 Case dismissed. What a nightmare I've got myself into and it's really happening. I'm losing my job in my home and $25,000 to people I've never seen. Brother, how stupid can a man get? There is time though. If this man wakes up to his lights and beauties, it may still be another case dismissed. WMAQ in cooperation with the Chicago Bar Association presents case dismissed. This is the story of your legal rights. How vital to preserve and protect them, how easily they may be lost. And I'll meet a man who almost learned the truth. Too late. My name is George Beaumont. I'm a service representative for World Wisdom Encyclopedia. Sure, a book salesman. Only at World Wisdom, salesman is a vulgar word. Don't mention it around the boss. Old J. L. Stevens is a great guy really, but a little fanatical on the subject of respectability. At least I thought so that afternoon when all my trouble began. The boss was handing us our advanced 1954 sales pep talk, and frankly, he had us a little worried. A cut in our sales force is a distinct possibility, gentlemen. The future is up to you. Your sales records and your reputations are the keys to future employment with World Wisdom Encyclopedia. Please remember, gentlemen, the world wisdom man is always a model of good taste and respectability in his community. By the way, Johnson, you could use a shoe shine. I'd like to conclude with an appropriate quotation by Fuller, found in Volume 5 of World Wisdom, I might add. Take away my good name, and take away my life. Me dig a turn. Despite the old man's message of impending doom, I felt pretty confident as I wandered back to my desk. My sales were better than average. And when it came to reputation, well, in our community of Glen Park, we Beaumont's rate just below the clergy. But then my phone rang. George Beaumont. George. Oh, hi, honey. What's up? Are you coming right home tonight? Sure. No calls to make. Something wrong? Well, one of the kids sick? Not nothing at all. Now, wait a minute, Ruth. What on earth are you... George, while I was out shopping, the sheriff came to the house. The sheriff? Oh, you're kidding. No joke to him. But, honey, the sheriff, what would the sheriff... George, he li- Too concerned to tell you the truth. I had it figured as a gag, or at worst, maybe a stupid mistake on somebody's part. But just the same, at five on the nose, I got my car out of the office parking lot and headed straight home. I had kind of a sick feeling around the neighborhood of my stomach. And by the time I hit the outer drive, I was thinking about all the movies where the innocent fella gets framed and is pardoned from prison years later, broken in mind and body. Then, when I wheeled into our garage, the old man's words were ringing in my ears. The world wisdom inside the medium had must always be the model of good taste and respectability in his community. Ruth looked so tense and wrought off, I decided to keep my nerves to myself. I casually hung up my coat and hat, gave her a hello-pack and said, Okay, let's see the official papers. When do they hang me? George, it may be serious. Sure it is. But they'll never take me alive. Do you hear me? Never. Now, let's see the summons then. In the name of the people of the state of Illinois and the circuit court of Cook County, Illinois, Harry Morgan, Roberta Morgan, and Mary Morgan, the minor, plaintiffs. I don't know any Morgans. Do you? Only back home in Montana. And I haven't seen them for years. Besides, those aren't their names. Ah, this must be a gag. Let's see now. Versus George Beaumont and Ruth Beaumont Defendants. Huh, you're in on this too. That's what it says. Oh, this is crazy. You are hereby summoned to answer the complaints in the above entitled cause. For what cause? I don't know, George. Take notice that you must file your answer or otherwise make your appearance in said court in the courthouse in the city of Chicago, Illinois, honor before Monday, January 18th, 1954, provided this writ shall be served upon you less than 20 days before said date and so forth and so forth. In his next line, dear, if you do not appear according to the command on this writ, plaintiffs may take judgment against you by default. But judgment against us for what, honey? I haven't any idea. Look, you haven't run over anybody with your card in the supermarket lately. George, be serious. How can I be? This thing is absolutely crazy. We haven't done anything to anybody. Well, could it be some other George Beaumont? That's what I was thinking on the way out. But with your name on it, too, that's too much of a coincidence. It's somebody's idea of a practical joke. Well, I've considered that, too. But the only one I know with a sense of humor like this is Al. I don't even think he'd pull something like this. Well, how about this? This lawyer who signed his name at the bottom of the summons. See, James D. Parkinson, plaintiff's attorney. Sure, what about him? Well, why don't you call him and settle the question once and for all? But, honey, I can't afford to start any rumors. Even if there's nothing to them. Things are rough at the office. The old economy acts could swing any