courthousenews.com reports.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/04/27/attorney-sues-spending-1000-florida-strip-club/#ixzz1KpHo8g5T
 
Welcome to South FloriDUH!!! There was something similar to this a few months back. It was a bunch of young guys out for a bachelor party and their card was charged for thousands. HHhhmmm......wonder if it was the same club?

You're right belimom - I sure hope a judge doesn't rule in his favor. Would give a pass to all horny drunks all over this country - but especially here - these clubs are a dime a dozen down here.
 
I don't know about this one. What services could they have performed that cost $19K in one evening? Not even high-end call girls cost that much.

I think this may be a case of an establishment knowingly taking advantage of someone who was unable to give consent. For all we know, the drinks may even be loaded to facilitate the rip off.

This isn't to say the attorney doesn't share some responsibility. It may be a case where the cost should be split.
 
I don't know about this one. What services could they have performed that cost $19K in one evening? Not even high-end call girls cost that much.

I think this may be a case of an establishment knowingly taking advantage of someone who was unable to give consent. For all we know, the drinks may even be loaded to facilitate the rip off.

This isn't to say the attorney doesn't share some responsibility. It may be a case where the cost should be split.
ITA about an establishment taking advantage of customers. But, they charge $$$$$$$$$ for full bottles of stuff. Then you have the big fancy bottles of champagne - Dom Perignon, Pierre Joilet, etc. those can be hundreds of dollars each.

I don't know if the girls can "charge" lap dances to cards - I would think so - just tell the bartender and he adds it on to the tab and the girl gets her cash. If that's the case - well yea - thousands can quickly add up in a matter of a few hours.

Interesting thought about "loading" the drinks. Wouldn't that be something? Just another day in sunny South Florida. *****sigh*****
 
ITA about an establishment taking advantage of customers. But, they charge $$$$$$$$$ for full bottles of stuff. Then you have the big fancy bottles of champagne - Dom Perignon, Pierre Joilet, etc. those can be hundreds of dollars each.

I don't know if the girls can "charge" lap dances to cards - I would think so - just tell the bartender and he adds it on to the tab and the girl gets her cash. If that's the case - well yea - thousands can quickly add up in a matter of a few hours.

Interesting thought about "loading" the drinks. Wouldn't that be something? Just another day in sunny South Florida. *****sigh*****

True. The stereotype used to be that drinks in "dance halls" were watered down to cheat the customers. Maybe they figured out they made more money if the drinks were stronger. It's true that Dom Perignon can run up to $500/bottle, but that's for the highest quality (per my internet research: I certainly can't afford the stuff). What are the odds a strip club is serving top-shelf champagne?

But even so, $19K is 38 bottles of top quality Dom!

I have no idea what a lap dance costs, but as I said, you can get a room full of high-priced call girls for less than $19K.
 
BTW, I'm a South Florida boy myself. Needless to say, I'm very proud.
 
Does Fl have any laws re: bartenders aren't supposed to be serving alcohol to a really drunken person? That might apply here.
 
Nothing like good old personal responsibility. Anyone ever heard of that before??
 
Does Fl have any laws re: bartenders aren't supposed to be serving alcohol to a really drunken person? That might apply here.

But unless he had his BAC tested, how could they ever prove he was really drunk? Not to mention the level of tolerance in everyone is different depending on body size, weight, and the amount a person is used to drinking. Three beers to one person might be something completely different to another.
 
But unless he had his BAC tested, how could they ever prove he was really drunk? Not to mention the level of tolerance in everyone is different depending on body size, weight, and the amount a person is used to drinking. Three beers to one person might be something completely different to another.

I think what they use after car accidents is did he give the appearance of being drunk? If he can find witnesses that he was falling, slurring speech and other signs of drunk behavior, he may have it on the bartender and therefore the club. Another way is the number of drinks he was served- there should be charges on the credit card for those.

Though I can't say I have ever heard of it going through court. But then I don't hear everything.
 
The number of drinks charged on the card won't matter. He could have been with a group of friends and therefore, buying rounds of drinks. Also, the tips - could he have charged "tips" on the card? With each round? I would like to see the detail of the receipt for that $19k - it is probably very telling.
 
I think what they use after car accidents is did he give the appearance of being drunk? If he can find witnesses that he was falling, slurring speech and other signs of drunk behavior, he may have it on the bartender and therefore the club. Another way is the number of drinks he was served- there should be charges on the credit card for those.

Though I can't say I have ever heard of it going through court. But then I don't hear everything.

Apparently Florida law rarely penalizes the server for providing alcohol to intoxicated persons. The two exceptions are:

1. Minors (obviously)

2. Known alcoholics (how the courts define "known" isn't clear).

http://www.injurylawservice.com/library/alcohol-liability-in-florida.cfm




This civi suit may get tossed (or even more likely, the parties will reach a compromise on the bill and settle out of court: it can't be good PR for the Club to be known as a place that bilks drunks).

(ETA of course the above refers to criminal law. In a civil suit, the plaintiff will argue diminished capacity and that the club knew or should have known that the cardholder didn't know what he was buying or how much he was spending.)
 
Nothing like good old personal responsibility. Anyone ever heard of that before??

I'm all for personal responsibility, but why does that principle only apply to the individual who put $19K on his credit card?

Why aren't companies and their employees also held to some standard of personal (or corporate) responsibility? I seriously doubt the club servers, dancers, etc., weren't aware of how drunk the guy was.
 
This is probably the realest answer to this question I can give.

