Ellish v. Airport Parking Co.- (Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department of New York, 1973)

Han Solo and Chewbaca had finished deactivating the hyperdrive in the Alderan system when they noticed that there no longer was a planet present, merely a vast debris field. Before long, the Millennium Falcon was pulled via automated tractor beam into the docking bay of what initially appeared to be a moon, but was in fact the space-station the "Death Star". Han and Chewie (along side Luke, Obi-Wan and the beloved droids) deboarded the Millennium Falcon and began adventuring around the station, in an attempt to save a certain wayward princess, carefree of the posted signs that stated that the Empire was not responsible for any damage to vehicles in the docking bay.

As the rag-tag group of adventurers concluded their initial escapades aboard the station, they returned to the Falcon only to find that it was missing, apparently stolen by several intoxicated stormtroopers while it was stored inside the Death Star docking bay.

Han later pressed charges for damages against the Empire, claiming that the Millennium Falcon's placement inside of the docking bay amounted to a bailment, and the failure of the Empire to return the ship in the condition it was bailed was a prima facia case of failure in acting the part of the bailee.

The Imperial Court held (unsuprisingly) that the arrangement did not amount to a bailment due to an analysis on six criterion: the open and obvious nature and location of the Death Star docking bay, the impersonal nature of the tractor beam service and a total lack of communication between the Death Star docking bay crew and Han Solo, the fact that Han retained the start up codes for the Millennium Falcon at all times, that there were posted warnings regarding the Empire's liability for docked vehicles, and the fact that with so many stormtrooper patrols, other vessels and TIE fighters coming and going about in the docking bay, that it would be impossible to keep tabs on one ship. Further, as Han was unable to provide evidence of negligence on the part of the Empire's docking bay crew, the court found for the Empire.

There was however a dissent, which noted that Han had no choice in the matter of docking his ship, and that the Millennium Falcon could not be controlled or released from the docking bay without the tractor beam being deactivated by the docking bay crew (or the work of subterfuge by Obi-Wan).

Dillon v. Twin State Gas & Electric Co.- (New Hampshire Supreme Court, 1932)

Master Chief Gunnery Officer Tenn Graneet was a Death Star Gunner on superlaser duty during the Battle of Yavin. Just as Luke Skywalker was completing his trench run, he slipped and fell back over the tiny railing on his platform as the Death Star's main superlaser was charging up in preparation to fire on Yavin IV. He was incinerated instantly by the beam, and his estate sued the Empire for his wrongful death. The Empire's advocates countered, stating that mere seconds later the Death Star would have been destroyed by Skywalker's torpedo, killing Graneet instantly. The Imperial Court agreed with the Empire, and lowered Graneet's damages to those few seconds of life lost between the charging of the superlaser and the destruction of the Death Star.

Jacob & Youngs v. Kent- (Court of Appeals of New York, 1921)

Shortly after the completed construction of the Emperor's new dreamhouse/battlestation, the Death Star, the Emperor along with Vader were inspecting the many features of the exterior of the space station when they stumbled upon what looked to be a thermal exhaust shaft within the equatorial trench of the Death Star.

The two called in the station's designer, Bevel Lemelisk, and pointed out to that within the contracts for him to design and construct the Death Star, there was a specific clause that stated "all thermal exhaust vents must be subject to approval by the Emperor, any thermal exhaust vents built without approval will be rejected and is to be immediately torn down, removed and remade or replaced in accordance with the official drawings and specifications, whenever discovered..."

Lemelisk refused, stating that "It's not a big deal. What possible harm could come from something like this? It's the size of a womp rat." The Emperor refused to pay him, and Lemelisk proceeded to file suit. At trial, the Emperor attempted to defend himself by pointing out the clause, but the Imperial Court refused (which lead to several force electrocutions, chokes and further electrocutions to certain Imperial Justices), stating that the cost of the substantial performance of removing or replacing the intricate duct-work that made the thermal exhaust ports lead straight to the reactive core of the Death Star would be grossly out of proportion to the good attained, and that the Emperor could recover only for the functional difference between a Death Star without such thermal exhaust ports.

The Emperor proceeded to execute Lemelisk following the trial, cloned him, and then executed him again. His rage that day was palpable.