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Ever heard of anyone pressing charges against a ghost for trespassing? How do you think that would play out in a court of law? I remember reading about old courts that accepted "magic", "the devil", and "god" being the reason things have happened, but I've never heard of anyone pressing charges against a ghost for trespassing (such as in the cases of so-called "haunted houses").

Ever heard of anyone trying that? How do you think it'd play out?

If so, I'd like a reference - or better yet, info on how to search court cases for keywords, because I get curious about random stuff.

If it hasn't happened yet, anyone here interested in trying it? It would be hella funny.

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    If you like being on the receiving end of terms like "frivolous suit" and "vexatious litigant", by all means go for it. – Nate Eldredge Sep 18 '18 at 04:14
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    Somewhat similar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawsuits_against_God https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawsuits_against_the_Devil – Nate Eldredge Sep 18 '18 at 04:16
  • @NateEldredge: Dude, that's awesome, thank you. –  Sep 18 '18 at 04:20
  • @NateEldredge: "Vexatious litigant"... looking that up right now, and that sounds like people who initiate SLAPP suits. Am I right, only partially, or wrong? –  Sep 18 '18 at 04:25
  • More generally, any person who repeatedly ties up the courts with bogus litigation. See for instance http://www.courts.ca.gov/12272.htm. – Nate Eldredge Sep 18 '18 at 04:31
  • @NateEldredge: Scanning through that, looks like there's a lot of nuance there, if & thens & under certain circumstances. Got some interesting reading materials for tomorrow. Thanks. –  Sep 18 '18 at 04:35
  • You might be able to argue the Spirit of the Law. – ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere Sep 18 '18 at 11:11
  • Several suits against Satan have attracted attorneys for the defendant who wanted to put 'Devil's Advocate' on their business cards (I wonder if they acted pro bono?) – Tim Lymington Sep 19 '18 at 09:25

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I've never heard of and was unable to find any trespassing cases against ghosts, but God is actually sued with surprising frequency in American courts. Judges usually handle the cases formalistically, dismissing the case because the plaintiff never served God with a summons or because God's residence is not within the court's jurisdiction.

bdb484
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There was a case along those lines in the UK decades ago.

I recall the case (whatever it was named, sorry!) is taught to drive home the point of a what a "separate legal entity" is.

Your case would be struck out because a ghost does not have legal form (in the Salomon v Salomon sense), and therefore not capable of being a defendant.

lellis
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  • The "presence" of a ghost can create legal problems for the seller of the ghost's residence...see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stigmatized_property... – DJohnM Sep 19 '18 at 03:10