Support Equal Justice; Oppose Mississippi Tort Reform

PROTECT CIVIL JUSTICE IN MISSISSIPPI

The Mississippi civil justice system should stand for equal justice, not preferential treatment. The courtroom is the only venue where regular, tax-paying citizens have the same status as the wealthy and the politically powerful. We oppose measures, so-called tort reform, which would diminish or insult the role of the civil justice system and the protections it provides.

We hold the constitutions guarantee of a jury trial as being on equally sacred grounds as the right to free speech, the freedom of religion and our right to vote.

We protest a legislature judging the value of a persons injury, and even his or her life, without hearing that persons story. We trust judges and juries because they are our neighbors, and our jury system has made our courts the most untainted and fair forums of justice in the world. See http://www.mstla.com/press_releases.phtml.

We acknowledge credible studies, not just anecdote to the contrary, which show that the protections afforded by a healthy civil justice system provide hundreds of billions of dollars worth of economic benefits to our citizens (Center for Justice and Democracy, Lifesavers study). The temporary setback to the insurance industry caused by terrorist attacks, bad underwriting decisions, and declining financial markets have now given way to huge profits in 2003 (Weiss Ratings, March 8, 2004), just as civil justice advocates ensured during the 2002 special session of the Mississippi State Legislature. Numerous credible studies around the country have exposed the public relations fraud that is tort reform (see www.centerjd.com ).

We believe that the reforms of 2002, particularly the protections given to doctors and other health care providers, are enough. Recent amendments to procedural rules by our Supreme Court have also made changes designed to address alleged problems like venue shopping and mass tort joinder. Any problem that may have existed with Mississippis civil justice system has now been corrected, even over-corrected.

This is not a Democrat or Republican issue; it is a people issue. Mississippi people. For some or all of the reasons stated above, we ask you to:

PROTECT OUR CIVIL JUSTICE SYSTEM. VOTE AGAINST ALL TORT REFORM.