Jury Says No Free Lunch For Cop Who Spilled Free Coffee On Himself

A jury has decided that Starbucks is not liable for burns that a Raleigh police officer received when a cup of hot coffee spilled on his lap.

The announcement came after Judge Donald Stephens told the jury that both sides in the case were willing to accept the verdict of a majority of 10 jurors and would not require a unanimous decision.

"In a democracy," Judge Stevens told jurors, "we normally resolve matters of dispute or important matters by majority vote, frankly. We pass legislation, we elect presidents and governors, rule the people by majority vote. When things are really important we require a super-majority to make those decisions. The only place we require a unanimous decision is in the courthouse and courtroom."

Lt. Matthew Kohr claimed the coffee chain was negligent because the lid of a free cup of coffee he got in 2012 popped off and the cup collapsed. He also claimed the incident caused such severe stress it activated his Crohn's disease, which required surgery to remove part of his intestine.

"When you've heard about Matt's life and his career," Kohr's lawyer asked jurors, "what words have been used to describe him? Strong proud, determined, a hard-working cop, a leader, a loving husband, an involved father. What words have we heard used to describe Matt after he suffered this injury? Pitiful, a mess, crying like a little girl, acting like he's got a few days to live."