day. And you know what a fanatic the old man is about world wisdom and psychopedias. Good name. But, George, we haven't done anything. What do we have to worry about? That's a good question, honey. But I'm still afraid of bad publicity. Well, if it isn't a joke and it isn't a mistake, what is it? Search me. You haven't had any arguments with customers, have you? Oh, you know me better than that. I know. I was hoping it might remind you of something. I'll try again. Well, could it be the car? Have you had a small accident? A great defender? Something trivial? Nope. Oh, by the way, have you? No. Well, I haven't even had a near miss in a couple of years, honey. That car hasn't been anywhere near. Hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute. George, you didn't. No, I didn't. But Chet did. Chet Baker? Sure, sure. Remember that Saturday morning we loaned Chet our car? Yeah. Well, when Chet brought it back, he mentioned some minor accident. Some kind of a two-car accident that had already happened. Chet didn't cause any damage or injure anybody, so I didn't pay much attention to the details. Chet's a nice boy, dear. He wouldn't get us in trouble. I know that, honey, but we're in trouble. And after dinner, I think we'd better get Chet over here and listen to that story all over again. Chet Baker came over in a hurry. He's our neighbor's boy, just out of high school, as nice a kid as you'll ever meet. When I showed him our summons, he was really upset. Gee, Mr. Beaumont, you think I've got you in trouble? There remains to be seen, Chet. I'm sure it can be straightened out, though. We have to hear what happened before we can decide what to do about it, Chet. You understand. Oh, sure, Mrs. Beaumont. Let's see now, Chet. Your car froze up, and you had to see some man downtown about a job, right? Yes, sir. You saved the day when you offered me your car. I picked up Dottie in front of our house. Oh, your sister was with you? Yes, ma'am. Dottie wanted to do some Christmas shopping in the loop. Come to think of it, we were sticking carols all the way along the outer drive. There wasn't any traffic to speak of that Saturday morning. South whispers of holly, Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la Here's the season to be jolly, Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la Down we now are gay apparel, Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la On the ancient youth-eyed carol, Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la Oh, no more singing now, Dottie. We'll be turning off the drive in a minute. The city streets are slippery in spots. Thank goodness you concentrate on your driving better than you do on your singing. Insult. All I get is insult. You were singing flat several times, old boy. Well, at least I'm sharp at the steering wheel, old girl. Oh, gee, wasn't it nice Mr. Beaumont along with his car? Oh, you aren't kidding. He's a real swell guy. Golly, when your old car wouldn't start, I could just see you arriving late and missing this job. Me too. As it is, I'll make the appointment right on the nose. Gee, won't it be an extra-great Christmas if I land that job, sis? Oh, you will, Chet. Once Mr. Hawkins sees you and talks to you, Chet, up ahead, there's two cars. Hey, they're gonna crash. Holy smokes, they're blocking the street. I gotta use the emergency. Chet, we're kidding. Hold tight. I can't pull off. That could have been bad. You all right, sis? Uh-huh. Did we have the car I had there? Just nudged him, I think. Have to see. Oh, gee, I hope we didn't hurt Mr. Beaumont's car. Yeah. Slide out. Careful of traffic. Got a scratch on Mr. Beaumont's car. Oh, golly, that's lucky. And only a tiny little dent in the center of this other car, Chet. I don't even think we did that, sis. Looks kind of rusty to me. Why? Those two cars must have met head-on. I hope nobody hurt. We better check and see. Yes, you kind of slid right into the middle of an accident, sonny. Yeah. First time I ever collided with anybody. Would it be on the morning I'm hurrying to get a new job? Don't see how you could have avoided it, sonny. Man. Those two cars really smacked each other. Oh, has anybody hurt? Well, appears not, young lady. Two drivers have been drawn back and forth. That's all. All the other passengers sitting in there big as life. Guess they're waiting for the police to get here. Holy cow. There goes my job. Only 10 minutes to make that appointment. Oh, Chet, that's right. I suppose we'll have to wait here. I don't see any reason why it should. Plenty of help around here. In case any is needed. Sure only. Well, I kind of feel responsible, too. After all, I did slide into this car. But you only ticked him, sonny. Stuck an icing stretch and skidded. I see that happened. Didn't cause no damage and nobody's hurt, anyhow. Yeah, you can see that for yourself. Well, sure. Well, what's the point in hanging around? Well, what do you think, Chet? Dolly, I don't know what to say, Chet. He's right, though. You didn't cause me damage or hurt anybody. You don't know what you're fretting about, sonny. No point in getting messed up with the law when you ain't