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February 2nd, 2012

Organics Industry Advocate Issues ‘Non-Denial Denial’ about Its Efforts to Influence Justice in Madison County

The Center for Media and Democracy issued a non-denial denial that its WikiLeaks-wannabe website, SourceWatch.org, had posted and then scrambled to take down a deposition transcript and previously unsealed but not yet public court documents connected to a major class action playing out in Madison County, Illinois . . . → Read More: Organics Industry Advocate Issues ‘Non-Denial Denial’ about Its Efforts to Influence Justice in Madison County

January 31st, 2012

‘SourceWatch’ Exposed: Website Backed by Organic Food Industry Scrambles to Take down Court Documents after Being Caught in the Act

Caught in the act by Judicial Hellholes reporters late last week, WikiLeaks wannbe “SourceWatch.org” is now scambling to pull down previoulsy posted court documents, particularly the ones that suggest a direct link between it and the plaintiffs’ attorneys in a Madison County class action against the makers of a safe and widely used weed killer. . . . → Read More: ‘SourceWatch’ Exposed: Website Backed by Organic Food Industry Scrambles to Take down Court Documents after Being Caught in the Act

January 31st, 2012

Florida Bill Seeks Greater Legal Protections for Health Care Providers

Concerned by some of the highest-in-the-nation insurance premiums for physicians, a key committee in the Florida House has passed a bill that would grant greater protections for health care providers in medical liability cases . . . → Read More: Florida Bill Seeks Greater Legal Protections for Health Care Providers

January 27th, 2012

‘Organic’ Advocates Seek to Influence Madison County Atrazine Case

We’ll post more about this soon, but sources tell Judicial Hellholes reporters that a would-be WikiLeaks-like website is poised to post previously unsealed, proprietary documents provided during discovery by Syngenta, the defendant in a long-running, if meritless, class action in Madison County, Illinois. Continue reading ‘Organic’ Advocates Seek to Influence Madison County Atrazine Case

January 25th, 2012

Retired Texas Judge to Argue Patent Cases in His Old Court

And some folks wondered why the latest Judicial Hellholes report placed the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (ED Texas) — and all the patent trolls who flock to it — at the top of its Watch List. Well, wonder no more. . . . → Read More: Retired Texas Judge to Argue Patent Cases in His Old Court

January 25th, 2012

West Virginia Asbestos Shakedowns May Hit New High (or Low)

Eight new asbestos lawsuits filed in Kanawha County each name 190 defendants in what may be an all time high (or low, depending on one’s point of view), even in one of the more scandalous Judicial Hellholes, West Virginia . . . → Read More: West Virginia Asbestos Shakedowns May Hit New High (or Low)

January 24th, 2012

ATRA, Others Urge Philadelphia Courts to Eliminate Unfair Elements of Civil Litigation

ATRA has joined a number of like-minded organizations in offering comments that urge Philadelphia civil courts to end the use of unfair procedures known as “consolidation” and “reverse bifurcation” in mass tort cases . . . → Read More: ATRA, Others Urge Philadelphia Courts to Eliminate Unfair Elements of Civil Litigation

January 20th, 2012

Record Asbestos Verdict in Mississippi Thrown Out

The $322 million verdict in a Mississippi case that would have been “as funny as ‘My Cousin Vinny’ if it weren’t for [the] terribly negative impact on the Magnolia State’s efforts to compete in attracting businesses and jobs” has been thrown out. . . . → Read More: Record Asbestos Verdict in Mississippi Thrown Out

January 20th, 2012

Philadelphia, Worst of the ‘Judicial Hellholes,’ May Be Working to Improve Its Lousy Reputation

Deny as they might that Philadelphia’s civil courts have earned their #1-ranking among Judicial Hellholes for the last two years, it appears judges there have nonetheless undertaken some potentially meaningful reforms. . . . → Read More: Philadelphia, Worst of the ‘Judicial Hellholes,’ May Be Working to Improve Its Lousy Reputation

January 19th, 2012

Madison County Judge Removed from Asbestos Docket

Just before the latest Judicial Hellholes® report was released last December 15, Madison County Circuit Judge Barbara Crowder was barred by Chief Judge Ann Callis from presiding over the the nation’s largest asbestos docket in the wake of a campaign contributions scandal.   Continue reading Madison County Judge Removed from Asbestos Docket

