Notice to all Americans who support a plaintiff’s access to the civil justice system:
This is the dirtier side of the politics of denying the public access to justice. Behind your backs, billion dollar corporations are pumping billions of dollars into political and judicial campaigns or, in some cases, into smear campaigns against judges who are more fair minded to injured citizens.
You may recall that, In Mississippi, in 2000, the U. S. Chamber of Commerce (notoriously anti-justice; anti litigation; anti-citizen; pro-business lobbying group) began a series of attacks on sitting state Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz. The smear campaign nearly cost Diaz the election, that year. In 2003, Conservative Republicans went after him again; he was indicted by the Bush Justice Department on public corruption charges. Diaz, a former Republican, maintained his innocence throughout the ordeal; he refused to plea or resign his seat on the court, and was eventually acquitted on all charges. The Bush Justice Department then indicted him again, and, again, he was acquitted. That campaign and a subsequent indictment and forever tarnished his reputation when he ran for Mississippi Supreme Court in 2008. Eventually, the Chamber’s post-election smear campaign guaranteed that Diaz would not win re-election.
Why am I bringing this up, 3 long years later? Because when our citizens permit billion dollar corporations the power to shape our politics, choose our judges, and control our civil justice system, this is what the public gets:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/09/08/business/AP-US-Lead-Paint-Appeal.html
We all have an "it can’t happen to me" mentality about tragedy. But it can happen to you, and, when it does, you will have that tragedy compounded by being denied access to justice as these unfortunate Mississippi citizens were. Just thought you should know.
Mark M. Bello is the owner and founder of Lawsuit Financial Corporation where he is instrumental in providing cash flow solutions and consulting when necessity of life lawsuit funding is needed during litigation. Mr. Bello has thirty-four years experience as a trial lawyer and 13 years as an underwriter and situational analyst in the litigation funding industry. Mr. Bello is a sustaining and Justice Pac member of the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association, Justice Pac member of the American Association for Justice, Member of the American and Michigan Bar Associations, Member of the Public Justice Foundation, out-of-state member of the Mississippi Association for Justice and a business associate of the Florida Justice Association, Tennessee Association for Justice, Central Ohio Association for Justice and the Consumer Attorneys of California. He is also a proud member of the InjuryBoard.