broke any laws. Well, it's not bad. I just... I hate to miss that job. Oh, let's take his advice, Chet. Sure thing. No point in hanging around, kids. Well, okay. Come on, sis. Let's get going. Oh, thanks for the advice, mister. Oh, forget it, sonny. Just common sense. That's all just good common sense. Except, well, I got the job and we drove back here that afternoon. Holy cow, Mr. Beaumont. Do you think I'm to blame for this summit? Well, let's not go around blaming anybody, Chet. But it's the only possible explanation I can think of. You see, the summons is made out to both Mrs. Beaumont and myself. That's the way the car is registered, too. It fits together. Gee. You think somebody in one of those wrecked cars wrote down my license number? I mean, your license number? Oh, it's more than likely. But, gee, I barely touched them, honest. That's all. We believe you, Chet. Now, don't be upset. That's right. Wacking the facts, Chet. We've got to imagine what happens. But why imagine, George? The obvious thing to do is to wait until morning, call a plaintiff's lawyer, and find out the facts. Look, honey, I told you how the boss feels about things like this. If there's any way I can keep this up... Well, tell me, Chet, are you sure no one was injured in either car? I don't see how, Mr. Beaumont. They were all sitting around or standing around talking. That man told us they were all okay. You got his name and address? No. Gee, I didn't get anybody's name and address, Mr. Beaumont. I guess that wasn't very bright. Oh, that can happen, Chet. What about license numbers? No, sir. I didn't think to get those either. But you're positive our car didn't cause any real damage. No, sir. That was all up in front where the other car hit him. How much damage would you say? No mechanic, Mr. Beaumont. But I'd say at least $150. $150, Mr. Beaumont. Well, let's figure it this way. Car A is badly damaged by car B. Then along comes car C. That's our car. And skids lightly into car A. Now, car A owner finds out car B's driver is a deadbeat. Or maybe he has no insurance. Okay, so he turns around and flaps another damage suit on car C. Meaning us. But that wouldn't be fair. We didn't hurt car A at all. Well, that would be for us to prove, I suppose. Only I'd rather not have it reach court stage for... Well, for personally. But you can't simply ignore the summons, do you? Well, I have something in mind. Gee, I feel awful about this. If there's anything at all I can do. If we need you, we'll call on you, Chet. That's right. Cheer up, boy. These things happen. Now, go on home and don't worry about it. Well, okay, Mr. Beaumont. Good night, Chet. Good night, Mrs. Beaumont. And Mr. Beaumont, if there's anything at all I can... Forget it, Chet. I'll have this all earned out tomorrow morning. I'll take my advice and go home and get a good night's sleep. Okay, Mr. Beaumont. Good night. And who's going to get a good night's sleep in this household? Well, there's always a kid. I'm really worried, dear. Oh, so am I. But not for long. Who are you phoning? About time we found out where we stand legally. I was hoping you'd call a lawyer. Well, he's the next best thing, hon. I'm calling Ted Nelson. But Ted Nelson's no lawyer. I know, but he took two years of law in college. And I've never yet heard him stumped on any question, legal or otherwise. But George, Ted didn't even go to school around here. What's the difference, honey? The law is the same, no matter where you study it. Now, stop worrying. Good old Ted may not be a full-fledged lawyer. But you can sure bet he'll fix up our case. Are we in trouble? You're glad you buzzed me about this, pal. Always happy to give expert counsel to a friend. Well, I'm not much up on the law, you know, Ted. No reason why the average layman should be, chum. Those two years I spent in law school taught me more than the average guy learned in a lifetime. Well, that's exactly why I came to you, Ted. I figured there's no point in seeing a lawyer. It's now about our situation. Yes, sir, George. Blackstone for you, boy. You bet, Ted. But to get back to our case. Now, what's your... My opinion? Well... Okay, okay. You've got nothing at all. No fooling. Nothing at all? You dick me, chum. Well, I'd appreciate knowing just how... How I arrived at the car. Well, sure, but Chet was driving. Item two. Driving your car, the kid is trying to avoid the accident. Right? Oh, okay. Item five. No damage or no injury caused. So the kid that's driving your car doesn't have to leave his name and address our license number. Doesn't have to wait till the cops arrive. Doesn't have to file a report on the accident. Not if your car didn't cause it. Now get this one, chum. That summons you got isn't even legal. It isn't? Was it made out to again? To my wife and myself. Okay. So who did the sheriff leave the summons with? My daughter. Okay, pal. You get it? No kidding. You mean a summons has to be served on the people it's made out to, huh? Now you're celebrating, pal. And besides, how old is your daughter? Uh, Mary Jane 17. There you are again, boy. She's a minor. How about that? The summons is illegal, huh? Correct. Touch