December 15th, 2011

Latest Report Names Philadelphia as the Worst of the ‘Judicial Hellholes®’ While Courts in California, West Virginia, Florida, Illinois, New York and Nevada Also Make the List

State and local economies continue to struggle with slow growth and high unemployment and, not coincidentally, some of those struggling the most also suffer a high degree of lawsuit abuse, thanks to unfair judges, court rules and underlying liability laws.  The 2011/2012 edition of ATRA’s Judicial Hellholes report details and documents the latest problems in an effort to provide judges and lawmakers a roadmap to reform.  Continue reading Latest Report Names Philadelphia as the Worst of the ‘Judicial Hellholes®’ While Courts in California, West Virginia, Florida, Illinois, New York and Nevada Also Make the List

October 28th, 2011

On Pennsylvania Radio, ATRA Notes New Study on Reining #1 ‘Judicial Hellhole,’ Philadelphia

As Pennsylvania’s General Assembly considers important “venue reform” legislation (H.B. 1552), ATRA legislative director Matt Fullenbaum is voicing his support for the bill on statewide radio . . . → Read More: On Pennsylvania Radio, ATRA Notes New Study on Reining #1 ‘Judicial Hellhole,’ Philadelphia

October 26th, 2011

Manhattan Institute Allies Keep Heat on Pay-to-Play Attorneys General

ATRA’s allies at the Manhattan Institute’s Center for Legal Policy have published their latest edition of Trial Lawyers, Inc., this time examining the increasingly troubling relationships between many state attorneys general and their personal injury lawyer political patrons . . . → Read More: Manhattan Institute Allies Keep Heat on Pay-to-Play Attorneys General

October 20th, 2011

GAO Report: Claimants Could Seek to Defraud Secretive Asbestos Trusts

A long awaited government report on the secretive workings of asbestos trust funds says, among other things, “the possibility exists that a claimant could file the same medical evidence and altered work histories with different trusts” and thus fraudulently seek to collect from multiple trusts. . . . → Read More: GAO Report: Claimants Could Seek to Defraud Secretive Asbestos Trusts

October 7th, 2011

State High Court Removes ‘Automatic Hellhole’ Judge from Asbestos Case in Mississippi

Mississippi’s supreme court yesterday issued a unanimous order that removes a biased trial judge from further involvement with a record-setting asbestos case . . . → Read More: State High Court Removes ‘Automatic Hellhole’ Judge from Asbestos Case in Mississippi

October 4th, 2011

Judge Let Anti-Wal*Mart Crank Sue for 2¢

A small-town judge in Western Pennsylvania let an anti-Wal*Mart crank sue the world’s largest retailer for two cents, and then awarded her $100 plus court costs. . . . → Read More: Judge Let Anti-Wal*Mart Crank Sue for 2¢

September 27th, 2011

‘Half-Man’ Sheen’s Lawsuit against Warner Bros., Lorre Fades to Black

Since we reported the beginning of Charlie Sheen’s $100 million lawsuit against Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre, we feel obligated to report its merciful end. . . . → Read More: ‘Half-Man’ Sheen’s Lawsuit against Warner Bros., Lorre Fades to Black

September 26th, 2011

Caveat Emptor, for Crying out Loud!

American Tort Reform Association communications director Darren McKinney fired up a comment to an online UPI story he sees as too sympathetic to trial lawyers and class actions . . . → Read More: Caveat Emptor, for Crying out Loud!

September 23rd, 2011

‘Sue’ York City’s Corporation Counsel Calls for Tort Reform

In a cry for help that will almost certainly be ignored by Albany lawmakers who are wholly owned by the plaintiffs’ bar, New York City corporation counsel Michael Cardozo yesterday called for tort reform . . . → Read More: ‘Sue’ York City’s Corporation Counsel Calls for Tort Reform

September 14th, 2011

New York: Good, Bad & Ugly

The latest news out of once-and-future judicial hellhole New York, aka “Sue York,” can be described as good, bad and ugly . . . → Read More: New York: Good, Bad & Ugly