A plaintiff forced to handle his own case after an Eastern District judge refused on the morning of jury selection to admit his attorney pro hac vice has won a $10,000 jury verdict.

Sonny Southerland and his now-grown children sued a former Administration for Children’s Services caseworker, Timothy Woo, arguing Woo made false statements to get into the family home and then removed the children without a court order, resulting in their foster care placement.