A Kansas man has asked an Iowa judge to let him engage in a sword fight with his ex-wife and her attorney in a trial by combat that will settle their ongoing legal dispute. David Ostrom, 40, of Paola, Kansas, said in a 3 January court filing that his former wife, Bridgette Ostrom, 38, of Harlan, Iowa, and her attorney, Matthew Hudson, had “destroyed (him) legally”. The judge had the power to let the parties “resolve our disputes on the field of battle, legally,” David Ostrom said, adding in his filing that trial by combat “has never been explicitly banned or restricted as a right in these United States”. He also asked the judge for 12 weeks’ time so he could secure Japanese samurai swords. The Ostroms have been embroiled in disputes over custody and visitation issues and property tax payments. His motion filed in Shelby county district court stemmed from his frustrations with his ex-wife’s attorney, Ostrom told The Des Moines Register. “I think I’ve met Mr Hudson’s absurdity with my own absurdity,“ Ostrom said, adding that his former wife could choose Hudson to act as her champion. Hudson argued in his legal response that because a duel could end in death, “such ramifications likely outweigh those of property tax and custody issues”. Hudson asked the judge to reject the request for trial by combat. Judge Craig Dreismeier said in his own filing Monday that he won’t be issuing a decision anytime soon, citing irregularities with both sides’ motions and responses. “Until the proper procedural steps to initiate a court proceeding are followed, this court will take no further action concerning any motion, objection or petition filed by either party at this time,” the judge said. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...ord-fight-ex-wife-lawyer-settle-legal-dispute
I would grant his motion and give him adequate time to get his sword, with a note that the time should be adequate for the other parties to acquire AK47s, or whatever else they wish to use on the “field of battle”.
That is what I thought too, but in reading this closer, he is giving the wife the opportunity to name her attorney as her champion. I really wanted him to agree to 2 vs. 1, but 3 samurai swords is a lot to procure in such short of a time period.
My wife and I are still laughing out loud over this. The sad part is that we both personally know people who would fit into this scenario.
You can rent them from me. I use them on special occasions such as a neighbor's barking dog or playing loud party music late at night on a work day especially if it's music that I don't like.
