Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Lakotos v. Billotti- (Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, 1998)

Anakin Skywalker, padawan, and Padme Amidala, senator, were secretly married on the planet Naboo. There they kept a secret home, which was held by both of them in joint tenancy with right of survivorship (They both shared an equal interest, with one gaining full control of the property when the other died). For a while everything was totally cool, and Padme got totally preggers. Then Anakin made his inevitable turn to the dark side. After hearing of her husband's slaughterfest at the Jedi temple, Padme hitched a ride with Obi-Wan to meet Anakin and confront him on the planet Mustafar. Anakin, now Darth Vader, suspecting Padme of being in cahoots with Obi-Wan, and wanting the Naboo home all for himself, Force-choked her like crazy, until she eventually died. As the surviving spouse, Vader was now the sole possessor of the property on Naboo and held it until his children grew up and sued him. Although Vader was legally entitled to the property, the council found that it should go to Luke and Leia, citing the Empire's slayer statute, which states that a murderer is not allowed to benefit from his wrongdoing, and that the property should therefore go to Padme's heirs.

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