This man was obviously showing off. He was probably not only buying drinks for himself, but for his friends, the dancers, and who knows who else. He was more than likely wanting hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in "singles" to tip the dancers which would be charged to his "credit card" (bill) as he requested them. Lap dances can also be charged to the credit card and going into the private areas of the strip club can cost MEGA $$$$$. It's a status thing... well... for show offs who like to throw money around... and the girls will take every penny if you let them!! Some girls charge thousands of dollars just to sit with them on any given night... especially places like S. Florida and Las Vegas. Girls come from all over the world to dance in these areas because there is so much money being thrown around.

As for the drinking part... as a bartender myself... it is true that if someone is showing signs of being extremely intoxicated, it is our job to tell a bouncer to cut the customer off. It is also true that everyone handles alcohol differently. It does not matter if the person is not driving because there is always alcohol poisoning or they could fall... anything can happen!!

I am sure that there is video of this guy having the time of his life... spending freely and living freely! He's just a freeloader... IMO. It happens all the time when someone spends their whole paycheck on one night out... they regret it the next day. It happens... but to put that on the club's shoulders? Heck no!
 
I'm all for personal responsibility, but why does that principle only apply to the individual who put $19K on his credit card?

Why aren't companies and their employees also held to some standard of personal (or corporate) responsibility? I seriously doubt the club servers, dancers, etc., weren't aware of how drunk the guy was.

You're only hearing his side of the story. He may not have been drinking that much at all, but buying drinks for everyone and their mother. It happens all the time in clubs. Once someone starts throwing money around like that, people flock to them and in order to be the "man" they foolishly continue on with their "show."

I will say that I do not agree with credit cards being used in strip clubs. I am a bartender in a strip club (not in S. Florida) and we take cash only. We tried the credit card route (for drinks ONLY... if they wanted cash for tipping or lapdances they had to go to the ATM). Our owner threw the credit card machines out after one month because all these people (men and women) would come in and have a great time and want to show off and then they would contest the charges. These people know exactly what they are doing and they do it on purpose. Freeloaders!

I am almost willing to bet that this man is a regular on the strip club scene and that this wasn't his first time throwing money around trying to show off... maybe not to the extent of $19,000.00 in one night... but I'm pretty sure this wasn't his first rodeo.

I would also be interested if he had tried to contest the charges earlier (before filing suit)? Just curious if he knew to wait until video of that night would be unavailable because if he had contested the charges back when they happened... I would think the club would have made sure not to tape over that night to prove that he was having a great time showing off.
 
My answer to him? You got yourself drunk-no one else did. The drinks weren't forced on him or poured down his throat. He chose to pick up the glass.
 
True. The stereotype used to be that drinks in "dance halls" were watered down to cheat the customers. Maybe they figured out they made more money if the drinks were stronger. It's true that Dom Perignon can run up to $500/bottle, but that's for the highest quality (per my internet research: I certainly can't afford the stuff). What are the odds a strip club is serving top-shelf champagne?

But even so, $19K is 38 bottles of top quality Dom!

I have no idea what a lap dance costs, but as I said, you can get a room full of high-priced call girls for less than $19K.

All clubs that I have been to in Miami (regular clubs on South Beach) have all used the same technique we use here, where I am from, when measuring drinks. It's a jigger that is a four count. The rule of thumb in any club, as a bartender, is that you never overpour because the less drinks you make... the less the tips.

A lot of people think that the drunker you get someone... the better the tips... which is 100% not true! The stronger the drink... the lower the sales are. I can only speak for our owner, but over pouring is a huge no no.

Bottles... buying bottles of liquor, in Miami, could be thousands of dollars a bottle depending on what he ordered? With anything... in a club (not just strip clubs) you are going to easily be paying a lot more for a bottle than what you would pay in a liquor store.

The most "singles" I have ever given to an individual group of people at the club I work at... was $20,000.00. Yes, they were showoffs and famous so I won't say who and I am not even in Miami... or even Fort Lauderdale.

I've never been to any strip clubs in Miami... so I can not speak for what they do down there... I just know the types of guys that come in these clubs who would love nothing but to get everything for free... even if they spend it themselves and want to complain later. Like the guys who get mad because they spend a thousand dollars on lapdances and get mad because the girl won't go out with them on a date... :banghead: As a bartender, I am constantly bombarded with complaints about how much they spend... why won't she go out with me... she just uses me... and on and on.

I actually wouldn't doubt it this has something to do with a scorned man wanting to date a stripper and after a night of him showing off... she wouldn't date him so now he wants his money back?

I want to see how this plays out??
 
Lola.

I know exactly what you mean about 'freeloaders' in clubs. I used to bartend in a high end disco back in the early 80's. Sometimes guys would give me their credit cards to run a tab and they would pick up rounds of drinks all night long, pointing to tables of girls to send drinks to. Then they would disappear at the end of the night. The next day they would come in all sobered up, wanting their credit cards back. When they would see their bill they would usually complain and try and deny they ordered all of the drinks. It got to be really annoying.
 
Lolamoon and katydid - ITA! Especially down here I was surprised to see that ANY club would take credit cards. Most "adult entertainment" places here do NOT take credit cards. And that's not only for the reasons you mentioned but also because of the bank fees associated with taking those cards and the HUGE amount of tourists we get here.

This guy is a lawyer. Not really one of the "big name" lawyers here - but he is somewhat known. That may help explain why he was out "dropping big money" at a place like this.

We probably won't here anymore from this - I'll keep an ear to the ground just in case but I'm willing to bet that this just "goes away". He'll probably work something out with the attorney for the club and that will be that.

Again - a shining example of South FloriDUH !!!!! :crazy:
 
You're only hearing his side of the story....

I'm not even hearing that much. I only know he is claiming he was too intoxicated to consent to the use of his card.

My point was only that we don't know the facts in this case, and that we are quick to speak of the "responsibility" of individuals while absolving companies as if they and their employees have no responsibility.

However, I do very much appreciate you filling in some of the blanks with your experience, since I've never even been to a strip club.
 

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