it. Now let's see. Said you wanted to keep this little situation as quiet as possible, right? That's right, Ted. The boss is deaf on any of us getting involved in any kind of trouble. You know the type. Uh, fanatic on community reputation and all that. Now, forget it. While it's in the wastebasket. Throw it away, really? Look, pal. I'm drawing on my expert knowledge to tell you the summons isn't legal and they've got no case against you anyway. Just forget it. Uh-huh. Well, I suppose if they do want to talk to me about it, they'll get in touch with me and I can explain their mistake. They won't. All right. All right. I'm going to forget it completely, Ted. That's it. I don't know how to thank you. Aw. You'll think of a way, pal. You'll think of a way. No, no. I mean it, really. You've done plenty for Ruth and me. Uh, dismiss it from your mind, Shum. It's nothing. Nothing at all. It was nothing at all. But if I'd been smart, I wouldn't have taken Ted literally. Ruth fretted about it a while. But like a lot of fellas, I'm a wishful thinker and that confident air of Ted's really cinched it for me. I suppose I should have had my head examined, but instead I put it on my pillow and got a good night's sleep. Well, two weeks passed and we'd practically forgotten there ever was a summons. We'd even begun talking about a winter vacation. Everything was quiet and serene around the Beaumont homestead. And that sets the stage for our second Black Friday. George, hold on. George. Oh, huh? George, the sheriff was just here again. What? Good lord. What's an execution? It says we've been found, Gillian. Honey, Beaumont, what amount? $25,000. $25,000? Yes, J.L. I, uh, no, sir, I haven't. I suggest you read page 10. No surprising item there from the circuit card records. Yes, sir. I suggest you carefully consider how and when you're going to lay your hands on $25,000, Beaumont. I'd appreciate your stepping into my office. It's time you and I had a little talk. Well, the nightmare I've got myself into and it's really happening. I'm losing my job and my home and $25,000 to people I've never seen. Brother, how stupid can an ant get? And that's the whole sad story, J.L., every last unbelievable detail. It's really a foolish story, Beaumont. I'm surprised to hear it from one of my best employees. Don't you mean one of your ex-employees? That's largely up to you, Beaumont. If they garnish your wages and slap a levy on your car and take away your home just because you're afraid to stand up for your legal rights, well, there's nothing I can do about that. But if you feel like piping back, you'll find me in your corner. You'll back me after this? I see no reason why I shouldn't. I guess I've had you figured all along, J.L. That seems highly possible. Just like I'm in, where do I start fighting back? What are my legal rights? What do I do, J.L.? Don't ask me for advice. You're drawn from enough fountains of misinformation. But tell me, Beaumont, you ever actually read from the worthy encyclopedia you and I represent? Well, yes, of course, J.L. Will you please be guided up to read a portion from this volume? Allowed, please. Sure. A lawyer, one whose principal occupation is related to the making or administration of the law and who has received an education sufficiently wide in scope to distinguish him from minor administrative officials. Yes, and to distinguish him from would-be lawyers with free advice. Go see. Many vexatious disputes and pointless litigation may be avoided by timely consultation with a lawyer. Excuse me, J.L., but I'm leaving. My consultation won't be timely, but it might still be in time. I headed for the law offices of Attorney Robert Perron. In approximately 60 seconds, I discovered how little my friend Ted Nelson knew about law and how lame-brained I had been for consulting him. Mr. Beaumont, your summons was perfectly legal. You said it was left with your daughter in that she is a minor 17 years old. That's right, sir. Well, you see, by law, summons may be served on any member of the household, as long as he or she is over 10 years of age. I see. However, a copy of the summons should have been sent by mail to both you and your wife. That's why we didn't receive it. But, brother, how long could I get? I'm very glad you brought Chet Baker with you, Mr. Beaumont. Our first move is to go to the state's attorney's office and purge both of you of any criminal aspects. Criminal aspects? Yes, of course. You, Mr. Beaumont, are obviously in the clear of any criminal aspects, since you were not even in your car at the time. Holy cow! Did I do something criminal, Mr. Perron? I'm afraid you made some pretty wrong guesses, Chet. First, you left the scene of the accident. Now, although you didn't cause the original accident, you became a party to it and shouldn't have left. It was a criminal violation. Punishable by a fine of up to a thousand dollars or one year in jail, or both. Oh, honestly, Mr. Perron, man, I didn't have any idea... I'm sure you didn't, Chet. Ignorance of the law, of course, is no excuse, but I believe the circumstances will be in your favor. There is another point, too. One