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Year: 2019-2020

2019-2020 Executive Summary

The 2019 – 2020 Judicial Hellholes report shines its brightest spotlight on 10 jurisdictions, courts or legislatures that have earned reputations as Judicial Hellholes. Some are known for allowing innovative lawsuits to proceed or for welcoming litigation tourism, and in all of them state leadership seems eager to expand civil liability at every given opportunity.

New Jersey Legislature

In a report that primarily focuses on courts, New Jersey is an exception due to the legislature’s focus on drastically

Oklahoma

Once a national leader in enacting fair and balanced civil justice reform for plaintiffs and defendants, Oklahoma, regrettably, has become

Georgia

Conditions in the “Peach State” have rapidly deteriorated over the past few years to the point that the state has

City of St. Louis, Missouri

The City of St. Louis is gaining a reputation as a favorite forum for those filing mass tort cases. According

Louisiana

The Bayou State continues to climb up the Judicial Hellholes list, due to the costly combination of former plaintiffs’ attorney

Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas

The Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas remains the center of the universe for pharmaceutical litigation and for good reason. Johnson & Johnson

California

Though it was last year’s No. 1 Judicial Hellhole, California’s courts and legislature continue to look for novel ways to expand

New York City

As New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) continues to promote New York as a business-friendly state, the litigation and regulatory

2019 Judicial Hellhole Report

Every year we shine a light on the worst of the worst. Since its inception in 2002, the American Tort Reform Foundation’s Judicial Hellholes® program has documented in annually published reports various abuses within the civil justice system, focusing primarily on jurisdictions where courts have been radically out of balance.

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