New York Lawyer Requests Game of Thrones-style Trial by Combat

When you’ve exhausted all legal resources, the only solution is physical combat. At least, that’s what one New York lawyer has suggested after two years of ‘absurd’ legal battles with another attorney. Richard Luthmann, 35, has been embroiled in a legal dispute with another lawyer for the last two years, after Luthmann’s former client, David Parker, skipped out on the damages he owed. The attorneys on the winning side of the lawsuit accused Luthmann of helping Parker hide his assets, a charge Luthmann took as an assault on his honor. They decided to sue Luthmann, in a case he calls “baseless”. Since then, he’s been filing motions and counter motions against one of the lawyers. As the attorneys duked it out, the case began to look more and more ludicrous, and became something of a personal grudge between the two.

“This is not a lawsuit anymore; this is an absurdity,” Luthmann told the NY Post. “So I will give them absurdity in kind.” To that end, Luthmann has certainly delivered. He proposed a Game of Thrones style trial by combat, and made the case that such a dispute would be totally legal. In a brief, Luthmann contended that trial by combat, in which two parties agree to settle a dispute in a one-on-one physical fight, has never specifically been outlawed in the state of New York.

“The common law of Britain was in effect in New York in 1776,” he said. “And the Ninth Amendment of the Constitution recognizes the penumbra of those rights. It’s still on the books.” In the brief, filed at the state Supreme Court, Luthmann employs the court to “permit the undersigned (Luthmann) to dispatch plaintiffs and their counsel to the Divine Providence of the Maker for Him to exact His divine judgment once the undersigned has released the souls of the plaintiffs and their counsel from their corporeal bodies, personally and or by way of a champion.”

The brief certainly contains some epic language, and Luthmann gets bonus points for the Game of Thrones references. But will the court ever allow it? It seems Luthmann doesn’t necessarily expect them to, but is using the brief as a form of protest against what he considers unlawful litigation against him. He’s totally willing to settle for his case to be dismissed.

Luthmann also says it’s an experiment concerning the ninth amendment. “The judge may look askance at it, but I’m prepared to take it to the highest level,” Luthmann said. Essentially, he’s seeking to push the envelope and break new ground in the legal arena by setting a precedent. “I’d love to have a court determine whether we have those rights under the Constitution.” He further states that if, by some miracle, the judge actually granted his request, he would prepare for combat by dressing like Robert Baratheon, his favorite Game of Thrones character. This, he says, despite his physical resemblance Gregor Clegane, who we all remember for crushing Oberyn Martell’s skull in the show’s fourth season.

Luthmann’s official website offers a brief biography:

“Mr. Luthmann serves as counsel for several high profile and high net-worth individuals and families including athletes, celebrities, stars of stage and screen, and as advisor to several financial companies and their principals. His practice focuses on trusts and estates, tax planning, asset protection, corporate and securities law and regulation and international financial architecture.”

That’s all well and good, but it fails to answer a question that’s no doubt on the mind of the general public: What is his weapon of choice? According to the NY Post, Luthmann favors a warhammer.