toby's Journal: Retired Gates "too busy, important" to finish deposition

Watch Gates lie through his teeth in Novell vs Microsoft - until the Microsoft side cut the deposition short. Another appointment? Or did they not like the line of questioning? Groklaw reports; you decide. But as the Novell lawyer remarks,

I ... can't remember a single case where I was able to extract a monetary settlement from an opponent by harassing its Board Chairman through a deposition. Perhaps there is something deeper at work here.

Mr. Gates is one of the richest and most powerful persons in this country. His foundation is engaged in good works. Yet we are all equal under the law. Despite his central role in this action, we have requested nothing more than would be expected of any other litigant, a deposition not exceeding 7 hours in length in accordance with Fed. R. Civ. P. 30(b)(1).

(emphasis mine).

This cartoon sums up the true situation very well.