or the other of you should have reported this accident to the State of Illinois Division of Highways within ten days after it happened. Holy cow! You mean even if you don't cause the accident yourself? That's right, Mr. Beaumont. Again, it's a case of any vehicle involved in any manner in an accident resulting in death, bodily injury, or property damage over $100. Failure to report can mean revocation of your driver's license. Move over, Chet. Make room for another ignoramus. I believe we can clear both of you with the State's attorney's office, but let's not delay it any longer. Well, thanks to you, Mr. Perron, I still have my driver's license, but with $25,000 in damages to pay, I won't own a car to drive. Now, our next step is to call in your automobile insurance company, Mr. Beaumont. And yours, too, Chet. If you'd gone on without notifying them for a long time that your policy allows, the company wouldn't have shouldered your burden. I'll phone them right now. Now that we have both of your insurance companies working with us, it's time to go to court. Court, but I thought they'd already had me in court. You know, when I defaulted by failing to show up after the summer. Well, luckily for you, it's less than 30 days since the judgment was added. Otherwise, it would be almost hopeless. We'll have to show sufficient reason for your failure to appear, and that's going to be an uphill job. Yes, I know what you mean. However, if we succeed in vacating that original judgment, it ought to be easy to show you are not liable for any damages or injuries that may have occurred. We'll not only have to show you weren't in the car, but also that Chet was solely on his own business and not doing anything for you on that trip. I see. If you're ready, Mr. Beaumont, we'll go to court. The court finds that neither of the defendants, George Beaumont, or his wife, Ruth Beaumont, were drivers or occupants of the vehicle, and that Chester Baker was not acting as their agent. Case dismissed. How does it feel to be out from under a $25,000 debt? It's a wonderful release, dear. Thanks to Mr. Pirram. Yes, and no thanks to me. I'm glad you're taking care of Chet legal, please, George. Mr. Pirram told me he's confident Chet will win a dismissal, too. Is that your considered opinion, too, dear? Madam, on encyclopedia matters. I am at your service. But on legal matters. Honey, see my lawyer. Here to summarize today's case dismissed is your counselor, Dean of the Loyola University Law School, John C. Fitzgerald. We have seen that in our complex world, it sometimes becomes difficult to know where one man's rights leave off and another begins. The Chicago Bar Association hopes to remedy this problem by spreading the gospel of preventive law. We can avoid legal ills before they happen by seeking early counsel from our lawyers. In tonight's case, George Beaumont showed how really sick the patient can get before he sees his legal doctor and begins receiving the aid of preventive law. Seeking advice from uninformed or partly informed sources may only lead to deeper water. But you may have no one to recommend a lawyer to you. Help is available. The Chicago Bar Association renders to you a direct service through its lawyer reference plan. And legal services are not restricted only to those who can pay for them. Because across the nation, legal aid societies make it possible for anyone to receive the equal protection of the law and not to be denied simply because he or she is poor. In Chicago, the services of the Legal Aid Bureau are available in civil cases to any person of low income. In connection with this broadcast case dismissed, the Chicago Bar Association is making available informative free folders on some of the subjects covered. One is entitled Meet Your Lawyer. To receive your free copy, simply write the Chicago Bar Association 29 South LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois. I'll repeat that address. 29 South LaSalle Street, Chicago. Next week, WMAQ and the Chicago Bar Association will explore with you some of the legal hazards of buying a home. Until then, this is your counselor, Dean John C. Fitzgerald, wishing for each of you a good night, good luck, and good law. Case dismissed. Case dismissed is written by Robert Carmen and is based on information supplied by the Chicago Bar Association and its lawyer members. We remind our listeners in other areas that legal points mentioned in tonight's script are based on Illinois laws and may not apply in your state. That's why you should always consult your own attorney. All characters were fictitious and a resemblance to any person living or dead is purely coincidental. Members of the cast were Fern Persons, Patricia Crane, Phillip Lord, Harry Elders, Jack Lester, and John Galberro. Case dismissed is produced by Betty Ross, direction by Herb Blatot. Musical effects were transcribed. Sound by Tom Evans, engineering by Harold Witterberry, and this is Lee Bennett speaking, inviting you to return next Saturday at the same time when we'll follow the trials and tribulations of buying a home on Case Dismissed. This is the NBC Radio Network.