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Before Barack Obama came along with his "Audacity of Hope," the Jews had another way to describe crazily gutsy, brazen behavior. We called it chutzpah. (Let that word roll through the back of your throat and you'll get a very good sense of its meaning.)

Well, Scott T. Zielinski, a 23-year-old Michigan man serving an 8-year sentence for robbing a party store, is a man with chutzpah coming out of his prison jumpsuit. Mr. Zielinski has decided to sue the owners and three workers at Nick's Party Stop, the place he robbed in November 2007, for using excessive force when they tried to prevent him from stealing their cash and merchandise.

Zielinski, who was unarmed when he tried stealing from the shop, wound up getting shot twice and beaten during his quashed crime spree. So he's now seeking $125,000 from his would-be victims. A Michigan Circuit Judge, David Vivianohas, just ruled that the case can be heard, but is forcing Zielinski to post a $10,000 bond to cover the attorney's fees of the store owner and its employees in case they prevail at the trial.

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Seeing-eye and other service dogs have long been exempted from regulations that prevent dogs in certain places like restaurants and offices. But these days a lot of people appear to be pushing the legal limits of the definition of "service" dogs. Restaurants, apartment houses, and other businesses may now be legally required to allow dogs who help not only those with physical disabilities, but also provide "emotional" support. Not only is the definition of "support" expanding, but so, apparently, is the definition of "support animal"--from what has usually been considered a dog to other types of animals including trained primates. Gone are the days of the organ grinder's accordion and companion monkey's tiny cymbals, an apparently politically incorrect stereotype offensive to the Primate-Americans among us, replaced by the primates who have been trained to provide emotional and in some cases--like the diabetic woman who trained her primate to retrieve her insulin and needles--even medical support.

But the expansion of the all animal/all the time policy seems to have hit a wall as decided by two recent cases involving a monkey on one side and a judge who thought he was the one being made a monkey of. Seems that as relatively loosey-goosey (no disrespect meant to the Avian-Americans among us) as the term "support animal" may be, legally a doctor must certify that a patient is keeping the pet for health reasons. Once you get your doctor's note, the New York Courts have ruled that emotional support is a valid reason to keep a pet even if the building has a no-pet policy. But when a Missouri woman tried to argue that her Bonnet Macaque monkey is trained to assist her with her agoraphobia and anxiety, the Judge ruled against her 'right' to take the monkey to Wal-Mart or to a cafeteria. The Judge found that the while the monkey, who is trained to fetch the remote control or her toothbrush, may have some pretty cool party tricks in his arsenal there is no correlation between his abilities and the owner's disability. An animal that "simply provides comfort" according to the Judge, is the equivalent of a household pet and does not qualify as a service animal. Even if he can play a mean set of cymbals.

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Did you have a happy Halloween? Not me. I made the mistake of attending the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade and found myself in the midst of the boob warfare that was being waged on the streets of New York City. Let's just say that's not a lot of fun for a girl whose only ammunition is at home in her sock drawer.

But happily 1,061 residents of Denver, Colorado made far better use of the holiday. Setting a new Guinness Book World Record, these folks donned gorilla costumes and ran 3.5 miles to raise money for the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund, which continues the work of noted gorilla lady, Dian Fossey.

The charity run charges first time participants $100 to enter the race - part of the cost of which goes to the purchase of a gorilla suit (presumably not made of real gorillas), and each entrant is asked to raise at least $300. Don't know exactly how much was made this year, but suffice to say, that kind of money can buy a lot of bananas.

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Amy Epstein Feldman (left) and Robin Feldman (right), authors of So Sue Me, Jackass! are our guest bloggers during the week of November 2nd. If you have any questions for them, add a comment to any of their posts.

Here is more information on So Sue Me, Jackass!

Can you win monetary damages for bad sex? Can you get fired for being too fat? Can you sign your mother-in-law into a nursing home against her will?

For anyone who's ever had a legal question that seemed too odd or embarrassing to seek counsel, So Sue Me, Jackass! is a surprising and entertaining collection of factual and funny Q&As that combines engaging wit and sensible legal advice. Attorney Amy Epstein Feldman and her sister, humor writer Robin Epstein address a wide range of legal issues encountered in daily life, including jobs, relationships, home, family, pets (yes, pets), privacy, and death-and they relate outrageous anecdotes of laugh-out­loud legal fiascos. So Sue Me, Jackass! may not keep you out of litigation-but it will keep you in stitches.

About Amy Epstein Feldman:

Amy Epstein Feldman, Esq., is a nationally syndicated legal correspondent on radio and television. She is general counsel of The Judge Group, Inc., a $200 million international business solutions provider. 

About Robin Epstein: