Law and Disorder

TV blues

Kordesia Hester v. Nickelodeon Studios and Viacom Inc., Case No. EC050247

Who created the concept for the hit Nickelodeon show “True Jackson, VP”?

Kordesia Hester, a New York corrections officer at Rikers Island, claims she did, and that Nickelodeon Studios stole her idea, according to a lawsuit filed in Burbank Superior Court. Hester got an e-mail about a Nickelodeon event, which was asking writers with diverse backgrounds to create a two-minute pitch for a unique show idea. Hester, a single mother, and her daughter worked on their pitch and came up with a situational comedy called “Chad Starr the EXEkidTIVE.”

Their story was about a black teen struggling to balance his ordinary adolescence while operating a successful entertainment company, according to the lawsuit. Hester flew to Long Beach for the event in October 2007 and pitched her story to the studio’s vice president, Roland Poindexter. He took her written version in exchange for his business card. She returned home and got a call from Poindexter’s secretary, who wanted to set up a conference call. But the call was never set up, and Hester’s calls to Poindexter were never returned.

Hester assumed Poindexter wasn’t interested. A year later, Hester was shocked to see “True Jackson, VP” on Nickelodeon because the plot was similar to her pitch. Nickelodeon’s conduct, she claims, was “fraudulent, oppressive and malicious.” Hester is suing for more than $25,000 and wants a jury trial.

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Ill side effects

Kathleen McColgan v. Gregory Yu and CVS Pharmacy Inc., Case No. EC050331

Kathleen McColgan went to physician Gregory Yu for medical treatment, and he prescribed her two antibiotics in April 2008.

She claims a CVS Pharmacy employee told her that she could take the pills concurrently. But the antibiotics caused her more harm than good, McColgan claims in a lawsuit filed in Glendale Superior Court.

As result of taking the pills, a bacterium known as Clostridium difficile grew inside her intestines, causing bloating, diarrhea, and severe abdominal pain. McColgan has had two surgical procedures and suffers from spasms, diarrhea, dehydration, anxiety and depression. McColgan is suing for more than $25,000 in damages.

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Cross-suit

Robert Bryar v. Daniel Schaffer, Case No. EC050246

Daniel Schaffer didn’t like reading some of the allegations Robert Bryar made in a lawsuit against him, so he filed a countersuit in Burbank Superior Court.

Bryar, drummer for My Chemical Romance, was suing Schaffer for lying about the cause of death of his dog, Dixie, according to the first lawsuit. He claims Schaffer was responsible.

Schaffer, a self-described dog trainer to the stars, had been caring for Dixie in April 2008 while Bryar went to Chicago. Bryar claims that Schaffer made up several stories to cover up the death.

So Schaffer filed a cross-complaint. He claims that he didn’t cause and was not responsible for the death. Schaffer also said he is not a public liability, which Bryar alleged in his lawsuit.

Law & Disorder is a weekly digest of the strange and occasionally heartbreaking cases found in our local courthouses. Remember: The accused are presumed innocent until proved otherwise; filing a lawsuit does not automatically make the defendant liable, and the person in the black robe is probably a judge. Send your tips to veronica.rocha@latimes.com.