North Hollywood Woman's Lawsuit Against Psychic Could Be Dropped

A judge said Monday he will consider dismissing a lawsuit and impose a fine after no one showed up in court for the first scheduled hearing in the case of a woman suing her former psychic reader.

Klarissa Castro of North Hollywood alleges the soothsayer, Jennifer Williams, conned her out of nearly $11,000 with false promises that she could lift a curse on the plaintiff's love life.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson scheduled a Dec. 17 hearing so Castro's attorney can explain her alleged failure to move forward her client's case against Williams and her company, Psychic Readings By Yana, located at 2201 S. Bundy Drive in Los Angeles.

The suit was filed July 10 and alleges fraud and both intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Castro first met with Williams in August 2010, according to the complaint.

"Upon the initial consultation, Williams informed (Castro) that there was a curse placed on her," the suit states. "However, Williams assured her that she was able to lift the curse, but that she would require plaintiff to start a series of psychic sessions with Williams."

Castro says she was "emotionally vulnerable" at the time and Williams convinced her that "without lifting this curse, (she) would be unable to have true, meaningful, loving relationships in her life."

The initial consultation cost Castro $500, according to her complaint.

Castro says she saw Williams during the next two years, spending $4,025 for the psychic's services. Williams also told Castro to buy special candles blessed by the psychic, to write special love letters and perform other acts in order to have the curse removed, the suit says.

"Williams made plaintiff take these love letters, place them in envelopes with flowers and put them under her bed," according to the complaint. "Williams made her write a list of nine things plaintiff wanted in her relationship with her boyfriend and promised her that these things would come true once the curse was lifted."

At Williams' request, Castro spent another $1,400 on gift cards and gave them to the psychic, unwittingly believing the woman's assertion she would use them to buy items representing the love between the plaintiff and her boyfriend, according to the suit.

Castro says that in June 2011, again at Williams' urging, she gave the psychic $5,020 to commission a painting that the defendant said would help "lift the curse on plaintiff" and make her and her boyfriend grow closer together.

Williams never gave Castro the promised painting, according to the suit, that says, "No change occurred in plaintiff's life as promised by Williams throughout the approximate two years that (she) was seeing Williams."

--City News Service