The trial lawyers lobby and the Democratic Party

[penguin7]

The trial lawyers lobby has been the biggest contributor to the Democratic party. It makes me sick.

Our legal system is a disgrace. The lawyers are gaming the system. It is not just a case of a few bad lawyers, the whole system is broken. As with health care we can look to other countries for better systems. The U.S. has one of the worst legal system in the world. We have over two million people in prison, we have insane drug laws, and we have justice only for the rich. Why does the defendant have to pay for his defense? Why doesn't the state defend the accused? The reason is the defendant accused of crime will pay whatever it takes which means more money for the lawyer.

The lawyers point to the cases where they have helped some poor souls that had terrible misfortunes by suing the hell out of the corporations. I don't like a system where people can only recover from a disaster if they can sue someone. I see no justice in it, and it is morally corrupt. And how come so many cases our settled out of court if the lawyers really want to keep the corporations accountable? Certainly the facts should see the light of day. Cases are settled out of court because the system is corrupt.

But there are also the great majority of cases that the lawyer will not take on contingency because the chance to collect enough money is not clear. In these cases the common man just gets the shaft.

If John "I feel pretty" Edwards is elected I will vote Green, unless Nader is nominated and then I might not even vote.

My guy is Kucinich, but if he does not get nominated I will probably vote for the nominee. I will not vote for the poster boy of the trial lawyers lobby.

[Captain Angry]

1. Trial lawyers are a symptom.

If companies had to prove they were telling the truth before a product was released, rather than getting caught later, lawsuits wouldn't be necessary.

If companies had to document publicly that they built into their cost structure an average of 1.5 customer deaths per 1000 units sold, people could make their decisions.

There is no accountability prior to the release of any goods or services, since they know they can settle the very few cases that they expect rather than spend more money testing and making an item safer.

There are certainly dirtbag lawyers, the ambulance chaser if you will.

But there are a lot of reasons that the industry thrives. And it's not the lawyer's fault that they're there.

It's like being mad at Indians who get sent jobs after they're outsourced from here. The Indian isn't going to say "No, I don't need to be paid well, keep the job in its original country."

[madfloridian]

2. I think trial lawyers are an essential part of our system.

I am glad they support the Democrats. As far as I can tell recently, the Republicans under Bush have taken away so many rights we will most surely need them.

That is a Republican spin that has gone on for years against trial lawyers. They did a good job on it...just like abortion, gay rights, and immigration.

The Republicans are very very good at what they do.

[penguin7]

3. I am no Republican.

And the trial lawyers would not be giving if they were not getting.

[madfloridian]

4. I did not call you Republican.

I just pointed out they have been scapegoating lawyers, trying to do away for years with our rights to sue for gross injustices. They are succeeding.

[JohnLocke]

5. Rehashed, incoherent, right-wing bilge.

[Big Blue Marble]

6. Attacking trial lawyers is just one more way to attack our democracy.

Tort law, the right to receive compensation for damages to your person or
your property goes back to the middle ages. The only reasons tort laws
are being attacked now is to reduce your access to the courts and to
shift even more more power to the corporations. Stop and think who benefits
if you cannot receive damages for injuries to your person or property.
The less access to the courts you have, the more control the corporations have.
The trial lawyers are our heroes! I, for one, am very glad that we count
them as part of the democratic party.

[WCGreen]

7. Like it or not, the trial lawyers are truly out last defense...

It's no accident that they are portrayed as guns for hire, because that is exactly what they are...

Think of the character Shane...

Remember how the powerful cattle baron had used his money with no regard to the rule of law to maintain his hold on that power...

What choice did the people have but to call in a professional gunslinger to undo the terrible damage that the powerful inflicted on the weak...

[JDPriestly]

8. penguin2, how do you define "trial lawyer"?

What in the world are you talking about?

[trof]

9. Everyone pisses on 'trial lawyers' (litigation specialists) until

they need a good one.
Then they are saviors and knights on white horses.
I'm just sayin'.

[Catchawave]

10. "The GOP War on Trial Lawyers" (Salon)

A must read dear Penguin :D

http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2004/07/13/lawyers/index.html

[1932]

11. Trial lawyers are the only thing offsetting power of corporatocracy, and obvioulsy they have little

power. The corporatocracy has had no problem getting the upper hand.

[Maribelle]

12. Trial Lawyers have fought valiantly against the consequences of pollution ...

and the totaly lack of responsibility and corruption by CEOs and government.

The true story "A CIVIL ACTION" comes rapidly to mind, and was perhaps the most eye opening for me.

[w4rma]

13. I support the trial lawyers. They tend to fight the corporate lawyers in the courtrooms. (nt)

[penguin7]

14. This thread is thoroughly depressing.

I know for certain criminal law and medical law are corrupt. I know enough about these two areas to render a verdict. I understand that medical law varies from state to state so the corresponding corruption varies likewise.

I know that the claims that the lawyers are there to help the common man are as hollow as the GOP claims on cutting taxes. Of course, there are some lawyers with pure altruistic motives. For the most part lawyers are just trying to make money, good or evil is not really part of their equation.

Lastly, the money that the trial lawyers are giving to the Democrats is just as dirty as the money from the corporations. This cannot be otherwise.

Do you all actually swallow the hogwash I am reading in this thread?

[WCGreen]

16. You might want to check on DK's contributions while he was a

State Senator...

You will probably see that DK, as do most state house democrats, get piles of money from the Trial Lawyers...

[AlCzervik]

15. lawyers suck until you need one and then you find out-hey thank goodness i had that lawyer.

not a lawyer and don't have any in my family but when i needed a good one i was lucky and he helped us out in a big way.

[MonkeyFunk]

17. We don't have one of the worst justice systems in the world.

That's an insane claim.

We have lousy laws. Thank god we have "trial lawyers" to help people caught up in the system.

Trial lawyers have been attacked by powerful interests for a long time, because they stand up to those interests. Sorry to see you fell for it.

[snowbear]

18. Your day will likely come Penguin7.

When a trial lawyer saves your ass -------


Why don't you ever bitch about the largest donors to the 'Republic' Party?