Tiffany Spencer v. United States of America: U.S. District Court Judge Vanessa L. Bryant has never been criticized for lacking backbone or being easy to manipulate. In a recent hearing for damages before Bryant, chiropractor Mark Lepensky, of Orange, got more than he could handle-and nothing he could pocket.

“I’ve been practicing for 23 years, testifying in court frequently. This was definitely the strangest hearing I’ve ever had in my life,” he said.